Jose Berrios "looks great," according to Ross Atkins, who said he saw the rehabbing RHP in the Dominican recently. "Hopefully he can be an impact (pitcher) for us."
News and Notes from Ross Atkins’ media availability
Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Nov 13, 2026, 19:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 13, 2026, 13:42 EST
The 2026 General Manager Meetings have come and gone, and it’s clear that the Toronto Blue Jays are going to be busy this month.
Serving as a de facto replacement for the Winter Meetings, which will surely be cancelled due to the impending lockout, ground work was laid for future transactions. The GM Meetings also allowed the media to speak to Ross Atkins, who gave several interesting tidbits in his press conference on Tuesday.
Let’s dig into what was said!
Who’ll play centre field?
Given how Brett Bateman played in the final two months of the 2026 season, it’s not a hot take to say that he’ll get some runway as the Blue Jays’ everyday centre fielder. But if he falters he can’t hit like he did last season, then what? Well, Atkins noted that Nathan Lukes and even Addison Barger may be able to fill in some innings at centre field.
Barger has never played centre field professionally. He came up the minor league ladder as an infielder, mainly playing shortstop and third base. In 2023, he started playing right field, a position he has done quite well in when healthy, finishing the 2025 season with nine outfield assists in just 413 innings in right field.
The third baseman/outfielder also threw out a runner, but that turned out to be one of his final actions of the 2026 season, as he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after. Centre field is generally easier on the arm than right field, but Barger may not have the range to play the position.
Lukes has a bit more experience at the position, but played just 60 innings at the position in 2026, as well as just 306 innings since making his big league debut in 2023. He played some centre field in the minor leagues as well, so it’s not a position that is new to him.
Adding a centre fielder is well down on the list of needs, but it is something to keep an eye on if the Blue Jays believe that Bateman isn’t ready for full-time duties in a year that they wish to contend.
José Berríos’ status
A big reason why the Blue Jays didn’t contend in 2026, despite winning the American League pennant in 2025, is due to injuries to starting pitchers. That included José Berríos, who was one of three of their expected starters who began the season on the injured list.
The Puerto Rican righty never came off the IL. He made some rehab starts, but in May, he underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season. The good news is that Berríos may be able to eat some innings for the Blue Jays at some point next season.
Berríos received full Tommy John surgery, which has a recovery time from a year to a year and a half. If he returns in 2027, it’ll be in the second half of the season, as he got the surgery in late May.
Spencer Miles’ workload
Berríos’ injury, among other injuries, forced the Blue Jays to lean on bullpen days for most of the season. One player who started a few of those games is Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles.
The Blue Jays will look to have Spencer Miles prepare for a similar volume of work next season but with "less volatility and less changes to what he's doing," said GM Ross Atkins. Miles logged 95.2 innings in every role from starter to closer during 2026.
It’s truly incredible what the 26-year-old was able to achieve in 2026. Before the Jays selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, he had pitched just 14.2 innings in affiliate ball, as well as some innings in the 2025 Arizona Fall League.
Fast forward a year, and Miles was a key reliever for the team, authoring a 2.73 ERA and 2.65 FIP across 95.2 innings of work. He made eight starts, saved two games, and was used in all roles. There aren’t many players in Major League history with a story like Miles’.
Atkins noted that he’ll have similar volume as last season, but used in mainly one role. That screams bulk reliever/spot starter, though it’d be interesting to see how he’d do as a full-time starter.
Minimal changes to the coaching staff
Even with a lost season, the Blue Jays will make minimal changes to their coaching staff according to Atkins. The only coach not returning as of yet is mental skills coach John Lannan.
Mental skills coach John Lannan isn't returning to the Blue Jays, who intend to backfill, although the role could change. "We are always looking to be better in the mental skills space," said GM Ross Atkins. "But we're not going to marry ourselves to a certain job description."
Lannan, who pitched part of seven years in the big leagues, spent three seasons with the Blue Jays’ big league team as he was hired the 2023-24 off-season as the team’s mental performance coach. He originally joined the organization back in the winter of 2021, serving in the same role for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons for three seasons.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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