TORONTO — In this job, there is often a nagging thought in the back of your mind that something newsworthy will happen precisely at the moment you’re not available. So, naturally, as I was preparing for my recent vacation, I wondered: Will the Blue Jays extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. while I’m away?
As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. The Blue Jays not only didn’t sign Guerrero to a long-term contract extension during my two weeks exploring Costa Rica, but they didn’t really get up to much of anything at all.
Indeed, it has been a quiet offseason thus far for the Blue Jays, though that may not last for long. Once again, Toronto is being positioned as an aggressive buyer, eager to make a big move or two this winter in an attempt to restore the club to playoff-worthy status after its dismal 74-win season in 2024.
The Blue Jays have been mentioned among the teams pursuing top free agent Juan Soto, who they tried to trade for last season before the San Diego Padres shipped him to the New York Yankees. The 26-year-old is expected to command a deal north of $600 million and the Soto sweepstakes is drawing comparisons to the pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, which, of course, memorably ended in heartbreak for the Blue Jays and their fans.
But after last year’s offseason lacked serious punch after missing out on Ohtani, the Blue Jays can’t risk failing to pivot to a viable alternate plan, should Project Acquire Soto be unsuccessful. This offseason needs to include an impactful add, even if it means pivoting to Plan B, C or D.
The Yankees and New York Mets stand as the favourites to sign Soto, but a dark horse team like the Blue Jays, at a critical point in their window of contention and eager to return to the postseason, could disrupt the expected status quo — especially if they are again willing to meet the astronomical price tag, as they reportedly were for Ohtani.
However, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal recently argued that without Guerrero — or Bo Bichette — committed to the club long term, Soto may not view the Blue Jays as secure an option as other teams, like the Yankees or Mets, who have higher ranked farm systems than the Blue Jays, per MLB Pipeline.
Much like where he’ll ultimately land, it is anyone’s guess as to when Soto will decide. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand recently reported the superstar may be eager to ink his nine-figure deal by the end of next month’s Winter Meetings.
If the Blue Jays fail to land Soto, the best bat on the market, they will need to pivot to other names and acquiring at least one of the other top free agents feels like a necessity, given their desperate need to reignite their offence. The other top free-agent hitters who could be fits include Alex Bregman, Willy Adames, Pete Alonso, Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández, Christian Walker or Tyler O’Neill. Acquiring bullpen arms also remains a priority for the Blue Jays, too.
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In more recent news, on Tuesday, Toronto opted not to add any prospects to its 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to protect players eligible for next month’s Rule 5 Draft. The move wasn’t wholly surprising as the Blue Jays didn’t have any top prospects who were Rule 5 eligible this year. But that will leave players such as Damiano Palmegiani, Eddinson Paulino and Dasan Brown available to be selected by another team on Dec. 11 for a $100,000 fee.
The Blue Jays roster, meanwhile, sits at 40, but that could change later this week. The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is this Friday and the Blue Jays have a few key decisions to make.
Relievers Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson are among the players who could fall under consideration to be non-tendered. Based on MLB Trade Rumors projected arbitration salaries, Romano is due to make $7.75 million in 2025, but uncertainty about his status after missing nearly the entire 2024 season with an elbow injury that ultimately required surgery could lead the Blue Jays to cut ties with their closer.
The decision on Swanson, who is projected to make a more palatable $3.2 million, will come down to whether the Blue Jays believe he can be a more effective reliever than he was in the first half of 2024, when his ERA ballooned to 9.20 in 14 2/3 innings and led to his demotion to the minors.
There are a handful of other players on the Blue Jays roster who have a murky future with them and could be a casualty of further roster culling, either this week or in the future when the Blue Jays acquire players, including Dillon Tate, Brett de Geus, Easton Lucas, Tommy Nance, Nick Robertson, Nick Raposo and Steward Berroa.
MLB’s offseason has been quiet, but as the Winter Meetings approach in less than three weeks, the expectation is that business will pick up. And with the Blue Jays’ stated goal to improve their roster in an effort to return to competitive relevancy, the club needs to back up those words and be in the midst of the action.
(Photo of Guerrero and Soto at the 2023 All-Star Game: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
