Untangling the Uncertainty Around the Blue Jays’ Starting Rotation

According to Matheson, general manager Ross Atkins "wants and expects" Berríos to return to the starting rotation next season. That muddies the picture, with Gausman, Cease, and Yesavage locked into spots, and Bieber week-to-week but expected to be ready for Opening Day. As for Ponce, manager John Schneider spoke to reporters (including DiamondCentric's John Bonnes) at the Winter Meetings about Ponce's role. Asked if Ponce was going to be a starter, the manager replied: "Definitely going to be a starter."

With Berríos, that makes six starters, and it gets more complicated. Eric Lauer did an exceptional job last season filling in after Bowden Francis's injury. The Blue Jays will also have Francis fully healthy next season, and they added Jays Centre's No. 5 prospect, Ricky Tiedemann, to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Tiedemann's addition to the roster likely means the team has plans for him to pitch in the big leagues next season. What's more, Toronto also selected Spencer Miles in the Rule 5 draft, meaning he will need to spend next season in the majors or be offered back to the San Francisco Giants for $50,000.

That's a logjam of players, so what options do the Blue Jays have regarding their starting rotation next season?

1. Implement a Six-Man Rotation

After acquiring Bieber at last season's trade deadline, the Blue Jays went with a six-man rotation once the former Cy Young Award winner was healthy. Gausman, Bieber, Berríos, Lauer, Chris Bassitt, and Max Scherzer formed the rotation to give Toronto's arms extra days off to keep them healthy for the postseason. The final few weeks of the season are when we saw Berríos and Lauer transition fully to the bullpen. Yesavage earned his much-anticipated MLB debut, and he didn't disappoint.

If Berríos isn't traded before next season, his displeasure to be in the bullpen would seem to force a six-man rotation. This setup makes sense at the beginning of a season, while pitchers are working to get fully stretched out, to reduce early workload and protect against injuries. The other benefit is that if an injury occurs, the Jays would still have five starters who had pitched in the big league rotation all season.

2. Is the Hype Real or Strategic?

A lot of times, a manager or front office executive's optimistic take on a player is strategic, especially when the hype doesn't seem to make sense. In this case, Atkins saying he "wants and expects" Berríos to be in the starting rotation could be more of a message to other teams that the Blue Jays pitcher is healthy, thereby making him more appealing in trade.

Berríos is 32 and has three years and $67 million remaining on his contract, though he can opt out after next season. Plus, he's the odd man out of the five-man rotation if everyone is healthy. His being on the outside looking in at the rotation makes Berríos the most likely trade candidate. He could bring back a decent return if the Blue Jays are willing to absorb some of his salary, and financial relief if they aren't. 

Regardless of the team's intentions when it comes to recent comments about the starting rotation, the Blue Jays presumably have a plan that will benefit them. They are set up to defend their AL East title and pursue another World Series appearance.