While re-signing both could be possible, extending Gausman should be the preferred choice if it ends up being one or the other situation. Very few starting pitchers in the game are as consistent as Gausman. He's made at least 31 starts each of the past five seasons with an ERA of 3.83 or better. All signs point to him putting up strong numbers again after showing no signs of slowing down in 2025.
The Blue Jays enjoyed an incredible amount of success in 2025 with contributions from every corner of their roster. While there will be new additions to the team this winter, there will be existing players who will have more opportunities to extend the Blue Jays' contention window next season. Toronto found many wild cards that ultimately helped the team shine in some of the biggest moments during the regular season and the playoffs.
Well Walt Weiss has begun assembling his coaching staff, replacing Fredi Gonzalez and Rick Kranitz with two young and respected coaches from the Mets' 2025 staff, Jeremy Hefner and Antoan Richardson. While I preferred a younger and perhaps more tactically modern choice for manager, I thought the Weiss hire was defensible due to his familiarity leading what has been considered a healthy clubhouse. If Weiss and the front office intend to fill his staff with young, modern thinkers, that makes the arrangement significantly better.
Most importantly, Bieber was one of the high-upside pitchers available at last summer's trade deadline who could make a big difference down the stretch. Still, there were questions about just how valuable Bieber really was. He hadn't pitched since April 2024 on account of Tommy John Surgery and had posted middling results since his 2020 AL Cy Young award so when the Blue Jays brought him in, they were being careful with his eventual return to action.
We know the games mean a little bit more when the Toronto Blue Jays are actively trying to match up their pitchers against specific competition. It's also been a while since they've had the luxury of being able to say they are truly six starters deep and any one of them can give the Blue Jays a chance to win on any given night.
