José Berrios reflects on his health

The 2025 season will not go down in history for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Berrios.

Acquired from the Minnesota Twins in 2021 in a trade for two young players (Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson), the 31-year-old right-hander looked back on his last season and the fact that injuries (shoulder and biceps) mortgaged his performances from the start to the end of the regular calendar. In the playoffs, deeming him too fragile, the Jays decided to do without him.

A proud player, Berrios resented his bosses' decision and decided to leave the team's entourage. A bold move that many have described as selfish. Having added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to their roster and seeing young Trey Yesavage in their soup, could Jays management do without the Puerto Rican's services to the point of trading him to another team? Anything is possible right now.

Considered the team's number-one pitcher for a few seasons, Berrios is regressing, and injuries don't explain everything. His time with the Toronto team seems to be running out, and a change of scenery could be beneficial.

Although he's feeling better and says he'll be able to resume his place in the Blue Jays' rotation as early as the next training camp, there's no clear indication that the fit is yet right between him and the Toronto organization. His preparation for next season is underway, and he even hopes to pitch for his homeland at the upcoming World Classic tournament, which begins next March.

José Berríos on @MLBNetwork:
“I battled all year long with my elbow, my bicep…”

He says that he wants to pitch in the WBC again in 2026. “I have that in my mind. That's my goal right now.” #BlueJays

Full video: https://t.co/OEuvNjmqF0

– Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) December 17, 2025

If he wants to represent Puerto Rico, it's because he believes he can help his country look good against the likes of Colombia, Cuba, and Nicaragua. Otherwise, he'd be content to heal his wounds and calmly prepare to report to Florida for the start of spring practice.

Berrios certainly didn't accept the decision to be sidelined when the stakes were high, but he didn't have what it took to help his team win the title, and everyone knew it. Few professional athletes easily accept not being able to face the music when the value of the prize is unique, and José Berrios is no different.

By pitching for his country, he hopes to use the energy provided by that pride to prove to his bosses that he can still make a difference on the mound, no matter the challenge.

For the moment, he's not sure whether he'll represent his country at the next World Classic, nor has he received assurances from team management that he'll start next season in a Blue Jays uniform. It's not an ideal situation for the man with a 108-82 record in ten seasons in Major League Baseball, and we'll judge José Berrios' strength of character once he's overcome the next hurdles one at a time.

No, injuries don't explain everything, but they didn't help his cause in a context where he wasn't expected to give an inch to other contenders for a starting job, and fans didn't like the way he handled the situation at all.

This content was created with the help of AI.