The Toronto Blue Jays just completed a 79-83 regular season, finishing last in the American League East one year after winning the American League pennant.

And while it's easy to see the Blue Jays getting better in 2027 because of improved health for guys like Addison Barger, Anthony Santander and Jose Berrios, former Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar cautions the team against being too cautious in the offseason.

Speaking on the most recent edition of 'Blue Bird Territory,' Pillar talked about the urgency of the AL East teams to get better moving forward, as well as the continued excellence of the Rays.

He's certainly right: The teams around the Blue Jays are good, and they have the desire and financial means (in most cases) to get better. If the Blue Jays want to get back to the World Series in 2027, they likely need more than just a "hope" that guys get healthy.

However, they are in a tough spot. Why?

The Collective Bargaining Agreement and probable lockout are going to dictate everything that teams do in the month of November.

Free agency will begin five days after the World Series ends. At that point, there will be about one month until the lockout takes hold. Since nobody knows what the financial situation is going to look like coming out of the lockout, how aggressive will teams really be to make moves? And how eager will players to be sign deals before the lockout? 

It all remains to be seen, but we might truly see a world where everybody stands pat and just waits patiently/nervously for the league to come out on the other side.

For instance, if the league implements a salary cap, the Jays may end up not being able to sign big-money players because they'll have to work to get into compliance. If there is no cap, they are likely free to spend some of their money that has come off the books. They just may have to wait and see.

And then, once the league comes out of the lockout, there will likely be a flurry of activity. Will the Jays have the ability to beat the other AL East teams to the punch? Or will they have to make one targeted strike while those around them do the same?

It's just one of many angles to a very interesting offseason.