OFFSEASON THREAD, '27...

[Spanky__99]

On 11/12/2026 at 2:03 PM, Brownie19 said:

Yeah - I don't see the appeal of Loaisiga.  I mean he throws hard, but 6.5 K/9 for a 1 inning RPer?  He's like a hard throwing version of Rogers...

Vesia, please.

 

[Spanky__99]

5 hours ago, John_Havok said:

BV is the perfect backup catcher. 

Elite defense and will run into a HR often enough not to be embarrassing with the stick.

If someone wants him as a starter... sure trade him if they offer a legit piece that addresses a need but no reason to do so otherwise.

Agreed big guy, they were the best defensively in the MLB by a country mile. Don't touch it unless it's a no brainer.

 

[Eat My Shatkins]

Couple moves I'd like to see:

1. Santander & prospects for Marte

2. Prospects for Kwan

3. Sign Sato and use him and Barger in RF/DH

 

C - Kirk

1B - Vlad

2B - Marte

3B - Okamoto

SS - Giminez

LF - Kwan / Batemen

CF Batemen / Kwan

RF - Sato / Barger / Lukes

DH - Barger / Sato

Bench - Valenzuela, Lukes, Smith, Clement

[Stangstag]

58 minutes ago, Eat My Shatkins said:

Couple moves I'd like to see:

1. Santander & prospects for Marte

2. Prospects for Kwan

3. Sign Sato and use him and Barger in RF/DH

 

C - Kirk

1B - Vlad

2B - Marte

3B - Okamoto

SS - Giminez

LF - Kwan / Batemen

CF Batemen / Kwan

RF - Sato / Barger / Lukes

DH - Barger / Sato

Bench - Valenzuela, Lukes, Smith, Clement

Come back to reality brother

[Eat My Shatkins]

1 hour ago, Stangstag said:

Come back to reality brother

Sure, probably the off season doesn't go that way but mainly because there are about a million different variables. Nothing about that is really unrealistic though. Kwan could easily be available, Marte most certainly is and Sato has been posted and the Jays will certainly be checking in no?

 

I could see any one of those transactions happening. All three? Sure, not likely.

[Stangstag]

3 hours ago, Eat My Shatkins said:

Sure, probably the off season doesn't go that way but mainly because there are about a million different variables. Nothing about that is really unrealistic though. Kwan could easily be available, Marte most certainly is and Sato has been posted and the Jays will certainly be checking in no?

 

I could see any one of those transactions happening. All three? Sure, not likely.

Yeah i wouldn’t at all be surprised to see 1 of those moves. Multiple, probably not. Those are all big moves.

[max silver]

13 hours ago, Eat My Shatkins said:

Sure, probably the off season doesn't go that way but mainly because there are about a million different variables. Nothing about that is really unrealistic though. Kwan could easily be available, Marte most certainly is and Sato has been posted and the Jays will certainly be checking in no?

 

I could see any one of those transactions happening. All three? Sure, not likely.

The part of your offseason wish that feels entirely unrealistic is proposing that an opposing team would be willing to take Santander back in trade. He's barely been able to take the field the last few seasons, has an uncertain future due to the shoulder injury and subsequent surgery, has 3 years owing on a deal that's provided zero value and now has the extra added benefit of sharing bigoted social media posts online. On top of that I don't know how realistic it is to see the team acquire two starter quality bats through trade on top of signing a third one in free agency. 

[jaysblue]

Atkins does have a history of making multiple significant moves in the same offseason during contending windows.

I agree with Stang, though - I’d still expect only one true blockbuster signing or trade for an elite player. The rest will probably be more B/B+ type additions that raise the floor, fill holes and deepen the roster.

• 2020–21: Signed Springer to the big deal, signed Semien and Ray to one-year deals, traded for Steven Matz, signed Kirby Yates.
• 2021–22: Signed Gausman to the big deal, traded for Matt Chapman, signed Kikuchi and Yimi Garcia, traded for Tapia 😳
• 2022–23: Signed Bassitt to a three-year deal, signed Kiermaier and Belt to one-year deals, traded for Varsho and Swanson, signed Chad Green.
• 2025–26: Signed Cease to the big deal, signed Okamoto, Rogers and Ponce, traded for Sanchez, and brought Scherzer back cheaply.

So even if they only land one elite player this winter, history suggests Atkins probably won’t stop there. He usually follows the headline move with several other additions to round out the roster.

If I recall correctly, the big target usually came early in each of those offseasons - Springer, Gausman and Cease were all signed pretty early. Atkins seems to like landing the big fish first and then building out the rest of the roster afterward.

That’s probably what we see again this winter: one major FA signing - Skubal, Jazz, Lowe, Peralta, Suzuki, Sato, Arozarena, etc. - followed by a few mid-range 2–3 year deals and possibly room for one significant trade. Wouldn’t surprise me if that trade ended up being for someone like Marte from Arizona, especially if the Jays landed Skubal or another big arm early. 

 

[jaysblue]

If I’m the Blue Jays, I’m going big after Skubal. He’s probably the best bet on the market to add 6+ WAR to the roster in one move. The AAV could easily approach $48–50M, so the question is how much term Toronto would be willing to give him, but you’re probably talking at least six or seven years. The Jays also have a pretty good recent track record of keeping pitchers healthy, so I’d be more comfortable spending huge money on an elite starter here than some organizations might be.

My second major move would be trading for Marte. The Jays have been linked to him for a couple of years already, and if Arizona is genuinely willing to move him, I’d be aggressive. Ideally you’re dealing from young players close to the majors or a cheap MLB arm rather than gutting the farm.

And Soriano could be an interesting trade chip. Teams reportedly liked him even after Toronto acquired him, and if the Jays add Skubal plus another depth starter, you could potentially move Soriano in a deal for another need. Arizona does seem to have a thing for low-K, durable innings-eater types too haha

If those are the two major additions (Skubal + Marte), I probably go cheaper in the outfield. Lane Thomas around $5–6M to platoon with Lukes/Barger would make sense. Clement can also handle some OF in spots if you want to sit Barger against a tough lefty.

For CF, I’d take a shot on Jarren Duran if he becomes available cheaply through a non-tender or trade. Put him in CF and see if you can get him back to being a 4–5 WAR player. I’d rather keep Bateman in AAA as depth than force him into an everyday role right away.

Santander is probably difficult to move, and after everything that happened I suspect they just keep him around. Use him mainly at DH, let him play a corner when needed, and treat whatever production you get as a bonus rather than planning the lineup around him.

Atkins usually adds to the bullpen, so I’d expect at least one significant move there. Vesia would make a lot of sense as the LHP if the price lands around 3–4 years at $12–14M AAV. I’d also be interested in Bryan Abreu around $10M as another high-K leverage arm on a one-year deal.

If you land Skubal, I’m not sure there’s much need to spend heavily on another No. 3/4 starter. I could see them bringing Bieber or Scherzer back cheaply as depth/reclamation options. If they still want another durable arm, someone like Boyd or Sandoval on a one-year deal around $10–12M could make sense just to give you 25 starts and 130–140 innings at the back end.

 

[Laika]

Where did Brett Bateman go?

Duran sucks 

Could see them adding one good RP but not $22M in bullpen salary 

[jaysblue]

16 minutes ago, Laika said:

Where did Brett Bateman go?

Duran sucks 

Could see them adding one good RP but not $22M in bullpen salary 

I said Bateman would start the season in AAA as depth. He’d likely be the first OF called up when injuries happen anyway, and we all know they will. Also, can't rely count on Santander even coming out of ST healthy haha. So wouldn't even surprise me if Bateman did break camp with the team. 

Duran was bad last season, no question, but he put up 6.9 WAR in 2024 and 4.0 WAR in 2025. I’d be willing to gamble $10–12M on a bounce-back and see if he can get anywhere close to that 2025 level again. He’d also add some badly needed speed on the bases, which Atkins has already said is something they want to improve.

As for the bullpen, I agree two big additions are probably unlikely. One significant arm feels much more realistic, with a second being a bonus. My thinking was simply that if you spend big on Skubal, you probably don’t need to sink more money into another mid-rotation starter, so some of those dollars could instead go toward strengthening the bullpen.

[Spanky__99]

Y'all huffing glue... 😜👀

[Jays24]

*Yariel Rodiguez instead of Jose as Yariel isnt showing on the website.

[jaysblue]

12 minutes ago, Spanky__99 said:

Y'all huffing glue... 😜👀

Marte looks possible now haha. 

Skubal would be dreaming, but Jays have shown to go after the top free agent every offseason and are always right there. 

Vesia would be a really nice BP addition if they made only one key signing in the pen. Could fill out the rest of the pen with other arms they already have or MiLB deals. 

Duran likely gets non-tendered or Boston trades him for nothing. Would roll the dice on him since he could play CF and has some speed. As well, raises the floor in regards to the outfield and lineup in case of injuries. 

 

[Omar]

Suzuki, Skubal and Marte would make for great Black Friday purchases.  Get it done Ross.

[Bob_Gratton]

22 hours ago, Spanky__99 said:

Vesia, please.

 

Morejon should be the priority in the bullpen, if can't, sign Bednar or Iglesias. Should learn for last year, when they turned down many good closer, thinking Hoffman and Garcia can do the job.

[Bob_Gratton]

3 hours ago, jaysblue said:

Marte looks possible now haha. 

Skubal would be dreaming, but Jays have shown to go after the top free agent every offseason and are always right there. 

Vesia would be a really nice BP addition if they made only one key signing in the pen. Could fill out the rest of the pen with other arms they already have or MiLB deals. 

Duran likely gets non-tendered or Boston trades him for nothing. Would roll the dice on him since he could play CF and has some speed. As well, raises the floor in regards to the outfield and lineup in case of injuries. 

 

Skubal won't sign here unless Atkins offering 500 for 10 years, and that Dodgers and Mets won't offering more than 4-5 years. I had a nighmare last night, Atkins trying to reinvent the wheel and outsmart the MLB, bring back Bieber, Scherzer and Gausman, signed Happ, give a king ramsom for Marte that included Yesevage, Parker and King and said he trust the bullpen, no need add more.

[Eat My Shatkins]

1 hour ago, Bob_Gratton said:

Morejon should be the priority in the bullpen, if can't, sign Bednar or Iglesias. Should learn for last year, when they turned down many good closer, thinking Hoffman and Garcia can do the job.

The Jays had the 2nd best closer in all of baseball last seasons dude.

And what closer's did they "turn down" exactly?

Also, Hoffman was really good last season. He finished 16th in MLB in reliever fWAR.

[Stangstag]

7 hours ago, jaysblue said:

If I’m the Blue Jays, I’m going big after Skubal. He’s probably the best bet on the market to add 6+ WAR to the roster in one move. The AAV could easily approach $48–50M, so the question is how much term Toronto would be willing to give him, but you’re probably talking at least six or seven years. The Jays also have a pretty good recent track record of keeping pitchers healthy, so I’d be more comfortable spending huge money on an elite starter here than some organizations might be.

My second major move would be trading for Marte. The Jays have been linked to him for a couple of years already, and if Arizona is genuinely willing to move him, I’d be aggressive. Ideally you’re dealing from young players close to the majors or a cheap MLB arm rather than gutting the farm.

And Soriano could be an interesting trade chip. Teams reportedly liked him even after Toronto acquired him, and if the Jays add Skubal plus another depth starter, you could potentially move Soriano in a deal for another need. Arizona does seem to have a thing for low-K, durable innings-eater types too haha

If those are the two major additions (Skubal + Marte), I probably go cheaper in the outfield. Lane Thomas around $5–6M to platoon with Lukes/Barger would make sense. Clement can also handle some OF in spots if you want to sit Barger against a tough lefty.

For CF, I’d take a shot on Jarren Duran if he becomes available cheaply through a non-tender or trade. Put him in CF and see if you can get him back to being a 4–5 WAR player. I’d rather keep Bateman in AAA as depth than force him into an everyday role right away.

Santander is probably difficult to move, and after everything that happened I suspect they just keep him around. Use him mainly at DH, let him play a corner when needed, and treat whatever production you get as a bonus rather than planning the lineup around him.

Atkins usually adds to the bullpen, so I’d expect at least one significant move there. Vesia would make a lot of sense as the LHP if the price lands around 3–4 years at $12–14M AAV. I’d also be interested in Bryan Abreu around $10M as another high-K leverage arm on a one-year deal.

If you land Skubal, I’m not sure there’s much need to spend heavily on another No. 3/4 starter. I could see them bringing Bieber or Scherzer back cheaply as depth/reclamation options. If they still want another durable arm, someone like Boyd or Sandoval on a one-year deal around $10–12M could make sense just to give you 25 starts and 130–140 innings at the back end.

 

Time to log off MLB the Show

[Bob_Gratton]

1 hour ago, Eat My Shatkins said:

The Jays had the 2nd best closer in all of baseball last seasons dude.

And what closer's did they "turn down" exactly?

Also, Hoffman was really good last season. He finished 16th in MLB in reliever fWAR.

Yes, but we need another reliable reliever who can close games. I don't say to replace Varland, but to add someone reliable for the 8 inning, or when Varland can't be used coz he's resting. I prefer Rodger for the 6 or 7 inning. And about name Atkins didn't make effort to get, Suarez, Helsley. And so far now, Pagan, and probably Iglesias, Bednar, Morejon too.

[Bob_Gratton]

1 minute ago, Bob_Gratton said:

Yes, but we need another reliable reliever who can close games. I don't say to replace Varland, but to add someone reliable for the 8 inning, or when Varland can't be used coz he's resting. I prefer Rodger for the 6 or 7 inning. And about name Atkins didn't make effort to get, Suarez, Helsley. And so far now, Pagan, and probably Iglesias, Bednar, Morejon too.

Atkins prefer sign cheaper guys, or be scammed by Dodgers for the big fish. He shouldn't hold his breathe or clench his butt waiting for Skubal sign here, coz he won't. And shouldn't think he can wait to the next trade deadline to fix the lineup. He should bring a top reliever,a top starting pitcher, a very good 2B and a very good OF before spring training end.

[sliderguy35]

vesia feels like a trap:

• continuous velo decline the past 3 years
• crazy low HR/FB rate of 5.9% despite have a GB rate below 30% & also having his lowest pop-up rate (12.9%) in his last 5 seasons
• last year had the highest walk rate & lowest zone rate in his past 5 seasons

seems like a very obvious regression candidate. & even if you don't think regression will hit & think the bullpen needs an extra lefty, steven okert has essentially the same red flags, but you don't have to pay the name-brand dodgers tax & can get him for 2/3rds of the AAV per crowdsourced estimates.