Free Agency Begins and Blue Jays Have Big Names in Play
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While other teams across the majors have been contemplating what free agency will look like for their organization for the last month, the Toronto Blue Jays are not one of them. Free agency officially starts the following day after the World Series finishes up, and the Blue Jays have a few key players that are now free agents.
While free agency has officially started, there is a five-day quiet period before players are able to sign outside of the organization, which will barely give the Blue Jays time to catch their breath after the heartbreaking loss in game seven. If the Jays want to redeem themselves, a few players who contributed to this year's success must return next year.
The one player whose future is uncertain that is a no-brainer for management to lock down is their shortstop, Bo Bichette, but he isn't the only player that could possibly not be returning next year who was a difference maker in the playoffs. Bichette is the main bat that is set to become contactable by other teams, but a good chunk of their pitching staff could be moving on.
Blue Jays with Unsure Futures
Bichette has spent the entirety of his professional career with the Blue Jays, as they drafted him back in 2016, and he worked his way through the farming system until his debut at the end of July in 2019. The team would love to and NEEDS to keep him on their roster.
Even though their shortstop missed nearly the entire month of September he still led the team in RBI, total hits, doubles and batting average as one of two to have an average over .300. He wasn't activated in the postseason until the World Series and the only game he didn't find a hit was the one he didn't start in.
Moving onto their pitching staff, there are quite a few that have questionable futures with the ballclub after this season: Chris Bassitt, Jeff Hoffman, Seranthony Dominguez, Shane Bieber and now Max Scherzer which makes most of their staff up for grabs.
This angle of Bo Bichette's Game 7 homer 😮💨
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 2, 2025
(via @MLB)
pic.twitter.com/Hngh8Sc8OT
Bassitt might not have made any starts in the postseason, but he embraced his role as a reliever in fine fashion as arguably one of the best that came out of the bullpen during the playoffs. He took on a workload during the regular season in the starting rotation and is someone that management should pursue with an ERA under 4.00 in 30+ starts.
Both Hoffman and Dominguez were two key relief pitchers throughout the year and during the postseason. It is hard to imagine that at least one of them won't be back in 2026.
Bieber only joined the team at the trade deadline as the Jays acquired him from the Cleveland Guardians. He could ultimately be leaving, but he made crucial starts in the playoffs and made history as the first starter to spend the first four months on the injured list, but then make a start in the World Series and win.
Scherzer wasn't expected to return to the majors as he is now 41 years old, which is why he only signed a one-year deal with the team, but his latest response hints that he is not calling it quits just yet, which makes him another piece to the Jays' offseason puzzle.
The offseason is officially here and the Jays are now ready to start making moves for 2026 despite 2025 ending just days ago. The organization definitely has more key players to consider than others, but the priority has to be Bichette.
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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.