Blue Jays Might Need To Consider Contract Extension for Slugger

Should the Toronto Blue Jays extend a slugger this offseason?

Apr 16, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A Toronto Blue Jays hat and glove in the dugout during a game against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

With pitchers and catchers reporting, the Toronto Blue Jays are getting set for a big year in 2026. 

Coming off making the World Series in 2025, the Blue Jays came into the winter hungry to improve. They started out the winter being very aggressive in free agency with the signing of Dylan Cease to a long-term deal. This move figured to address their biggest need of the offseason, but they continued to be aggressive. 

In addition to adding Cease, they also signed veteran Cody Ponce to help provide some depth for the rotation. Furthermore, they added Tyler Rogers to the bullpen and also Kazuma Okamoto to the lineup. 

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While they brought in a lot of talent, they did see star slugger Bo Bichette leave for the New York Mets. That is going to be a lot of production to replace, and it figures to fall on the shoulders of Okamoto. With all of the top prizes in free agency off the board, the Blue Jays might start to look internally at players they might wish to extend long-term. 

Mark Feinsand of MLB recently wrote about players who could be up for a notable contract extension. For the Blue Jays, it was outfielder Daulton Varsho. 

Extending Varsho Makes Sense

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

With spring training right around the corner, this is generally a good time when teams start to consider contract extensions. Due to the flurry of free agency and the offseason winding down, most teams have their core in place as of now. 

For Toronto, they were able to make a couple of notable signings, but might have missed on some key players that would have taken the team to the next level. When looking at the roster, the outfield has become a bit of a concern following the team's missing out on signing Kyle Tucker and another significant injury to Anthony Santander. 

While there are some question marks, one player who has been very good for them is Varsho. The talented outfielder missed a good amount of time last year, but was still able to total a 2.8 bWAR. With a good amount of power and an excellent glove, he provides a lot of value for the team. 

Varsho will be entering the final year of his contract in 2026 and seems like a prime candidate for the team to potentially extend. With options being limited next offseason as of now, keeping their talented outfielder long-term makes sense.