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Last season was a disappointing one for the Toronto Blue Jays. They were projected to contend for the AL East title and a possible World Series shot. Instead, injuries and the lack of quality starting pitching did them in. Now, as the team moves towards the 2025 season, GM Ross Atkins needs to address some holes. One such area of weakness? The outfield. The Jays have been heavily invested in the hunt for superstar Juan Soto and could sign him. However, the team is also reportedly interested in fellow free agent outfielder Anthony Santander. There's a twist on that, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on X, formerly Twitter.
“The Red Sox intend to pursue Teoscar Hernandez if they don’t sign Juan Soto, per source,” Feinsand posted on the social media platform. “Boston is believed to prefer Hernandez over Anthony Santander. The Blue Jays are also in the mix for Hernandez, though it appears they prefer the switch-hitting Santander.”
Atkins and the Toronto brass being more interested in Santander than Hernandez, a former Blue Jay who starred alongside current franchise cornerstones Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, is intriguing. It shows they want to retain their core duo for a considerable amount of time if possible and adding Santander would increase the possibility of a title win for a longer period. Hernandez might provide more offensive firepower, but the former Oriole is younger and more of a complete player. So, would he be the better choice overall for what Toronto wants to do?
Could Anthony Santander help Blue Jays get back to postseason?
Santander had a stellar 2025, compiling a WAR of 2.9 (second-best mark of his career) with 44 home runs and 102 RBIs. No one will ever accuse of being a fully balanced hitter (he had a .235 batting average, the second lowest of his career), but he is patient, as the almost 10 percent walk rate last year shows.
Because of the nature of free agency, Santander will be more expensive than Hernandez because of recent performance, defensive profile and age. He will likely want a contract that is longer than the former Blue Jay's as well because of those pluses. Is he worth it? If the goal is maintaining the current core and use those players to chase championships, then it is definitely a good way to compliment Vladdy and Bo.
However, if the goal is wait and reassess if those two stars can help lead the team on a deep postseason run, then Teoscar might be the way to go. One thing is sure: the Blue Jays expect to contend for titles. If they can't land Soto, don't be surprised to see them quickly pivot, then lock in Santander or Hernandez. This current core is too talented to not try for at least one more strong attempt at another title for MLB's lone franchise north of the border.
