Rating the Toronto Blue Jays Offseason

Blue Jays offseason gets an F without a Vladdy extension.

Even with a few solid signings, the Jays offseason is a failure if Vladmir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t signed a new deal by the first day of spring training.

Despite missing out on the splashy free agents (again), the Jays have actually had a pretty decent winter.

Yes, they were ridiculed for being “in on” every player but signing (almost) nobody. Yes, they were the runner up for a guy that could prove to be a generational pitcher in Roki Sasaki. But with a few under-the-radar moves, this roster looks far better than it did last season.

The highlights:

Max Scherzer: Old, but still an absolute menace. No such thing as a bad one-year-deal for a two time Cy-young winner and first ballot hall of famer.

Anthony Santander:



Has been a thorn in the Jays side for years. Will be nice to have him wearing Blue when he’s sending balls into the second deck of the Rogers Centre.

Jeff Hoffman:



A former Jays 1st round pick, there’s a ton of upside here. Was a dawg for the Phillies last year and could very well be the team's closer this year.

Andrés Giménez:



Definitely a wildcard. The defence is world-class but unless he finds his old form with the bat, this doesn’t move the needle much for the Jays.

Yimi Garcia:



Nothing like trading a bullpen arm at the deadline just to sign him back four months later. This is a win as long as he stays healthy.

After finishing 26th in home runs and 23rd in runs last year, this team was in desperate need of a bat with some juice. They got one in Anthony Santander, who hit 44 bombs last year for the Orioles. He gives the Jays a much needed lefty to back up Vladdy in an otherwise thin lineup.

But here’s the problem...

The guy that you just paid Santander $92.5 million to protect might be wearing a different uniform next year.

If he doesn't sign an extension right now, Vladdy is as good as gone when he hits free agency after this season.

The market has definitely been inflated by Juan Soto’s $765 million deal with the Mets (an absurd contract), but it doesn’t matter. Pay Vladdy. Overpay him. Even if he needs a wheelchair to get to the ballpark in the dying days of his contract, the Jays need to cut him a cheque.

What we've learned

If these last two offseasons have taught us anything, it’s that even with the money, it's not easy to get superstar talent to sign in Toronto. It's not a baseball city, the weather’s cold, the taxes are high, and the farm system is one of the worst in baseball.

You have a perennial, homegrown 25-year-old All-Star in Vladmir Guerrero Jr. who has said he wants to stay a Blue Jay for his entire career. He hit .323 with 30 homers and 103 RBI last year and finished sixth in the MVP voting. And he might not even be in his prime yet.

If this front office can’t step away from their spreadsheets long enough to get a deal done with him, this franchise will never be serious contenders.

Don’t get me wrong, one player does not make a baseball team. Far from it. But a Blue Jays team without Vladdy as part of its future is bleak.

Expiring contracts, declining talent, very few exciting prospects. Even if they blow it up and rebuild, the Jays need a guy to actually build around.

In conclusion

From the sounds of it, it's gonna take about $450-$500 million to get Vladdy to sign on the dotted line. The Jays reportedly offered Soto $700, so why not shell out less money for your own guy? Soto is undoubtedly a more proven player, but still: They have the cash to spend.

There’s less than two weeks left until Spring Training, which is also the deadline Guerrero set to end contract negotiations. If there’s no deal come February 15, this offseason is a complete failure.

Simple as that.