After finishing 79-83 this season and missing the playoffs, the Toronto Blue Jays clearly have needs this offseason. I firmly believe that a right-handed hitting outfielder should be at the top of their list, and I've cited Randy Arozarena as a good fit on multiple occasions. Seiya Suzuki has been brought up as a target, and that would be fine too. He fits the bill of what they need.

However, before we can really talk about offseason free agent targets, we have to understand how the financial landscape could change in a big way this offseason.

By this point, you undoubtedly know that the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the MLB Owners and the Players Association runs out on Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET. At that time, if there is no new agreement in place, the sport will enter a lockout.

That is the expectation, and the lockout could last for months as the two sides haggle and work to negotiate a new deal.

At the core of his labor issue will be the owners insistence on a salary cap and a salary floor. They say it's because they want to increase parity in the sport and help shrink the spending gap. Players see it as a way to stifle earnings and regulate labor costs. The battle could be bloody, with many anticipating that games will be lost in 2027 as a result.

1) Well, if there's no salary cap in place, the Blue Jays will continue to be free to flex their financial muscle as they have for the last several offseasons. We estimated, roughly, how much flexibility the Jays will have this offseason and it's fairly extensive. It's certainly enough to get Arozarena or Suzuki if they truly want them. 

And in addition, the Jays could look to add more offensive pitch and/or more bullpen help. I have to imagine that while everyone likes fixed labor cost, the Jays don't want to lose the ability to flex that muscle. It's one of their greatest attributes as an organization.

2) On other side of things: If there is a salary cap implemented, there will have to be a phasing in period to get everyone in compliance. That would leave the Jays some room to get back under the cap, however, it would likely ruin their ability to go add high-priced free agents this offseason. They'd have to work on shedding payroll rather than massively adding to it, seemingly.

As a result, maybe the Jays want to get super aggressive in November. If they do, perhaps they can sign players early, and then deal with compliance possibilities later.