Based on recent reporting from Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the Toronto Blue Jays are "willing to talk" about trading starting pitcher Jose Berrios this offseason.

Per his reporting from the winter meetings on Monday:

Under those circumstances, the Blue Jays would presumably have to eat money or take on another hefty contract in any trade, but they’re willing to talk about Berríos

We've covered the Berrios situation many times, and it's certainly a unique one. For reminders:

1) Berrios is under contract for three years and $67 million remaining. That said, he has a player opt-out after the 2026 season.

2) Berrios has no guaranteed spot in the team's rotation, which looks like it will be filled out by Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman, Cody Ponce and Dylan Cease.

3) Eric Lauer profiles to be in the same boat as Berrios: A swing-man in the bullpen who can fill-in in the case of injury. Yariel Rodriguez, who was recently outrighted to the minors, is also in that position, though he does profile more as a bullpen option.

The Berrios file

Now 31 years old, Berrios is a 10-year veteran of the Minnesota Twins and Blue Jays. A two-time All-Star, he's 108-82 lifetime with a 4.08 ERA.

After a solid season in 2024, he regressed in 2025, going 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA. His ERA was better than his FIP (4.65), suggesting that some regression to the mean is possible, which is bad news for him and the organization. He only struck out 138 batters in 166.0 innings. He was injured at the end of the season and did not pitch in the playoffs as Toronto advanced to the World Series.

The questions that need answering

1) Do the Blue Jays think it's worth it to have two swing options in the bullpen, or are Lauer and Berrios redundant?

2) While the Blue Jays did outright Rodriguez, do they see him as a better option to have in the bullpen than Berrios? If so, they may rather have him eventually in the 'pen, making Berrios more expendable.

3) The opt-out for Berrios complicates his trade market. A team might want to acquire him for 2026, but they may want him to stay all three years, not see him leave after just one. Conversely, a team may want him for 2026, but not want to be on the hook for all three years. Him staying might be too big a risk finacially the other way.

4) While the Blue Jays don't seem to care about payroll or financial penalties, do they have to eat so much money in a potential trade that it's just more worth it to keep him? That's something they'll have to figure out over the course of the offseason.

5) How do the Blue Jays see their rotation in 2027? Bieber and Gausman are free agents after the year. Is there any chance Berrios could slot back into the rotation next year?

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