Blue Jays insider sheds light on Jose Berrios' rumored friction with the team

Jose Berrios established himself as an important part of the pitching staff after joining the Toronto Blue Jays via a trade in 2021. However, a tough 2025 season in which he struggled with consistency and fitness led to him losing his spot in the starting rotation.

Reports have suggested there is now friction between Berrios and the Blue Jays. On Thursday's episode of the "Blair & Barker" podcast, insider Shi Davidi weighed in on the situation.

"One of the things I heard is that he needed to be around his family, or needs to go to be with his family," Davidi said [17:17]. "If there is something beyond that, I can't say for certain. I imagine that there might have been some frustration there.

"Jose Berrios was on the injured list for the first time in his career. That's not something he's used to. He certainly wasn't happy with the way his season went. Just knowing the competitor he is and the teammate that he is, it would have been very difficult for him to process not being able to take the ball, because he's obviously got a very high pain threshold and a very high determination level."

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Blue Jays may look to trade Jose Berrios this offseason, per insider

The Blue Jays made their first big acquisition of the winter on Wednesday, signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal.

According to insider Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Toronto's now crowded starting rotation may spell the end of Jose Berrios' time at the Rogers Centre.

"A trade could open the money and roster space for a more significant addition, too. They’d have a candidate in Berríos,” Bannon wrote on November 27. “While Berríos was one of baseball’s most reliable starters for his entire career, the righty posted a 4.17 ERA in 2025, suffered an elbow injury, and lost his rotation spot at the end of the year.

"Owed $18.7 million in 2026 before a player opt-out, the Jays could look to move Berríos after four years in Toronto. Even if the 31-year-old remains with the Jays, he’ll have to earn a rotation spot again in spring training, another reason to add more depth.”

MLB: JUL 07 Blue Jays at White Sox - Source: Getty

Berrios has been quite consistent for the entirety of his big league career, boasting a 108-82 record and a 4.08 ERA. It shouldn't be too difficult for the Blue Jays to move him on if he is deemed surplus to requirements.