Blue Jays May Be Most Likely Team to Steal Free Agent Star from Rival Red Sox
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The Toronto Blue Jays entered the offseason ready to spend big after getting so close to tasting glory this past October, hungry as ever to land a big name free agent.
Early on in the process they did just that when they signed Dylan Cease to a mammoth contract, and kept it up by adding Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers to the pitching staff as well on staggering deals. Pitching was always needed, but now the focus turns to how Toronto lands a big name bat for the lineup.
Virtually every notable free agent has been linked to the Blue Jays from Bo Bichette to Kyle Tucker to Cody Bellinger, and even a trade for Ketel Marte. One name who has not garnered a ton of attention to this point though may prove to be the best case scenario here.
After a tremendous year with the division rival Boston Red Sox, Alex Bregman becomes available once again by exercising his opt out. Reports indicated that Toronto sees Bregman as a backup plan to Bichette, but in reality, it's tough to draw up a better fit.
Blue Jays Should Be All In On Landing Bregman from Red Sox
On top of the obvious that the three-time All-Star would instantly provide a tremendous boost to the Toronto infield whether he played third or second base, it would also gut a Boston team who hopes to take back the division next year.
If the Blue Jays want to get back to the World Series and finish the job this time around, they need to be getting into the business of staking their claim of the American League East, and weakening a contender would be an excellent start to that.
Bregman is a winning player and one of the faces of the most prominent dynasty the American League has seen in decades, making his presence in a young clubhouse trying to take that next step absolutely invaluable.
Just as important is the fact that he would not command nearly as much cash or contract length that Bichette would, making it less of a handcuffing acquisition for Toronto.
Signing Bregman Instantly Makes Blue Jays AL Favorite Again
A similar argument can be made for a healthy Bichette, but given his elite defense as well, Bregman right now is the better all around player than Toronto's home grown superstar. With the flexibility to play second or third and do it at a high level, the 31-year-old raises the ceiling of the Blue Jays while lowering the ceiling for the Red Sox.
Slashing .273/.360/.462 in 2025 for a 3.5 bWAR in just 114 games played, Bregman answered any and all concerns about numbers which had not been trending great in the two seasons prior with the Houston Astros.
That offensive profile combined with Gold Glove defense makes Bregman the perfect target for a Toronto team looking to establish a level of dominance in the division. With a slow developing market, it's the perfect time for the Blue Jays to swoop in and execute this heist from their hated rival.
The reported interest seems to be very real, but time will tell if Toronto is actually able to get it done.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.