Ross Atkins isn't locking Spencer Miles into a starting or relief role for 2027. The Blue Jays GM wants the right-hander's job to look a lot like it did last season.

“We're going to prepare him to be able to do something in a similar fashion to what he just did,” Atkins told reporters at the GM meetings in Las Vegas.

He praised how Miles handled a demanding year. “I think what we'll look to do is have less volatility and less change to what he's doing,” he added.

Miles posted a 2.73 ERA over 49 games, including eight starts, after arriving as a Rule 5 pick.

The workload question is bigger than one pitcher. Only Dylan Cease and Kevin Gausman topped 100 innings for Toronto last season.

So where does that leave the rotation? With some creative math.

Spencer Miles and Cody Ponce could share one Blue Jays rotation spot

Cody Ponce is coming back from knee surgery and isn't likely to approach 180 innings. MLB.com suggested Toronto could pair Ponce and Miles to cover a single rotation spot.

That approach keeps Miles fresh and eases Ponce back in.

Atkins also laid out the broader plan. “We're going to look to add to our offense and look to add to our starting pitching,” he said.

He noted the market is moving “a little bit quicker than in some years, but not drastically,” partly thanks to a shorter World Series.

The hybrid plan is smart, but it can't be the whole solution. Toronto still needs at least one durable starter who can eat 170-plus innings behind Cease.

Splitting one rotation spot between two pitchers is like sharing a car with a roommate. It works when the schedule's tight, but one breakdown and nobody gets to work.

Japan could be part of that answer. Atkins pointed to Toronto's success with Yusei Kikuchi and Kazuma Okamoto, with Kaima Taira among the arms posted this winter.

Miles' flexibility is an asset. But if the Jays don't add a real starter, that flexibility will turn into necessity by July.