Blue Jays Most Realistic Offseason Moves: What Should and Shouldn't Happen
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This time of year tends to make the couch managers quite the experts as to who an organization should pursue in the offseason, in terms of free agents, to make sure that their season is better the next time around.
Luckily for the fans of the Toronto Blue Jays, the team has a president of baseball operations who likes to be aggressive during the winter months to bolster his roster. Ross Atkins is known to spend some money, and the same will be the case this November.
Now, when players like Tarik Skubal and Randy Arozarena become available, there is hope that all of them can join a clubhouse to form a super team, but that isn't reasonable, and while Toronto definitely needs upgrades, it is important to keep expectations in check this time of year.
What should happen:
- Add two middle-of-the-rotation starters
- Bring in one proven bat
- Sign another medium-to-high leverage reliever
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits his first HR since July 11th
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 8, 2026
Only his 7th HR this seasonpic.twitter.com/e1vNArm0LV
What should not:
- Spend too much on one player
- Long-term contracts with veteran pitchers
- Relying on current members to step up next season
Atkins knows that his offense is in desperate need of a spark, as they were arguably the worst in baseball this year, which coincided with the career-worst season by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. So, it seems safe to say that a good chunk of the allocated funds needs to go to someone who can produce.
However, the starting rotation will start the year injured (again), with Jose Berrios starting 2027 on the IL, and they have lost Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman, as well as Shane Bieber; the pitching staff needs bodies.
If the Jays' boss adds solid depth to the rotation, an explosive bat at the plate, and an arm or two into the bullpen, it is hard to imagine anything but their return to the top of the AL East.
Free Agents To Target That Fit Their Needs Perfectly
Ultimately, the priority has to be with the position players, and it isn't just because they couldn't score runs in 2026, but also because George Springer will no longer be "the guy" for them to count on, and two free agents would do wonders for this ballclub: Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki.
Both Arozarena and Suzuki have consistently provided slug over the last couple of years, and either of the two would provide reinforcements to a depleted outfield.
Whoever acquires back-to-back Cy Young Award winner (Skubal) will be a better team for it, but it shouldn't necessarily be the Blue Jays, as they need more than just one starter, and with someone like Tyler Mahle available for likely half the price, he is the right move.
Mahle would be a supporting cast to Cease as a sure thing in a questionable rotation that currently houses Trey Yesavage who dealt with numerous injuries in 2026, the highs-and-lows of Jose Soriano, and, hopefully, Cody Ponce.
There are definite areas that have to be addressed or the Jays will face the same fate next time around, but Atkins knows this. Just don't expect him to acquire five All-Stars when there are more feasible options.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.