This time of year, everyone is able to celebrate the individual accomplishments that happened throughout the MLB season, and that includes the Toronto Blue Jays, who might have had a down year, but their pitching kept it from being an embarrassing campaign.
Don’t get it twisted, there is plenty of disappointment surrounding last year’s runner-ups. However, had it not been for their ace Dylan Cease and closer Louis Varland they would have finished at least 10 games under .500.
Varland had arguably the best season in Toronto’s history despite not even stepping into his closing role until April. He still amassed 35 saves while posting a 1.27 ERA as he held opponents to a sub-.200 batting average.
So, it is understandable that he won the AL Reliever of the Year award and was also selected to the All-MLB First Team alongside his teammate, Cease.
Cease was on track to win a Cy Young had he not finished the year on the injured list as he was battling shoulder inflammation. Still, his 2.40 ERA and 239 strikeouts led him to a second-place finish for the prestigious honor, complementing his initial first-team selection, as he had been named to the second team twice throughout his career.
It feels safe to say that the Blue Jays do not have a pitching problem entering this offseason, but they will still likely add reinforcements to the starting rotation with both Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer becoming free agents.
That being said, in the coming months, Toronto’s boss has to obtain some offensive power, as no position player received offensive recognition this November.
Considering Toronto was the worst team in baseball this year at putting up runs on the board, the Jays have to add at least one, probably two, proven bats, and the first free agent that immediately comes to mind is Seiya Suzuki.
Suzuki hit .270 in 2026 while blasting 26 home runs and driving in 86 runs. Keep in mind, this wasn’t an anomaly for him, as he has hit at least 20 long balls every year since 2023 and never posted an OPS under .800 in that time.
It is also important to note that Suzuki is elite defensively, which is why he was nominated for a Gold Glove this year and had won five over in Japan before joining the Chicago Cubs in 2022.
Then one has to take into consideration what happened with Ernie Clement in the second half of his season, as it is painful how much of a non-factor he became. So, will general manager Ross Atkins look for an upgrade at second base? Possibly.
Brandon Lowe is coming off a monstrous season, posting his second consecutive year with 30+ home runs. Lowe has a lot of pop in his bat, and that is something the Jays were in desperate need of all year long.
Don’t get it twisted, Atkins is going to add a couple of pitchers this winter, but most of the funds will be allocated to the position players, or else they will face the same fate in 2027 and watch the postseason from their couches.
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