Winter Meetings Fallout: Where the Blue Jays Stand

Was it the warm breeze, sandy beaches, or cornucopia of big names in free agency that motivated moves in San Diego? Whatever it was, a busy Winter Meetings in Major League Baseball just wrapped up.

Free agents found homes and pen found paper, as many top players changed teams this week. While the Blue Jays didn't finalize any moves, their path forward this offseason became clearer in a number of ways.

Here's how the moves in San Diego impact Toronto and where the Blue Jays stand after the 2022 Winter Meetings:

Pitching Market Moving

The Blue Jays want to add a starting pitcher, and their options are narrowing. Justin Verlander is a Met, Jacob deGrom and Andrew Heaney are now Rangers, Jameson Taillon to the North Side, Taijuan Walker to Philly, and on down the list. The Jays were reportedly interested in Verlander and Heaney, for the second offseason in a row, but came out of the winter meetings armless. While they haven't found a starter yet, the Jays will add at least one pitcher to the rotation alongside José Berríos, Kevin Gausman, and Alek Manoah.

"Do we need to add someone that can pitch in the top three? Not necessarily, but we would like to add a starter," GM Ross Atkins said in an MLB Network Radio interview.

The most notable remaining starters on the market are Japanese righty Kodai Senga and former Giant Carlos Rodon. The Jays have openly linked themselves to Senga a few times, but Toronto may be more likely to add from the next tier, including Ross Stripling, Noah Syndergaard, and Nathan Eovaldi.

Catching Suitors Narrow

The Jays could also trade for a starting pitching, and one avenue to do so would be moving an MLB catcher. Open to dealing one of Gabriel Moreno, Danny Jansen, or Alejandro Kirk, Toronto's potential fits for a backstop trade shortened this week.

The Cardinals, with lefty outfielders and some controllable starters, always seemed like a natural trade fit, but St. Louis signed top free agent catcher Willson Contreras to a long-term contract. The most likely remaining destinations for a catcher trade are the Twins, Padres, Guardians, and Brewers. However, the Jays aren't the only ones selling catching, with Oakland dangling Sean Murphy.

Outfield Options Remain

In the opening few days of the San Diego meetings, it looked like the outfield market was one area of free agency that would hold for a bit longer—and then it all happened at once. Aaron Judge re-upped in New York on a monstrous new contract, Japanese LF Masataka Yoshida quickly found a home in Boston, and Brandon Nimmo signed a deal with the Mets as executives departed SoCal.

Nimmo was perhaps the most natural Blue Jays fit of any free agent, bringing the lefty bat, on-base prowess, and ability to play centerfield that checks all of Toronto's offensive boxes. But, the Mets brought him back with an eight-year deal promising more money than George Springer got with Toronto a few offseasons ago. With Nimmo off the market, Andrew Benintendi, Michael Brantley, Michael Conforto, and Kevin Kermaier seem like the top remaining free-agent options to varying degrees, though trade is still an option.

During the meetings, agent Scott Boras told Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith he believed the Jays' top priority was on offense, before making moves to improve the rotation. Boras represents outfielders Joey Gallo and Conforto, as well as the recently signed Yoshida, Nimmo, and Cody Bellinger.

AL East Shapes Up

While the Blue Jays didn't finalize any MLB moves at the Winter Meetings, there was certainly plenty of shuffling around them. Each of the four other AL East teams made a reported signing or two of note:

Red Sox: Signed RP Kenley Jansen, RP Matt Strahm, and OF Masataka Yoshida
Yankees: Signed OF Aaron Judge
Rays: Signed P Zach Eflin
Orioles: Signed SP Kyle Gibson

Judge returning to the Bronx has the biggest immediate impact on Toronto's AL East chances, but the Red Sox's trio of moves also signal a desire to return to the win column. The Blue Jays also reportedly matched the Orioles' one-year, $10 million offer to Gibson, but the veteran chose Baltimore, per The Athletic's Dan Connolly.

Rule 5 Results

The meetings ended with the Rule 5 Draft, which was expectedly quiet for Toronto. The Jays had a few enticing names left available for other teams to take, including RP Adrian Hernandez and OF Gabriel Martinez, but no team took from Toronto in the MLB portion.

In the minor league portion of the draft, the Jays lost outfielder and former first-rounder Logan Warmoth to the Mariners while selecting catcher Kekai Rios from the Dodgers. Rios posted a .636 OPS across two minor league levels last year and should help insulate Toronto's upper minors catching depth in 2023.