$130 Million Crossroads Might Push Toronto Blue Jays To Deal with Star At Deadline. Though…
As the Toronto Blue Jays courted then-free-agent Shohei Ohtani this past offseason, the competitive upside of their roster was a central tenet of their pitch, according to the Toronto Sun. The presentation from Blue Jays management and ownership would have highlighted young superstars Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, as well as members of a pitching staff that was among MLB’s most effective in 2023, including starter Yusei Kikuchi, who played with Ohtani at Hanamaki Higashi High School in Japan’s Iwate Prefecture.
But the pitch fell short of convincing Ohtani to go north. Despite rampant speculation that included the world’s most-tracked flight, the two-way superstar opted for a $700 million deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the Blue Jays to forge ahead without him.
The rest of their offseason was quiet in comparison. Per Scott Mitchell of TSN, the team saw third baseman Matt Chapman reject a six-year, $120 million deal in favor of a short-term one with the San Francisco Giants and opted not to make a qualifying offer. They also failed to entice outfielder Cody Bellinger, who rejoined the Chicago Cubs. Perhaps their most notable addition was veteran slugger Justin Turner, who received a one-year, $13 million contract.
Without more impactful star signings, the Blue Jays’ apparently did not do enough to push the team into contention, at least in the first part of the season. They sit in last place in the competitive American League East division, with the core stars meant to entice Ohtani failing to live up to their own expectations.
As a result, the Blue Jays now face a surprising crossroads, on the hook for the largest payroll allocations in franchise history at nearly $230 million for 2024, but with just over $130 million on the books for 2025 and free agency looming for many of their highest-paid players. If they opt to move on from their pending free agents and make no more expensive commitments, they could shed as much as $100 million between seasons and take a new path — a strategy that would be heavily bolstered by prospective trade returns for star players like Bichette and Guerrero Jr.
As unlikely as it may have seemed while the team was vying for Ohtani just five months ago, the Blue Jays could now opt to trade away Guerrero Jr., Bichette, Kikcuchi, Turner or virtually any other key members of the roster before this season’s trade deadline.
Young Superstars And Unrealized Potential
In many ways, Guerrero Jr. embodies the conundrum that the Blue Jays now find themselves in. He’s a homegrown talent who first signed with the team as a 16-year-old in 2015. Since 2022, he has signed a series of single-year arbitration deals, netting about $42 million. Now, he’s set to hit unrestricted free agency after next season and there’s reason to believe the Blue Jays won’t want to offer him the kind of long-term, $250 million extension that’s been projected.
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