"On Tuesday (Nov. 2), the Toronto Blue Jays were at it again, bolstering their pitching for the upcoming season. The Blue Jays went overseas to recruit KBO 2025 MVP Cody Ponce to the organization on a three-year deal worth $30 million. With Ponce being mainly a starter during his time in Japan and Korea, the consensus is, he will be joining the Blue Jays' rotation."
"Kevin Gausman will be in the final year of his five-year contract with the Blue Jays. But he hasn't done anything that would make him lose his spot after four consecutive years of excellence. Shane Bieber wasn't going to take the option on his contract to become a part of the bullpen. He will be leading the way in the rotation with hopes to bring Toronto back to the World Series."
"So with three pitchers already firmly set for the rotation for 2026, that leaves the likes of José Berríos, Trey Yesavage, Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis and Ponce to battle it out for the final two spots. With Francis having endured an injury-filled 2025 campaign, the bullpen is ideally where he will be working his way back into the majors this upcoming season. Lauer will likely serve as a swingman to act as valuable rotation depth piece"
Cody Ponce agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal pending a physical and is expected to join the Blue Jays' rotation after starting in Japan and Korea. The Blue Jays now have eight pitchers who could legitimately start in 2026, creating competition for the final two rotation spots. Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and Dylan Cease are locked into the rotation. José Berríos, Trey Yesavage, Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis and Ponce figure to battle for the remaining roles. Bowden Francis is projected to begin the year in the bullpen while recovering from injuries. Eric Lauer will likely begin as a reliever and act as swingman depth.
Read at Jays Journal
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