The Toronto Blue Jays have a path back to relevance, but it starts with Ross Atkins doing what he did once before: moving boldly.
A year ago, after Toronto came up just inches short of a World Series ring in 2025, Atkins attacked the offseason and brought in Dylan Cease, Spencer Miles, Tyler Rogers, and Kazuma Okamoto in a quick burst of activity. That approach didn’t save the season.
The Blue Jays crashed to last in the AL East, finished below .500, and missed the playoffs entirely. Now the front office has to decide whether to stay patient or swing again.
The argument for another aggressive winter is pretty straightforward. Toronto needs an elite bat, maybe two, and it needs more depth at the back of the rotation.
The good news for the Blue Jays is that money should open up, with a wave of free agents departing. That gives the club a chance to reload and, in theory, get back into the mix with the league’s best.
The most obvious place to start is at designated hitter, where George Springer could be on his way out for good. Springer was an important part of the roster, but he also carried a $25 million price tag in 2026. Kevin Gausman is another major name in the picture after being dealt at the trade deadline; he was due more than $20 million in 2026, and a reunion would have to come on a shorter deal and for far less money.
Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber are in a similar spot. Both finished the year in Toronto, and both combined for $28 million in salary. If either returns - or if both do - it won’t be at that number.
That financial room is why the Blue Jays can realistically chase impact offense, and Seiya Suzuki stands out as the kind of bat that could fit the need at DH.
The bullpen, meanwhile, looks like one of the team’s real strengths. Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland form a strong setup-and-closer combination, while Spencer Miles gives the group a pitcher who can seemingly handle anything.
Mason Fluharty adds a dependable left-handed option, and there’s more promising stuff coming from Brendan Cellucci, Ricky Tiedemann, and Chad Dallas. Put it all together, and run production against this relief group should be a miserable task.
The rotation has its own upside if health holds. Dylan Cease was in the AL Cy Young mix before a fatigued shoulder derailed his push and left him chasing Cam Schlittler. If things are right by Opening Day, the Blue Jays could line up Trey Yesavage and Jose Soriano as their No. 2 and No. 3 starters, with Cody Ponce also in position to take a shot after Comeback Player of the Year.
That kind of depth would give Toronto a much better base to work from, especially with less expensive veterans filling out the back end.
There’s also reason to think the lineup can hold up if the right hitter steps in and takes charge. Kazuma Okamoto was the main source of offense this year, standing well above everyone else in production. Add another slugger, get Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back on track, and the run-scoring issues start to look a lot less severe.
Brett Bateman adds another important layer. He may have already planted himself as the leadoff option after hitting as well as he did following his major league debut after the trade deadline. The Blue Jays made a strong move to get him, and they’ll want to make sure that investment counts.
If Atkins leans into another aggressive offseason, the Blue Jays have a shot to rebuild quickly. Improve the 26-man roster in the right places, and Toronto could find itself back in the AL Pennant race in 2027.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Have A Bullpen Reunion Option Fans Will Notice
Taylor Rogers is already talking like a pitcher who is planning for one more run, and the Blue Jays are part of the conversation. After finishing his 11th major league season, the left-hander said he wants to keep pitching into his age-36 season, with either a return to Minnesota or a move to Toronto on the table.
For Blue Jays fans, the appeal is obvious because Toronto would mean a reunion with his twin brother, Tyler, in the same clubhouse. Taylor Rogers also still brings more than just the family angle, having posted average pitching metrics in 2026 while providing a veteran presence in the Twins bullpen, which leaves open the possibility of a new contract and a potentially familiar face for Toronto if the fit comes together. [Read more 🡒]
Davis Schneider Is Showing Blue Jays Exactly What Hell Need In 2027
Davis Schneider spent much of the 2026 season shuttling between Toronto and Triple-A, the sort of up-and-down year that can test a players standing as much as his confidence. For the Blue Jays, though, the bigger takeaway may be that he kept treating every stop as part of the same job, staying upbeat about the chance to keep playing professionally and keep getting better even when the roster moves sent him back and forth.
His major league numbers never found a steady rhythm early, and a low on-base rate helped explain why the club kept looking elsewhere for stretches. But Schneiders strong finish in September gave Toronto a more encouraging final look, one that suggests he could still have a path back into the conversation when the Blue Jays start sorting out their 2027 roster plans. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs May Already Regret Their Kevin Gausman Gamble
The Cubs took their swing on Kevin Gausman at the 2026 trade deadline, betting that a veteran arm in the final year of his deal could steady a rotation built for October. Instead, his Chicago stint lasted barely long enough to matter in the postseason, with Gausman appearing in only one playoff game before the Cubs were bounced in the Wild Card round. For a club trying to build around a more reliable pitching structure, it was the kind of short-term gamble that can linger well beyond the final out.
Now Chicago has to sort through what comes next, while Gausman's own future remains uncertain. Reports have suggested he may not continue his MLB career, though a return to the Blue Jays is also on the table, adding another layer to a story that already looks messy from the Cubs' side. For Toronto, it's a reminder of how quickly a familiar arm can move from one club's deadline bet to another's offseason question. [Read more 🡒]