Blue Jays Must Tackle Salary Arbitration Spending by Critical Deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays have been spending money like no other team in baseball, and they can’t slow down when it comes to salary arbitration.

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The money the Toronto Blue Jays have spent in free agency this season is immense. It won’t stop this week.

By Thursday, the Blue Jays must agree to contracts with their remaining salary arbitration eligible players or risk going to a hearing in February in which both sides will offer numbers to an independent arbiter who will decide the player’s salary.

It may not seem like much, but the Blue Jays have cultivated incredibly good vibes this offseason and a contentious arbitration hearing with one of their players is something they surely want to avoid.

Toronto Blue Jays Salary Arbitration Players

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In November, the Blue Jays made some adjustments to their 40-man roster which helped trim the number of players that were eligible for salary arbitration. The Blue Jays designated both Ryan Burr and Dillon Tate for assignment, allowing them to become free agents. The Blue Jays outrighted pitcher Nick Sandlin, who missed much of the season to injury, and he had the service time to refuse an assignment to the minor leagues. He is also a free agent.

The remaining four players are part of Toronto’s plans for 2026, and the franchise should have little trouble keeping them as their potential cost is baked into their immense payroll for the season.

Leading the way financially is outfielder Daulton Varsho, who missed roughly half the season due to injury but still flashed power and a Gold Glove-level defense in center field. Per MLB Trade Rumors, which published estimates of arbitration payroll in October, Varsho is due an estimated $9.7 million in his final year of salary arbitration.

Pitcher Eric Lauer, who emerged as a value swingman, is in his last year of arbitration and is due an estimated $4.4 million. Given Toronto’s moves this offseason, he is likely to end up as a key piece of the Blue Jays’ bullpen.

Utilityman Ernie Clement, who became a star during the World Series, is in his first year of arbitration but is due an estimated $4.3 million. That estimate was made before his heroics in the World Series. Catcher Tyler Heineman, who will be Alejandro Kirk’s primary backup, is set for an estimated $1 million in his first year of arbitration.

No team has spent more this offseason than the Blue Jays. They’ve committed $337 million in future salary to free agents like pitcher Dylan Cease, pitcher Cody Ponce, pitcher Tyler Rogers and infielder Kazuma Okamoto, who agreed to a deal on Saturday.