Jose Berrios: the Blue Jays don’t want to give up a prospect to trade him

If the Blue Jays' 2026 season were to start today, it's safe to assume that the Blue Jays' five starters would be Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Cody Ponce.

For the time being, at least, it looks like Jose Berrios will have to fight for his spot in the rotation.

Of course, even though he and the Blue Jays had a falling out in 2025 over his performance and absence from the playoffs, the fact remains that we shouldn't assume that he made his last start in Toronto.

Why not? Because the club could go down to six starters. Because injuries happen so quickly. Because bad performances can also change the game.

A club needs depth to achieve its goals. A 162-game season is a long time.

But it's also possible to believe that the Blue Jays will try to trade Berrios, who is due $66 million over the next three seasons—if he doesn't use his opt-out in a year, of course.

How much are the Blue Jays trying to trade their veteran pitcher?

It's important to know that money isn't an issue in town, and that the club won't go out of its way to free up part of his contract. That's why Keegan Matheson (MLB.com) says the Queen City club doesn't want to give another club a prospect to send the pitcher elsewhere.

The #BlueJays' rotation looks really damn good, even if a few things still need to sort themselves out. Story: https://t.co/aW8WwhLPWU

– Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) January 24, 2026

Yes, the Blue Jays would have to withhold salary to trade him, and it's possible they would. But the team also doesn't want to pay a prospect to give him away because, come the heart of summer, you might wonder, if things go south, why the club PAID to trade him.

It's a situation to keep an eye on, then. But even if Berrios has to wonder and isn't satisfied, right now, the American East club likes its depth in the rotation.

This content was created with the help of AI.