The Blue Jays have gained a fourth option on right-hander Jake Bloss, according to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi. It gives Toronto valuable flexibility with the pitching prospect.

Bloss had burned through his three standard options. Without a fourth, the Jays would have faced a ticking clock as Opening Day approached.

They'd have had to keep him on the big-league roster or cut him from the 40-man. Now that decision can wait another year.

Teams can receive a fourth option when a player exhausts his first three before completing five full professional seasons. Bloss has played only four since the Astros drafted him in 2023.

Houston rushed him to the majors in June 2024. A few weeks later, he came to Toronto in the Yusei Kikuchi deadline deal.

Why does a technicality matter so much? Because he's still a work in progress.

Jake Bloss' fourth option buys time for an unfinished arm

Injuries have stalled his development. He had UCL surgery in May 2025, then a teres major strain shut him down after a May-to-July return this year.

He has just 175 minor league innings, plus 11.2 in the majors. He's 25.

He's healthy now and pitching in the Arizona Fall League. The goal is to build up his workload in Triple-A next season.

He'll be part of a Buffalo rotation group that includes Chad Dallas and John Klein. Johnny King and Nolan Perry will be pushing up from below.

This is a small win that matters. Toronto lost far too much pitching depth in 2026, and losing a key trade piece on a technicality would have been an unforced error.

The fourth option is like a library extension on a book you haven't finished. You still have to read it, but nobody's charging late fees yet.

The big-league rotation projects as Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, José Soriano, Cody Ponce and Spencer Arrighetti. An outside addition could push Arrighetti to Triple-A, too.

Bloss now has one more year to prove he belongs. If he stays healthy, Ross Atkins might finally see the return the Kikuchi trade promised.