Jameson Taillon's short Blue Jays tenure might not be over after all.

Toronto acquired the Canadian right-hander from the Cubs at this year's trade deadline for a player to be named later.

He's a pending free agent who made just a handful of appearances in a Blue Jays uniform before landing on the injured list with right elbow discomfort.

Despite the limited sample, there's real reason to think Toronto could pursue a reunion on a one-year deal.

The Blue Jays won all three games he pitched in, a small but genuinely encouraging split for a rotation that's struggled with health and consistency in equal measure.

Why the personal connection could tip things his way

Taillon's ties to Toronto go beyond just this brief midseason stint. His personal connection to the city carries real weight in how this offseason conversation could unfold.

For a 34-year-old entering free agency, returning to a place with genuine family and personal ties often factors into contract decisions just as much as the money on the table.

None of that matters much, though, if the elbow injury turns out to be serious.

His future with the Blue Jays, or any club, will likely hinge entirely on what the imaging and evaluation reveal heading into the offseason.

A clean bill of health could make a short-term reunion an easy call for both sides, given how well things went on the field during his limited action.

A more serious diagnosis could complicate that math significantly, pushing him toward a incentive-laden deal rather than a straightforward one-year commitment.

Whether Toronto ultimately brings him back depends on medical evaluations that haven't been made fully public yet, leaving this as one of the more interesting offseason storylines to watch.