The Blue Jays have a long list of offseason questions, but none sits heavier than Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Toronto’s superstar just went through a season that looked nothing like the player fans have come to expect over the last eight years. By any fair read, 2026 was a brutal year for Guerrero, and it landed right at the center of why the Blue Jays were so disappointing.
The biggest issue was obvious: the power never showed up. That was the alarming part all season long, especially for a player tied to a 14-year, $500 million contract. Guerrero finished with only nine home runs, which was easily the lowest total of any full season in his career.
For the Blue Jays, that leaves one massive question hanging over everything else they need to sort out. They have other roster concerns to handle, but Guerrero’s ability to return to his old level is the one that will shape the rest of the winter.
“Privately, the Blue Jays need to be very honest with themselves. Do they truly believe that Guerrero will bounce back to hit 30-plus home runs with an .875 OPS next season, or is there concern? That will shape their offseason and how they build the lineup around Guerrero, because the 2026 version of this lineup was the worst in baseball,” Keegan Matheson wrote.
After one down year, it’s still hard to fully doubt a player with Guerrero’s track record. But once a team commits to a 14-year, $500 million deal, the questions never really go away.
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Blue Jays Need One Big Outfield Answer After Offensive Collapse
After a season in which the Blue Jays finished last in several key offensive categories, the front office enters the winter with a clear priority: find ways to score more often and take pressure off a pitching staff that did plenty of heavy lifting. General manager Ross Atkins is expected to look for help, and the outfield is one of the places where Toronto can most obviously try to raise its ceiling.
The uncertainty only adds to the urgency. George Springer may be nearing the end of his career, while Anthony Santander and Addison Barger are both trying to rebound after injury-hit seasons, leaving the lineup with too many questions and not enough certainty. Toronto does not need a marginal tweak here, it needs an answer that can stabilize the group and help lift a lineup that fell flat too often. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Have A Risky Second Base Decision To Make
Ross Atkins has already hinted that the Blue Jays may not view second base as a settled spot for the long term, saying Ernie Clement would need to earn playing time in 2027. That alone suggests Toronto could be looking ahead to a different kind of everyday answer at the position, one with a more established offensive ceiling than the club has gotten there recently.
One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Jazz Chisholm Jr., a player whose power-speed mix would certainly fit the profile of an upgrade if Toronto decided to shop in the higher end of the market. The appeal is obvious, but so are the questions, because Chisholm is a pending free agent with a track record that comes with real upside and real risk, and there is no sign yet that the Blue Jays are actually pushing hard in that direction. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays May Have Found A Long Term Lineup Answer In That Trade
When the Blue Jays dealt Kevin Gausman to the Cubs at the trade deadline, the return looked like the kind of move that could pay off later rather than immediately. Brett Bateman has made sure Toronto has reason to keep watching, settling into a leadoff role and giving the lineup a spark, while Ty Southisene has also shown some promise in the minors. For a team that is always balancing present needs with future depth, that kind of return matters.
Gausman, meanwhile, gave Chicago a lift down the stretch and helped get the Cubs into October, even if his results were not as clean as the club had hoped once the playoffs arrived. His season now leaves Toronto with an interesting question beyond the trade itself, since the Blue Jays may still be looking at a familiar arm when the offseason market opens. For now, though, the bigger takeaway may be that the deal has already produced one useful answer for a lineup that has been searching for one. [Read more 🡒]