Now that the Blue Jays have lost to Shohei Ohtani, what are their options?
The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes is now over, with the Los Angeles Dodgers emerging victorious over several (rumored) suitors, including the Toronto Blue Jays. This mess involved choosing to be as quiet as possible during a free agency decision that was almost baseball’s equivalent of LeBron James’ “The Decision” in 2010, only to have the loudest contract in MLB history come from it.
Ross Atkins must now move on and focus on improving the current Blue Jays roster now that it is over. But where can he go from here given that this free agent class doesn’t have any franchise-altering talent? You can look at this with a half-full glass, knowing that none of the names below will cost $700 million over a ten-year period, regardless of who it is.
The Assigned HitterThe fact that Toronto lacked strength during the 2023 season contributed to its lackluster performance, drawing the focus of many fans to their trade of Teoscar Hernandez in the previous offseason. This is the clearest turn that Ross Atkins can take in this situation, since the Blue Jays are in dire need of a power threat.
First up is Jorge Soler, the DH with a lot of travel experience who played in the Atlanta Braves 2021 World Series. Soler is coming off a season in which he amassed a.853 SLG, 36 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a slash line of.250/.341/.512. Despite Luis Arraez’s superior batting average in Miami’s lineup the previous season, Soler was still by far their most reliable source of power. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s return to the 30-home run per season range would make Soler an excellent supplementary and defensive piece for Toronto’s top lineup.
Despite being 36 years old, J.D. Martinez led the 2023 Blue Jays in both home runs and RBIs during his season-ending performance with the Dodgers, with 33 and 103 respectively. Given that this was Martinez’s only stint with the Dodgers and that his salary was only $10 million, I could easily see Toronto offering Martinez a contract similar to one that Brandon Belt had.A torn ACL prevented Rhys Hoskins from playing in the 2023 season, something that some people may have forgotten. Just two years have passed since Hoskins’ 30-home run season, and in his six MLB seasons, he has only twice hit fewer than 27 home runs. This is his first season as a free agent.Other potential additions:ย Adam Duvall, Mitch Garver
The initiatives for reclamationCody Bellinger ranked close to the top of the list of notable free agents, after Ohtani. Given that Bellinger performed significantly better in 2023 with the Cubs than he did in his final three years with the Dodgers, he might not qualify as a “reclamation project.” It is not a given, though, that he will revert to his MVP-caliber performance from 2019. Furthermore, Bellinger’s price tag is expected to increase because many teams were unsuccessful in acquiring Juan Soto and Ohtani.
This isn’t meant as a slight to Bellinger; it’s just the way free agency operates for a player with his caliber of play. He had a.881 OPS, 26 home runs, and 97 RBIs in his slash line from the previous season, which was.307/.356/.525. According to recent reports, Bellinger wants to spend $250 million this offseason. Was it sufficient for him to obtain the desired contract after passing the Cubs’ prove-it test?
Last year, Tim Anderson was mentioned in relation to Toronto’s mid-season trade deadline options. Anderson’s season last year was by far the worst of his career; he batted.245 with a pitiful.582 OPS and just one home run. But Anderson has recently been successful; from 2019 through 2022, he posted batting averages over.300 in every season, including a.335 batting average in 2019.In order to prevent any interference with Bo Bichette, Anderson has made it clear that he is willing to play shortstop or second base. Although the Blue Jays have a number of options at second base, adding Anderson might open the door for a trade involving one of those players.
The former companionsIs there a chance for a reunion between Oscar Hernandez and Luis Gurriel Jr.? It’s not the most audacious interpretation ever. If Hernandez returns, there’s a chance the Erik Swanson trade with the Blue Jays could come full circle, which would be great for the spirit in the clubhouse because Hernandez was clearly a beloved player. Hernandez hit.258/.305/.435 with a.741 OPS, 26 home runs, and 93 RBIs in his one and only season in Seattle. Though it will be difficult to overlook Hernandez’s third-highest strikeout total in MLB history (211), a return to Toronto would be highly appealing to Hernandez and his group.
In his only season in Arizona, Gurriel Jr. had a memorable campaign. Gurriel had the good fortune to play in the World Series the previous year and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. Gurriel had a slash line of.261/.309/.463 for the regular season, with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs. He also had a scorching May, a strong August and September, and a rough June and July in between. You’re referring to another clubhouse member, Hernandez, who exudes positivity and evidently relished his stay in Toronto.
Many supporters were content to see these two go, attributing their upbeat vibes to their “antics” in general. But consider this: would you be open to signing them as a free agent if they hadn’t played for Toronto earlier in their careers?![](https://i0.wp.com/www.si.com/.image/ar_1:1%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1200/MTk0NzE5MDMzMTE3OTEwMTc4/usatsi_19051770_168390270_lowres.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1)
The international route
Even though the Blue Jays don’t strictly need a starting pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is reportedly being considered by Toronto, according to a number of reports. During the previous season, Yamamoto led the Orix Buffaloes with a 17-6 record, 1.21 ERA, and 176 strikeouts in 24 starts. During the World Baseball Classic, he also pitched in two games and recorded 7.1 innings of strikeouts. There are also rumors that the Mets, Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers are interested in signing Yamamoto. Once more, Toronto doesn’t require another starting pitcher, but would Yamamoto improve them? Indeed.
The MLB posted about Jung Hoo Lee last week. During his seven seasons in the KBO, Lee put up amazing numbers, concluding his stay with a slash line of.340/.407/.491. Although he doesn’t have the greatest power, his batting average and on-base percentage speak for themselves. In recent seasons, the Blue Jays have reportedly been close to signing both Ha-Seong Kim and Masataka Yoshida, so it wouldn’t be shocking if they were keeping an eye on these well-known KBO/JPL free agents.
The trade objectivesThe trade market might be the best option in a class of free agents like this one. In terms of pitching and second basemen, Toronto has an abundance, so I wouldn’t be shocked if they took advantage of that. Although names like Brandon Drury and Jorge Polanco have been mentioned as possible additions, the Blue Jays may try to go even further. Since the White Sox are rumored to be open to trading anybody, why not Luis Robert Jr. or Eloy Jimenez? Even though the Angels have said they won’t trade Mike Trout, a man can dream. Maybe the Blue Jays will make them an offer they can’t refuse. Having just finished a season with 31 home runs, I believe Isaac Paredes would be a good fit at third base as well. He checks both the power department and the third base vacancy boxes.