There isn’t much happening around the Blue Jays right now, but the little bit that is happening spans the full range from ugly to procedural to mildly intriguing.
The ugliest item by far involves Anthony Santander, who reposted bigoted anti-Muslim videos on Instagram and drew the expected backlash. The team responded with a statement saying the comments do not reflect its views, but that hardly closes the book.
Anthony Bass was DFA’d three years ago after sharing hateful videos of his own on social media, though Santander’s situation is messier. He’s injured, and as The Athletic’s Keith Law notes, releasing him could trigger a union grievance.
He’s also not a fringe reliever; he’s owed $49 million over the next four seasons, assuming the club buys out his 2030 option. That leaves Toronto in an awkward spot, with plenty of fans likely not wanting him back for reasons that go beyond his on-field performance.
Personally, I’d prefer not to see him in a Jays uniform again.
On the roster side, the Jays picked up a useful bit of flexibility by being awarded a fourth option year on Jake Bloss’ contract. Normally, drafted minor leaguers get three options, but a fourth can be granted if the first three are used before the player reaches five full seasons.
Bloss, drafted in 2023, reached the majors with the Astros in 2024 before coming to Toronto, and he burned through his second and third options in 2025 and 2026. That extra option means he can be sent back to Buffalo in 2027 if needed, which takes some of the pressure off.
Ideally, he’ll be healthy enough to force the issue in spring training anyway.
Bloss also showed up as one of three Toronto prospects named to the Arizona Fall League’s Fall Stars roster. His results there were uneven on the surface - 10 runs allowed in 10.2 innings - but the 11:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio looks a lot more encouraging.
He was reportedly sitting 93-96, down from the velocity bump he showed while coming back from Tommy John rehab this summer, but still in line with where he sat in 2024. The hope is that a healthy winter helps his command come all the way back and puts him in position to compete for a rotation job next spring.
The other two Jays recognized were catcher/outfielder Aaron Parker and outfielder Jake Cook. Parker mashed at Double-A this season, but the strikeout rate came with it.
In the fall, though, he trimmed his strikeouts to 25% and drew more walks, while also getting real work in the outfield for the first time. That matters because Parker isn’t a strong defender behind the plate, so this may be Toronto testing whether he can do enough in the grass to let his bat drive his development.
Cook, a 2025 draftee, is a much rougher project. He didn’t move back to hitting until his junior year of college after beginning his career on the mound, but he brings elite speed and an athletic frame.
The bat still has a long way to go.
Toronto also brought back Rudy Martin jr. on a minor league deal with a spring training invite. Martin, 30, got his first MLB action with the Jays this past season after a long and winding path that started when the Royals drafted him out of high school in 2014.
He spent years in the lower minors, bounced through independent ball, then resurfaced in the Royals system in 2025 before landing with Toronto. In Buffalo, he hit .274/.394/.421, which was 14% above league average, and he added value with defense and speed: center field work and a 45-for-53 mark on stolen bases.
With Myles Straw gone, Martin moves up a rung on the depth chart and could be in line for some Jays time in 2027 as a speed-and-defense extra outfielder.
And while free agency still hasn’t really kicked into gear, there are already a couple of names being floated as fits for Toronto. At MLB.com, Keegan Matheson made the case for Seiya Suzuki, though he may be a little generous on the defense - 2026 was the first year Suzuki posted above-average value in the field, and the Cubs often used him at DH.
Even so, a balanced power bat would fill a real need. The bigger question is whether a five-year deal worth around $100 million makes sense for a player who’ll be 32 for most of next season.
David Adler also profiled another Japanese bat, Teruaki Sato, who has to sign before the lockout and could be the only major free-agent domino to fall in November. Sato brings plenty of power, which would fit the Jays, but he’s also an extremely aggressive hitter with real swing-and-miss concerns.
His strikeout rates in Japan have sat in the mid-high 20s, and that could become a problem against major league pitching. Kazuma Okamoto is the comparison point here: he struck out about 10% less often in Japan and still had contact issues in Toronto, though he also produced a very solid overall line.
Okamoto wasn’t much of a defender at third or in right field, either. Even so, a 27-year-old with monster power doesn’t hit the market often, and Toronto could use more youth and thump.
At the very least, he’s the kind of player who deserves a serious look from the club’s international scouts.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Just Changed Jake Bloss Roster Outlook
Jake Blosss roster path just got a little more flexible for the Blue Jays. The right-hander, acquired from the Astros in 2024 and working back from UCL surgery, has already burned through his first three option years, but Toronto has now secured a fourth one, giving the club more room to maneuver as it sorts out its pitching depth.
For a team that is always balancing immediate needs against long-term roster control, that matters. Bloss can still be shuttled between the majors and minors as the Blue Jays see fit, and the added cushion gives them another season to manage his development and health without being forced into a tougher decision. The wrinkle now is how Toronto chooses to use that flexibility when 2027 rolls around. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays First Offseason Move Could Decide Myles Straws Fate
The Blue Jays have opened their offseason by adding another familiar face to the outfield mix, bringing back Rudy Martin Jr. on a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp. Martin, who made his MLB debut with Toronto in September, gives the club a speedy, right-handed option as it starts sorting through its depth chart and deciding how much room there is for reserve outfield help.
The move comes after Toronto declined Myles Straws option, a decision that left the team looking more closely at how it wants to cover center field and the corners behind its regulars. Martin now enters the conversation as the front office weighs roster flexibility, camp competition and whether the organization wants to keep leaning on internal depth for that role. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Could Face A Tough New Roster Decision Soon
A new labor proposal from MLB owners could soon ripple into Torontos roster planning, even if the details are still far from settled. The idea would alter the path to free agency for certain players and comes bundled with a larger push that also includes a salary cap and floor, a package the players have already resisted.
For the Blue Jays, the practical concern is simple: a change like this could move some decisions up by a year and make the front office think differently about who to keep, who to extend and who might be more valuable as a trade chip. Toronto has spent the winter and early spring trying to balance present contention with future flexibility, and any tweak to service-time rules would add another layer to that calculation. [Read more 🡒]