The Blue Jays announced that they have signed left-hander Patrick Corbin to a one-year deal and optioned him to Low-A Dunedin. It’s worth $1MM, per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. There are also incentives worth $1MM, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. The Jays had 40-man vacancies and don’t need to make a corresponding move. Corbin has enough service time where he can’t be optioned without his consent, so he has presumably agreed to be sent down to get built up.
The signing is a response to the injury woes that have befallen the Toronto rotation in recent weeks. Shane Bieber is being built up slowly due to some offseason forearm fatigue. Trey Yesavage was slowed by a shoulder impingement. José Berríos was diagnosed with some elbow inflammation late in camp.
Those three started the season on the injured list, which left the Jays with a season-opening rotation of Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Eric Lauer, Cody Ponce and Max Scherzer. Unfortunately, Ponce sprained the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in his first start. His timeline isn’t exactly clear but he seems to be slated for a lengthy absence.
Though Corbin missed spring training, he may be able to help the Jays relatively soon. Per Nicholson-Smith, he has been working out while unsigned and has gotten himself up to 80 pitches. He has agreed to head to Dunedin but it’s possible he may not need a full spring-style ramp-up of six weeks or so.
Corbin is a few years removed from his peak but is coming off a solid season with the Rangers. He made 30 starts and one relief appearance, logging 155 1/3 innings with a 4.40 earned run average. His 19.8% strikeout rate and 39.6% ground ball rate were both a couple of ticks below average but his 7.7% walk rate was a bit better than par.
At some point in the near future, Corbin could give the Jays a veteran back-end guy or could perhaps work as a long reliever. His role will presumably depend on how things develop with the other arms in the mix. Yesavage is making a rehab appearance in Dunedin tonight and doesn’t seem to be too far off. Berríos and Bieber are both throwing and could be back in the mix a bit later.
That could lead to some awkward decisions for the Jays, with perhaps Corbin or Lauer eventually getting pushed to the bullpen, but that’s a scenario they would presumably welcome at this point. They are planning a bullpen game started by Mason Fluharty tomorrow. Lauer was originally scheduled to take the ball for that game but he was pushed to Sunday by an illness. They then face the Dodgers for three, with Scherzer, Gausman and Cease likely to start those.
They may be able to breathe a bit easier after that, with off-days on both April 9th and 13th. But they then play nine straight followed by an off-day and then 13 straight, meaning they play 22 times in 23 days from April 14th to May 6th. Getting through that with a four-man rotation would put a strain on the staff so perhaps they could get Corbin and/or Yesavage into the mix by then.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
Was hoping for Giolito.
I was hoping he would retire.
-4.3 bWAR since 2021…
It’s times like this I need the steady, clinical analysis of Mr. LOL.
+5.3 fWar since 2021…
A war of wars.
Interesting
@Another Dodgers Fan
You can’t say that. It’s a statistical excursion of wars. 😉😉
Get rid of Brandon Little.
Neverbe51 they should get rid of Mason Fluharty instead he has lasted no more then 2/3 of an inning each time and been crushed hard I think he maybe injured and doesn’t want to say anything because he may lose his position with the team
Are you serious? The only runs he allowed this year were after he got hit by two comebackers and someone let in his baserunners while he was hurt. You’ll never guess who gave up that grand slam…
It would be Hoffman or Little right
It was Little.
@atripleshy
Little comfort??
A little disappointing
No it wasn’t
Little was terrible for the last half of 2025 & seems to have continued that trend into 2026. Did he not do any work during the offseason? Little is not a major league pitcher, the Tuesday night Loonie Dog vendor throws better than him. Its Little & Hoffman that make the Jays a 3rd place team at best. Unfortunately management won’t do anything until its too late.
Would rather have Clayton Kershaw in his prime.
Last year Kershaw was very effective. Better than the majority of pitchers in MLB through August. September wasn’t good month and he went from a 2.53 era to a 3.36.
Not too shabby all things considered.
2.5 fwar
1.6 bwar
The Blue Jays have Scherzer and now they want Corbin? Pitching in MLB is desperate. They have a pretty high payroll as well.
Scherzer looked great in Spring Training and his first start of the season. He still throws mid-90s at age 41. What’s your point?
Corbin was actually pretty decent for the Rangers last season. When you come in to camp 8 starters deep and one week into the season are down 4 of them you’ll take reinforcements where you can get them
Not everyone can afford to spend up for a Lucas Giolito.
Corbin must be pretty desperate to keep playing to sign and be assigned to Low A ball….he’ll be a 36 year old guy amongst a bunch of teenagers…..
Also their Low A team is the only team in warm weather, every other team is in the Northeast which is not as easy to throw in in April, let alone for someone who didn’t have a spring training
Beat Jed to him
Desperate, how about he loves to do the only thing he’s ever done, he keeps getting signed so maybe teams are the desperate ones 🤔
And getting a decent paycheck at that
He’s only going to A ball to tune up for the majors…
He had his big money deal with the Nationals. At this point he’s pitching because he wants to
The guy does not get injured so…
A+ signing
Yep. For $1M it’s pretty low risk. If he earns the other million it’s money well spent.
Un huh 🤣
Why low A
@Astros71
Weather probably. Jays AAA is Buffalo and AA is New Hampshire.
Low A usually has the best training facilities. No spring training he needs them.
Why not Trevor Bauer?
Most Canadians are anti-SA
Even when the accusations proved to be false?
When were the accusations proven to be false?
Her accusations were proven false, yes. But his actions were still there for all to see and understand.
Every team is full of men with wives and girlfriends. I heard that the Dodgers players didn’t want him back and their significant others really really didn’t either.
Regardless if you agree or not, it’s important for a team to not have something or someone like that polarizing the clubhouse.
No her accusations were never proven false nor has Bauer been proven guilty. The case has never been heard in a court of law.
Now there have been civil judgements on the matter but that is far different then being proven innocent or guilty and doesnt require the same burden of proof.
No they’re not they elected Trudeau knowing full well of his nda and the current one is on the e list and they knew that too.
No Trev, sorry.
The old get older
Blue Jays reassembling the 2019 Washington Nationals World Series winning pitchers. Hmm… I wonder if Stephen Strasburg is available:|
For the right amount, I’m sure he is lol.
The Jays need a lights out closer….
Yeah they do Hoffman isn’t going to cut it infact the bullpen so far has cost Gausman 2 times and Cease on Wednesday we had a chance to sign Edwin Diaz but as usual the Dodgers outbid us or should I say screwed us again
@dbrass
Maybe the Jays $30mm pitcher, Cease, would get better results from his bullpen if he pitched deeper into games. Openers don’t tend to get decisions.
What did Dylan say when he reached the 7th inning?
“Have we met before?”
Stymeedone starters usually don’t go very far in their first start of the year but as the season progresses they have a tendency to go farther and increase their pitch counts although Sandy Alcantara thru a 93 pitch complete game in his 2nd start of the year for the Marlins
They’re already at the ‘bring us someone to sop up the beating’ stage.
Little stinks. Corbin really? We need a top end pen arm.