It hasn’t been a good offseason for the Toronto Blue Jays, but not all hope is lost in their goal of signing some key free agents.
The Blue Jays entered the offseason with plans of improving their roster through free agency. They were in on some of the biggest names available including Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Max Fried, but saw them, and others, elect to ink deals elsewhere.
Missing out on some of the elite talent that was available has been extremely frustrating to the Blue Jays fan base, but they may still have reason to celebrate soon.
One free agent that remains, and who the Jays have had interest in from the get-go, is Anthony Santander. The 30-year-old right fielder is coming off of a 44 home run, 102 RBI season with the Baltimore Orioles, and would provide some much-needed offence alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Blue Jays are being viewed as one of the frontrunners to land Santander, who is coming off his first All-Star game appearance.
Another name the Jays are believed to be heavily pursuing is starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. With pitchers like Burnes, Fried, and Blake Snell no longer available, Flaherty is the best remaining. The 29-year-old split the 2024 season between the Detroit Tigers and LA Dodgers, putting up a 3.17 ERA through 28 starts.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand wrote yesterday that the Blue Jays are one of five teams kicking the tires on Flaherty. He also mentioned Pete Alonso as a potential option, a player who has been linked to the Blue Jays since free agency first began.
Signing the first baseman would result in Guerrero shifting to third base, which the Blue Jays are open to. In 162 games this past season, Alonso had 34 home runs and 88 RBIs along with a .240 batting average.
While none of the three names mentioned were at the top of the wish list amongst Jays fans, they are all capable of being difference makers who would improve this club in 2025. Signing any of them would help take the sting off of what’s been a frustrating offseason to date.