Jameson Taillon's disappointing tenure shouldn't scare Blue Jays off from pursuing depth at all costs

A season that was defined by injuries, especially on the pitching side of things, required the Toronto Blue Jays to get desperate around the trade deadline. They effectively swapped rental Kevin Gausman for controllable starter José Soriano, shuffling their chips around in an effort to build for the future while keeping the door open for a late push in 2026.

Another one of those chips was Jameson Taillon, whom the Blue Jays picked up in a much quieter deal with the Chicago Cubs after the right-hander was designated for assignment. He really struggled in the first half in the Windy City, but as a playoff-proven veteran with a long track record of handling a huge volume of innings, the thinking was understandable.

Unfortunately, his tenure in Toronto never really got off the ground. He made two solid starts immediately after arriving in town, but then hit the injured list with forearm tendinitis. Upon his return in early September, he made it just two innings before succumbing to elbow pain. For someone who has already had two Tommy John surgeries performed on his right arm, that's about as worrying of a stretch as Taillon could have had.

Still, from all indications, he's not anticipating another procedure this offseason. On a short-term, low-risk contract, would a reunion with the impending free agent make sense for the Blue Jays?

Reuniting with Jameson Taillon is the kind of depth move Blue Jays should be hunting this offseason

Again, Taillon's season-long stats were ugly -- there's no getting around that. Over 18 starts covering just 86 innings, he produced a 5.65 ERA and 6.60 FIP, adding up to -1.0 fWAR. That last mark was the fifth-worst among all pitchers in 2026.

Still, it was just a season ago that he was the Cubs' most-trusted playoff starter, logging a 2.25 ERA and 1.76 FIP over two starts. He rode a reinvented kick-changeup to a dominant second half, finally solving his longstanding problems against left-handed hitters and with the long ball.

Those troubles returned with a vengeance this year -- he allowed 27 homers total and an .880 OPS to lefties -- but the solution is in plain sight: He needs to throw his secondaries more and his fastballs less. Seventeen of the 27 home runs he gave up this year were hit off his cutter and four-seamer.

Normally, we'd probably chalk his tenure up to a failed trade and move on. But after the Blue Jays had to scratch and claw their way through the season as pitchers continued to drop like flies, it's apparent more than ever how important pitching depth is for a contending team.

Taillon won't receive anything more than a small, one-year deal -- he may even have to settle for a minor-league pact when all is said and done -- which might be worth it given his track record, including eight seasons of more than 100 innings thrown.

There are far better pitchers out there that the Blue Jays should be trying to sign, but these are the kinds of quiet moves that can make all the difference when injuries start breaking apart a roster.

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