Big pitcher in Toronto: MLB executives believe in it

The Toronto Blue Jays will no doubt be looking to get their hands on a hitter. Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette are names that come up a lot in town, of course.

But the priority is a top-notch starter who won't be around for just one year.

Remember that in a year's time, Jose Berrios could use his opt-out to become a free agent. Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber will be out of contract in a year.

So you need stability.

And clearly, it's been noticed, but the word is out in Major League Baseball. I say this because 16 of the league's executives were asked about a number of hot topics in the baseball world… and starting pitchers are one of them.

In light of the results, it's clear that people think the Blue Jays have a good chance of signing a big name on the mound, as we can read in this ESPN piece on November 26.

Our annual hot stove survey of (16) MLB execs dropped today. Among questions we put to them: Where will star free agents sign? Who are the top trade candidates? And will the Tigers move Skubal? (most said no). Story here, free for all: https://t.co/oAFloW9Z9M

– Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 26, 2025

Of the 14 or 15 executives who answered the poll's “where will this player sign? question, five are sending Framber Valdez to Toronto, three believe Dylan Cease will sign with the Blue Jays and three think Ranger Suarez will end up in the Queen City.

So Toronto is these people's favorite city for the controversial Framber Valdez. And remember, people only give one answer per player, not a top-5 team, for example.

People in the business don't necessarily seem to believe in Tucker (the Yankees name comes up a lot in the discussion) in Toronto as much as in a top-tier pitcher. I can see where that comes from.

Tatsuya Imai is also a possibility.

This content was created with the help of AI.