The Blue Jays’ defense of their American League championship did not go according to plan in 2026, but that doesn’t mean huge changes are in store for Toronto heading into 2027.
Although the Blue Jays sit at 71-71, they somehow remain only one game out of the final AL Wild Card spot, thanks to a middling league that will likely send two teams in the .500 range to the postseason.
General manager Ross Atkins tried to thread the needle at the Trade Deadline, dealing away starter Kevin Gausman and outfielder Daulton Varsho (both impending free agents) along with reliever Jeff Hoffman (under control through 2027) while acquiring José Soriano and Spencer Arrighetti, a pair of starting pitchers under control for two and three more years, respectively.
One of the players acquired from the Cubs was Brett Bateman, who has already debuted for the Blue Jays and appears to be in Toronto to stay.
So how will the Blue Jays approach the offseason to get back to the top of the AL East?
“They were a little unlucky this year -- and a little lucky last year,” an AL executive said. “It feels like the team is built to win right now and the arrow is down. If they run out the same club, they probably get better results, but the future doesn’t look quite as bright from my view.”
The Blue Jays’ payroll this season was approximately $275 million, and with roughly $195 million committed for 2027, they can spend $80 million this offseason without bloating the payroll beyond this season’s level.
The bulk of the Blue Jays roster is seemingly set for 2027, with the entire infield – catcher Alejandro Kirk, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., second baseman Ernie Clement, shortstop Andrés Giménez and third baseman Kazuma Okamoto – under contract for next season.
The biggest key for this group, of course, will be Guerrero, who is in the midst of the worst season of his career. Guerrero has hit only eight home runs – including none at Rogers Centre – with a .689 OPS, numbers that simply won’t do for a club that relies on his powerful presence in the lineup.
“It’s hard to imagine the Blue Jays being a true contender if Vladdy plays like he has this season,” a National League executive said. “That said, if he figures things out and becomes his old self, Toronto becomes a very dangerous team if they can somehow sneak into the playoffs.”
The outfield is where Toronto will likely focus its attention this offseason, looking to add a power bat to put out there with Bateman and Nathan Lukes.
George Springer’s six-year, $150 million contract is expiring, opening up not only a spot in the lineup but a $25 million salary slot. The Jays hold an $8 million club option on Myles Straw, though Bateman’s ascension might make Straw’s presence on the roster redundant.
If the Blue Jays want to add a power bat via free agency, Seiya Suzuki could be their top target. Suzuki is having the best year of his career with the Cubs (24 home runs, 80 RBI, .851 OPS, 4.6 bWAR) and would appear to be a solid fit for one of Toronto’s corner outfield spots. Other outfield targets could include Randy Arozarena, Taylor Ward, Trent Grisham or Ian Happ.
The rest of the Blue Jays’ free agents are on the pitching side, with Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Paul Sewald and Yimi García all in the final year of their respective contracts.
The loss of Bieber and Scherzer would leave two holes in the rotation, but Toronto enters the offseason with a staff consisting of Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Soriano, Arrighetti, Cody Ponce (returning from a torn ACL) and Bowden Francis (returning from Tommy John surgery). José Berríos, who is also returning from Tommy John surgery, is slated to come back sometime during the season. Top pitching prospects, righty Nolan Perry (No. 2) and southpaw Johnny King (No. 3), are pitching well in Double-A to end this season and could be rotation candidates later in 2027.
That’s not to say the Blue Jays won’t be in the market for a rotation upgrade; Toronto went into the 2026 season with seven starters (Cease, Yesavage, Bieber, Francis, Ponce, Berríos, Gausman and Scherzer) and could look to bolster the front end of the rotation in free agency.
Could Toronto take a run at Tarik Skubal? The two-time AL Cy Young winner is the unanimous No. 1 free agent this winter, and although the Blue Jays don’t need to add an ace, they have a history of kicking the tires on top free agents (Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, for example).
Skubal is a long shot to wind up in Toronto, but the Jays could look at the next tier of starters – Michael King, Nick Martinez, Clay Holmes, Sonny Gray, Casey Mize, Freddy Peralta and Foster Griffin – as options to join Cease and Yesavage atop the rotation.
The bullpen is in solid shape with Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty and Spencer Miles (who could be given a chance to earn a rotation spot during Spring Training) all set to return. The Blue Jays could look to add another relief arm or two into that late-inning setup mix, but with Varland firmly planted in the closer’s role, Toronto is unlikely to pursue one of the top closers on the market.
For a team that spent most of 2026 trying to figure out why things weren’t clicking, the Blue Jays believe their core can anchor a successful 2027 season. Toronto watched that roster make a run to the World Series last year, so the likely scenario is to make a few additions and run it back next season.