The Blue Jays still owe José Berrios $48 million over the next two seasons. The veteran right-hander will be rehabbing when 2027 opens.

Berrios underwent Tommy John surgery on May 20. The 12-to-18-month recovery window puts any return late in the 2027 season at the earliest.

There's no guarantee he pitches at all next year. Even if he does, he'll have to build back up to a starter's workload.

The contract makes it messier. He signed a seven-year, $131 million extension after arriving in Toronto in 2021.

He has an opt-out after this season, but walking away from $24 million a year while rehabbing makes no sense. Expect him to stay put.

Who could blame him? The Jays are paying the full bill regardless of how the recovery goes.

Toronto can't build a rotation around a Berrios return

The frustrating part is how durable he'd been. He routinely made more than 30 starts a season and was Toronto's Opening Day starter three times.

Now the rotation runs through Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and José Soriano. Cody Ponce should be back from knee surgery, and Spencer Arrighetti will compete for a spot.

The 2026 lesson still stings. Toronto thought it had enough pitching, then injuries whittled the rotation down to unexpected contributors.

Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer are both free agents, and nobody knows yet what Scherzer plans to do.

Toronto should plan as if Berrios isn't pitching in 2027. Anything he gives is a bonus, and the front office should spend accordingly, starting with a short Bieber deal.

His contract is like a gym membership you can't cancel while you're on crutches. The payments keep coming, and you still need another way to stay in shape.

The real test comes in 2028, the final year of the deal. That's when the Jays find out whether they're paying for a comeback or a goodbye.