Blue Jays Talented Starter Quickly Becoming Massive Bargain for Franchise

Who is the best bargain player based on performance and contract on the Toronto Blue Jays?

Apr 6, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis (44) pitches in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a strong start this year after a great offseason.

Coming into the campaign, it felt like a pivotal year for the Blue Jays both on and off the field.

Fortunately, despite it appearing like their star Vladimir Guererro Jr. was going to be testing free agency, he ultimately signed a $500 million extension to stay with Toronto.

This is crucial for the franchise to be able to keep their star. Not only will it help them in 2025 and beyond, but he is the caliber of player that could help lure and convince others to join the Blue Jays.

Toronto hasn’t been shy when it comes to spending, which is a main reason why their offseason ended up being so good. However, they have a couple of good bargains on the team as well to even things out.

The value of a good player on his first contract is one of the biggest luxuries in all of sports, and it allows a team to make upgrades.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the best player on the Blue Jays making less than $1 million being their emerging pitcher, Bowden Francis.

“Francis spent the first half of the 2024 season in a swingman role, bouncing between the rotation and bullpen. But by season's end, he was arguably the Blue Jays' best starter,” Reuter wrote.

While pitching both in the starting rotation and out of the bullpen, Francis was able to have his breakout year for the team in 2024. Overall, he compiled an 8-5 record and a 3.30 ERA.

Even though the 28-year-old was a good pitcher last year, he really thrived as a starter. In that role, he totaled a 5-4 record and 2.92 ERA.

This strong performance last year resulted in him getting a chance to be in the rotation to begin this campaign, and the results were good early on.

Francis has totaled a 1-1 record and 3.18 through two starts. As the sample size continues to grow, it seems that the right-hander is going to be a permanent fixture in the rotation.

In terms of value, having an above-average starter making less than $1 million is excellent value for the team.

Currently, he isn’t arbitration-eligible until 2027, as Toronto has a lot of team control over him despite his being close to 30 years old.

For a team that is seeking to compete in the AL East, Francis is certainly an important part of that. Furthermore, he is emerging as one of the best values not only on the Blue Jays, but in the entire league.