Toronto Blue Jays: Spend this Offseason to Begin Competing in 2020

With a young team full of high level prospects, the Toronto Blue Jays should be prepared to spend some money this offseason to improve the squad.

With a talented young infield and an emerging core in the outfield, the Toronto Blue Jays seem to be poised to bounce back from the rebuild sooner rather than later.

Obviously the team could improve position player wise, but with a strong core led by top prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays seem to be lacking in just one key area: pitching.

While the Blue Jays top pitching prospects have yet to break the MLB barrier, the rotation and the bullpen could both use an upgrade if the organization seriously wants to contend in the near future.

Some key pitchers the Blue Jays could focus on are free agents Gerrit Cole, Madison Bumgarner, and Dallas Keuchel for the rotation, as well as bullpen depth in the likes of Dellin Betances and Kenley Jansen (player option).

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Unfortunately for the fans, the organization has not been known to spend large amounts during free agency since Rogers Communications took ownership of the team . The front office has generally traded for their high level players like Josh Donaldson and David Price in order to bolster the squad for playoff runs.

Before Rogers purchased a majority stake in the Blue Jays in 2000, the team signed big names like Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, Jack Morris, and even Rogers Clemens, with some of those players being key cogs in the World Championship machine in 1992 and 1993.

Since then, the biggest financial contribution to a free agent player was to catcher Russell Martin for a 5 year, $80 million dollar deal.

Depending on how Rogers and the front office views the rebuild, some good pitchers are going to be available this upcoming offseason and the organization may need to strike while the iron is hot.

We all know Guerrero Jr. will be with the club for at minimum another 7 years (hooray for CBA loopholes), so the front office should start producing a team that will compete sooner rather than later.

With a low salary commitment due to the rebuild and younger players not in arbitration, the team does have some flexibility to spend money on more veteran pieces to complete the roster. The organization and ownership just has to want to spend the money.

There is the potential that big name free agents will not want to come to Toronto whether it be location, management, etc., so that extra financial flexibility may be useful in the few years the Blue Jays have before their key prospects start earning more money through arbitration and extension.

Whether the team decides to trade for players or sign free agents, the organization’s weak link needs to be addressed if the team wants to compete for another playoff run in the upcoming years in a tough AL East division.

While the Blue Jays top pitching prospects such as Anthony Kay, Nate Pearson, and Eric Pardinho are inching closer to making the squad, a key veteran ace such as Bumgarner or Cole could be the tipping point for a team banking on young talent to carry Canada’s only baseball team back to October baseball.