This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

How’s that New Year’s resolution going? 

Working in baseball, my “new year” begins when the season ends. This means I’ve had a couple of months to accept the reality that I will not be learning a new language or saving more money, and in just over five weeks, I will not be arriving in Dunedin for Spring Training in the “best shape of my life.”

That Florida sun is inching closer, though, and is always a welcome change from Toronto in mid-February. 

The Blue Jays stayed busy over the holidays, acquiring outfielder Daulton Varsho from the D-backs in exchange for Gabriel Moreno, who had the potential to be a franchise cornerstone at catcher, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. It’s big, bold and risky, which becomes necessary at this point in a team’s ascent. 

This move checked off the final true “need” for the Blue Jays, who have completely rebranded their outfield from an offensive to defensive identity. With Varsho’s defensive excellence in left, Kevin Kiermaier in center and George Springer now slid over to right, each Blue Jays pitcher just saw their ERA drop a few points. This team has been talented enough in 2021 and ’22, but since it hasn’t led to much postseason success, it only makes sense to attack the same problem from a different angle. 

The offseason isn’t over, though. Here are four questions the Blue Jays need to answer by the time they land in Dunedin to kick off a new season.

What else does this roster need?
Toronto has its stars. From Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Bo Bichette, Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Springer and others, there’s enough star power on this team to win a championship, period. There’s always room to improve depth, though, and Toronto still has some work to do.

Expect to see another outfielder added, potentially a right-handed bat who can mash lefties. The Blue Jays would love to have four traditional outfielders, then use Cavan Biggio or Whit Merrifield out there as needed. You’ll see the usual depth signings for the bullpen and perhaps a veteran Minor League signing on the infield. Toronto is also likely to add a veteran catcher at Triple-A who could be a trusty backup if Alejandro Kirk or Danny Jansen go down for an extended period.

Who’s the No. 5 starter? (and No. 6 … and No. 7…)
The competition will play out during Spring Training, but Toronto seems comfortable letting Yusei Kikuchi take a shot at the No. 5 job. It can’t go worse than ’22, can it?

Whether it happens in camp or down the line with Hyun Jin Ryu or No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann taking a spot in the rotation, it’s also possible Kikuchi ends up back in a bullpen role at some point this year. I like Kikuchi in a multi-inning role where he can max out and, in a perfect world, locate the strike zone.

One priority: The Blue Jays need better depth in the No. 7 and No. 8 starting slots than they had in ’22. Ross Stripling saved them, but that won’t happen every year.

Can Toronto find the 'sweet spot' on early extensions?
Toronto needs to find a “sweet spot” with the right amount of “shared risk.” Those are the terms you’ll hear coming from the front office. Whether it’s Vladdy, Bo or Manoah, there are some major opportunities to lock up young stars … and it only gets more difficult the closer they get to free agency.

One to watch following the Varsho trade that included Moreno? Danny Jansen.

What’s the plan for Toronto’s (many) WBC players?
Keep this one in mind as camp nears. Given the Blue Jays’ star power, they’ll have a long list of players participating in the World Baseball Classic, which begins March 8 and runs through March 21. Canada opens Pool C play on March 11 in Arizona.

Each MLB club will be dealing with a balancing act in Spring Training, but for Toronto, this could be an opportunity for some fringe players -- or top prospects -- to get a very long look in live games for a couple of weeks in March.