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Inside The Blue Jays

Why This First-Time Postseason Performer Would Be a Great Fit for the Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are going to need another starting pitcher, and there is going to be one available that shouldn't break the bank.
Maddy Dickens|
Blue Jays manager John Schneider walks back to the dugout during a game against the Rangers. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn
Blue Jays manager John Schneider walks back to the dugout during a game against the Rangers. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Toronto Blue Jays

It appears that free agency is going to come quicker than one might have expected in 2026, as the Milwaukee Brewers have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the World Series, meaning the chaos that comes with the offseason is on the horizon.

So, with the World Series almost wrapped up, front offices are chomping at the bit to start making contact with unrestricted free agents, including the Toronto Blue Jays' president of baseball operations, Ross Atkins.

Atkins is known for being aggressive for his organization in the offseason, which was highlighted during this period a year ago when he acquired Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Tyler Rogers, and Spencer Miles in one offseason.

The Jays' boss knows that there are some holes to patch with his roster, and that includes the starting rotation,n which was bleeding from the jump as the dreaded injured list housed a full pitching staff more often than not.

Taking into account injuries and the payroll no longer having Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, or Shane Bieber under contract, they need arms, and 32-year-old Tyler Mahle would be the perfect fit.

What There Is To Like About Mahle

Tyler Mahle throws a baseball in a white Braves jersey
Braves pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) pitches against the Dodgers during the NLDS. Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As it stands, and if healthy, the Blue Jays will have enough for a four-man rotation on Opening Day with Cease, Trey Yesavage, Jose Soriano, and Cody Ponce, who is still a wild card at this point. Then when someone considers the fact that Jose Berrios will start the year on the IL, it is clear that Atkins has to bring in starting pitching.

Now, Mahle had a rough go of things with the San Francisco Giants this year as he rehabbed a hamstring strain that sidelined him for some time, but once he was healthy, he was dealt away to the Atlanta Braves, where he thrived.

Mahle went to Atlanta and started nine games after the deadline, in which he tallied four wins after posting a sub-2.00 ERA to complement a 0.96 WHIP. The veteran then went into the first postseason of his career and performed nearly flawlessly

In the NL Wild Card, Mahle suited up to take on the monstrous offense of the Philadelphia Phillies, shutting them down with seven innings of one-run ball, and the reigning world champions didn't fare much better when they saw him in the NLDS.

Mahle took the bump against the Los Angeles Dodgers and ended up pitching into the seventh inning and walked back to the dugout after 6.1 innings of work, where he allowed only three hits and one earned run.

There are a few unrestricted free agents inches from becoming available, and Toronto's front office knows it has to get one, probably two, who are available, and Mahle should definitely have his name in the mix.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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