The Toronto Blue Jays enjoyed a magical run all the way to Game 7 of the World Series last year, bringing the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers into extra innings before ultimately falling short.
The team enjoyed significant contributions from several long-term stars, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kevin Gausman and, in an end-of-season return from injury, Bo Bichette. But now the team’s general manager Ross Atkins has revealed that another long-term star, Jose Berrios, opted to skip the Fall Classic after his regular season devolved into a removal from the rotation.
“Ross Atkins says Berrios’ absence during the World Series was Berrios’ decision,” MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson reported from the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings on Monday.
“He was not happy,” Atkins said of Berrios, Matheson added. “He was disappointed that he wasn’t in our rotation. He handled it well, but then when it came down to roster selection, he wasn’t on it.”
Berrios is a two-time All-Star who has made at least 30 starts in each of the last five seasons. But he posted an uncharacteristic 4.17 ERA in this past season as he battled elbow inflammation.
Now the team could be looking to part ways with Berrios, particularly after it brought in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce as free agents. That might be a challenge, as Berrios is entering the fifth season of a seven-year, $131 million contract and is owed $19 million next year, then $24 million in both 2027 and 2028, assuming he doesn’t opt out.
“All of that coalesces to make Berrios a difficult player to trade,” Steve Adams wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “It’d be a surprise if the Jays were to find an interested team that was willing to both take the entirety of Berrios’ remaining contract (to say nothing of doing so and surrendering young talent).”
Adams added that Berrios’ contract includes a clause that allows him to block trades to eight different teams. And that he is still shy of earning so-called “10-and-5” rights that would grant him the ability to block any trades.
That might be why Atkins added that the Blue Jays expect to hold onto Berrios going into next season. And, if that’s the case, he seems likely to remain outside of the rotation unless someone else gets hurt.
But the Blue Jays can still benefit from Berrios as a long reliever, assuming he is willing to play that role.
