The Toronto Blue Jays have gotten off to an aggressive start to the offseason in their bid to move past their crushing loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 World Series.
Thus far, their efforts to get over the hump have seen them double down on an already-strong rotation by adding Dylan Cease and, most recently, KBO star Cody Ponce.
The result is a crowded rotation filled with plenty of talented arms. They say you can never have too much pitching, so the presence of Cease and Ponce alongside Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios isn’t a problem, per se. However, it does beg the question of what comes next?
There are a number of options here, from moving someone to the bullpen or possibly trading Berrios. But apart from Yesavage’s team-friendly rookie deal, every other Blue Jays starter will earn between $10 and $30 million, making a foray into long relief unlikely. And while Berrios could be moved, he might prove more valuable to keep than unload at an admittedly low point in his trade value.
There is another option in play: a six-man rotation. Toronto briefly rolled out six starters upon Bieber’s return from Tommy John surgery last August and the strategy might make even more sense as part of a long-term plan in 2026.
Why a Six-Man Rotation Makes Sense for the Blue Jays
Trey Yesavage could benefit from a six-man rotation. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
While rare, six-man rotations are not completely unheard of in Major League Baseball. In fact, none other than the Dodgers found success employing six starters last season and are reportedly considering the same plan for the 2026 campaign.
The problem with such an arrangement is that it tests an organization’s pitching depth. Los Angeles actually saw their regular season win total decrease by five (98 wins to 93) and sported a middling 3.95 team ERA (16th in the majors) as a result of having just one pitcher (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) start 30 games.
The Blue Jays, however, are in somewhat of a unique situation. Injuries forced the club to turn to 15 different pitchers to start games last season. And even with all the money invested in the current starters, there’s reason to believe it might be the same story this time around.
For as talented as Toronto’s rotation is, there are plenty of questions outside of Gausman. How many games can Yesavage be expected to start, and will he be as effective over a full season and with a scouting report emerging on him? Can Bieber be counted on for a full season of health? Will the Blue Jays get 2022 and 2024 Cease or the 2023 and 2025 version? Can Ponce carry his success in Korea back over to the Majors? What is Berrios at this point?
Those questions all become a little less glaring when their subjects go from representing 20% of the rotation to 16.7%.
Furthermore, unless Yesavage can carry his late season magic across a full 162-game campaign, there is no Toronto pitcher so clearly ahead of his contemporaries that prompts concerns about losing out on a few starts. The Blue Jays would surely be happy to sacrifice a couple of regular season outings from Gausman in order to keep the 34-year-old (will be 35 by Opening Day) rested and ready for the postseason.
Naturally, injuries will occur over the course of the season. Even outside of the club’s six starters, though, Toronto is well positioned to absorb such absences. Bowden Francis and Eric Lauer remain depth options in the organization, as do rising prospect Gage Stanifer and a returning Ricky Tiedemann.
Though the Blue Jays still have holes to address, they have doubled down on the organization’s pitching strength. They could still opt for a five-man rotation and would probably fare just fine, but why not weaponize some of that strength (and ownership’s willingness to open the checkbook) and play the long game with a six-man rotation?
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