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  • Toronto Blue Jays Trade & Free Agent Rumors

    Follow the latest Toronto Blue Jays trade and free agent rumors, along with quick notes on the big league club, the minor leagues and the draft.
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    Matthew Lenz
    The Toronto Blue Jays will have a busy offseason as they've already been linked to a few of the biggest names on the market, including a reunion with infielder Bo Bichette. Now, we can add one more name to the list.
    Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Blue Jays are "expected to be suitors" for reliever Pete Fairbanks.
    Fairbanks appeared in 61 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025, logging 60 1/3 innings pitched. The reliever registered a 3.63 FIP and posted a 16.8% K-BB rate. Despite collecting 27 saves as the Rays' primary high-leverage reliever, he posted a miniscule WPA of 0.06. The Rays declined $11 million club option, paying him a $1 million buyout and making him a free agent. He's the 44th-ranked free agent according to MLBTR, and they predict he'll net $18 million over two years on the open market.
    Do you think the Blue Jays should pony up for a high-leverage reliever to bolster their bullpen? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The Toronto Blue Jays will have money to spend this winter and have choices to make on how they spend it. The team will undoubtedly try to bring back infielder Bo Bichette while also targeting pitching. However, a Japanese infielder who was recently posted may also be in the fold.
    Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet has linked the Toronto Blue Jays to Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami. As of the posting of this, teams will have 44 days to reach an agreement with the superstar from Japan.
    The 25-year-old Munetaka profiles as a big bat with a decent amount of swing-and-miss. Do you think the Blue Jays should target him?
    Leo Morgenstern
    The AL Silver Slugger Award winners were announced on Friday, with George Springer taking home the prize at DH. This is his third career Silver Slugger, after previously winning in 2017 and '19 with the Astros. 
     
    Springer led the AL's primary designated hitters in home runs (32), runs scored (106), stolen bases (18), and FanGraphs WAR (5.2). His victory over fellow finalists Yandy Díaz and Brent Rooker comes as little surprise.
     
    Springer was also a finalist for a Silver Slugger as an outfielder but lost to Aaron Judge, Riley Greene, and Byron Buxton. Toronto's other two finalists, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, came up short as well, with Nick Kurtz claiming the honors at first base and Bobby Witt Jr. winning at shortstop. 
    Meanwhile, the Blue Jays lost the Silver Slugger Team of the Year Award to the Yankees, who won for the second year in a row.
    Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.
    Matthew Lenz
    Turns out good things happen after you take the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers to the brink in the World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays are rewarding their manager following one of the best (and most-watched) Game 7s in decades.
    Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet is reporting that the Toronto Blue Jays have picked up manager John Schneider's 2026 option and are discussing an extension with their skipper. As is usually the case, the financial details of the option weren't made public. He was signed to a three-year contract after taking over for Charlie Montoyo in the middle of the 2022 season.
    Despite his recent success, many fans have been critical of Schneider's in-game decision-making. Even in the World Series, his use of pinch runners for some of the team's best hitters was heavily scrutinized. However, he's led the Blue Jays to a 303-257 (.541 win percentage), three playoff appearances, and the organization's first division title in a decade. His postseason record is 10-12.
    Picking up his option was a no-brainer, but do you think he's earned an extension? Let us know in the comments!
    Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.
    Leo Morgenstern
    To no one's surprise, the Blue Jays have extended the $22.025 million qualifying offer to All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette.
    Bichette technically has until November 18 to decide whether or not to accept the offer, but it's all but a guarantee that he will reject it and seek a long-term contract in free agency.
    Once he rejects the offer, any team that signs Bichette – except for the Blue Jays – will have to forfeit a draft pick (and possibly also international bonus pool space). That could give Toronto a leg up on the competition for his services. 
    Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.
    Leo Morgenstern
    Don Mattingly is leaving the Blue Jays. As first reported by the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Mattingly, who served as Toronto's bench coach for the past three seasons, is stepping down from his role. However, he is not yet retiring and would consider taking on a role with a new team. 
    To that point, Phillies insider Jim Salisbury reports that Philadelphia has had internal discussions about bringing Mattingly on as a bench coach. It's not yet clear if Mattingly would be willing to take on the same role with a new organization.
    Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.
    Leo Morgenstern
    In pleasantly surprising news, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reports that Shane Bieber has exercised his player option with the Blue Jays for the 2026 campaign. The right-hander will collect a $16 million salary instead of a $4 million buyout. 
    Because of that buyout, Bieber would have only had to earn $12 million on the open market to match his guarantee from the Blue Jays. Thus, many thought it was a foregone conclusion that he would opt out and return to free agency. Instead, the 2020 AL Cy Young winner will return for at least one more year (and one more shot at a title) with Toronto.
    Featured image courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images.
    Brock Beauchamp
    We're looking for contributors to write Blue Jays content over the offseason!
    First, feel free to reach out via email at brock.beauchamp@jayscentre.com or reply to this article.
    Writing Articles
    If you’ve ever wanted an audience for your Jays takes, this is the perfect place. While we generally lean into analytics and analysis, we also take a “come as you are” approach to baseball and give writers a lot of leeway to write about the game in a way that interests them. That could manifest in historical pieces, previews, or regular series. It’s a matter of finding your niche in the fandom and carving out a space for it. 
    Making Videos
    We're also looking for videographers! Most of our content is on the shorter side (3-7 minutes), though we have space for plenty of different formats and ideas. Like the writing side of the site, we usually lean into analytics, but it's not the only path we're open to exploring.
    It is also noteworthy that we pay our content creators. It’s certainly not enough to quit your day job. So don’t do that. However, it might be enough to show that we value your time, talent, and effort.
    If you know someone who might be interested in creating Blue Jays content as a side job, please share this with them!
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the finalists for its big four end-of-season awards today: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year. While no Blue Jays players will be taking home any of the BBWAA hardware, skipper John Schneider is in the running for the AL's highest managerial honour. 
    His fellow finalists are Stephen Vogt of the Guardians and Dan Wilson of the Mariners.
    As a reminder, the finalists for the BBWAA awards are not nominees. The winners are decided upon immediately following the regular season, and the three finalists in each category are simply the three highest vote-getters. 
    The 2025 Managers of the Year will be announced on November 11 on MLB Network.
    Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.
    Matthew Lenz
    Less than 24 hours after a devastating Game 7 World Series loss, the Toronto Blue Jays have been informed that two players will be testing free agency rather than sticking with the organization.
    Pitcher Ryan Borucki (outrighted on September 18th) and infielder Michael Stefanic (outrighted June 7th) elected free agency today.
    Burocki appeared in 39 games in 2025, pitching 35.0 innings between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Blue Jays. Signed to a minor league pact after being released by the Pirates, only four of those innings came with Toronto, where he allowed zero earned runs and posted a 5:4 K:BB ratio.
    Stefanic played nine games for the Blue Jays, mostly at second base, in 2025. Over 25 plate appearances, he recorded four hits (all singles) with one run scored. He appeared at second base in nine games and briefly at shortstop.
    Both players are likely looking for minor league contracts to get another shot at a big league roster in 2026. Do you think the Blue Jays should re-sign either player as depth? Let us know in the comments!
     
    Matthew Lenz
    After a heartbreaking defeat in Game 7 of the World Series, reporters were quick to look ahead to next season in their postgame interviews.
    In front of a pool of reporters, an emotional Chris Bassitt expressed his hope to return to the Toronto Blue Jays next season. In part, the 37-year-old said, "You can try to replicate this. A lot of people will try, but it’s not really possible."
    With Max Scherzer also set to become a free agent and only three others locked into the rotation, there is plenty of room if Bassitt and the Blue Jays can agree to a deal. The righty would be a solid mid to back-end rotation piece behind Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Jose Berrios.
    Last season, he started 31 games, sporting a 4.01 FIP and 15.5% K-BB rate across 170 1/3 innings - his fourth consecutive season reaching that plateau. Additionally, he was extremely effective out of the bullpen in October (and November), throwing 8 1/3 innings of relief, giving up one earned run, and striking out 10.
    Do you think the Blue Jays should pursue Bassitt or shoot higher on the trade or free agent market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    After a heartbreaking defeat in Game 7 of the World Series, reporters were quick to look ahead to next season in their postgame interviews.
    After starting Game 7, Jesse Rogers of ESPN asked Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer about his future in Major League Baseball. The surefire Hall of Famer didn't fully commit to playing in 2026 but instead said "...it’s going to take some time to give a full answer to that, but there is no way that was my last pitch.”
    The 41-year-old Scherzer started Games 3 and 7 in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up four earned runs over 8 2/3 innings. In his only other postseason start in game four of the American League Championship Series, the three-time Cy Young Award winner earned the victory, allowing two earned runs and striking out five in 5 2/3 innings. Overall, 2025 was a tough season that was impacted by a thumb injury. The righty made 17 starts, sporting a 4.99 FIP and 16.5% K-BB rate. Scherzer is a free agent in a relatively weak 2025-2026 starting pitching free agency class.
    Do you think the Blue Jays should re-sign the two-time World Series champion?
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Blue Jays put up one heck of a fight, but in the end, it wasn't enough.
    With Toronto up 4-3 in the top of the ninth, Jeff Hoffman allowed a game-tying home run to Dodgers nine-hole hitter Miguel Rojas. It was hard to watch. Two innings later, Shane Bieber gave up a home run to Will Smith. It was even harder to watch. 
    Then, in the bottom of the 11th, in front of 40,000 anxious fans at the Rogers Centre, Alejandro Kirk grounded into a double play. Toronto's magical run was over. The Dodgers had won their second straight World Series title, and all the Blue Jays could do was stare in disbelief. 
    This was still a special season for the Blue Jays. A heartbreaking World Series loss doesn't change that. But fans can celebrate all that this team accomplished in due time. For now, no one will blame you for wallowing in defeat. 
    Featured image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images.
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Blue Jays have announced their lineup for Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers. Fans will be pleased to see George Springer and Alejandro Kirk included. Springer looked to be playing through pain in Game 6, while Kirk exited in the bottom of the ninth after being hit by a pitch on the hand.
    It's a slightly different batting order than the Jays have used in any other game this season, with Addison Barger moving up to the five-hole and Daulton Varsho dropping down to seventh:
    Barger's move up the order is well deserved. He has been red-hot in the World Series, with 10 hits in 21 at-bats, including two doubles and a home run. The lefty slugger leads Toronto's offense in hits, wRC+, and Win Probability Added over the last week.
    Manager John Schneider is surely looking for any and all advantages he can give his team against Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani. Max Scherzer will toe the bump for the Blue Jays in what's sure to go down as one of the most iconic starting pitching matchups in World Series history.
    Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images. 
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Blue Jays have announced their starting lineup for tonight's World Series Game 6, and George Springer is back in the leadoff spot:
    Springer exited early in Game 3 after injuring his right side on a swing. He has not played since. While the Blue Jays won Games 4 and 5 without him, they're surely elated to have his bat back at the top of the order. Springer was the team's best hitter during the regular season, and his three-run home run in Game 7 of the ALCS is the reason they're playing in the World Series right now. The Blue Jays have a chance to win it all tonight, and it wouldn't feel right if Springer wasn't a part of the winning effort. 
    Featured image courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images. 
    Brock Beauchamp
    It's hard to predict how this offseason will unfold, as there is an increasing chance of (yet another) MLB lockout following the 2026 season. Will teams spend big this offseason, hoping to create surety in the face of an unknown collective bargaining agreement? Or will they be hesitant in hopes of a favorable outcome for ownership groups?
    No matter how it shakes out, teams will need to compete in the 2026 season, and they'll need to sign free agents this winter. DiamondCentric has compiled a complete list of free agents, sortable and searchable by pretty much any metric you need. Looking for a first baseman? A catcher? We have you covered. We offer two pages for your reference: one for position players, the other for pitchers.
    Free Agent Hitters In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason
    Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Hitters
    DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent hitters in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason. Free Agent Pitchers In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason
    Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Pitchers
    DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent pitchers in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason.
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