Bowden Francis hasn’t pitched for the Blue Jays since 2025, but he could be helping Toronto score a big win in free agency this off-season.
Francis, who missed the entire 2026 MLB season after undergoing Tommy John surgery the previous year, has been spotted working out with Tarik Skubal – the former Cy Young Award winner and best pitcher on the free-agent market.
Skubal, who finished the season with the L.A. Dodgers after a mid-season trade from the Detroit Tigers, and Francis were seen training together in Phoenix, Ariz., with APEX Performance Facility sharing photos of the duo on its Instagram account.
Francis also posted a photo with Skubal on his Instagram Story as the two played catch and helped each other with stretching and training.
While rival players have been known to train together during the off-season, Blue Jays fans can’t help but dream of the possibility of adding a pitcher of Skubal’s quality to Toronto’s rotation.
Through the 2026 MLB season, the Blue Jays rotation suffered through a series of injuries and inconsistent performances from nearly all of its starters. The lone exception appeared to be Cy Young Award finalist Dylan Cease — Toronto’s big free-agent addition last off-season — but even he began to wear down towards the end of the season and battled through a loss in velocity.
With starters Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer becoming free agents, the Jays rotation could use some work heading into 2027.
Will the Blue Jays try to sign Tarik Skubal?
Whether or not Toronto will make a play for Skubal, who should fetch a long-term deal and likely at a record-setting price wherever he goes, remains to be seen. But having a close connection to the 2024 Triple Crown winner certainly doesn’t hurt.
Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award in 2024 and 2025 with the Tigers before being dealt to the Dodgers ahead of the MLB trade deadline this summer. Over his seven-year MLB career, the lefty has a record of 66-44 while posting an ERA of 3.02 and has racked up 1,075 strikeouts in 925.1 innings.
There are several teams believed to be interested in signing the 29-year-old ace, with the Dodgers and Mets considered the top two suitors.
However, the biggest curveball that teams will be watching for is the labour negotiations between MLB and the Players Association, with a lockout likely to commence on Dec. 2 after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires.
One of the most contentious issues is a potential salary cap, which would put a damper on the size of the contract a player of Skubal’s character could sign.
What does the Blue Jays’ rotation look like?
As for Francis, he is hoping to return to the mound in 2027 with the Blue Jays after having lost more than a year of his career due to injury. Over parts of four seasons with the Jays, the 30-year-old righty has a record of 11-13 in 27 starts and an ERA of 3.87.
While the situation involving the Blue Jays rotation for next year remains in flux, it is expected that Cease, Jose Soriano and Trey Yesavage have spots locked down, while Cody Ponce also should be returning from his knee injury.
Earlier this week, Francis and Ponce were among a group of players that the Blue Jays activated from the 60-day Injured List, officially moving them back onto the team’s 40-man roster.
The Jays should be looking to at least add some depth in free agency, with fans stumping to see former ace Kevin Gausman return to Toronto after his mid-season trade to the Chicago Cubs.