Atkins continued to say that he and José Berríos have a “solid, professional” relationship: “José has been an incredible starting pitcher for his entire career and we’re very glad he’s here. We certainly intend for him to be here moving forward.” #BlueJays
Ross Atkins: José Berríos was unhappy about the move to the bullpen
Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2025, 17:30 ESTUpdated: Dec 8, 2025, 17:37 EST
On Monday, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spoke to the media.
There were some interesting tidbits from the interview, but the most interesting of which was when he was asked about José Berríos. Atkins noted that Berríos wasn’t happy about not being in the rotation, but handled it well. It’s also worth noting that Atkins pointed out that they intend to keep Berríos.
As you may recall, Berríos wasn’t around much during the postseason. Although it was reported by Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith on Monday that Berríos missed the World Series due to a family reason, the fact that Atkins said it was his choice is only going to add fuel to the fire to trade rumours this off-season.
As for Atkins saying that the Jays intend to keep him around, this is a bit conflicting, as it’s been reported that the Blue Jays will listen to offers surrounding the 31-year-old right-handed pitcher. If he isn’t moved, Berríos is set to earn $19 million in 2026, with a luxury tax hit of just over $18.7 million. He has an opt-out after the 2026 season, but if he doesn’t use it, he’ll be owed $48 million over the next two years.
It was a rough season for Berríos. After posting a 3.65 ERA and 3.60 ERA in 2023 and 2024, respectively, his ERA jumped to 4.17 in 166 innings pitched, while his 4.65 FIP wasn’t that encouraging either. By the end of the season, he was removed from the rotation and later placed on the Injured List, the first time in his big league career that’s happened. The good news is that he struggled in 2022 and rebounded in the following two seasons.
If the Blue Jays do intend to keep Berríos around, there’ll be plenty of competition for the fifth spot in the rotation. They recently signed Cody Ponce to a three-year deal worth $30 million, and he’s fully capable of being the Jays’ fifth starter. Adding Ricky Tiedemann, Adam Macko, and a handful of other young starting pitchers into the mix helps that competition as well.
Time will tell what will happen, but it’ll surely be a busy off-season for the Blue Jays.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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