"Bieber's decision to trigger his $16MM player option has led to speculation he may not be 100% healthy. He could have taken a $4MM buyout and returned to free agency, only needing to get $12MM to come out ahead, but a new deal would have required him to pass a physical. To be clear, that's entirely speculative. There has been no public indication anything is wrong with Bieber, but it's one possible explanation for why he didn't pursue a larger deal."
"Beyond that, Gausman turns 35 in January. Yesavage had a tremendous debut late in the year but is still light on big league experience. Berríos had a mediocre 2025 and finished the season on the injured list due to elbow inflammation, though he is supposedly going to have a normal offseason. Lauer worked both as a starter and a reliever in 2025 and seems likely to do so again next year."
Toronto signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year deal while remaining active in pursuit of additional starting pitching. The club showed interest in MacKenzie Gore and a Twins starter before the trade deadline and has tracked free agents including Michael King. The projected rotation lists Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and José Berríos, with depth options such as Lauer, Ricky Tiedemann and Bowden Francis. Several rotation questions remain: Bieber's option decision raised health speculation, Gausman will turn 35, Yesavage lacks extensive big-league innings, Berríos struggled and finished 2025 on the injured list with elbow inflammation, and Tiedemann and Francis carry durability concerns.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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