2025 Blue Jays Offseason Thread

[Cyrus]

This is every year, Jays are in every market, but then end up with the likes of Anthony Santander, and Mad Max. We play all the markets.

Last season they were coming off a last place finish with Vlad on the final year of his contract. It wasn't a desirable landing spot. That has changed dramatically this winter. Whether it leads to free agent success remains to be seen, but they are in a much better bargaining position now.

It won't, what will is if we are willing to spend - Springer came here because we offered him the most dollars and years, same with Ryu and countless others.

If we are willing to be the highest bidder, we'll get that player, whether we made the world series or had we finished outside the playoffs.

[polo007]

taylorfrickk • 6h

11/13/25 ~ in this lifetime & the next, it will always be you

[Parataxis]

Well, I guess the post-season bonus shares have been paid, I guess.

[polo007]

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[JN]

Nick Sandlin was apparently DFA'd and is no longer on the 40 man roster.
Have to think he is not getting offered arbitration at this point.
Saves the team about $2 million in arbitration.

I guess they must think the injury was a real problem.

This is fairly surprising move to me. He was competent in 19 innings last year, and projected as a fairly good middle reliever at $2.0m in my view.

[polo007]

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[polo007]

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[bartron_44]

This is every year, Jays are in every market, but then end up with the likes of Anthony Santander, and Mad Max. We play all the markets.

Last season they were coming off a last place finish with Vlad on the final year of his contract. It wasn't a desirable landing spot. That has changed dramatically this winter. Whether it leads to free agent success remains to be seen, but they are in a much better bargaining position now.

It won't, what will is if we are willing to spend - Springer came here because we offered him the most dollars and years, same with Ryu and countless others.

If we are willing to be the highest bidder, we'll get that player, whether we made the world series or had we finished outside the playoffs.

I guess someone has an EXTREMELY short memory…lol It was just last off season that they offered the most money to players and couldnt get them to sign on the dotted line.

There are players out there that still care about winning. So if a perennial playoff team comes calling with a competitive offer, even if you offer more, if you are a last place team they still arent going to sign with you. To be in the mix for most amount of top tier free agents, you need to offer top tier money AND already have enough talent to be considered a contender.

Players arent stupid, they watched Trout and Ohtani miss the playoffs year after year in Anaheim. So they know even 2 HOF players cant get the job done on their own.

Not only did the blue Jays prove themselves to be true contenders, but also to be a team that could actually have s chance next October to beat the Dodgers if they have a good off season.


Regarding Sandlin… who cares. They learned last year that if you want to win, there is no room for mediocre in your bullpen. Hopefully all these rumors lead to some major additions to rhe back end before LA scoops em all up to upgrade their line weakness…

[JN]

Regarding Sandlin… who cares. They learned last year that if you want to win, there is no room for mediocre in your bullpen. Hopefully all these rumors lead to some major additions to rhe back end before LA scoops em all up to upgrade their line weakness…

We can't manage game 1 to game 162 of the regular season like the playoffs and World Series. Or pitch top relievers 120 innings. Competent middle relief is less important in the playoffs, but during the regular season it is absolutely imperative - you don't get days off and you can't ride your leverage guys over and over.

Losing a "healthy" Sandlin for a cost of $2 million is a relatively minor loss, but its still a loss you would prefer to avoid I put "healthy" in quotations because one has to assume the Jays felt he was not going to be healthy during 2026.

He was pretty good in 19 innings last year, and had been fairly solid in Cleveland before that. Now they are going to have replace him with an untested rookie, or a veteran off the scrap heap. Even if we sign a few high leverage relievers, there is still a use for guys like Sandlin over the course of a regular season.

You have to play a 162 game season before even thinking about the playoffs. Middle relievers have legit value over the course of a 162 game season when you have to use your full 13 man staff (and about 10 other guys in and out), need to rest your top relievers in certain games. I have seen enough Jacob Barnes!

[polo007]

Here's a blueprint for an aggressive 2025-26 Toronto Blue Jays offseason - MLB.com

1. Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette

Tucker’s deal could blow past $300 million, and while the price is steep, Tucker represents “Blue Jays baseball” with all of the knobs turned up to nine. Granted, none of those knobs are turned up to “10” with a truly elite tool, but he’s a rock-solid hitter who stands at the top of this market for a reason.

The Blue Jays should have the payroll flexibility to push beyond 2025’s numbers, and now that Rogers ownership has gotten a taste for deep postseason runs, it’s hard to go back to the old ways. For now, consider Tucker a market the Blue Jays will be involved in, but not a market they’ll chase if his number starts to run away from them.

Bichette, on the other hand, comes with sentimentality. Front offices try not to let those feelings creep in, but for fans, this feels like a diet version of the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. conversation from a year ago, fearing that a longtime franchise cornerstone could be on the verge of walking.

“A great player,” general manager Ross Atkins said at the GM Meetings this week. “Bo has been a significant part of us being in a strong position today. He’s a reason that we’re coming off of five solid seasons of baseball and one really, really good year of baseball. He’s had a lot to do with it. I know he’s going to be attractive to the market, and we’ll be in his market.”

Bichette’s market will have a massive range between its ceiling and floor. The Blue Jays have said out loud that they’d be open to Bichette playing shortstop if he’s insistent on it, but this is a better baseball team with Bichette at second and Andrés Giménez at short. Expect Toronto to remain in Bichette’s market as it unfolds, which could take some time.

2. 2027 and beyond: Money matters

This is where the case for an aggressive offseason really lies.

George Springer, Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, Shane Bieber and Yimi García are free agents after 2026. José Berríos has an opt-out, too. The Blue Jays will need to do some of this work ahead of time, with the outfield and rotation clearly requiring attention.

If Toronto pulls off a surprise position player move this offseason, like Giménez a year ago, it’s going to happen in the outfield. Just like Giménez protected them at shortstop a year ahead of when the “need” opened, the Blue Jays need to repeat that in the outfield.

The same goes for the rotation, where another deal like Gausman’s -- or even the Berríos trade, followed by an extension -- is needed. Next year’s free agent class, headlined by Tarik Skubal, is not otherwise a powerhouse group, so this is the Blue Jays’ opportunity to get a jump on some longer-term solutions.

3. The margins

Confidence in their own farm system should embolden the Blue Jays this offseason, too. Every Trey Yesavage, Braydon Fisher, Addison Barger and Ernie Clement development story saves a few million here, $20 million there. Next year, that could be Ricky Tiedemann, Gage Stanifer, Yohendrick Pinango, RJ Schreck or a dozen other names.

Yes, Toronto will explore back-end relievers, even closers. This could be a “luxury,” so to speak, afforded to the Blue Jays as they do not need to patchwork their roster with veteran signings. This also allows them to chase the best bang for their buck -- like choosing between Tucker and Bichette -- with young players capable of shaping themselves around the big moves.

[Parataxis]

Nick Sandlin was apparently DFA'd and is no longer on the 40 man roster.
Have to think he is not getting offered arbitration at this point.
Saves the team about $2 million in arbitration.

I guess they must think the injury was a real problem.

This is fairly surprising move to me. He was competent in 19 innings last year, and projected as a fairly good middle reliever at $2.0m in my view.

How does it work for arb eligible players who are off the 40-man (assuming that he accepts the designation, and doesn't elect free agency)? Does his time pause and he just gets a minor-league contract? Or is he still arb eligible even in the minors?

[Randle McMurphy]

Sandlin is going to be available for around the same price anyway if they want him back.

[polo007]

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[cHiNoz]

Updated odds on Tucker
Dodgers +325
Blue Jays +400
Yankees +425

Maybe that +2000 was a mistake

[Mehar]

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Good move not to commit any dollars for an injury prone, mediocre pitcher like Sandlin. Hopefully Little is next. Hopefully Brendon Little, who is "Little" when the moments get big, has also pitched his last game as a Jay also. Decline his Arbitration, and wish him well elsewhere along with IKF.

[Randle McMurphy]

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Good move not to commit any dollars for an injury prone, mediocre pitcher like Sandlin. Hopefully Little is next. Hopefully Brendon Little, who is "Little" when the moments get big, has also pitched his last game as a Jay also. Decline his Arbitration, and wish him well elsewhere along with IKF.

Definitely don’t do any of that. Little was their most valuable reliever in 2025 and costs virtually nothing, he’s not going anywhere.

[Hottie McShotty]

He's coming home.

[Hottie McShotty]

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Good move not to commit any dollars for an injury prone, mediocre pitcher like Sandlin. Hopefully Little is next. Hopefully Brendon Little, who is "Little" when the moments get big, has also pitched his last game as a Jay also. Decline his Arbitration, and wish him well elsewhere along with IKF.

I hope you're right, buddy. I do not want Little pitching in any game of importance for this team again.

[LLJ]

Objectively speaking Little is good to have around because of how cheap he is and effective in the regular season. I just don't trust Schneider to not use him in the worst situations. To his credit though Schneider did realize this after the Game 5 fiasco and barely used him again.

[Mehar]

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Good move not to commit any dollars for an injury prone, mediocre pitcher like Sandlin. Hopefully Little is next. Hopefully Brendon Little, who is "Little" when the moments get big, has also pitched his last game as a Jay also. Decline his Arbitration, and wish him well elsewhere along with IKF.

Definitely don’t do any of that. Little was their most valuable reliever in 2025 and costs virtually nothing, he’s not going anywhere.

He was the most Valuable Reliever in 2025 if the season ended in July. Little was terrible after the all-star break, so you can stop with the Most Valuable Reliever Sound Bite. His control, velocity and overall value was in the toilet after the month of July. I do not care if he costs 1 dollar, give someone else a chance, since this organization and Little need a divorce.

Opposing teams figured out if you stop swinging at his wild pitches, then it would be an easy Walk to First Base, and you can see Little start to implode in due time. Schneider did not want to even use him in the World Series, unless it was that 18 inning game, and as soon as Little came in- this game was over. Seems like a nice guy, but he should pitch elsewhere in 2026.