The Blue Jays may have a path to a real offensive upgrade this winter, and it starts with a name that already knows the AL East well: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand floated Toronto as a possible landing spot if Chisholm doesn’t stay in New York, pointing to a fit that could reshape the Blue Jays’ infield mix. Ernie Clement can hold down second base, but Feinsand noted that Clement faded badly late in the year, posting a .442 combined OPS in August and September. Toronto general manager Ross Atkins has already said Clement will have to earn his job next spring, which leaves the door open for the club to chase help in free agency and slide Clement into more of a super utility role.
That idea matters because Toronto’s lineup needs a spark. The Blue Jays finished last in the Majors in runs scored with 648, and Feinsand made the case that the offense could use a jolt somewhere. Chisholm would fit that bill.
There’s also a clear upside play here. Chisholm was a Silver Slugger winner just one season ago, and he’d give Toronto a high-energy presence who can contribute on both sides of the ball without demanding an overwhelming financial commitment. The prediction also comes with a price tag that makes sense for the Blue Jays’ situation: $10 million.
Chisholm’s path to free agency isn’t exactly clean, though. The Yankees just went through another frustrating finish, getting swept by the Rays in the 2026 AL East race, and Chisholm’s own season had plenty of rough patches. He battled a down year at the plate, struggled offensively and defensively in four playoff appearances, and was left out of Aaron Boone’s starting lineup for two postseason games, including the season-ending loss on Wednesday.
Even after the boos at Yankee Stadium - and after fouling out to first base as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning - Chisholm still appears to prefer staying in New York. MLB Trade Rumors reported that “Nevertheless, Chisholm would rather continue his career with the Yankees than exit in free agency,” but if that doesn’t happen, Toronto looks like a team ready to pounce.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Face A Tough Bullpen Choice This Offseason
Torontos bullpen was one of the more interesting parts of its 2026 season, with Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers giving the club steady innings while the front office cycled through several arms along the way. The Blue Jays also saw a few pitchers move off the roster entirely, whether through designation for assignment or the start of free agency, leaving this relief group looking a lot different now than it did a few months ago.
Patrick Corbin and Paul Sewald are among the names now in that uncertain middle ground as Toronto weighs whether to keep leaning on familiar veteran depth or turn over more of the relief corps. The decisions feel especially tricky because both pitchers bring some level of track record the club can point to, but the Blue Jays still have to decide how much of that matters when building a bullpen for next season. [Read more 🡒]
Vladdys Next Step Could Decide How Real This Blue Jays Rebound Is
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took a notable offseason step with laser eye surgery, a move that naturally invites a fresh round of curiosity about what it might mean for the Blue Jays at the plate. A 2025 Society of American Baseball Research study looked at the broader effect of LASIK on major league hitters and found a positive trend, though not one that showed up as statistically significant, with most players not quite getting back to the level they had been two years before surgery.
For Toronto, the more interesting question is whether Guerreros recent struggles were ever going to be solved by vision alone. The full picture around his dip has included other possible contributors, from a bad back to anxiety and depression, and the details of his procedure and pre-surgery eyesight have not been disclosed. So even as the surgery adds a compelling new layer to his reset, it remains only one part of a much bigger rebound storyline for a player whose next step could tell a lot about how real this Blue Jays push really is. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Face A Tough Bieber Decision This Offseason
Shane Bieber gave the Blue Jays a late-season reminder of why he remains such a complicated offseason case. After dealing with health setbacks and limited innings over the past three seasons, he settled in enough down the stretch of 2023 to leave Toronto with a meaningful sample to consider, and that matters because his next stop could come on the open market shortly after the World Series.
Bieber has said he would like to return, and the Blue Jays appear at least open to exploring it, especially if the price reflects the risk that comes with his recent track record. General manager Ross Atkins said the club will work through its process before deciding, which leaves Toronto in the familiar spot of weighing upside against uncertainty as it tries to sort out whether Bieber fits as a reunion candidate this winter. [Read more 🡒]