New Years resolutions for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025
2024 was a forgettable year for the Toronto Blue Jays both on and off the field.
With high expectations from the club and their fans, the Blue Jays stumbled out of the gate in 2024 and never recovered.
The Jays, marred with injuries, very little offence and a faltering bullpen, led to the worst record in the American League East.
Their 88 losses were the most for the club since 2019. (74-88)
With that in mind 2025 offers a clean slate, both for the team and for their fan base.
Here are some New Year's resolutions the Blue Jays need to make in 2025.
REBUILD THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR FAN BASE
It's not just the disappointing 2024 season that has led to a weary fan base.
There has been an accumulation of losses, mistakes and disappointments over recent years that has led to this feeling of pending doom.
While the Blue Jays have been a playoff team in three of the past five years, which is noteworthy.
Failing to advance beyond the wild-card round isn't what fans had in mind when the front office spoke about building a sustainable contender years ago.
The Blue Jays haven't won a postseason game since 2016, going 0-6 since 2020.
On the field, the offence has been on the decline since 2021, when the Blue Jays led the majors in OPS and home runs.
The Blue Jays, who crushed the ball in those years have been replaced by a lineup that ranked 23rd in runs scored and 26th in home runs in 2024.
The addition of great defenders like Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier made this club a team winner in the Gold Glove category, however the offence was anemic.
The Blue Jays were still in the top 10 in attendance league-wide, but their losing season impacted the number of fans who came to their games.
Attendance at the Rogers Centre fell to an average of 33,102 per game in 2024, down from 37,307 in 2023.
To repair the Blue Jays relationship with the fans, leads us to the next resolution.
ROSS ATKINS MUST EXTEND VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR
It's not a good sign that extending Guerrero Jr to a contract that keeps him in Toronto long-term has been put off until 2025.
After a slow start to 2024, one of the few bright spots was Guerrero's outstanding finish to the season, in which he hit .323 with a .940 OPS and 30 home runs.
The Canadian-born, Dominican-raised Guerrero cemented his status as one of the best young hitters in baseball with a 2024 campaign in which he played in his fourth All-Star Game, was named the All-MLB first-team first baseman, won his second career Silver Slugger award and finished sixth in AL MVP voting.
After the season, it seemed like priority No. 1 for the front office would be signing Guerrero to a long-term deal before he's set to hit free agency after the 2025 season.
As Guerrero gets closer to free agency, inking him to a deal is only going to get more difficult.
Guerrero is looking for a deal in the $500-$600 million range, per Ken Rosenthal . The Blue Jays would need to meet Guerrero's demand and also possibly pay a premium to keep him from testing free agency.
Keeping Guerrero, a homegrown talent, in Toronto long-term will go a long way in helping the Blue Jays remain competitive and relevant in the future.
Edward Rogers, Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins must decide if their willing to spend whatever it takes to do that.
Once the Blue Jays extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr they may have a shot at attracting elite free agents, which brings us to our final resolution for 2025.
SIGN SOME SIGNIFICANT FREE AGENTS
Despite having the financial means and interest in signing big-name free agents, thus far this winter, the Blue Jays haven't landed any stars.
So making a free agent splash or two in 2025 has to be a goal, and would definitely endear this fan base back to the Blue Jays.
The only noteworthy free-agent deal the Blue Jays have made this offseason is signing right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia.
Bringing Garc�a back makes sense for the Blue Jays, who need to rebuild a depleted bullpen, but his addition doesn't move the needle for a very disappointed fan base.
For example, Anthony Santander and Alex Bregman are two players who could inject much-needed power and clubhouse leadership into the lineup.
As for the bullpen, high-leverage arms like Jeff Hoffman, Carlos Estevez and Tanner Scott are all guys who could take the place of former closer Jordan Romano.
A signature offseason free agent signing and securing the face of the franchise long-term would go a long way in helping the Blue Jays engage their fan base once again.
If the Toronto Blue Jays can do that in 2025, then it's bound to be a better year for all of us.
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