The Toronto Blue Jays were expected to have one of the best pitching rotations in Major League Baseball entering the 2026 season, one season after their trip to the 2025 World Series. However, some things aren't always as they seem, and for the Blue Jays' pitching staff, that couldn't be more true.
At the end of the season, three of five AL East teams made the playoffs, but one was not Toronto. This offseason, the front office must decide where to spend the money to get this team that was one win away from winning the World Series in 2025 back to the playoffs in 2027.
If there were one starting pitcher the Blue Jays would have wanted healthy all season that could've perhaps turned the season around was Shane Bieber. The former Cy Young Award winner's career in Toronto hasn't been so smooth, but in his defense, he hasn't been on the field for a full season.
With Bieber set to hit free agency, the Blue Jays have to decide whether he's worth bringing back for another season.
Why Bieber's Market Value Favors Toronto
According to Spotrac.com, Bieber holds a projected market value of a one-year contract worth $13.1 million. Bieber made $16 million in 2026 with the Blue Jays, showcasing that he's now less expensive than he originally was. The best part about that news? Toronto can easily get that kind of deal done.
Bieber has been injured the last two seasons, but when he's healthy, he has the ability to be one of the best starting pitchers in Major League Baseball. It wasn't long ago that Bieber could make 20 or more starts in a season, and each time he's done so, he's posted an ERA under 3.9.
In his final four starts of the season in August, Bieber posted a 2.59 ERA over 24.1 innings and struck out 22. Those are numbers of a former ace and one that the Blue Jays should take a chance on.
With a two-headed healthy monster of Bieber and AL Cy Young contender Dylan Cease leading this franchise as the one-two punch, the Blue Jays could compete with the division's best. With the Tampa Bay Rays now in the World Series, Toronto has to make some big moves to be ready to compete next season, and a $13 million one-year deal isn't a risky move at all for this franchise.
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