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The Toronto Blue Jays might look back on the 2025 season and call it a success, regardless of the record books.
The team was able to lock in homegrown superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a $500 million contract and that could be a major win if he continues to elevate his production for years to come.
But as the team looks to overcome its losing record and return to the playoffs, there’s still some significant work to do.
First and foremost, the Blue Jays will have to forge a healthy starting rotation. And after the latest update on free agent addition Max Scherzer, there’s reason for concern. Scherzer has been on the injured list since late March with a thumb problem and still seems a long way off from contributing.
“Max Scherzer threw twice at Yankee Stadium, taking what (manager John) Schneider called a ‘baby step’ in throwing off the mound,” Mitch Bannon reported for The Athletic. “While the 40-year-old continues to test his ailing thumb after two cortisone shots, a hole is left in Toronto’s rotation.”
Without Scherzer, the Blue Jays are relying on Kevin Gausman, José Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis — a four-man rotation that cannot continue to carry the load by themselves.
“...the Blue Jays need to find a legit fifth option,” Bannon added. “Kevin Gausman, Bassitt and Berríos are all at least 30 years old and have all pitched at least 540 innings in the last three seasons. The veteran rotation trio has been the best part of the Blue Jays’ mix so far this season, and burning them out with a shortened rotation and fewer rest days isn’t tenable.”
Despite some days off in May, the Blue Jays skipper sounded an alarm on finding another arm for the rotation as Scherzer continues a cautious rehab process.
“I know we do have a lot of off days,” he said, per Bannon. “But I think trying to avoid doing the four-man (rotation) kind of regularly right now would be important.”
As a result, the Blue Jays could be looking to promote a bullpen arm or seek an external addition.
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Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.
With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.
English (US)