After going 79-83 and missing the playoffs, the Toronto Blue Jays have several questions this offseason.

Of course, they need to find a way to replace multiple useful free agents, including George Springer, and they need to replace Springer's leadership too. They need to get Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back on track offensively, and I believe they need to acquire a power-hitting, right-handed hitting outfielder.

But there is another question they have to answer: Can they trust Anthony Santander, who should be back in the mix after essentially two lost seasons?

Signed to a five-year, $92.5 million deal before the 2025 season, Santander missed the entire season because of a labrum surgery that he underwent last offseason. He came back for a handful of rehab games in September but was hampered by a bad back.

Santander played only 54 games in 2025 because of these same shoulder issues, then was removed from the American League Championship Series roster because of back issues. It's unclear if he back injuries he dealt with in 2025 are the same ones that held him back at the end of 2026.

Lifetime, Santander is a nine-year veteran of the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto. He's a .241 career hitter with 161 homers and 160 doubles. A one-time All-Star, he has three seasons of 28 home runs or more, including 44 back in 2024. He hit just .175 with six home runs in his injury-plagued 2025 season. He's now 31 years old and will be 32 later this month.

Given that he's owed nearly $50 million remaining over the next three years, I think Santander has to get a shot to be this team's everyday designated hitter. If he's healthy, he has a chance to pair with Guerrero, Addison Barger and Kazuma Okamoto to make a solid middle of the order. He's a switch-hitter who can help alleviate matchup problems, and if he stays at DH, there's room for the team to go sign Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki.

If he's not healthy, this team is looking at another power deficiency. 

While fans will clearly want the Jays to go out and sign multiple big bats in free agency, given the labor issues ahead, it feels like that's unlikely. No one knows what the financial landscape will look like coming out of the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, so asking the Jays to get more than Arozarena or Suzuki feels like too much.

As a result, Santander's bounce back is something Toronto needs, badly.