Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays met with Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki last week, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Andy McCullough.

Rosenthal and McCullough listed off the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs as the other teams confirmed to be in the hunt for the international free agent.

Blue Jays fans have been down this road before, so they're unlikely to get too ahead of themselves. The Athletic report described the franchise as "a silver medalist for one free agent after another the past two offseasons," with Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto the most notable targets who signed elsewhere.

Toronto is also in a state of flux organizationally.

The Blue Jays finished last in the American League East at 74-88 and haven't upgraded their roster too much.

Second baseman Andrés Giménez is their biggest addition so far. While an elite defender, the 26-year-old is a career .261 hitter with a .393 slugging percentage. He's unlikely to raise Toronto's ceiling too much.

Meanwhile, the Jays' best player is only a year out from free agency. They avoided arbitration with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his $28.5 million salary for 2025 gives some idea of how much he could earn on his next contract.

Should the four-time All-Star leave Toronto, the team's short-term outlook is pretty bleak, and Sasaki is well aware of this fact.

The Blue Jays can't even give the right-hander the most bonus money, negating what was theoretically an advantage when they pursued Ohtani and Soto and could've paid them whatever they wanted.

Toronto is limited to $6.3 million in bonus money for international free agents, which is more than the Dodgers have ($5.1 million) but on par with San Diego, Chicago and Texas and less than the flexibility the Mariners possess ($7.6 million).

Sasaki and his representatives wouldn't have gotten this far with the Blue Jays if he wasn't open to signing with them. But it's hard to see what would make them stand out from the pack.

Amid months of trade speculation, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has settled his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Guerrero settled his arbitration case with Toronto at $28.5 million for the 2025 season. The 25-year-old is in his final season of arbitration eligibility and will become a free agent next offseason.

Last offseason, the Blue Jays offered Guerrero $18.05 million but he won a salary of $19.9 million in arbitration, which was the highest arbitration salary awarded in a case decided by a hearing.

This year's figure for Guerrero was the third-highest in arbitration behind Juan Soto's $31.5 million with the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani's $30 million with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023. Guerrero will likely be the highest-paid arbitration player this season.

Guerrero is coming off a season in which he recorded 30 home runs, 103 RBI and the second-best batting average in the majors at .323. He also had the sixth-best OPS at .940.

Though there were rumors about Guerrero potentially requesting a trade if the two sides failed to reach a long-term contract, he'll now likely wait until free agency. Of course, Toronto could still secure its franchise player for the long term if it gives him the right offer.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported in January that Guerrero was seeking a deal worth at least $450 million and that he and the Blue Jays are still at least $100 million apart in negotiations. Nightengale also noted that if Guerrero doesn't have a deal by spring training he'll test free agency, with the Boston Red Sox being one of his teams of choice.

Toronto now has a season to figure out whether it wants to commit to Guerrero long-term or move in a different direction with the franchise.

The Toronto Blue Jays have struggled to land a big-name free agent despite their aggressive pursuits, but they're reportedly turning their attention to a veteran slugger.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Blue Jays "have shown the strongest interest" in free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. However, it was pointed out that the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers are also in pursuit of the two-time All-Star.

Nightengale noted that the Houston Astros offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million deal in hopes of retaining him but moved on once talks stalled. The two-time World Series champion "is drawing plenty of interest, but just not at the $200 million price range," Nightengale stated.

The Blue Jays have deep pockets that could meet Bregman's demands, as Nightengale pointed out that they offered more than $700 million to star outfielder Juan Soto before he signed with the New York Mets.

However, Toronto is far from a lock to land Bregman, as Nightengale questioned, "How much more do they have to pay him than the next highest bidder with their high tax rates and distance from his home in Phoenix?"

The Blue Jays are hoping to bounce back from a 74-88 finish to the 2024 season, so they will need to add some talent if they hope to keep pace in the competitive AL East.

Free-agent right fielder Anthony Santander is reportedly a hot commodity on the open market this winter.

According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, while the Detroit Tigers "have interest" in Santander, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels are considered "the frontrunners for his services."

Santander spent his first eight major league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and is coming off a career year in which he earned his first All-Star selection and Silver Slugger Award. The 30-year-old posted career highs of 44 home runs and 102 RBI while hitting .235 in 155 games.

Petzold noted that Santander "isn't expected to reunite with the Orioles in 2025." It's easy to see why multiple teams are reportedly pursuing him this offseason.

As a switch-hitter, Santander would be a strong fit near the top of the Tigers' lineup, which has "a flurry of left-handed hitters," per Petzold. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris admitted the lineup lacks balance after the team's season came to an end in the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

"We got a little left-handed towards the end of the year," Harris said in mid-October "I think we could use a right-handed bat to balance us out."

Detroit added former New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres on a one-year deal, so he will provide the team with a productive right-handed hitter. However, Santander would be the power bat the Tigers need to contend for another playoff spot in 2025.

It sounds like Santander has a bevy of options available to him in free agency, and many will be watching to see where he ends up because he has the potential to be a difference-maker on a contending team.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said on Monday that he and the Toronto Blue Jays remain far apart in extension negotiations.

"What they offered me is not even close to what I'm looking for," Guerrero said in an interview with Abriendo Sports (translation h/t Héctor Gómez.)

Guerrero has one season remaining under arbitration before he is set to hit free agency in 2026. He is projected to earn $28.8 million next season by Spotrac.

Guerrero told Abriendo Sports he is "ready to go" on signing a long-term deal if the Blue Jays meet his requests (translation h/t Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith.)

The Blue Jays star added that his negotiation deadline is the first full day of spring training. The Jays begin Grapefruit League play on Feb. 22.

The Blue Jays and Guerrero have been at odds over what salary the four-time All-Star first baseman should earn since at least before the 2024 season, when the team filed at $1.85 million lower than Guerrero in arbitration.

Guerrero ended up winning the case and setting an arbitration hearing record with the $19.9 million decision.

The Blue Jays have previously resolved contract disputes with stars following arbitration disputes, including the three-year, $33.6 million deal they agreed to with Bo Bichette just one month after clashing with the shortstop in arbitration.

But that deal only covered Bichette's already arbitration-eligible years, and was worth at least ten times less what Guerrero is seeking.

Guerrero told Abriendo Sports that the Blue Jays have offered north of $340 million (h/t Mike Rodriguez and Carlos Baerga.) It sounds like that total won't be enough now that Juan Soto reset the market with the 15-year, $765 million deal he signed with the New York Mets.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal recently reported that "the perception within the industry remains that the Jays are desperate to do something big" after last year's 74-win season, and that a deal worth somewhere between $500 million and $600 million "probably is more realistic" to keep Guerrero.

Given that Guerrero won his second Silver Slugger Award while batting .323 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI during his age-25 season, the Jays will likely need to do better than half of Soto's contract in order to keep him in Toronto. It sounds like the franchise has about two months left to get there or consider alternative options.

Despite a fairly quiet offseason so far that involves being one of the teams that missed out on Juan Soto, the Toronto Blue Jays aren't looking to move on from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. right now.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Blue Jays consider trading Guerrero "a last resort" move.

Toronto keeps playing in the deep end of the free-agent pool with nothing to show for it so far. The team made a strong push for Shohei Ohtani last offseason before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Per Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet.ca, the Blue Jays were among the finalists for Soto, but their best offer was "under" the $700 million mark. He wound up signing with the New York Mets for $765 million over 15 years.

Guerrero's future in Toronto has been a key subject dating back to the summer when he was a subject of rumors prior to the trade deadline. There was no indication any deal ever got close at that point.

The Blue Jays have made moves this offseason they hope will improve their roster. The biggest one so far was acquiring Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians to play second base.

Even though Giménez's offensive performance has fallen off since a breakout 2022 season, he is arguably the best defensive player in baseball regardless of position.

Corbin Burnes is the top remaining free agent and has been strongly connected to Toronto, as well as the San Francisco Giants. Adding him to the roster would go a long way toward getting the Blue Jays back to being a playoff contender in the AL.

Without another marquee move, though, it's hard to see how the Blue Jays can bridge the gap in the highly-competitive AL East coming off a 74-88 record in 2024. That leaves Guerrero's status going into the 2025 season very much up in the air.

The four-time All-Star can become a free agent after next season. He's coming off the second-best year of his career with a .323/.396/.544 slash line and 30 homers in 159 games. It was only behind his 2021 season when he finished second to Ohtani in AL MVP voting.

If the Blue Jays' struggles continue into next season and they don't look like a playoff contender, Guerrero could be the most sought-after player leading up to the trade deadline as a difference-making hitter in the middle of a lineup.

The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade to acquire second baseman Andrés Giménez and pitcher Nick Sandlin from the Cleveland Guardians, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported.

The Guardians will receive infielder Spencer Horwitz from the Blue Jays as part of the deal, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Giménez, who turned 26 in September, has won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards with the Guardians.

He has five seasons and a club option remaining on the seven-year, $106.5 million contract he signed with Cleveland in 2023.

Giménez slashed .252/.298/.340 for the Guardians and led AL position players with 20 defensive runs saved in 2024. He also stole 30 bases for the second straight season.

His campaign for a second straight Platinum Glove was capped off by a highlight-reel defensive play against the New York Yankees in the 10th inning of a Game 3 ALCS victory.

Giménez is now set to join an infield staffed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base and Bo Bichette at shortstop.

Both Guerrero and Bichette are currently set to hit free agency after the 2025 season, so the Blue Jays will need to make further commitments in order to cement the long-term future of their infield.

Horwitz started 37 games at second base last season, but finished the season mostly at first base or as DH after top prospect Will Wagner joined the team in August. Wagner's season was ended early by a knee injury, and he will retain rookie status heading into 2024.

The Blue Jays will also add Sandlin to the bullpen after the right-hander recorded a career-low -0.1 WAR through 68 appearances and 57.2 innings pitched with the Guardians last season. He finished his four seasons in Cleveland with a career 3.27 ERA.

Toronto will hope the addition of Giménez will help the club turn things around after last season's last-place finish in the AL East and disappointing news in the Tuesday night draft lottery. The Blue Jays entered the lottery with a 7.48 percent chance at selecting the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history, but instead dropped to No. 8.

The Toronto Blue Jays are trying to secure the cornerstone of their franchise this offseason, but it is reportedly not close to happening.

Per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, the Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have been in talks about an extension, but "are not considered to be close on one." Gonzalez noted that the hesitancy from Guerrero could affect Toronto's ability to bring in free agents and reported that a trade could be coming if the two sides can't reach a deal.

After missing out on Shohei Ohtani last offseason, the Blue Jays made a hard push for Juan Soto this year but once again couldn't lure a superstar to Toronto. After failing to land those two stars, the Blue Jays could have trouble retaining their current star if they allow Guerrero to make it to free agency without an extension.

Guerrero had 30 home runs and 103 RBI a season ago. While his power wasn't quite that of the 2021 season when he had 48 homers and 111 RBI, he posted the best batting average of his career at .323 in 2024.

Assuming Guerrero, 25, has similar production in 2025, he should be due for a big payday when he hits free agency, whether that contract comes from the Blue Jays or elsewhere is to be determined.

Spotrac lists Guerrero's market value at a 12-year, $462 million contract. Plenty of teams would be willing to pay that or more next year if the Blue Jays don't.

But as Gonzalez noted, a trade could come before a new deal for Guerrero. That might not be the ideal situation for Toronto, but it would at least give the Blue Jays some pieces to use as they work toward a rebuild.

The Toronto Blue Jays are "making a strong push" to sign free-agent slugger Juan Soto, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Toronto is one of five teams still chasing Soto along with the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees. SNY's Andy Martino reported Monday that there's "widespread belief" the Blue Jays will table the highest offer.

Martino wasted no time throwing cold water on the idea of Soto going north of the border, writing in the next sentence of his piece that "there is also widespread skepticism that Soto would go to the Blue Jays."

Rosenthal shared that doubt, pointing to the impending free agencies of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette after the 2025 season and how the franchise's outlook could be much different this time next winter.

The on-field impact of signing Soto is obvious. The 26-year-old is a generational hitter who draws comparisons on Baseball Reference to Bryce Harper, Frank Robinson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Trout through this point in their careers.

Soto is a cornerstone who can anchor an offense for a decade or more.

Winning this sweepstakes would also potentially be a significant boost to the Blue Jays' overall image.

Being a finalist for top stars—Toronto was in the hunt for Shohei Ohtani last offseason—is all well and good. Sooner or later, you need to seal the deal.

The San Francisco Giants have similarly chased a lot of marquee targets and come up short pretty much every time in recent years. Eventually, that becomes part of your identity and the fanbase responds accordingly.

Even if Soto signs and beats a hasty retreat from Toronto after a few seasons, getting him in the first place would be a clear signal. Look at how much the San Diego Padres' image has shifted after they landed Manny Machado in 2019.

Alas, Jays fans are probably staying realistic about Soto and may not want to get burned again after how Ohtani's free agency unfolded.

Hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar will have an interesting stop on his Grand National Tour featuring SZA that was announced on Tuesday.

The Toronto Blue Jays revealed that Lamar's tour will include a visit to the Rogers Centre on June 12:

Of course, Toronto is home to Lamar's biggest music rival, Drake. The two of them engaged in one of the biggest rap beefs in recent memory over the summer.

Many believe Lamar came out on top in his feud with Drake thanks to his smash-hit record, "Not Like Us," which received five nominations in the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Fans on social media couldn't help but troll Drake after it was announced that Lamar would be taking a victory lap through his hometown:

Lamar visiting Toronto is another clear indication of the undeniability of his star power. His tour will also include stops at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and SoFi Stadium in his hometown of Los Angeles.