Blue Jays Trade Deadline Acquisition Predicted To Land With Rockies in Free Agency
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The Toronto Blue Jays have a number of key contributors who are going to be hitting the market this offseason.
Free agency is going to be a busy time for the Blue Jays. They have to figure out which players of their own to target and retain, but identify which players from other teams are worth looking into bringing aboard. One major obstacle was overcome earlier in the year when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreed to a historic 14-year, $500 million extension with the team.
Now all of the attention will shift to shortstop Bo Bichette. The two-time All-Star is set to hit free agency, but has been predicted to return to Toronto. A similar fate is not expected to occur for first baseman Ty France.
Ty France Has Set Himself Up Nicely For Free Agency
Acquired from the Minnesota Twins, along with relief pitcher Louis Varland, ahead of the trade deadline, he has been an important bench piece for the Blue Jays. His numbers at the plate have been through the roof, producing a .325/.372/.442 slash line with an OPS+ of 123. He has one home run and six doubles in only 77 at-bats.
For a backup, Toronto could not have expected much more than that. Along with his impact at the plate, he remains one of the elite defensive first basemen in baseball. That has provided the Blue Jays with the best first base tandem in the MLB. Alas, that tandem isn’t expected to stick around beyond this campaign.
Over at Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter has made predictions about how every lineup in the MLB will look on Opening Day in 2026. France wasn’t going to be in the Toronto lineup even if he had remained, excelling as a bench piece. But, he is expected to move on, landing with the Colorado Rockies.
An established, middle-of-the-order veteran would be a perfect addition for the Rockies to make. They have hit rock bottom this year and need all the help they can get to get things back on track. A two-way player of France’s caliber, who also happens to be a former All-Star, should thrive at Coors Field.
Ty France Predicted To Sign With Rockies
He has made an impact for the Blue Jays in such a short amount of time. Productive players like that, teams do not want to see them leave the building. But it makes sense why he is predicted to sign elsewhere.
A starting job isn’t going to be available in Toronto. First base is where Guerrero will be entrenched for years to come. At-bats as the designated hitter will be hard to come by with George Springer and Anthony Santander in the mix. Also, the team has been expanding the defensive versatility of Joey Loperfido.
Giving him a shot at the backup first baseman’s job on a rookie contract instead of paying an established veteran such as France is fiscally responsible. There will be more pressing needs on the roster to address. The money saved by allowing the veteran first baseman to move on can be spent more wisely elsewhere.
