Offseason Roster Thread 2025-26

[Eat My Shatkins]

Ugh I don't like thought of torching our beautiful infield defense with Saurez butchering plays at 3B all season long. 

[Eat My Shatkins]

Apparently on Blair and Barker today they say we should expect to see Varland starting next season. I'm certainly not against stretching him out and seeing how it goes. 

[Stangstag]

3 hours ago, Rimar said:

Barger should play RF only. If Bichette doesn't come back, we need similar offensive players who can hit 300, with 20+HR. 

If we don’t sign Bo, move Barger to 3B and go after Tucker/Bellinger is the obvious play. Or Kwan or someone via trade.

[Eat My Shatkins]

Whats the latest on Tiedemann? Hopefully he's ready to go by spring training. 

I guess the low bar for expectations on him is that he actually stay healthy all season and still has electric stuff in AAA. But it sure would be nice if he came out of nowhere and shoved in 2026 as a legit MLB starters option by May or June.

[Stangstag]

Just now, Eat My Shatkins said:

Whats the latest on Tiedemann? Hopefully he's ready to go by spring training. 

I guess the low bar for expectations on him is that he actually stay healthy all season and still has electric stuff in AAA. But it sure would be nice if he came out of nowhere and shoved in 2026 as a legit MLB starters option by May or June.

Forgot he existed lol

[Eat My Shatkins]

Just now, Stangstag said:

Forgot he existed lol

Haha yeah. He'd almost be like found money in your old jacket pocket at this point. 

[jmomcc]

30 minutes ago, Eat My Shatkins said:

Whats the latest on Tiedemann? Hopefully he's ready to go by spring training. 

I guess the low bar for expectations on him is that he actually stay healthy all season and still has electric stuff in AAA. But it sure would be nice if he came out of nowhere and shoved in 2026 as a legit MLB starters option by May or June.

He wasn't in the AFL roster for what its worth. 

Edit; I kind of feel most likely option now is bullpen but maybe a really good one.  But you never know. Also if it is bullpen then he might be the elite leftie we are missing. 

[jmomcc]

14 minutes ago, Eat My Shatkins said:

Apparently on Blair and Barker today they say we should expect to see Varland starting next season. I'm certainly not against stretching him out and seeing how it goes. 

I kind of have doubts on how that the fastball plays at lower velos.

You would think if he could locate the fastball up more, he could be a closer.  

[jmomcc]

54 minutes ago, Stangstag said:

If we don’t sign Bo, move Barger to 3B and go after Tucker/Bellinger is the obvious play. Or Kwan or someone via trade.

Tucker as the one year early springer replacement would be amazing. You'd just figure it out for 2026. 

[Spanky__99]

6 hours ago, Terminator said:

Top 25 free agents and their contract projections according to Baseball America:

1. Kyle Tucker - 11 years / $360 million
2. Bo Bichette - 8 / 240
3. Framber Valdez - 7 / 220
4. Alex Bregman - 6 / 180
5. Pete Alonso - 7 / 175
6. Dylan Cease - 5 / 160
7. Shane Bieber - 5 / 150
8. Cody Bellinger - 6 / 175
9. Gleyber Torres - 7 / 160
10. Kyle Schwarber - 3 / 110
11. Edwin Diaz - 6 / 125
12. Munetaka Murakami - 7 / 140
13. Trent Grisham - 5 / 130
14. Trevor Story - 4 / 110
15. Michael King - 4 / 110
16. Eugenio Suarez - 3 / 75
17. Kazuma Okamoto - 5 / 85
18. Josh Naylor - 6 / 120
19. Ranger Suarez - 3 / 75
20. Devin Williams - 4 / 75
21. Brandon Woodruff - 1 / 27.5
22. Zac Gallen - 2 / 45
23. Jack Flaherty - 3 / 72
24. Ryan Helsley - 4 / 70
25. Lucas Giolito - 3 / 65

Those projections seem really high.

Woodruff on a 1 year deal, I'd sign up for that?

[Eat My Shatkins]

Starting depth:

1. Gausman

2. Yesavage 

3. Berrios

4. Lauer

5. 

 

Francis - Gets another chance?

Tiedemann - Probably starts in AAA?

Bastardo - Maybe starts as reliever?

Varland - convert him?

Bloss - mid season returning i think

Lucas - bleh

Estrada - AAA depth probably

Macko - same as Estrada

Stanifer - maybe he torches AAA and is up by June?

 

I mean, if they only just re-signed Bassitt and Scherzer the team is probably pretty good again. 

Hopefully they land a bigger gun though. 

 

 

 

[Spanky__99]

4 hours ago, newhere said:

Given the money they've spent on the team, stadium renovations, etc and the money they showed they were willing to spend on other major free agents, plus the revenue from this playoff run and the immense popularity of the team currently, and presumably wanting to get everything they can out of Vlad's prime years, I can't see how they wouldn't "go all in" (whatever that looks like) on having an even better team in 2026 and beyond.

Bo is a major priority and I'd be surprised if he refuses to play 2B. I'd like to see Bieber signed. I have a feeling with an off-season to train he's going to be excellent next season and possibly elite. Beyond that, would love to see Bassitt back on the team if the fit is mutual.

 

 

Agree with all this.

[Spanky__99]

I've read a few people suggest Bieber taking the 16M option? Y'all huffing glue man. 🥴

[Joltin Joe]

How much can Jays payroll be in 2026,?

[Jimcanuck]

12 hours ago, hanton said:

best org at developing velo

Also the org with the highest rate of pitcher injuries.  Im confident saying that without looking it up

[Stangstag]

6 hours ago, jmomcc said:

Tucker as the one year early springer replacement would be amazing. You'd just figure it out for 2026. 

Springer isn’t playing OF anymore anyways. Tucker or Belly would be an everyday OF to set and forget.

A full year of Santander will be a big boost to the lineup you’d think. And having Tucker/Vlad/Sant to anchor the lineup would great with all the supplemental pieces we already have.

[Jimcanuck]

Jays player development group has been quite good, particularly on the pitching side.  Think the group can fix Bobby Miller?

[BTS]

30 minutes ago, Jimcanuck said:

Jays player development group has been quite good, particularly on the pitching side.  Think the group can fix Bobby Miller?

I forgot he even existed 

[SeranthonySantander]

Cubs declining to extend Imanaga, now a free agent.  Some of his numbers were rough yea but I think it was 3/57 they didn't want to pay.

[Jimcanuck]

21 minutes ago, BTS said:

I forgot he even existed 

Elite, ace upside.  Are you a real fan?

[glory]

9 hours ago, Stangstag said:

If we don’t sign Bo, move Barger to 3B and go after Tucker/Bellinger is the obvious play. Or Kwan or someone via trade.

Yeah I think this is what happens. If Bo leaves then they’ll just stick Barger at 3B and get an outfielder. That might actually be the better “baseball move”, though clearly won’t be the most popular.

Not sure they go into the Tucker market though. I know they’ve gone big game hunting before but that was before the Vlad extension. They’ll probably extend Varsho this winter, and then spend big on a SP (or two). Unless Rogers is possessed by Steve Cohen, there will still be some level of financial restraint shown, one would think. They can’t fill every hole with $20M+ AAV players. 

I’ve said before I think the Jays end up trading for Kwan if Bo walks, and realistically they probably do need to fill at least one hole with a cheaper arb eligible player. Peralta on the pitching side is another example (only $8M in 2026).

[Laika]

Imanaga suddenly being a free agent is shocking to me 

I had no idea he had such a mediocre year under the hood. I never thought the Cubs would let him go. 

[SeranthonySantander]

The more SP free agents the better for us.  Flood the market.

[jmomcc]

1 hour ago, Jimcanuck said:

Jays player development group has been quite good, particularly on the pitching side.  Think the group can fix Bobby Miller?

I think the dodgers would just try to do it themselves. 

[John_Havok]

19 hours ago, L54 said:

Are we even sure Chris Bassitt is a guy you want to commit to as a reliever on a FA contract? Half of the reason he started getting innings was because he was throwing strikes and Schneids had no one else to turn to 

Feelings about Bassitt aside, the fact that he's a grinder, a great clubhouse guy, willing to do whatever it takes and shove his ego aside... from a pure skills/cost perspective, is there really room for him?

He's going into his late 30's, while his stuff and location has remained steady-ish... would it really be surprising for that to decline a tick or two next year?  That's question 1. 

Question 2 - what's his role? Backend starter or swingman? In either case, what level of money are you wanting to commit to that role? It sure wouldn't be 21 million per year. So... what do you offer him...10? 10m would be fine for a backend starter but for a swingman?? 

Question 3 - is there even room for him as a backend starter or swingman? Berrios is already performing like a 4/5 at his #2 salary. Lauer is probably going to slot in the rotation at around 5m. Is he a #3? Is he a 4/5? How much can you rely on him being the version we saw first vs the version we saw in the latter part? Somewhere in between?

The way I see it right now, Gausman in the #1, Yesavage is the 2, Lauer is probably the 3 and Berrios is the 4, or call berrios the 3 and Lauer the 4... whatever. That leaves one spot open and the rotation doesnt need a #5, it needs a #1 that shoves everyone else down. Bassitt isn't that, so I don't think there's a spot for him in the rotation, really. And you don't want the kind of salary he's going to command in the pen. 

As much as you hate to lose him in the clubhouse, he doesn't really fit on the roster unless he agrees to a major pay cut and a drastically reduced role as a swingman / fill-in starter. I doubt that happens. Time to move on from Bassitt. 

[Jimcanuck]

43 minutes ago, jmomcc said:

I think the dodgers would just try to do it themselves. 

Maybe, but they have a glut of pitching.  They'd move him for a reasonable offer.

[Ryu In My House]

I love this current team. Having followed the Jays since 1984, I have never seen a team like the 2025 Blue Jays.

So, I essentially want more of the same.

The Blue Jays’ 2026 offseason plan should be ambitious but focused, built around retaining elite talent, reinforcing pitching depth, and maintaining the clubhouse chemistry that carried them through 2025. The centerpiece move is re-signing Bo Bichette to a 10-year, $275 million contract ($27.5 M AAV - is this even enough???) securing his prime years and reaffirming the organization’s commitment to its homegrown core.

On the pitching side, Toronto should try to bring back both Chris Bassitt and Shane Bieber, ensuring a deep, experienced rotation behind Gausman, Berríos, and Yesavage. Bassitt’s versatility makes him ideal for a one- or two-year deal in the $12–15 million range, splitting duties between the rotation and bullpen — a role he clearly enjoys and excels in. Bieber would take some big money - and maybe he has no intention of saying. but perhaps a five-year, $150 million deal with a player opt-out after three years, is a solid offer. Dunno.

The bullpen picture should stabilize with health. Assuming Nick Sandlin and Yimi García are fully recovered, re-signing Seranthony Domínguez to a three-year, $27 million contract ($9 M AAV) would complete a high-leverage relief core capable of closing out playoff games.

With Anthony Santander already under contract, the everyday lineup remains intact, and Toronto should let Isiah Kiner-Falefa walk, opening space for younger, more dynamic bench options.

A smart (IMO), under-the-radar target would be Anthony Kay, the former Blue Jays left-hander who reinvented himself in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. His improved command and ground-ball profile make him a low-cost, high-upside fit as a swingman or multi-inning reliever.

Altogether, these moves would likely push Toronto’s payroll into the $270–280 million range, modestly over the first competitive-balance-tax threshold but appropriate for a franchise in full contention mode. With Bichette locked up long-term, Bieber and Bassitt reinforcing the rotation, and a healthy, power-armed bullpen anchored by Hoffman, Domínguez, Sandlin, and García, the 2026 Blue Jays would be poised for a sustained championship push — blending continuity, experience, and enough pitching firepower to compete with the best clubs in baseball.

[BTS]

Surprised there were no takers for Imanaga on the trade market. He's only 31, and 3/57 isn't a huge commitment. Frankie Montas got 2/34 last year and he's awful. 

[Jonn]

Imanaga gives a metric f*** ton of Homeruns and strikeout rate took a massive nose dive. Not that shocked they wanted out at 3 years.

Still think its possible they will qualify him but his contract had a weird set up. I just don’t think he ages overly well.

[Jimcanuck]

Imanaga might be one of those pitchers that gets easier to hit, the more times you see him.  He started off in MLB good, but progressively worse since.