Blue Jays Rightfully Receive Disastrous Re-Grade for Signing Last Offseason

The Toronto Blue Jays certainly hope they could take this contract from last winter back.

Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A view of a Toronto Blue Jays hat before game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

While the Toronto Blue Jays have been very aggressive this winter in trying to improve, so were they last offseason. However, not all of the signings they made the previous winter worked out so far. 

It has been a very successful start to the winter on paper for the Blue Jays. Coming off losing in the World Series, the team was hungry to have a good offseason and improve a couple of areas of need. 

That has certainly been the case so far, with a couple of notable additions that should help make this Toronto team a better one in 2026. However, while the team has improved, they still could look to make another splash in free agency and try to really push the team over the top. 

Fortunately, the Blue Jays seemingly are able to spend as much as they want with a strong ownership group, and that has helped them create one of the top rosters in the game. Last winter, the team also spent a good amount of money, but not every move they made worked out for the best. 

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently re-graded some of the most significant signings from the offseason last year, and the Blue Jays received a terrible mark for their deal with slugger Anthony Santander. On the re-grade, they understandably received a grade of ‘F’. 

Poor Grade Comes as No Surprise

John Froschauer-Imagn Images

Last winter, the addition of Santander was one that created quite a bit of excitement for Toronto. The talented slugger was coming off a fantastic year with the Baltimore Orioles and was one of the best run producers available. The thought of pairing him up with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. figured to create an elite trio. Unfortunately, injuries and poor play resulted in his first year with the team basically generating no positive value. 

In 54 games, he slashed .175/.271/.294 with six home runs and 18 RBI. While the 2025 campaign was a disaster, his performance in 2024 made it easy to see why the Blue Jays gave him a contract worth nearly $100 million. In his final year with the Orioles, he slashed .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs and 102 RBI. Those are some elite offensive numbers, and that level of production is hard to find. 

While the 2025 season might have been a lost one for Santander, the Blue Jays will undoubtedly be hoping that he can stay healthy in 2026 and regain his form from earlier years with the Orioles. If he does, the Blue Jays' lineup will look very strong.