ORLANDO, Fla. -- José Berríos is a constant. He’s old reliable, which is why it’s so noticeable when he’s suddenly not around.
During the World Series against the Dodgers, Berríos was away from the Blue Jays for a time. It felt unusual at the time, even given that Berríos hadn’t pitched in the postseason and ended the regular season on the IL with right elbow inflammation -- his first trip to the IL in his remarkably durable 10-year career.
On Monday at the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando, general manager Ross Atkins shared that the decision had been Berríos’.
“He was not happy,” Atkins said when asked whether Berríos’ absence had anything to do with his injury or treatment. “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.”
In late September, when Berríos was moved to the Blue Jays’ bullpen, it was clear that the move did not land well with him. How could it? Berríos has been baseball’s safest bet for 32 starts each year for a decade. It’s not just consistency, it’s something he takes a deep sense of pride in. His entire persona of "La Makina" -- the pitcher who will outwork everyone -- is built around that. His durability is earned, not an accident.
Berríos made just one relief appearance before hitting the IL and never returned to the active roster. By then, rookie sensation Trey Yesavage was about to take the league by storm. Berríos had posted a 5.37 ERA since the beginning of July, and a downtick in velocity was another red flag. If those factors were alongside another pitcher’s name, the bullpen move would have been more understandable, but Berríos and his reputation made that a difficult conversation.
“It’s always tough when someone of his pedigree is not in the rotation,” Atkins said. “I’m sure he was not excited with that decision. Having to be the one who makes it makes it very difficult. I’d describe the relationship as solid, professional.”
So, what now?
Berríos is under club control through the 2026 season, then he has an opt-out. The 31-year-old could choose to remain with the Blue Jays for two additional seasons in ‘27 and ‘28, or -- if he bounces back with a strong season -- he could choose to hit free agency at 32 in an effort to land a longer deal that gives him guaranteed money later into his 30s.
This is already becoming an uncomfortable situation for 2026, though. The Blue Jays have Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Yesavage and Cody Ponce on the roster along with Berríos, giving them six solid starting pitchers. Add in Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis, Adam Macko, Ricky Tiedemann and others? It’s crowded.
“We’re never going to have a situation where we have 40 players or even 26 players who are feeling great about the opportunity they were given, even when you go to the last game of the World Series,” Atkins said.
The Blue Jays aren’t going to make any public comments about the potential of a trade with Berríos, nor would that happen today, but it’s easy to see how Berríos could become an attractive option for some opposing clubs, especially those who miss out on the top names in free agency.
Berríos has always carried the reputation of a complete professional, which he still deserves to hold throughout this, but there’s clearly some maintenance required in this relationship ahead of the Blue Jays breaking camp this March in Dunedin, Fla.
These are the problems great teams must face, when so much talent begins to logjam in one spot, but still, it feels so unusual for the steady, reliable Berríos to be the one in the middle of it all.