The Toronto Blue Jays finished last in the American League East in 2024, going a disappointing 74-88. And heading into this season, there were real questions about what the future of the organization was going to look like, especially in the most competitive division in the sport.

And I'll be honest. I would have understood if the team had elected to rebuild, or at least pivoted and re-aligned a bit. Why? Because that's what teams do these days.

Rather than make a potentially ill-fated "last run" with a core that has failed already, teams will sell off their organization for parts, gearing up for the next round of contention with "cost controlled" players full of hope and promise. And money factors in too, as teams will elect to save on players rather than make that ill-fated run, and they won't end up losing players for nothing in eventual free agency.

It's these factors that led to the Reds trading Luis Castillo to the Mariners in 2022, and why you saw Jazz Chisholm get traded from the Marlins to the Yankees in 2024. It's partly why Juan Soto was traded twice before hitting free agency.

If the Blue Jays had traded Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, who entered 2025 as free agents this looming offseason, I would have gotten it. If they had elected to trade Chris Bassitt in a walk year, I would have understood, and I would have gotten it if they tried to move from Kevin Gausman, who's a free agent after 2026. Both Bassitt and Gausman are over 30 and could have helped a different contender.

Instead? The Blue Jays threw conventional wisdom to the wind, electing to keep the core together for one last run. But not only that, they doubled down, acquiring Gold Glove infielder Andres Gimenez and his nearly $100 million contract from the Cleveland Guardians. They also signed slugger Anthony Santander to a deal worth near $100 million and inked closer Jeff Hoffman to a three-year deal.

Finally, they made a real run at Roki Sasaki and they doubled down on it all by bringing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a $500 million extension earlier this season. 

And while Santander has spent much of the year hurt and Hoffman has struggled at times, the message was sent that the Blue Jays were taking 2025 seriously, and they were prepared to give this group one last run.

And the front office, the players, and the fanbase, have been rewarded for those decisions. Toronto enters play on Wednesday at 89-62 and on the verge of locking up the division for the first time since 2015.

Furthermore, they are staring at the likely possibility of getting homefield advantage throughout the American League playoffs, and as a result? They have a chance to win the World Series for the first time since 1993.