Blue Jays offseason review: The good, the bad and the standout moves

Without further ado, here’s a quick recap of the good, bad, ugly and amazing things that happened for the Blue Jays this season.

Good: Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers and Kazuma Okamoto

The Blue Jays were aggressive from the start of the offseason after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Passivity was not an option for AL champions, especially with a huge target behind them.

With their incredible playoff run, Toronto became an attractive destination for many players. Consequently, this led to the Blue Jays successfully signing some of the top free agents on the market.

These signings filled major holes in the Blue Jays roster and cemented the team as one of the winners of the offseason. The core goal of the winter was to bring more pitching depth; the Blue Jays did this by handing out contracts to heavy-hitting pitchers. On the position player side, Toronto only signed Okamoto as the big prize, demonstrating the front office’s confidence in his ability to provide offensive upside.

Overall, these offseason moves positioned the Blue Jays as a legitimate contender for the upcoming season and as the ones to beat in the AL East.

Bad: Not signing Bo Bichette or Kyle Tucker

However, Toronto lost both players when Tucker opted to sign with the Dodgers, and Bichette shook hands with the New York Mets on a shorter-term deal. The mission was to land at least one of the two players at the top position, but this time things didn’t go the way the Blue Jays wanted.

That miss could cost the Blue Jays the 2026 season if their lineup doesn’t consistently perform at its highest level. Their offense is now without Bichette, which could prove to be a huge loss in overall offensive production. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. cannot bear the whole offense by himself; he’ll need a lot more from all parts of the lineup this year.

Toronto benefited from many players stepping up and having career seasons last season, including Ernie Clement, George Springer and even role players like Myles Straw. There will be a lot of pressure on Okamoto, Springer and Addison Barger to put together strong seasons to make up for Bichette’s lost production.

Ugly: Pre-season injuries

The pitching depth the Blue Jays have built this season should help them get through most of the season without having to rely on Bieber’s production. Where things get hairy is the lineup. Without Santander, the Blue Jays’ depth isn’t as great, especially at power.

Santander could have helped Toronto add more power if he could theoretically hit between 20 and 30 home runs this season, which the front office has seen him do before when he was a member of the Baltimore Orioles. But his shoulder surgery will keep him out for five or six months, leaving the Blue Jays scrambling for the strength they so desperately need, putting renewed pressure on Okamoto and the other in-house options.

Toronto’s front office remains confident in the core of players they have created despite Bichette’s departure. For an offense that relied on a mix of versatility, good contact and some power, the 2026 lineup has a lot to live up to, whether the Blue Jays like it or not.

Awesome: Joe Carter Statue

The Blue Jays’ blind side is their history. Other teams in the league mainly show their history and are proud of where they come from and how they were built. But the Blue Jays didn’t have any part of the stadium that showed their history, and the only sign of anything was the statue of Ted Rogers.

The Toronto Blue Jays are officially celebrating their 50th anniversary this season, and the team isn’t taking it lightly. They now have a history to tell. Now it’s time to expand that mission.

PRESENTED BY OFF THE ROSTER