How Many Outfielders Should the Blue Jays Add This Offseason?

When looking at the Toronto Blue Jays' outfield, it's clear it needs to be a priority position to improve this offseason. The team will need to answer a few questions before deciding how many outfielders to add.

Depth reinforcements are coming, with Anthony Santander and Addison Barger expected to be healthy at the start of the season. However, their last-seen performances on the field were underwhelming, and they can’t be trusted to stay healthy. Plus, Santander is dealing with backlash for the recent insensitive posts he shared on social media. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he isn’t a Blue Jay when spring training begins. 

Brett Bateman had a successful rookie campaign, but he’s never played more than 125 games in a season, which was this past season between Triple A and the majors. He proved to be matchup-proof, hitting well against both right- and left-handed pitchers. However, how will he adapt as pitchers learn how to get him out? Also, can his body hold up to playing nearly every day of a 162-game season, or will he wear down toward the end? 

The rest of the outfield depth on the 40-man roster consists of: Jonatan Clase, Davis Schneider, Yohendrick Piñango, Josh Smith, Charles McAdoo, and Nathan Lukes. Besides Lukes, none of the others give much confidence that they can produce the numbers the Blue Jays need to crawl out of the AL East cellar and return to the postseason. 

Because of this lack of confidence and production, Toronto has to find more depth this offseason. The problem is that the free agent market is extremely weak. This means that if viable free agents aren’t available, the Blue Jays may need to get creative and pursue a trade. Luckily, general manager Ross Atkins isn’t scared to make a big move or spend money.

Here are the reasons why the Blue Jays need to add one or two outfielders this offseason.

The Case for Adding One Outfielder

It’s no secret that Toronto is going after the top free agent bat available, Seiya Suzuki. Nearly every media platform is talking about the great fit he would be for the team. He played against Kazuma Okamoto in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, and they played together in this season’s World Baseball Classic. 

After the Blue Jays failed to sign the top offensive free agents in the last three offseasons — Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Kyle Tucker — it’s scary to hear so many tying Suzuki to Toronto. Fans don’t want to get their hopes up just to be crushed again, but it’s hard to ignore the news. 

Suzuki checks a majority of the boxes the Blue Jays need. They need power, a corner outfielder, and a player who can stay healthy. He’s played at least 130 games, hit more than 20 home runs and driven in more than 70 runs in each of his last four MLB seasons. The former Chicago Cub is also a solid defender, posting a 5 OAA and 14 DRS this past season in right field.

If Toronto strikes out on Suzuki, then Randy Arozarena would be the next best option. He’s less consistent at the plate than Suzuki, but his 20-plus home runs in each of the last six seasons would be an upgrade over Toronto's outfielders. However, Arozarena is weaker in the outfield, posting a -5 OAA and -2 DRS in 2026. 

It feels like it’s a bust if the Blue Jays don’t get either of those two guys. After Suzuki and Arozarena, the production available from the outfield free agent class drops significantly; Ian Happ, Taylor Ward, Trent Grisham, and Joc Pederson are a few consolation prizes available. Some of these players would be upgrades, but they aren’t up to Suzuki or Arozarena’s caliber. 

It’s about time Toronto has an All-Star in their outfield. They’ve only had three over the last 10 full seasons — George Springer (2022), Teoscar Hernández (2021), and Michael Saunders (2016). Before that, José Bautista earned the honor six seasons in a row. Suzuki or Arozarena could bring back that consistent All-Star production.

The Case for Adding Two Outfielders

If the Blue Jays can add either Suzuki or Arozarena, that’s a big boost to the offense. However, the team shouldn’t settle for adding just one outfielder. Depth was an issue for Toronto, as injuries ran rampant through the whole team in 2026. Because of injuries and/or poor outfield play, 12 different players logged innings at the positions. 

This need for depth makes adding a second outfielder a smart decision. It doesn’t even need to be one of the top options mentioned earlier. The Blue Jays need durability, and if the player could provide power and/or speed, then that’d be a welcome situation. Those are both areas the team needs to improve.

A right-handed bat would likely be preferred. If it's not an everyday player, then he could platoon with Lukes, as Schneider, McAdoo, and Clase (a switch-hitter) are currently the only outfield right-handed bats on the 40-man roster. A free agent who stands out to me is Randal Grichuk. He was DFA’d after 16 games with the New York Yankees this season, but he hit his stride after the Chicago White Sox acquired him.

The 35-year-old found himself in a platoon role, but he was superb at his job, mashing left-handed pitchers. Grichuk posted a .327/.371/.655 slash line against them with 27 runs, 11 homers, 27 RBIs, and a 181 wRC+ over 178 PAs. He not only crushed southpaws, but he could also replace Springer as the veteran leader in the locker room.

Another option would be to bring Hernández back to Toronto. The Los Angeles Dodgers have stated he's on the trade block as they try to find room for their promising prospect Josue De Paula. Hernández would add some power to the lineup, but he has dealt with minor injuries over the last few seasons. However, he's been able to play in at least 120 games each season since 2018, excluding the 2020 shortened season. He has a year left on his contract and a $15 million club option for 2028, which comes with a $6.5 million buyout if his team decides to move on from him.

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