Blue Jays cannot rely solely on internal rotation options in 2027

There were plenty of topics covered during the year-end media availability for Toronto Blue Jays' GM Ross Atkins and President and CEO Mark Shapiro. There was talk about the lack of power, the struggles of Guerrero, and any potential additions to the pitching.

When asked about the pitching, Atkins says he believed the Blue Jays have enough options within the organization that can contribute in 2027. But do they? What could the rotation look like if the Blue Jays didn't add anyone before the 2027 season began?

There are plenty of options for Blue Jays rotation, but are they capable of the job?

Secured spots

It goes without saying that Dylan Cease, José Soriano, and Trey Yesavage will have guaranteed spots in the rotation. Cease will be in year two of his seven-year, $210 million contract, Soriano will be in his first full season in the Blue Jays rotation, and Yesavage will be looking to stay healthy after injuries limited him to 20 starts this year.

Injured starters

Cody Ponce, José Berríos, Bowden Francis, and Jake Bloss all spent most, if not all, of 2026 recovering from various injuries.

Ponce sprained his ACL in his Blue Jays debut which cost him the entire 2026 season. He was making progress in his recovery and there was an outside chance that he could have returned had the Blue Jays made a deep playoff run. He should be fully healthy come 2027.

Berríos was determined to bounce back from his rough 2025 until a stress fracture was discovered in his elbow. Berríos tried to rehab the injury but ultimately needed Tommy John surgery in May. With a two-year, $48 million option on the table, Berríos will undoubtedly opt in and be out for at least the first half of the 2027 season. How he will look upon his return remains to be seen.

Francis needed Tommy John surgery before the first workout of Spring Training. He will most likely miss the first half of the 2027 season as well. Given how badly he struggled in 2025 and has an option remaining, he could earn a shot later in the season if he looks good in his rehab.

Bloss needed Tommy John in May of 2025 and spent most of 2026 rehabbing from it. During his rehab, he suffered a teres major strain which would sideline him once again. He was announced to the participate in the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time.

Bloss is out of options in 2027 meaning the Blue Jays will need to carry him or exposing him to waivers before he can be sent down the minors. Bloss could operate as a long reliever while making occasional starts for the Blue Jays in 2027.

Other options

Spencer Miles is the strongest candidate to make starts for the Blue Jays in 2027. After being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, Miles went on to have a breakout season. He served multiple roles for the Blue Jays, whether it was in high leverage situations, long/bulk reliever, or as the opener.
In 49 games, Miles pitched to a 2.65 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 95.2 innings with 93 strikeouts. He made eight starts and recorded two saves.

With the success that Miles had this season, he should be considered a candidate to enter the rotation. Miles has the repertoire to be a starter: fastball, sinker, curveball, and slider. Adding an offspeed pitch would be beneficial for him to give batters another pitch to worry about.

Spencer Arrighetti had a strong start to the 2026 season. By the end of May, he had a pristine 1.34 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, but the underlying numbers suggested he was very lucky.

From June to the end of July, his luck ran out and he had an 8.34 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. He would be sidelined shortly after before being traded for Daulton Varsho. He did not look better after being traded. In 22.2 innings, Arrighetti had a 6.35 ERA and 1.54 WHIP and had 19 strikeouts.

John Klein was one of the pieces acquired in the trade that sent Jeff Hoffman to the Twins. He spent most his time after the trade with Buffalo, where he struggled mightily before making a cameo down the stretch. Klein will need to take a big step forward in 2027 if he wants to be considered for some starts.

CJ Van Eyk was drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft and spent six seasons in the Minors before finally making his debut in July this season. Van Eyk has lost a lot of his prospect luster and at 28-years-old, is merely organizational depth.

After missing all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Chad Dallas was able to make his debut in June this season. He split time between starting and relieving at Triple-A, though in August he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. At 26-years-old, Dallas can still develop into a back-end starter and make starts in 2027.

Final thoughts

In order for the Blue Jays to get back to the playoffs in 2027, they will need better health from their pitching after using a single-season franchise record 40 pitchers. The Blue Jays should look to make additions to their rotation from outside the organization. The Blue Jays currently have four out of five spots in their rotation secured, but as we saw this season, that won't be enough over 162 games.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow