The Toronto Blue Jays were a finalist to sign Shohei Ohtani in MLB free agency before he ultimately ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The club is now pivoting to other free agents such as Cody Bellinger. In fact, Toronto is reportedly the favorite to sign Bellinger, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Nightengale also reports that the Chicago Cubs are still involved in the Bellinger sweepstakes. The New York Yankees were not mentioned. New York was initially the favorite but their connection to Bellinger hasn't been mentioned on a consistent basis since their acquisition of Juan Soto.
Bellinger to the Blue Jays?
Bellinger, 28, is a former MVP award winner. He won the award in 2019 with the Dodgers, but struggled in 2021 and 2022 with LA. Bellinger inked a one-year contract with the Cubs in free agency and bounced back during the 2023 campaign. He turned himself into a coveted free agent and is now receiving interest from multiple teams.
The Blue Jays have developed a contending roster in recent seasons. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette lead the offensive charge, while Kevin Gausman has emerged as the team's ace.
Winning the World Series for the first time since 1993 is the the Blue Jays goal, however. Toronto was expected to be aggressive this offseason and that is proving to be true so far. They made an effort to sign Shohei Ohtani, and now they are linked to Bellinger.
It would not be surprising to see the Blue Jays make an effort to sign other impactful players as free agency continues on. After all, teams only have a championship window for so long.
And now, despite the competitive nature of the AL East, is the Blue Jays' best time to go all in. Their mixture of veteran prowess and youthful talent makes them an exciting and dangerous ball club.
Adding a quality left-handed bat like Cody Bellinger would instantly add versatility to an already impressive lineup. Bellinger's defensive prowess in the outfield certainly would not hurt either.
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