Blue Jays Payroll Climbs Sharply, Trails Only the Dodgers Entering 2026
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been incredibly aggressive this offseason and have proven they are not afraid of spending some money to go with an already expensive roster.
The ballclub is not interested in repeating the same fate that came in the World Series as their best season in 32 years ended with a Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Currently the Blue Jays have 11 players who will be owed more than $11M, four over $22M and two will get at least $30M a piece bringing their current 2026 cash payroll (per Spotrac) to $268.6 million, second highest trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It seems unlikely that the organization's payroll will catch up to the reigning world champions (per Spotrac) who had the highest payroll in baseball before they made any moves this offseason. However it is important to note that the Jays current expenditures do not include any of the current free agents that they are heavily pursuing like Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker.
If/when the Jays sign any (or all) of those free agents their payroll will increase drastically as none of them will come at less than $20M a year.
Most Expensive Players for 2026
Dylan Cease: Surprisingly their newest addition to the pitching staff is actually who will get paid the most next season as the ballclub will owe him $35 million in cash salary in 2026 as the Blue Jays expect big things from the strikeout machine.
This was the fifth consecutive season that Cease posted over 200 strikeouts as he has not failed to do so since taking on the primary role as a starter for the Chicago White Sox back in 2021. He should be an absolute work horse for the Jays and it won't come as a shock if he takes the opening day start.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: The Blue Jays first baseman is the only other player who will be owed more than $30M next season and it is safe to say he has been worth every penny during his career.
- Three-time All-MLB First Team Selections
- AL Hank Aaron Award
- Two-time Silver Slugger Award
- Gold Glove Award
- Five-time All-Star
Kevin Gausman: Kevin Gausman is the second-highest paid pitcher on the staff as the primary starter for the Jays last year. He led the team in strikeouts with 189 in 2025 and hasn't posted an ERA over 3.85 since joining Toronto back in 2022. He lands at No.3 on their current payroll at $23 milllion in cash payroll.
George Spring: The Blue Jays primary designated hitter and two-time AL Silver Slugger Award winner will be paid 500,000 less than Gausman. He trailed only Bichette in batting average on the team as the pair both hit over .300 in 2025.
Springer is under club control until 2027 and he has been well worth the six-year $150M contract that he signed back in 2021.
The Blue Jays mean business, but will they be scrutinized for buying a championship if they surpass the Dodgers in spending? Probably, but the only thing that manager John Schneider and the Jays care about is winning that title.
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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.