The Toronto Blue Jays may need to look outside the organization for a jolt of offense, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. has surfaced as a name worth watching.
Toronto’s lineup never found enough punch in 2026. The club finished last in the majors with 152 home runs and also sat near the bottom of the league in stolen bases, a combination that left the offense short on impact and speed. If the Blue Jays want to fix both problems in one move, Chisholm fits the profile.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer recently ranked the best free-agent landing spots for Chisholm and put Toronto at No.
- The 28-year-old is heading toward unrestricted free agency after a disappointing year with the New York Yankees, and a fresh start appears to be in play.
There is at least some reason to think the Blue Jays could be open to the idea. General manager Ross Atkins said in his end-of-season media availability that second baseman Ernie Clement would need to earn his reps in 2027, which could point to Toronto searching for a different everyday option at the position.
Chisholm would bring exactly the kind of production Toronto lacked. In 137 games with the Yankees this past season, he hit 19 home runs and stole 41 bases. That was a step back from 2025, when he posted 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases.
The appeal is obvious, but so are the concerns. Chisholm was originally reported to be seeking a long-term deal worth about $35 million annually, a figure that may be too steep for Toronto. And after his down year in 2026, it may be difficult for him to land that kind of money anywhere.
There are also longstanding questions about his game. Chisholm has drawn scrutiny for a lackadaisical approach and costly defensive mistakes, issues that have followed him throughout his career.
He has also said he wants to return to the Yankees, although it remains unclear whether New York feels the same way.
For Toronto, though, the upside is easy to see. Chisholm still looks like a player who can produce 30 homers and 30 steals, and that kind of talent would make him one of the more intriguing options on the market. Whether Atkins and the Blue Jays decide to seriously pursue him is still to be determined, but the fit is enough to keep this storyline alive all offseason.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Face A Vladimir Guerrero Jr Decision They Can't Miss
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.s 2026 season left the Blue Jays with a bigger question than they expected to be asking so soon. A player who had long been counted on as the middle-of-the-order anchor finished with a sharply reduced power output, and the drop-off was stark enough to force Toronto to take a hard look at where things stand heading into the offseason.
For the Blue Jays, this is not just about one down year. It is about whether Guerrero can get back to the kind of impact that once made him look like one of the leagues most reliable run producers, because that answer could shape how aggressively the club moves around him this winter. The organization has to decide how much faith to place in a rebound before it starts making larger roster choices. [Read more 🡒]
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 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 🡒]