Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios He was scheduled to join Puerto Rico for the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic, but those plans were scrapped when his tournament physical revealed elbow inflammation (via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). An MRI found no structural damage, but inflammation was still a mystery as Berríos did not feel any discomfort. Nonetheless, after receiving the unexpected diagnosis, he plans to visit Dr. Keith Meister himself for a closer look, per Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling. That visit will come next Tuesday. Berríos won’t throw in the middle.
There is no indication at this time that Berríos is suffering from serious injuries. The 31-year-old veteran (who turns 32 in May) has not seemingly experienced any pain and could return to the mound as soon as his health returns.
Toronto’s offseason trades have left veteran Berrios in limbo. He has been a starting pitcher every year of his major league career and has been one of the most consistent and consistent starting pitchers of the past decade. Since 2018, he has led Major League Baseball in both starts (234) and innings pitched (1367 2/3). Berrios made 12 full starts during the shortened 2020 season, and has started more than 30 games each season since 2018.
Despite that durability, Berríos was largely pushed out of the Jays’ rotation. shane bieber He exercised his $16 million player option to start the offseason. Toronto signed. stop dylan 7-year contract and KBO returner Cody Ponce With a 3-year contract. Max Scherzer I signed a one-year contract earlier this month.
There are stops in Toronto’s rotation mix entering the season; Kevin Gausman, Tray YesavigBieber, Berríos, Ponce, Scherzer and Eric Lauer. They rank eighth in quality big leaguers, with only last year’s breakout rookie and postseason hero Yesavage to be selected. Obviously, he won’t be dispatched anytime soon.
Injuries tend to defuse these kinds of crises in the short term, but that’s not necessarily the case here. Bieber has been behind schedule due to forearm fatigue, but has been throwing recently. A season-opening window on the 15-day IL still seems likely, but it probably won’t hold him out for long. Cease, Gausman, Yesavage, Ponce, Lauer and Scherzer each look healthy. The Jays suggested they intended to develop Scherzer slowly, but Scherzer pitched four sharp innings in his first spring start.
But the shaken Berríos finds himself in a strange position. Barring a major injury, he’ll be part of a crowded pitching staff with no clear spot in the rotation. He was coming off one of his weaker seasons, but was still capable of playing well last year. In 166 innings, he recorded an ERA of 4.17, a strikeout rate of 19.8%, and a walk rate of 8%. The right-hander’s 93 mph four-seamer average was a career low, and his 92.2 mph sinker average was the second-lowest of his career. While his walk rate was solid, it was the second-highest of his entire career and a marked improvement over the 6.7% he posted from 2017-24.
There was some thought that perhaps the Jays would try to trade Berríos this winter, but that wouldn’t be an easy task. He is entering the fifth season of a seven-year contract extension. Berrios is still owed $66 million over the next three years, which is certainly more than he would have received in free agency this winter. His contract also includes an opt-out clause after the 2026 campaign, so even if the team believes Berrios is a prominent bounce-back candidate and is proven correct in a vintage 2026 showing, he will likely trigger the out clause and return to free agency.
Berríos’ $131MM contract also includes a restricted eight-team no-trade clause. This clause becomes void after the 128th day of the season, once he has played 10 years in the major leagues and is rated 10-5. The 10-and-5 clause (10 years of major league service, last 5 years with same team) gives any player complete veto power over trade scenarios.
Berrios’ condition is currently unclear due to health issues. If he needs an IL stint to start the season, he’ll likely join Bieber there. Toronto will start with a rotation led by Cease, Gausman, Yesavage, Ponce and Scherzer, with Lauer available in a swing role. It’s possible that the Jays won’t be able to keep all eight starters healthy at the same time at any point this season. In that scenario, they would be happy to have depth. But if Berríos and Bieber are able to return in early to mid-April, Toronto will have more difficult choices ahead.
Lauer took a team-first approach, praising his tight group of rotating options and saying he would throw in whatever role was asked of him. But he also admitted that, all else being equal, he would prefer to start. After all, he’s a free agent at the end of the season, and working as a starter is the best way to maximize his earning potential. This situation, combined with the upcoming updates on Berríos and Bieber, makes the Jays’ rotation group an especially interesting group to watch in the final few weeks of camp.
