Where the Blue Jays can go to improve the roster

This is hardly Toronto’s first elimination experience; they have been in this position for three years in a row when it comes to superstar free agents like Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki.

But the Blue Jays’ offseason can’t be written off as a failure because the team wasn’t content to be a bridesmaid for the entire offseason.

Tucker and Bichette go somewhere else

Early in the offseason, the conversation surrounding the Blue Jays centered on how the team had the potential to sign both superstar hitters Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette after an incredible World Series run in 2025. With more than enough budget, at least in theory, Toronto didn’t shy away from its efforts to recruit both hitters.

Tucker was always Toronto’s preferred choice in the position player market, but the right fielder clearly wanted to land a cash-rich, short-term deal with a team that has superstar talent up and down the roster. With an offense featuring Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith and more, Tucker shouldn’t have to carry any of the burden of pushing the team into the playoffs.

Unlike the Blue Jays, the Dodgers have also built a robust scouting and development system that has consistently produced unlikely stars from pitching to hitting for more than a decade. Toronto is working to improve its development, but as it stands, the team’s farm rankings are nowhere near catching up to the Dodgers. That missing piece could have hurt the team’s bid for some of the top free agents, like Tucker.

The focus of the Blue Jays this offseason

The reason why the Blue Jays couldn’t get the job done in Game 7 of the World Series last year could be summed up in one big problem: pitching, pitching, pitching.

At one point, Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage were the only legitimate starters in the rotation, with Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer out due to injuries. Toronto’s bullpen situation wasn’t clean either, as a number of pitchers struggled to execute in big moments. Scherzer returned later in the run to help the Jays, and Bassitt turned into a bullpen weapon, but the team couldn’t rely on Berrios, who was sidelined with injuries.

What separated the Blue Jays and Dodgers was pitching depth at the end. Los Angeles had more than two solid starters (think Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto) to rely on throughout the playoffs, something Toronto couldn’t quite solve when the two teams faced off for the trophy in the full seven games.

The Blue Jays understood their shortcomings and were aggressive from the jump as the offseason began. The team signed Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to fill out the rotation depth and brought in Tyler Rogers as a setup reliever who could prevent long balls.

The Blue Jays’ front office emphasized that pitching was their focus and stood by their words when they didn’t hesitate to extend contracts to top pitchers on the market. Their efforts to land the best free-agent hitters may have fallen short, but their aggression in other parts of the market has certainly paid off so far.

Where the Blue Jays go from here

While the free-agent market may remain thin after Tucker and Bichette came off the market, Toronto can still use the trade market to retool its roster ahead of spring training.

Currently, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Joey Loperfido, Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, Jonatan Clase, Addison Barger and Myles Straw are all listed under the team’s outfield depth options chart. The team would have to trade away at least one of these players to open up a spot for someone like Tucker, just to make the lineup work from a bench perspective.

With the offseason not yet over, the Blue Jays could also entertain the idea of ​​bringing in another star via trade or look at adding Cody Bellinger, the last remaining high-headed left-handed bat. From the trade front, someone like Brendan Donovan or Steven Kwan could easily add more pop to the Jays’ lineup.

There’s also a chance the team doesn’t make any other additions or trades until the trade deadline in July. Provided most of the core of position players can continue to make good, consistent contact while staying healthy, waiting until the trade deadline could be more rational if the team can’t find good trades that can further bolster the offense.

Regardless of how the rest of the offseason unfolds, the Blue Jays’ winter moves still make them one of the biggest winners. There is still a path for Toronto to prove everyone wrong again this year by returning to the World Series. The Blue Jays believe they have what it takes even after missing out on some of the top free agents because that’s what they did last season.

Winning the World Series this year without Tucker or Bichette on the roster would be the loudest statement.

PRESENTED BY VIVID CHAIRS