Updated November 15, 2026, 8:05 p.m. UTC (3:05 p.m. EST, Toronto)
José Berríos will remain under contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for 2027 and 2028 after opting into the final two seasons of his deal. The commitment is $24 million per year, or $48 million in total. That gives Toronto a known payroll obligation, while Berríos’ recovery from Tommy John surgery makes his availability for the 2027 rotation uncertain.
For the Blue Jays, the immediate roster question is how to cover innings while Berríos rehabs—not whether he will leave in free agency this winter. The club can plan around his return as a potential later-season boost, but should not treat it as guaranteed rotation capacity in April. MLB reported his opt-in and the contract’s remaining years; the team lists a potential return late in 2027.
Berríos signed a seven-year, $131-million extension with Toronto in November 2021. The deal includes an opt-out after the 2026 season. By opting in, he keeps the two remaining years rather than entering free agency. Those seasons carry $24-million salaries in both 2027 and 2028, according to MLB’s 2027 options and opt-outs report.
That distinction matters when discussing payroll. The headline value was $131 million over seven seasons, but the current planning issue is the remaining $48 million. The annual salary is a commitment, not a new charge created by the opt-in: Toronto already had to account for the possibility that Berríos would stay through 2028.
The $24-million annual figure takes up meaningful room that Toronto might otherwise use on a free-agent starter, bullpen help, or another roster need. It does not, by itself, dictate that the club must cut spending or avoid other signings. Team payroll decisions depend on the full roster, other guaranteed contracts, arbitration cases, and ownership’s budget.
The opt-in gives the front office certainty about the commitment across two seasons. That helps with multi-year planning, but it also means the club carries the financial risk if Berríos cannot return to his previous level. Public salary tables can differ in how they show cash salary, signing-bonus treatment, and competitive-balance-tax value; the $24 million cited here is the reported annual salary for each remaining season, not a complete estimate of Toronto’s total payroll.
The Blue Jays’ own offseason outlook emphasizes the number of injured pitchers expected to return and says the club will add to the rotation group. That is a useful signal of the roster challenge: Toronto may have several rehab candidates, but it cannot assume they will all be ready or effective on the same schedule. See MLB’s report on Toronto’s offseason and injured-player returns.
Berríos underwent full Tommy John surgery on May 20, 2026, after an elbow issue ended his season. The Blue Jays’ injury update gives a 12-to-18-month recovery window and describes a late-2027 return as possible. That is an estimate, not a scheduled activation date. Rehabilitation progress and medical clearance will determine when he can pitch in games.
The timing makes a full season’s worth of Berríos starts in 2027 an unsafe assumption. Toronto could get useful innings from him later in the year, but planning for that outcome should be conditional. MLB’s injury update is available on the Blue Jays injuries and roster moves page.
Toronto’s best approach is to separate Berríos’ payroll slot from its opening-day rotation plan. His salary remains part of the books whether or not he is ready, while his innings should be viewed as upside until he completes rehabilitation and builds back into a starter’s workload. That could lead the club to seek another dependable starter or preserve several depth options instead of relying on a single return date.
There is a potential roster benefit if Berríos returns healthy: the Blue Jays would have another experienced starter for the stretch run and the 2028 season. But the contract also raises the cost of a difficult scenario in which his recovery is delayed or his performance is reduced. The team’s decision is therefore a balance between protecting the rotation now and leaving room for Berríos to contribute later.
He has two seasons remaining at $24 million each, for a total of $48 million.
No. He opted into the final two seasons and remains under contract through 2028.
That is not confirmed. Toronto lists a potential late-2027 return following Tommy John surgery, so an Opening Day return should not be assumed.
Sources checked November 15, 2026: MLB contract update, Blue Jays offseason outlook, and Blue Jays injury report.
José Berríos opted into the final two years of his Blue Jays deal. See the $131 million contract breakdown, remaining salaries and recovery outlook.
José Berríos opted into the final two years of his Blue Jays deal. Here’s what his $24-million annual salary and Tommy John recovery mean for Toronto’s payroll and rotation.
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