At the outset of the offseason, the Jays have a handful of things to think about following a 79-83 campaign.
The Toronto Blue Jays concluded a painful 79-83 season on Sunday with a win against the Cincinnati Reds at Rogers Centre. The Jays, who went to the World Series in 2025, were bitten by injuries and poor offensive performance all season and now enter the offseason with some real questions to sift through.
While more will certainly come up as the offseason trudges on, we've narrowed it down to the three biggest ones right now.
How does Vladimir Guerrero Jr. get fixed?
It's pretty simple. When you point to the struggles of the Blue Jays offense, you look no further than Guerrero, who hit just .260 with only nine home runs and 57 RBIs. He had only a 90 OPS+, which suggests that he was a below-average offensive player.
His numbers paled in comparison to his career averages, and his reputation, and if the Blue Jays are going to fix the offense moving forward, it's going to have to start with him.
*One side note: If and when a baseball lockout happens, there is no communication between the players and the major league coaching staff. Thus, Guerrero will largely be tasked with working on things himself, and fixing them himself, this offseason.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) grounds into double play during the fifth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn ImagesCan Anthony Santander be trusted?
Signed to a five-year, $92.5 million deal before the 2025 season, Santander was supposed to pair with Guerrero to help anchor the middle of the order, but it just hasn't happened. He played in only 54 games in 2025, hitting only six home runs. And he played in zero games in 2026 while recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum.
He's barely played in two years, and now he's about to be 32 years old. Can this team really count on him to provide what they brought him in for, or is he basically a lottery ticket at this point?
Given the size of the contract, he's going to get the chance to play, but can the Blue Jays afford to not do things this offseason based on the idea that he'll be able to contribute? I don't think so.
What about the outfield being so left-handed?
We've hinted at this many times already, but Brett Bateman, Nathan Lukes, and Addison Barger are all left-handed. This team needs a right-handed bat to replace George Springer. We've mentioned Randy Arozarena as a potential fit, but it looks like the Jays are prepared to pivot to Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs.
