The Blue Jays are heading into the offseason with two obvious problems staring them right in the face: they need more thump in the lineup, and they need to stabilize a rotation that never held together the way it was supposed to.
That combination helps explain why Toronto slumped to 79-83 and wound up in last place in the American League East, 19 games back of the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. After reaching the World Series in 2025, the drop-off was a brutal one.
The biggest issue on offense was simple enough to spot. Toronto had no punch.
In 2026, the Blue Jays finished last in the majors in runs scored with 648, triples with eight and home runs with 152. They were also second-last in walks with 459 and OPS at .691.
That’s a massive fall from the more effective offensive approach they showed the year before.
George Springer’s season reflected that decline, even if he still managed to be one of the club’s most productive bats. The veteran star finished second on the team in home runs with 15, third in walks with 47, and fourth in runs scored with 59 and RBIs with 54. But with Springer now headed for free agency, Toronto’s hole in the middle of the order looks even bigger.
The market gives the Blue Jays some possible answers. Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena and Japanese star Teruaki Sato have been mentioned as the leading free-agent possibilities.
Toronto could also go the trade route and look within the AL East for help, especially with every team in the division trying to improve and holding something another club might want. However they do it, the Blue Jays need at least one power bat by Opening Day, and maybe more.
Pitching needs the same kind of attention. Last season, Toronto entered the year believing it had enough starting depth to get by, at least until the trade deadline. Instead, the staff was stressed almost immediately, forcing the club to lean on replacement arms like Patrick Corbin and use a bullpen day multiple times.
That’s why the Blue Jays need to attack the pitching market too. They could chase front-end starters such as Tarik Skubal, Brandon Woodruff or Freddy Peralta, or look for more reliable depth and try to bring back fan favorite Kevin Gausman.
Either way, the Blue Jays have enough established options available that they should not be walking into camp scrambling for innings. Right now, Dylan Cease, José Soriano and Trey Yesavage are pencilled in for three spots in the 2027 rotation.
Beyond that, the picture gets less certain. How much Cody Ponce and José Berríos can bounce back from their injuries last season is still an open question, while Bowden Francis, Jake Bloss and Ricky Tiedemann are also names to keep an eye on.
The team could also explore the idea of .
In Other News...
Blue Jays Still Waiting On The Most Important Draft Debut
The Blue Jays have already gotten an early look at several players from their 2026 draft class, with Ryan Cooney, Nolan Higgins, Gable Mitchell and Dean West all stepping into pro ball and giving the organization a first read on where they stand. For Toronto, that first wave matters because the club has been careful about development, watching early performances closely while easing workloads rather than rushing anyone through the system.
Cole Carlon, though, remains the draft pick everyone is still waiting to see. Toronto took him at the top of the class, but he never appeared in a game after the draft, leaving his introduction to pro baseball for later on the timeline as the Blue Jays continue to sort through a crop of young talent that is already starting to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Face Early Offseason Questions Around Several Veteran Names
The Blue Jays are already staring at a winter filled with veteran decision-making, with a number of familiar names potentially heading for free agency after the World Series. George Springer is among the biggest questions on the board, and the broader list also includes arms and position players whose recent production, contract status and age all make this a complicated offseason to sort through.
Toronto has spent enough time leaning on experienced talent to know how quickly those choices can reshape a roster, and this market could test how much interest there is in bringing some of those players back. The possibilities stretch well beyond Springer, with Jose Berrios, Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber and others all part of the uncertainty, leaving the Jays to weigh whether any of these veterans fit into the next step or whether they will be moving on to chase new deals elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Fans Will Hate How This World Series Collapse Unfolded
A familiar kind of October sting is starting to creep back into the conversation for Blue Jays fans. In Game 4 of the 2026 World Series, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Shane Drohan could not close out the final outs, and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to force a Game 5, the sort of late collapse that can leave a fan base reliving old wounds long after the final pitch.
The parallel is hard to miss for Toronto supporters, who saw a championship path slip away in painfully similar fashion last year. The Brewers still get another shot to finish the job, which is the part Blue Jays fans will notice most, since Toronto did not have that luxury after its own Game 7 heartbreak. [Read more 🡒]