Blue Jays' latest signing illustrates their desperate need for pitching

The Toronto Blue Jays' rotation took another hit on Tuesday when Cody Ponce landed on the Injured List with a sprained right ACL. They have reportedly dipped back into the free agent pool to add another potential depth option.

Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reported that the Blue Jays signed pitcher Patrick Corbin to a one-year deal worth $1 million. He has been optioned to Dunedin to begin ramping up for a potential return to the majors.

Corbin is years removed from his previous All-Star form. He had arguably been the worst pitcher in baseball from 2021 through 2024, posting a 31-63 record with a 5.71 ERA and a 1.532 WHiP over his 679 innings, striking out 534 batters with 220 walks.

Toronto Blue Jays' desperation leads to another opportunity for Patrick Corbin

There is a glimmer of hope that Corbin could help the Blue Jays. He had a bounce-back season for the Rangers in 2025, posting a 4.40 ERA and a 1.365 WHiP over his 155.1 innings, striking out 131 batters with 51 walks. That performance would be acceptable as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

The Blue Jays would likely take that performance as well at this point. Starters Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios are also on the IL, causing the Blue Jays to dig deep into their pitching depth. 

If Corbin can continue to build on his 2025 performance, he could be part of a temporary solution in Toronto until some of their injured pitchers return. At $1 million, the Blue Jays can easily walk away if Corbin struggles. However, his signing shows how desperate the Blue Jays are to find viable pitching depth.