Why the Blue Jays should keep Spencer Miles in the bullpen for 2027

Spencer Miles was one of the biggest breakout stars on the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays. The former Rule 5 Draft pick dominated the competition in his first year in the big leagues, posting a 2.93 ERA and 1.098 WHIP over 95.2 innings.

Most impressive was Miles’ versatility. He succeeded in a variety of roles, which has led to some questions as to how he could be best deployed in 2027. For as tempting as it will be to try stretching Miles out into a starting pitcher, the Blue Jays should keep him in the bullpen—at least for next season.

Why shouldn’t the Blue Jays turn Miles into a starting pitcher in 2027?

Health is the most obvious place to start this conversation. Before 2026, Miles had thrown less than 20 professional innings in a minor league career ravaged by injuries. His health was why the San Francisco Giants didn’t protect him in the Rule 5 Draft.

Keeping Miles in the bullpen will allow the Blue Jays to better manage his innings in 2027. That doesn’t mean he should be relegated to one-inning outings, but rather that he won’t be expected to throw five innings every fifth day. They can give him some downtime as needed.

Miles's ideal role next year is to become a high-leverage Swiss Army knife. For example, he could be used for two innings of relief on a Monday, then get three outs in the eighth inning on a Wednesday, then pitch again in some capacity that weekend. He’d make more appearances but still throw fewer innings than if he started twice in a week.

There is also the need to win baseball games to consider. The more times Miles can take the mound for the Blue Jays, the better. Having him pitch more often in shorter bursts might be more valuable than throwing him out there less often for longer at a time.

This is especially true when considering how the Blue Jays are likely to approach the free agent market this winter. General manager Ross Atkins has proven that signing veteran starting pitchers is his specialty, with Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, and Chris Bassitt as three examples. He’s been less successful signing relievers outside of Tyler Rogers.

Assuming the Blue Jays sign a starting pitcher—whether it’s a reunion with Gausman or welcoming in Trevor Rogers or Shota Imanaga—then they would be filling a hole in the rotation without weakening the bullpen. Conversely, making Miles a starter will probably necessitate signing another high-leverage reliever to bridge the gap to Louis Varland.

This isn’t to say Miles should never be a starter, however. If the Blue Jays can get him up to 120-130 innings in 2027, then it would make a ton of sense to stretch him out in 2028, having already built up his arm. A gradual process would probably be better for everyone.

So, for as tantalizing as the thought of having Miles start every fifth day may be, the Blue Jays shouldn’t plan on it just yet. That’s a luxury for further down the road.

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