A former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher has made a decision on his playing future.
MLB free agency opened up on Monday night at 5 p.m. ET and there could be a sprint for players to sign ahead of a potential Dec. 1 lockout.
The Blue Jays have some key pending free agents, but after last year’s disappointment, they could look to overhaul their roster.
Yimi Garcia Plans to Pitch in 2027
Toronto was dealt with a plethora of injuries last season, and one of them was Yimi Garcia.
Garcia didn’t pitch in 2026 due to injuries, which was the final year of his contract. Despite being injured for all of 2026 and most of 2025, the relief pitcher plans to pitch in 2027, according to Blue Jays reporter Shi Davidi.
“Like Jameson Taillon, Yimi Garcia is planning to pitch in 2027. Garcia, 36, missed the entire season with elbow issues and eventually underwent thoracic outlet surgery in late August. He’s working toward a return now,” Davidi wrote on X.
Garcia will likely have to sign a one-year deal that is likely heavily incentive-based. Whoever signs him will have concerns over his injuries, especially with them being to his elbow.
However, when healthy, Garcia is a stellar high-leverage reliever. In 2025, he went 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 22 games as he returned to the Blue Jays in free agency after being dealt to the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline in 2024.
Garcia has pitched in 11 MLB seasons but has 12 years of service, as he was on the MLB injured list all year in 2026. In his career, he’s 23-31 with a 3.61 ERA, and he could be penciled in as a seventh-inning reliever on a contending team.
Toronto Blue Jays Pitchers up for Awards
The Blue Jays season didn’t go as expected, but some players are up for awards.
Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease was announced as a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award on Monday by MLB and the Baseball Writers Association of America. Cease completed the first year of his seven-year, $210 million deal, and he was stellar in Toronto.
Cease went 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA in 29 starts, as he was dominant in his first season in Toronto.
Along with Cease, Louis Varland was announced as a finalist for the AL Reliever of the Year Award.
Toronto Blue Jays 12-Year Veteran Pitcher Makes Decision on Future Amid Injuries