John Schneider likes Spencer Miles as a starter, but the Blue Jays manager wants a careful plan first. That leaves Toronto's rotation math even murkier.

"Yeah, that could turn into a fifth starter, just in terms of managing his workload," Schneider told the Toronto Star's Gregor Chisholm.

He added that Miles "has the stuff to do it, but you have to be pretty convicted in a plan based on his background and what's going to be best for him health-wise."

The background is the issue. Miles didn't pitch in 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and had thrown fewer than 15 innings in affiliated ball before Toronto took him in the Rule 5 Draft.

Then he became one of the club's most useful arms. He posted a 2.73 ERA over 49 appearances, eight of them starts.

So does Toronto trust him with a full starter's load? Schneider's answer sounds a lot like not yet.

Keegan Matheson expects the Blue Jays to add multiple starters

That fits the bigger picture. "The Blue Jays need to add multiple starters this offseason again, and you can expect them to," MLB.com's Keegan Matheson wrote.

The rotation behind Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage is full of question marks. José Berrios is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Cody Ponce is coming back from ACL surgery, and Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer are free agents.

Schneider is right to pump the brakes. Handing a fragile arm a full starter's workload after one breakout season would be reckless, and the smart play is a capped role with a long reliever ready to piggyback.

That's where bulk arms matter. Josh Winckowski, back from his own Tommy John surgery, could be the kind of multi-inning partner who makes a Miles rotation spot work.

Turning him into a starter is like breaking in new hiking boots. Wear them on short trails first, or you'll be limping halfway up the mountain.

The upside is still enormous. If he handles a fifth-starter workload, Toronto saves money for its offence and keeps a valuable arm in-house.

Schneider has given Ross Atkins a clear signal. Sign two real starters this winter, and treat Miles as the bonus rather than the plan.