The Toronto Blue Jays may not be done making moves this offseason, and the same goes for the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are still thought to need a starter, and if they don’t like the price tags on some of the current free-agent arms, the trade market is also an option. With the New York Mets making the big splash for Freddy Peralta, that puts some added pressure on Atlanta to at least add one more starter before Spring Training.
As for the Blue Jays, they have missed out on the last three free agents they were strongly linked to (Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Cody Bellinger), which may cause the front office to become restless and make another splash move. Is trading starter Jose Berrios a possibility? The Blue Jays have brought in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce this offseason, and their rotation is starting to look a bit crowded.
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Should the Braves Trade for Jose Berrios
Earlier this month, MLB.com contributor (and Braves writer) Mark Bowman floated the idea that Jose Berrios could be a wild-card trade option for the Atlanta Braves this offseason. He comes with a seven-year, $131 million contract, but that deal has just three years remaining on it.
It’s worth pointing out that while it seems like a big chunk to take on, the Braves have young, controllable starters that are not on big-time extensions, and Berrios’ $18 million AAV should be attainable.
GettyIs there a Jose Berrios trade that makes signing Tucker & Bichette a reality?
However, in this trade idea, the Braves would offload fan favorite Ozzie Albies and shortstop prospect Alex Lodise in return for Jose Berrios. Albies is playing under a club option for the 2026 season worth $7 million, which makes him worthy of being dealt.
Albies is a three-time All-Star who has spent his entire career with the Braves, but he’s coming off a couple of down seasons at the plate.
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Why Jose Berrios Fits With Atlanta
Jose Berrios is a certified innings-eater. With Spencer Schwellenbach and Chris Sale as the Braves’ frontline options, Atlanta doesn’t necessarily need the best starter in the world to join their 2026 roster, but Berrios fits the mold perfectly.
He’s made 32 starts in a season five times since 2019, and is simply an arm that can be relied on to take the ball every fifth-day. In 2025, Berrios posted an ERA of 4.17 over 166 innings, and he’s consistently been a low-4.00 ERA pitcher over the last several seasons, which again, is very serviceable for what the Braves need.
For the Blue Jays, though, they are still deciding on whether to re-sign Chris Bassitt or not, and while their rotation seems to be already set, if they were to move on from Berrios, it would likely be after Bassitt’s decision.
There is less than a month until MLB spring training, but teams have been active after the start of spring camp in years past.
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