Toronto Blue Jays' GM Makes Interesting Declaration About Offseason Plans

After seeing Brandon Belt reach free agency, the Toronto Blue Jays could reportedly look into bringing in a designated hitter this offseason.

Per Ben Nicholson-Smith, who spoke with GM Ross Atkins:

As for the Blue Jays, they can entertain the idea of adding a player who slots in at DH most days, much like Brandon Belt did in 2023. Without getting into specifics, GM Ross Atkins said the Blue Jays can explore deals for DH-first players.

“We’re open to that because of the versatility we already have on our team,” Atkins said via email due to the stomach virus circulating through the GM meetings.

The Blue Jays could lose Belt, Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier and Whit Merrifield to free agency this year so it's smart for Atkins to keep his options open and to look at bringing in talent in multiple spots.

If the Jays are interested in DH types, Shohei Ohtani is the obvious choice, while guys like Jorge Soler, Mitch Garver, and Rhys Hoskins are all available on the market as well.

Toronto just wrapped up another season with a disappointing playoff finish. They finished third in the American League East in 2023 and then were swept in the wild card round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Twins.

It marked the second consecutive year that they had been swept in that round. They were also swept in two games by the Seattle Mariners in 2022.

Toronto has failed to win a playoff game in each of its last three playoff appearances (2020, 2022, and 2023).

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