Blue Jays Rightfully Receive Strong Offseason Grade Despite Missing on Top Prize

With the start of spring training games coming up quickly for the Toronto Blue Jays, the team will be hungry to get back on the field in 2026. However, did their offseason moves help or hurt the franchise?

Following a heartbreaking loss in the World Series, the Blue Jays entered the offseason on a mission to improve. This was a great mindset to see from the front office and ownership following the close loss. Not being complacent and trying to get better could ultimately become the difference-maker for the franchise going forward.

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Sustaining success in the majors is never easy, and competition is seemingly always going to be stiff for Toronto in their division. With that said, the team aggressively pursued players in free agency to address areas of need. While it might seem strange to shake up a roster that nearly won the World Series, changes had to be made. However, on paper, things are looking promising for the Blue Jays heading into the new campaign.

David Schoenfield of ESPN recently gave the Blue Jays a fair grade of a ‘B+’ for their offseason moves.

Fair Grade for Toronto Following Missing Top Prize

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker being introduced — Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

This is certainly a fair grade for the Blue Jays, who had a bit of a lopsided winter. To start, they really hit the ground running with the addition of Dylan Cease to provide them with an ace for the top of the rotation.

Furthermore, the team followed that up by adding Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers, and Kazuma Okamoto. While they did add some talent, they also had a key departure in Bo Bichette. The hope is that Okamoto will be able to come over from Japan and replace that production offensively, while the team will also shuffle its infield to improve defensively.

While it was a strong offseason, it wasn’t perfect. Once again, Toronto was pursuing the top prize in free agency and missed out. All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker would have been a great addition to strengthen an outfield that has some question marks and also to help ensure that Bichette’s offensive production was replaced. Despite being in the mix, they missed out, and he went to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Even though the offseason was a strong one for the Blue Jays, they are playing in arguably the most challenging division in baseball. The road back to the World Series isn’t going to be easy, but they do have the talent to make it happen.