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Should the Blue Jays add more starting pitching depth this offseason?
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Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Graeme Wallace
Dec 11, 2025, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 11, 2025, 07:30 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays’ signings of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce fortified a pitching rotation that already includes Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios, and last year’s late-season standout, Trey Yesavage.
Initial projections also included Berrios in the rotation, but recent comments by GM Ross Atkins confirmed that Berrios left the team during the World Series and was upset about not being on the roster and his move to the bullpen late in the regular season.
Those comments made it hard to envision Berríos being on the Jays staff in 2026, although Atkins did note that the Puerto Rican product is expected to be on the team moving forward. 

Should the Blue Jays add more starting pitching depth?

The question is, should the front office add to their starting pitching depth after the significant investments made in Cease and Ponce?
The top four of the rotation are as strong as any quartet in the majors; however, there are questions after that. Can they work things out with Berríos? Does the organization see Ponce as a starter? And, where does that leave Eric Lauer, who came out of nowhere to save the Jays’ rotation last season?
As good as Lauer was, there’s no guarantee he’ll be the same guy in 2026, and investing in someone who will at least compete for a starting spot would be prudent. Outside of Lauer, looking further into the farm system, the Jays have a few arms that stick out in Ricky Tiedemann, Adam Macko, and Lazaro Estrada, but that isn’t the deepest pool around, considering the injury concerns that have plagued Tiedemann and Macko in recent years. 
The Jays have already spent big bucks on free-agent pitching this offseason. Who could they bring in who would be a value signing but could viably make the team and be a contributor?
Seeing that Lauer is potentially the only left-handed starter, bringing in another low-cost lefty would be a good move. The Jays have had success with veteran pitchers in recent years, such as Robbie Ray, Max Scherzer, and a host of others. Jose Quintana and Martin Perez are two veteran lefties the Blue Jays could sign on the cheaper side of hurlers who could make an impact on the 2026 team, should they choose that route. 
Right-handed pitcher Adrian Houser is another interesting name that’s out there and could be a deal at the right price. He emerged as a stud on a brutal Chicago White Sox team, with a 6-2 record and a 2.10 ERA over his first 11 starts of 2025. The 32-year-old came back to earth after being acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays, putting up a 4.79 ERA across 10 starts down the stretch. Dustin May and Brad Keller are other low-cost options the team could consider if they’re satisfied with signing another right-handed pitcher, and the club reportedly checked in on Keller this winter. 
The Blue Jays thought they were done with adding to their starting pitching corps this offseason, but Atkins’ recent comments regarding Berrios make it hard to see a path to reconciliation, and it may be best for both sides to move on. Digging into the “value market” of this year’s free-agent class could be the best available answer.

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