Kevin Pillar doesn't think the Blue Jays should go all in on Tarik Skubal. The former Toronto outfielder says the money belongs elsewhere.

The Athletic's Mitch Bannon asked him on Blue Bird Territory whether Skubal should be the player Toronto puts all its eggs in.

“I don't,” Pillar said. “They got their ace, they got Dylan Cease.”

He added that the Jays already have good starting pitching. “I think the Blue Jays learned this year that they need to distribute that money over position groups as opposed to going out to sign Skubal.”

Skubal is the biggest name on the market. The two-time Cy Young winner was traded from the Tigers to the Dodgers at the deadline.

His run ended in the NLCS, where the Brewers swept Los Angeles. He'll still command a massive deal, with Scott Boras as his agent.

Dylan Cease is already the ace Toronto built around

Pillar doubts Toronto would commit to two elite starters on deals of eight years or more. Cease is already locked into a seven-year contract.

Bannon has also said the Jays will be “involved” with Skubal but probably won't sign him. The former outfielder's take lines up with that read.

Is he right? Absolutely.

The Jays finished last in the majors in runs and home runs. Spending ace money on another arm while the lineup stays broken would repeat the exact mistake that sank 2026.

Signing Skubal now would be like installing a second premium sound system in a car with a broken engine. It sounds amazing parked in the driveway.

There are smarter pitching options. Shane Bieber, projected at one year and $13.1 million, would cost a fraction of Skubal's price.

That leaves room for bats like Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena or Teruaki Sato. That's where Toronto's real need is.

The Jays should check in on Skubal, if only to learn the price. But if Ross Atkins writes the biggest cheque of the winter to a pitcher, he'll have ignored the clearest lesson of 2026.