Brandon Lowe is shaping up as one of the biggest names on Toronto’s offseason board, and the fit is obvious enough that it’s already drawing a crowded market.
The Blue Jays are among a long list of teams in on the second baseman, with the Yankees now in the mix as well. Toronto, Los Angeles, Boston, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, San Diego and Pittsburgh have all been tied to Lowe, which makes sense given the kind of bat he’s bringing to the table. Over the last two seasons, he has led all second basemen with 87 home runs and a .228 isolated power, and his defense took a huge step forward in 2026, jumping from the 1st to the 98th percentile in OAA before finishing in the 96th percentile in Fielding.
Lowe just posted a career-high 35 home runs this season, and the power has been remarkably steady. He’s now gone at least 21 homers in each of his last four seasons, and he paired that with his highest walk total since 2021, finishing with 62.
The price tag is expected to be steep. Recent projections put Lowe’s AAV near $20 million, and at 32 years old, he’s likely to be chasing a deal in the range of three years and $65-68 million.
For Toronto, the logic is simple: if Lowe is going to land somewhere in the division, the Jays would rather not be the team watching him do damage from across the field. That concern is even sharper with the Yankees, Red Sox and Orioles all in the conversation, because Lowe would slide into each of those lineups cleanly.
New York has a clear opening at second base after letting Jazz Chisholm Jr. reach free agency. Anthony Volpe is still part of the discussion, but Lowe looks like a much more natural answer for 2027. He would also add a needed left-handed bat to a Yankees lineup that was much better at home, where it produced a 120 wRC+ against left-handers, than on the road, where its OPS dropped from .790 to .691.
There’s also chatter that Corey Seager could be on the move from the Texas Rangers, and the Yankees have been mentioned as one of the leading landing spots there as well.
Boston would also have a straightforward path to using Lowe at second base, even as the Red Sox continue trying to solve shortstop, where Trevor Story’s recent decline and health issues have left questions. Baltimore, meanwhile, has its own reasons to be aggressive. Jackson Holliday has yet to lock down the job offensively, hitting just .229/.300/.354 with an 86 wRC+ over the last three seasons.
Put Lowe next to Gunnar Henderson, who is expected to bounce back to his 2023 level after winning the Silver Slugger Award, being named American League Rookie of the Year and finishing eighth in MVP voting, and Baltimore’s infield suddenly looks a whole lot more dangerous.
That’s why Toronto has to be ready to move. With the market heating up and Dec. 1 lockout pressure looming, the Jays need to be aggressive and make the three moves that should be priorities before then.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Bullpen Gamble Led To An Honor Nobody Saw Coming
When the Blue Jays moved on from Jeff Hoffman as closer early in the 2026 season, the bullpen picture changed quickly, and Louis Varland was the arm who stepped into the spotlight. What followed was more than a temporary fix. Varland stabilized the late innings for Toronto and turned a midseason adjustment into one of the seasons best relief stories, finishing with 35 saves, a 1.27 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 78 innings.
The payoff arrived with a piece of history, as Varland became the first American League Reliever of the Year. For a Toronto bullpen that had to absorb the early shakeup and keep moving, the honor underscored how well the clubs gamble worked out. Hoffman, meanwhile, was later dealt to the Minnesota Twins, closing the loop on a change that ended up reshaping the back end of the Blue Jays staff. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Cease Just Gave The Blue Jays Their Best Contract Answer Yet
Dylan Ceases first season in Toronto gave the Blue Jays plenty to feel good about after they committed seven years and $210 million to bring him in. He delivered the kind of impact a front-line starter is supposed to provide, going 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA while piling up 239 strikeouts and a 5.5 WAR, the sort of production that quickly quiets any early second-guessing about a massive pitching investment.
Cease also looked every bit like an ace throughout the summer, leading the league in several pitching categories and earning the American Leagues nod to start the All-Star Game. Even with the season ending on a sour note because of right shoulder inflammation, the bigger picture for Toronto is clear: the Blue Jays did not just buy durability and name value, they bought a pitcher who immediately performed like one of the best in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Quietly Bring Back Two Names Worth Watching
The Blue Jays have quietly kept two familiar organizational pieces in the fold, bringing back outfielder Victor Arias and right-hander Josh Stephan on minor league deals with invitations to training camp. For a club that always has to balance big-league needs with farm system depth, those kinds of moves rarely make noise, but they can matter when injuries hit or when a player suddenly forces his way into the conversation.
Arias, 23, has been one of the more interesting names in the system after a solid run in the minors and winter ball, while Stephan arrived in the organization in a trade with the Texas Rangers and is still looking to get his footing. Both will head into camp with a chance to show they belong in the picture, and for Toronto, the appeal is simple: low-cost depth now, with a little upside if either player takes a step forward. [Read more 🡒]
