Should the Blue Jays be concerned about not having a left-handed starter?

"With the addition of Dylan Cease, the Blue Jays now boast one of the game's best rotations. The free agent addition will join Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and presumably Jose Berrios - all right-handers - to round out the unit. While having all righties in their rotation isn't incredibly uncommon, it remains to be seen how much of an impact it may have on the club."

"Over the last decade, the Blue Jays have had a left-hander make at least 10 starts in all but one campaign (2024). While Eric Lauer's 15 starts paced Blue Jays southpaws last year, he wasn't expected to contribute at the beginning of the season. Barring a trade, that means that 2026 will be the third straight year in which the Blue Jays enter the year with all right-handers in their rotation."

"Although it's still possible that Lauer is needed in the rotation this season, the Jays have a couple of other southpaw starters who may contribute at some point or another. Ricky Tiedemann was once the team's top prospect (now seventh, per Blue Jays Nation), but figures to finally be ready to contribute as he gets further away from injuries that have slowed him down in recent years."

"Having all right-handed starters puts some extra emphasis on having strong lefties in the bullpen, an area that could stand to improve entering next season. Lauer appears headed for a long relief role, with Mason Fluharty, Brendon Little, and Justin Bruihl listed as the only other options on the 40-man roster. Fluharty had a strong rookie season and postseason performance,"

The Blue Jays' starting rotation will be entirely right-handed after adding Dylan Cease alongside Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and likely Jose Berrios. The club has rarely gone without a left-handed starter making double-digit starts over the past decade, with 2024 as a recent exception. Eric Lauer provided 15 starts last year but was not initially expected to contribute. Ricky Tiedemann and Adam Macko could provide left-handed depth as they recover from injuries, though Macko likely needs time in Triple-A. The bullpen requires stronger left-handed options given limited current 40-man candidates and uncertainty around Justin Bruihl.

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