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Opt-in clauses in Jose Berríos’ contract could be vital to Blue Jays’ future rotation
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Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
May 27, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: May 27, 2026, 09:53 EDT
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Last Wednesday, Toronto Blue Jays’ right-hander José Berríos underwent Tommy John surgery, officially putting an end to his 2026 season. 
Going into this season – prior to Berríos suffering the stress fracture in his elbow during spring training – he was in the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Blue Jays. Berríos is making $19 million and holds a player opt-out following the completion of the 2026 season. 
With the injury diagnosis and Berríos set to miss the entirety of the 2026 season as well as a large portion of the 2027 season (if it happens), the 31-year-old is all but assured to opt in to his player option that will pay the right-hander $24 million AAV over 2026 and 2027. 
Now this may leave some Blue Jays fans frustrated, but it wasn’t too long ago that Berríos was tasked as the Blue Jays’ Opening Day starter and was a mainstay in their rotation. Berríos was given the ball to open the 2022, 2024, and 2025 regular seasons, tied for the second-most Opening Day starts in Blue Jays’ franchise history. 
Last year’s 4.17 ERA and displeasure with being moved to the bullpen in September sit in the recent memory of many Blue Jays fans, but until his trip to the 15-day injured list last September, Berríos was a model of consistency within the Major Leagues. 
From 2018 to 2024 – excluding the COVID-19 season, where Berríos made 12 starts, the equivalent of 32 starts during a 60-game season – Berríos made 32 starts per year, taking the ball every fifth day, and proving why he earned the nickname “La Makina.”
On July 30, 2021, Berríos was acquired by the Blue Jays from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for prospects Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson. Since coming to Toronto, Berríos has posted ERAs of 3.58, 5.23, 3.65, 3.60, and 4.17, a really consistent output in today’s game. Berríos topped 160 innings in each of his four full seasons and was a big factor in the Blue Jays making the postseason in 2023 when the right-hander won 11 games and tossed 189 2/3 innings, the 16th most innings across MLB. 
The 2024 season was even better for Berríos. The righty went 16-11, tied for the third-most wins across MLB, posted an ERA of 3.60, and a WHIP of 1.15 over 192 1/3 innings, the seventh-most frames in all of MLB. Berríos turned in quality outing after quality outing, including the month of April, where Berríos produced a 1.19 ERA. 
Following the completion of the 2026 season, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, and Patrick Corbin are all eligible for free agency, leaving the Blue Jays with Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce as the three mainstays in the rotation. While a Gausman extension feels likely, the free agency process is always a tough one to predict. The other three look like long shots to return to Toronto, making the Berríos situation of greater importance. 
Bowden Francis, Jake Bloss, Ricky Tiedemann, and Spencer Miles all represent a wave of starting pitchers who could make an impact on the Blue Jays in 2027 as well as outside arms the Blue Jays’ management could target from the free agent class, but Berríos represent a high-upside option for the latter half of 2027 and the 2028 season if he can find the form that helped make him such a fan favourite within the Blue Jays’ organization. 
While the end of 2025 and the 2026 season didn’t go how anyone would have liked, Berríos’ work in a Blue Jays uniform shouldn’t be forgotten or erased. The saving factor in all of this could be the options that remain, giving Berríos a chance to finish his tenure strong in Toronto. 

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