3 big moves the Blue Jays need to make after losing Max Fried to the Yankees

As the Winter Meetings progress, the Blue Jays desperation continues to grow. Their quick move for Andres Gimenez was slick play, but it won’t bring them anywhere close to contention. If the Jays are going to see the postseason before the possibility of losing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette faces them head on, they will need some significant help.

With two Jays’ targets in Juan Soto and Max Fried coming off the market, GM Ross Atkins will need to draft some more backup plans and fast. Time is of the essence as the trade and free agent markets continually grow smaller. But while the new blue prints are being carefully drafted, let’s check out a few of the best names that remain on the market at positions where the Blue Jays could use some help.

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3. Sign Anthony Santander

Last season, the Blue Jays hit 156 home runs as a team, ranking them 26th in long balls. With high on-base hitters like Vladdy and Bichette hitting ahead of a middle part of a Blue Jays order that severely lacks in the power department, Atkins would do his batting order a solid favor if he added some much-needed thump. Said thump can be easily found on the free agent market in the form of Anthony Santander.

Santander is coming off a 2024 season where he mashed an astonishing career-high 44 home runs. His .235/.308/.506/.814 slash line leaves something to be desired, but his power alone is a worthwhile tradeoff for a power-starved Blue Jays’ batting order. For the past three years, Santander has topped 27 home runs for each season. As for his batting average, the .235 he posted this past season was a career-low, so there is some reason to believe these numbers can recover if only a little.

Should nothing change performance-wise, the low on-base and batting average numbers shouldn’t deter Toronto in the slightest. He has the one capability that their lineup lacks. His addition alone might not mean the Jays become contenders, but this would be a huge step in the right direction.

2. Sign Corbin Burnes

The Blue Jays’ pitching staff suffered last season posting a lackluster 4.29 ERA which placed them 22nd in the MLB in that stat. If the Blue Jays are going to succeed next season, they will need to improve their rotation and add a true ace. On the free agent market this time around, there is one transformational arm that could lead the Blue Jays into the postseason.

Corbin Burnes is the top pitcher on the market and one of the best in the league having ranked in the top eight for the Cy Young Award every year since 2020 and winning the award in 2021. Burnes threw to a satisfactory 2.92 ERA with 181 strikeouts over 194.1 innings last season. His career ERA stands at 3.19. Burnes’ pitching excellence is even more pronounced in the postseason where he owns a stellar 2.33 ERA in 27 innings.

The Blue Jays are reportedly already pursuing Burnes, even before Soto signed. This is a smart move for a team short on quality hurlers. With their Soto savings, the Blue Jays should easily be able to afford a new ace in Burnes.

1. Trade for Luis Robert Jr.

If the Blue Jays lineup is going to be transformed drastically in one move, their best bet seems to be Luis Robert Jr. When healthy, Robert has displayed true 5-tool player potential, though a healthy season has unfortunately been very elusive for the White Sox slugger. Robert hit for a .338 average in 2021 (275 at-bats), swatted 38 home runs in his only healthy year of 2023, stole 23 bases in 26 attempts in an injury- hampered 2024, and won a Gold Glove in 2020. The talent is clearly there, we just don’t get to see it very often.

Robert put up a slash line of .224/.278/.379 with 14 home runs through 393 at-bats in 2024. The clear risk is Robert’s injury-riddled track record. In addition, the Toronto farm system is rather shallow with only one prospect in the top 100. The bidding for Robert is very competitive. But if the Blue Jays can muster enough talent, they might land a game-changing player. Robert is under club control through 2027 and is slated to make $55 million in that time if his two club options are exercised.