Information checked: November 16, 2026, 3:05 a.m. Indochina Time (ICT, UTC+07:00); November 15, 2026, 3:05 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC−05:00); 20:05 UTC.
José Berríos will remain under contract with the Toronto Blue Jays through the 2028 season after opting into the final two years of his deal before the November 2, 2026 deadline. The decision keeps $48 million on the books for 2027 and 2028, with a stated salary of $24 million in each season, according to MLB.com’s option-decision tracker and Toronto’s original signing announcement.
The key change for fans and the club is that Berríos will not enter free agency this offseason. The 2021 agreement was a seven-year, $131 million extension, and its opt-out after 2026 gave the right-hander a choice between testing the market and retaining the two remaining seasons. He chose the latter. Toronto’s planning now includes a veteran starter under contract for two more years, while the timing of his return from Tommy John surgery remains uncertain.
The Blue Jays announced on November 18, 2021, that they had agreed to a seven-year contract with Berríos worth US$131 million. The extension followed Toronto’s acquisition of the right-hander from the Minnesota Twins at the 2021 trade deadline. It was designed to keep him in Toronto across the 2022–28 seasons, subject to the opt-out clause after the 2026 season.
That clause created the most important recent decision point in the contract. If Berríos had opted out, he would have given up the final two years and their scheduled $48 million in exchange for the chance to seek a new deal. Instead, MLB’s November 3 tracker records the outcome as “opted in.” Berríos therefore remains a Blue Jay for 2027 and 2028 under the existing terms. There is no new extension in this decision and no newly negotiated salary; the option simply preserves the remaining seasons.
MLB’s reporting on the elbow surgery and the option decision identifies the final two seasons at $24 million each, for $48 million total. The original agreement’s total value averages about $18.7 million per season across seven years when divided evenly ($131 million ÷ 7). That average is useful for understanding the headline value, but it is not the same as the scheduled cash salary in every individual year. The two numbers answer different questions: $131 million is the full contract value announced in 2021; $24 million is the stated salary for each of the two remaining seasons.
For Toronto, the opt-in makes the future obligation clearer. The club can plan around the two scheduled seasons while evaluating its rotation, but the $24 million figure alone does not establish how the Blue Jays will calculate every payroll or competitive-balance-tax measure. Those accounting figures may treat bonuses and salary timing differently. Fans comparing payroll estimates should check that a source is reporting cash salary, average annual value, or a tax calculation before treating the figures as interchangeable.
MLB.com reported that Berríos underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2026 and missed the entire season. With recovery and a return to full effectiveness still ahead, the two remaining seasons provide a guaranteed path to continue with Toronto while rehabbing. The opt-in is a contract decision, not a medical update or a guarantee of a particular return date.
The Blue Jays announced that the surgery took place on May 20, 2026, and quoted manager John Schneider saying Berríos would be down for 12 to 14 months. That timeline makes a return late in the 2027 season conceivable, but it depends on recovery, rehabilitation, and readiness. It should not be read as a confirmed date for a major-league start. An earlier MLB report described the $24 million option years as the contract terms before the deadline; the later decision tracker confirms the opt-in was exercised.
The practical impact is both financial and roster-related. Toronto retains a starting pitcher with a multiyear history in its rotation, but cannot count on him for the start of 2027 based only on the contract. The team will need to build its rotation with Berríos’ rehabilitation timeline in mind and maintain enough depth to cover starts if his recovery takes longer. Those are planning implications, not evidence that the club has announced a replacement or changed his role.
Berríos’ decision also removes a possible free-agent departure from the coming winter’s list of rotation uncertainties. His return could strengthen the staff if his recovery proceeds well; if it does not, the salary commitment remains in place while Toronto works through other options. No contract provision can eliminate the performance and health risk inherent in a pitcher returning from major elbow surgery.
The next meaningful updates will be about Berríos’ rehabilitation milestones and whether he is cleared to resume throwing and progress toward game action. The Blue Jays’ official transaction log lists him as reinstated from the 60-day injured list on November 2, but that administrative move does not mean he is medically ready to pitch. The team has not established a major-league return date in the sources reviewed. Until it does, late 2027 should be treated as a possible window rather than a promise.
His deal runs through the 2028 season after he opted into its final two years.
The remaining scheduled value is $48 million: $24 million in 2027 and $24 million in 2028.
No. He missed the 2026 season after Tommy John surgery in May. A return during 2027 is possible, but Toronto has not confirmed a return date.
Sources: Toronto Blue Jays/MLB: original seven-year, US$131 million signing announcement; MLB.com: 2027 option decisions, including Berríos’ opt-in; Blue Jays/MLB: Tommy John surgery and recovery outlook; Toronto Blue Jays: official transaction log.
José Berríos opted into the final two years of his Blue Jays deal. See the $131 million contract breakdown, remaining salaries and recovery outlook.
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