The Toronto Blue Jays made a surprising move on Tuesday, inking KBO MVP Cody Ponce to a three-year deal worth $30 million. 

He figures to pair in the starting rotation with Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage. As a result, depth options like Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis and Eric Lauer are now clearly in a state of flux.

How the Blue Jays handle each of them will be fascinating to watch. Before we look at each of them individually, let's also acknowledge the following:

The Blue Jays don't have to trade, release or designate anyone for assignment. Having too much pitching depth is never a bad thing, and with Bieber coming off Tommy John surgery and Yesavage likely facing a workload restriction of some sort in 2026, maybe the Jays want to keep everyone as the ultimate insurance.

That said...

Jose Berrios

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's got three years and $66 million left on his contract, but he also has an opt-out after 2027. Because of all that, it seems like a difficult deal to trade, unless an acquiring team wants to bring him in for 2026, start him, and risk losing him next offseason.

It seems likely that he stays with the Jays, serves as a long-man in the bullpen, and as a depth option when injury strikes. Furthermore, Bieber and Gausman are free agents after the season. Could Berrios just slot right back into the rotation full-time in 2027?

Eric Lauer

Now 30 years old, Lauer is a seven-year veteran of the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Blue Jays. He went 9-2 this season with a 3.18 ERA in 2025, appearing in 28 games (15 starts).

He's a free agent at the end of the season, so the Blue Jays would be wise to at least listen to trade offers for him. Given his looming free agency - and that Berrios is likely the long-man in 2026, do the Jays really see the need to protect him at all costs?

Perhaps he could be a low-budget starter for another team, which would make him an appealing add for another team.

Bowden Francis

Now 29 years old, Francis really struggled in 2025, going 2-8 with a 6.05 ERA in 14 starts (14 games). But he did have a solid 2024, going 8-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 27 games.

He has a minor league option remaining, so the Jays can afford to stash him as depth in Triple-A, but if another team wants to use him at the big-league level, the Jays should also be willing to listen.

Other news and notes

All this pitching depth likely means that Ricky Tiedemann can start the year in the minor leagues and develop as a starter. We had written about him being among the most fascinating players in the organization for 2026.

If the Blue Jays trade away any of the players above, Top-10 prospect Jake Bloss re-enters the fold, however, he's coming back from Tommy John surgery and won't be an option until later in the season.

RELATED BLUE JAYS STORIES

ANOTHER BIG MOVE: The Jays have signed Cody Ponce, the MVP of the KBO to a three-year deal. CLICK HERE: 

KEY TO THE COUNTY: Ernie Clement was recently welcomed back to his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. CLICK HERE: 

DRAFT PENALTIES: Signing Dylan Cease is a good move for the Jays, but it comes with consequences. CLICK HERE: 

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