The Toronto Blue Jays have done what a lot of teams who are deemed as “dream teams” are supposed to do. Atleast according to the books, they bought themselves a rotation! They got Kevin Gausman for $110 million, Jose Berrios for $131 million, and Chris Bassitt for $63 million. And for a while, that patchwork of veteran talent for sure did the trick.
But here is the kicker—renting a rotation doesn’t mean that you have built one. And now that those contracts are inching closer towards an expiration, the elephant in the room is—what happens next then?
And honestly, Toronto isn’t unaware of the problem they have. In fact, they have been aware of this for a while now. Back in 2020, the front office realized that they were falling behind in pitching development. So they built the lab, chased down the metrics, and jumped into the velocity wagon like everyone else. Right now, there is a gap in the pitching, and Athletics Mitch Bannon perfectly summed it up.
Are the Blue Jays closer to fixing their pitching development pipeline? https://t.co/k5csvqa62X
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) June 30, 2025
Mitch Bannon simply pointed out the fact as it is: “While other clubs have stocked rotations with homegrown arms, the Jays have filled their pitching needs by handing out large contracts.” And he is right, isn’t he? While other teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are churning out the arms from within, the Jays have relied on band-aids. So, minor league deals, waiver pickups, and trades to survive each season. But that’s not a sustainable strategy.
So the Toronto Blue Jays are trying again. After another rough year in the minors, they have cleaned their house. They let go of pitching coordinator Cory Popham and brought in Justin Lehr. He is a former big leaguer with experience in development in Houston and San Francisco. His task? Fix what’s been broken up for years. And make no mistake, talent is there. Tiedemann is throwing gas, and Maroudis has seen his fastball tick. But nothing matters unless someone leaps into the big league.
Toronto has got the tech, the budget, and the urgency to make it happen. And they need to because no matter how much they spend, they can’t fake a pitching pipeline forever. The Jays know they can’t afford to stumble much longer—and not now, especially with the Yankees rolling into town. The present-day roster needs to deliver the results.
Can the Toronto Blue Jays make a statement against the Yankees?
Something major is happening this week for the Jays. A critical four-game series against the New York Yankees at Rogers Center kicks off on Monday. And the AL East is still up for grabs now, and the Jays are three games back, and if they are going to make a move, this is their shot. They have gotten their pieces. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is as steady as it can be. Alejandro Kirk has great contact skills, and Addison Barger continues to surprise. According to FanGraphs, the Toronto Blue Jays rank fourth in batting average and fifth in OBP. So this is not a team struggling to score.
However, for the Toronto Blue Jays to make an impact in this series, they must demonstrate their offensive capabilities. Max Scherzer will get the ball Monday in just his third start of the season. He will go head-to-head with Carlos Rodon, who everyone knows is becoming quite a force for the New York Yankees. Then Tuesday gets a lot spicier, where Kevin Gausman, who was rocked by the Yankees earlier this season, will be looking for a bounce-back against Cy Young frontrunner Max Fried.
Then comes Wednesday, when Jose Berrios, who is putting together one of the most underrated seasons in the league. He will face off against Will Warren, who is a sure rookie but a strikeout machine. Then on Thursday, it’s Chris Bassitt vs. Clarke, a matchup that could end up in any direction depending on how Bassitt shows up. This is not just a measuring stick of a series for the Blue Jays; it could be a potential turning point.
What do you think of the Jays’ pitching? Let us know in the comments.
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