SAN DIEGO -- The Blue Jays leave the MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego with what they hope is the groundwork for further activity, after agreeing to a two-year, $24 million contract with veteran right-hander Tanner Roark, a source told MLB.com. The club has not confirmed the deal.
Roark, and the trade addition of Chase Anderson last month, give the Blue Jays some much-needed reliability in their rotation. But there is still plenty of room to add upside to this roster, both on the mound and in the field. The payroll flexibility is certainly in place to make that happen, too, given the club's young roster.
Here's a wrap of what happened, and where the Blue Jays could turn next:
Biggest remaining needs
1. Starting pitching: Anderson and Roark raise the floor of the Blue Jays' rotation, which is also expected to include Matt Shoemaker. There are plenty of young options, many of whom debuted in 2019, but the Blue Jays remain engaged on the free-agent and trade markets, with the intent of adding more.
2. Center field: The Blue Jays have plenty of corner outfielders, but not a true center fielder. The market isn't exactly flooded with those, and this is what general manager Ross Atkins had to say on Wednesday:
"We would be very open to adding in center field, as long as it's a significant upgrade. What we don't want to do is have a marginal upgrade at the expense of continued development and opportunity for young players."
3. First Base: Justin Smoak's departure leaves a hole at first. The veteran was a safety net for his young infielders throwing across the diamond, but the Blue Jays could go in a variety of directions. This position can be addressed without spending much, but Toronto could look internally, as well, with Rowdy Tellez still on the roster and the potential of players like Cavan Biggio or Teoscar Hernández cycling through.
Rule 5 Draft
The Blue Jays passed with their selection in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft, but they lost reliever Dany Jimenez to the Giants. Jimenez, 25, split 2019 between Class A Advanced Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire, where he posted a combined 2.59 ERA with 93 strikeouts over 59 innings.
"Anytime you lose somebody like that, it stinks," assistant general manager Joe Sheehan said. "But on our pick, there were a few guys we looked at and the risk that they stay, the upside, the chance that they contribute -- all of those things factoring in -- the players who were available when we picked, and we decided against it."
In the Minor League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the Blue Jays lost left-hander Danny Young (Double-A), right-hander Jose Espada (Class A) and right-hander Brock Stewart (Triple-A), who made 10 appearances with the Blue Jays late in 2019 after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers.
GM's bottom line
Atkins and the Blue Jays have been in on plenty of players. While coming in second or third doesn't move the needle outside of the front office, Atkins is confident that they're on the doorstep based on their interactions with free agents -- even the ones whom they haven't signed.
"Every free agent that we talk to says, 'Man, you guys have something special going, and I would like to be a part of it,'" Atkins said. "Now, there are other teams that are coming off 90-win seasons with young, controllable talent, and we will be. We're just not coming off a 90-win season. As I mentioned, competitive cycles and where teams are is a contributing factor."