The Toronto Blue Jays lost Chris Bassitt but gained an Abrahan Diaz.
The AL Champions grabbed the MLB offseason by the horns with early signings. They added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to their rotation, Tyler Rogers as a high-leverage reliever, and Kazuma Okamoto as a versatile position player who brings a lot of power to their swing. But they are not done yet.
Toronto has made solid signings of international free agents. The latest one is drawing some high praise and comparisons that Blue Jays fans are very familiar with. Bassitt’s future remains uncertain, with one club leading the way to gaining his services, while the Blue Jays remain in the mix for the best remaining free agent ace.
Toronto Blue Jays Sign Right-Handed Pitcher Abrahan Diaz
On January 15th, 2026, the Blue Jays announced the signing of several international free agents. One of them was the aforementioned Diaz.
Diaz is a 6-foot-2, 180 lb right-handed pitcher. According to Spotrac, he was signed for $250,000.
As with most of these international free agent signings, no stats are available.
Abrahan Diaz Draws Comparisons to Current MLB Pitchers
Andrew Tinnish, the vice president of international scouting and baseball operations for the Blue Jays, recently offered a scouting report of Diaz. One of the things Tinnish highlighted about this “strike-thrower” was how similar he is to two current MLB pitchers.
“I didn’t see Aaron Sanchez when he was 15-16 — I did when he was 17 — and Diaz kind of gives me a bit of the Sanchez vibes,” he said via Sportsnet. “Probably similar to Kevin Gausman at that age too — body, mover, actions, delivery-wise. It’s not huge velo at all. He’s probably 88 to 90 and I don’t mind that at all. We haven’t had a lot of success with the higher velo now guys at 16 years old. It’s different if they’re 18.”
“He’s smart. He’s a worker. He wants to be a starter. And he’s really settling in to figuring out the starter routine. Just needs time to get stronger and more physical and add velo as that builds appropriately.”
Drawing comparisons from Kevin Gausman and Aaron Sanchez is great news for the Blue Jays. Naturally, most Toronto fans are very familiar with Gausman.
In 32 games, Gausman recorded 189 strikeouts, a 10-11 record, and one complete game shutout to go along with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 193 innings.
If Diaz becomes 50 percent of the starter that Gausman is, that would be a huge win in their books.
Framber Valdez & Chris Bassitt Still Mulling Over Options
Recently, MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed the top five suitors for Framber Valdez‘s services. The southpaw starter is the top pitcher left on the market.
Heyman lists the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, and the Blue Jays as the only five teams seeking Valdez.
The four teams on that list that aren’t named the Blue Jays all make sense. Each one of them has been linked to acquiring a starting pitcher, but has yet to pull the trigger. Once a Valdez signing occurs, the other teams left empty-handed will likely turn to the trade market to add an impact arm for their respective rotations.
Additionally, Bassitt is also considering his options, as he has yet to sign with a team yet.
MLBTradeRumors have linked Bassitt to the Braves, one of the teams linked to Valdez. Another analyst has linked Bassitt to the Oakland Athletics.
Wherever Bassitt and Valdez end up, the Blue Jays’ rotation for 2026 will be the best it has been in several years. Not only that, but Diaz is one piece that should give fans hope in the future of the rotation.
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