{"id":110874,"date":"2025-12-16T20:43:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T01:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=110874"},"modified":"2025-12-16T20:43:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T01:43:00","slug":"potential-trade-options-blue-jays-jose-berrios","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/12\/16\/potential-trade-options-blue-jays-jose-berrios\/","title":{"rendered":"Potential Trade Options for Blue Jays Starter"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Blue Jays’ 2025 season was special. Contributions came from all different players on the roster, and they made it to Game Seven of the World Series against the eventual champion, the Los Angeles Dodgers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Blue Jays\u2019 rotation provided many bright moments, whether it was ace Kevin Gausman<\/a>, deadline acquisition Shane Bieber<\/a>, or rookie phenom Trey Yesavage<\/a>. The pitchers showed up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One name who didn\u2019t factor in for the entirety of the playoffs was 10-year veteran Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos<\/a>. Nicknamed \u201cLa Makina\u201d for the durability that he has showcased, he would routinely take the ball every fifth day en route to six straight seasons of 32 starts (excluding the COVID season of 2020, where Berr\u00edos made 12, which was the equivalent of 32) until the 2025 campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sep 2, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios (17) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Berr\u00edos was the Blue Jays’ Opening Day starter in 2025, taking the ball back on Mar. 27, when the Blue Jays kicked off the campaign by hosting the Baltimore Orioles. By the season’s final month, though, the team made a major move.<\/span><\/p>\n

In September, the Blue Jays moved Berr\u00edos to the bullpen, as they went with a four-man rotation as they fought to hunt down the American League East title and number one seed in the American League. The bullpen experiment lasted one outing, as Berr\u00edos went two innings, giving up three earned runs against the Boston Red Sox. Two days later, on Sept. 26, Berr\u00edos went on the injured list for the first time in his career with elbow inflammation, wrapping up the year with a 9-5 record, 4.17 ERA, and 1.301 WHIP across 166 innings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Could the Blue Jays Move On from Ace Berr\u00edos?<\/h2>\n

Through the postseason, there weren’t any Berr\u00edos sightings, even as other injured players, Bowden Francis<\/a> and Yimi Garc\u00eda<\/a>, were seen in the team\u2019s dugout. This prompted questions about the whereabouts of the team\u2019s Opening Day starter. General Manager Ross Atkins answered those questions when speaking to the media in Orlando at the MLB Winter Meetings, talking about why Berr\u00edos wasn’t there for the run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was not happy. He was disappointed that he wasn\u2019t in our rotation, said Atkins on Berr\u00edos, adding, “He handled it well, but then when it came down to roster selection, he wasn\u2019t on it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Berr\u00edos is still under contract next season for $19 million, but then comes an opt-out clause, or he can opt to stay with the Blue Jays for two more years at $24 million per year until the completion of the 2028 season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Blue Jays got the offseason started with Bieber exercising his $16 million player option for next year, signing Dylan Cease<\/a> to a seven-year, $210-million contract<\/a>, and then adding Cody Ponce<\/a>, the KBO\u2019s league MVP from last season, to a three-year, $30-million deal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Blue Jays appear to have Gausman, Yesavage<\/a>, Bieber, Cease, and Ponce all lined up to start next season, with depth options in Eric Lauer<\/a> and Bowden Francis, leaving a frustrated Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos potentially open to a trade. Here are some teams that could make a good fit for the 31-year-old right-hander.<\/span><\/p>\n

Three Landing Spots for Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos in a Potential Trade<\/b><\/h3>\n

San Francisco Giants<\/b><\/h4>\n

With a rotation anchored by Logan Webb<\/a> and Robbie Ray<\/a> at the top, Berr\u00edos could slot in as a perfect number three, replacing Justin Verlander<\/a>, who pitched last season with the club on a one-year deal<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Berr\u00edos and Webb are two pitchers who consistently take the ball, as Webb has started 32, 33, 33, 34 games in each of the past four years, giving the Giants two workhorses at the top of the rotation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The #OverDrive<\/a> crew discuss Jose Berrios and what the future holds for him with the Blue Jays.@OverDrive1050<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/W4Z17YU06y<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n