Four things the Blue Jays must do to stay competitive in the American League.
Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro need to start making moves now to show this league that they mean business.
The first and obvious answer is to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr before Spring Training by any means necessary.
Guerrero is not going to take a hometown or in this case a country discount.
Guerrero is the face of the Toronto Blue Jays and has earned the right to a big payday, and if that means that they have to overpay, so be it.
Fact is no elite free agent will come to Canada without Guerrero in place for a long term extension.
With that being said now that Teoscar Hernandez has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the next 3 or 4 years, Toronto needs an outfielder who can provide the same kind of offence.
Which comes to the second thing Ross Akins must do and that's to sign switch hitting outfielder Anthony Santander.
The switch-hitting Santander is coming off a career year in which he belted a personal-best 44 home runs. He's heading into his age-30 season and doing so on the heels of a .235/.308/.506 batting line (129 wRC+).
Santander doesn't hit for much average and typically carries a pedestrian (at best) walk rate, but he's been a consistent source of power for the O's in recent seasons.
Dating back to 2020, the former Rule 5 pick is a .245/.312/.476 hitter with 134 home runs, a 7.8% walk rate and a 20.6% strikeout rate.
This past season's 8.7% walk rate was the best of Santander's career, while his 19.4% strikeout rate was his second-lowest in a full 162-game season.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr desperately needs protection in this starting lineup and Santander fits the bill, with that being said a switch hitter with power from both sides definitely improves this lineup.
With Vladdy signed to a long term extension maybe, just maybe Santander will have faith in this clubs intentions on winning, and come to Toronto.
One thing the Toronto Blue Jays lacked in 2024 was team chemistry, the thought was if Hernandez returned to Toronto that not only would the offence be better, but the team chemistry would drastically improve with his clubhouse presence and friendship with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
One way to improve team chemistry and offence and the third thing Ross Atkins must do is to sign Alex Bregman.
Bregman has been one of the best third basemen in baseball for most of the last decade.
He is a two-time All-Star, Gold Glover and Silver Slugger. He is the clear-cut best third baseman on the market.
Bregman reunited with his old buddy George Springer would definitely improve this clubs chemistry, he is a proven winner and a clubhouse leader.
And finally the fourth thing, an elite starting pitcher in Corbin Burnes.
Burnes, 30, is a four-time All-Star and the 2021 NL Cy Young winner.
He had a strong 2024 campaign for the Baltimore Orioles, finishing 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings (32 starts).
If the Jays can manage to land Burnes this club would have one of the best starting rotations in the American league.
If the Blue Jays can pull off even three of these four signings they'd be cooking with gas, if not its going to be a long and disappointing summer in Toronto once again.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 27 | 525 ANSWERS Four things the Blue Jays must do to stay competitive in the American League. Can Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays convince any player of significance to come to Toronto? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 11.8 % |
| No | 260 | 49.5 % |
| Atkins should be fired! | 203 | 38.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
