Apologies issued, Berríos ready to turn page on '25 controversy

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- After an uncomfortable ending to his 2025 season, José Berríos opened the new year with an apology.

Late in the Blue Jays’ 2025 World Series run, Berríos left the team and returned home to Puerto Rico. He was on the IL and wouldn’t have factored into the Series, but this still caused some unwanted attention and a potential strain on his relationship with the organization, particularly after GM Ross Atkins said Berríos was “not happy” with the situation.

On Thursday, the old Berríos was back. This was a reflective Berríos, eager to move forward, but understanding that he needed to address what had happened.

“I made one bad decision to go back home to keep working on my rehab and stay close to my family,” Berríos said. “At that moment, I wasn’t pitching and I wasn’t feeling great. I wanted to be close to my family. I didn’t bring them to Canada because they were going to miss days in school, so I thought of that. I apologize. Maybe I made a bad decision to go back to my home.”

This has hung over the Blue Jays since the World Series. It’s a minor thing in the grand scheme, but given that everything else about the Blue Jays’ run had been so positive, the Berríos situation stuck out so clearly. It felt awkward, particularly with the silence of the offseason and the additions of two more established starters in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce.

Berríos admitted that the possibility of him not being with the Blue Jays in 2026 crossed his mind, because of course it had. Until the news of Shane Bieber’s forearm fatigue came earlier this week, Berríos was fighting for a spot in the rotation, which felt strange given that he’s been one of baseball’s most consistent starters for the past decade.

All of this, he hopes, is behind him now. Berríos called the move a mistake multiple times, though -- and while no one will criticize an injured pitcher for wanting to spend time with their family, the way it was handled in the moment appears to be the source of some of the offseason drama.

“I told the Latin guys and some of the closest players to me,” Berríos said. “In Spring Training, I’ve already apologized to them. I told them I understand if they don’t agree or aren’t happy with me, but that’s what I did and I apologized for that. I just want to turn the page as fast as I can and keep working on the same goal.”

Earlier this week, manager John Schneider said that both sides could have handled the situation better, but added that the Blue Jays were focused on winning a World Series at the time. Schneider is right, too. If this had happened in June, there’s more room to step back and address these issues, but the crush of a World Series run is relentless. Coaches and managers don’t have much time to breathe.

“My teammates, the coaching staff, everyone treated me the right way,” Berríos said.

Now, everyone can move forward.

Thursday at the Blue Jays’ player development complex, Berríos was embracing teammates and seemed like his usual self. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., in camp for the first time, spent time talking to Berríos, all smiles. If Berríos is good with Vladdy, he’s good with the Blue Jays.

If the old Berríos is back, he’ll be one of the most important players in this organization. Don’t forget that in three of the past four seasons, Berríos was the Blue Jays’ Opening Day starter. Those feel further away now, given his struggles to end the season, his first IL stint as a big leaguer and everything that led to this apology, but the rest of Berríos’ career cannot be forgotten. He’s a workhorse who built a reputation with his legendary work ethic. He was the Blue Jays’ 2025 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.

Berríos wants to get back to himself.

“I’m a competitor. I have three kids,” Berríos said. “I want to show them that when we fall down, we have to stand up and keep going.”

Apologies issued and a new year stretched out ahead of him -- it’s time for that to begin.