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Wherever Juan Soto ends up in free agency, he's going to instantly make that team better. That applies to the Toronto Blue Jays, and there's no point debating otherwise. That doesn't mean the Blue Jays should go all-out to land the Yankees outfielder.
Toronto has money to spend, and that's why the club is in position to even be a contender in the Soto sweepstakes. For those wondering how serious a contender the Blue Jays are, look no further than the $700 million they were willing to offer Shohei Ohtani a year ago.
They might need to pass that number to get Soto. As USA Today's Bob Nightengale puts it, he believes the Blue Jays would have to “dramatically outbid” the Mets to convince Soto to move north.
It could take similar money to bring in Soto — as well as a commitment of well over a decade. At this point in the Blue Jays' evolution, now might not be the right time to make that kind of investment.
The Jays can't guarantee they'll put a contending team around Juan Soto
The Blue Jays enter the offseason with a ton of uncertainty around their future. Despite boasting sluggers like George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette, Toronto has underachieved that past few seasons.
They haven't won the American League East since 2015, and despite making the postseason in three of the last five seasons, they have won a grand total of zero playoff games in that time.
Now, Guerrero and Bichette are entering their final season of team control, and Springer's best days appear to be behind him.
Yes, the Blue Jays have money to spend, but it's not infinite. They could go all-in on Soto now, but would they be able to bring back Guerrero and Bichette — or even just Guerrero — in that case?
Bichette may be a trade candidate after a down 2024, so put him aside for a second. Guerrero alone is going to command a long-term deal netting him well over $25 million a year.
The heartbeat of the team, Guerrero must be a priority next offseason and he will have no shortage of suitors. The Blue Jays should be prepared for a bidding war unless they can lock him up before next October.
And baseball teams are hardly one-man outfits, so regardless, the Blue Jays would need to continue building around Soto. Toronto had the second-worst bullpen in baseball by staff ERA in 2024 and had a middling starting rotation. It must address both areas before ascending to World Series contender status.
If the Blue Jays are going to stay competitive, they're going to have to spend. Their farm system ranks 20th out of 30 teams, according to The Athletic's Keith Law, and they only have one prospect in MLB.com's top 100 (No. 94
Trey Yesavage).
The fit might not be great for Soto either
With the Blue Jays in a state of uncertainty — or even transition, soon enough — this is a less-than-ideal time to try and attract a generational talent like Soto.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal called it out directly in a column he wrote last week.
“Soto surely does not want to get stuck in a bad situation,” Rosenthal wrote. “And the Jays are not nearly as well-positioned to remain competitive as his other known suitors.”
Rosenthal suggested Anthony Santander as an alternative for the Blue Jays, and Nightengale wrote on Monday that the Jays “badly covet” the Orioles slugger.
In the meantime, Soto has some thinking to do. Five teams, the Blue Jays included, have reportedly made offers to him already. Next up, we'll likely see some negotiating between those clubs, Soto, and his agent, Scott Boras.
