Blue Jays could whiff on big free agent they've been waiting for thanks to Roki Sasaki distraction

The Toronto Blue Jays shocked the baseball world earlier this week, when the team not only earned a last-minute visit from prized free agent Roki Sasaki but were later confirmed to be one of just three finalists for his services. After an offseason in the wilderness, where dreams of Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes slowly gave way to the looming nightmare of losing Vladimir Guerrero Jr., this seemed like exactly the sort of break Ross Atkins needed to turn the vibes around — a frontline starter at minimal cost who'd be around long enough to see the team into a new era.

But while we hate to be the bearers of bad news, let's get real for a second: There's no actual way that Sasaki signs with the Jays, right? Even before he posted last month, this has been a two-team race between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres ... who, surprise surprise, just so happen to be the other two finalists named this week. Did the Blue Jays — a team that finished in the AL East and doesn't exactly have a sterling track record when it comes to developing homegrown pitchers — really manage to wow Sasaki on the merits, or is this just a ploy to make it seem like the righty's free agency seems like more of an open competition than it really is? Toronto has seen this movie before, and it should know how it ends.

All of which would be fine in a vacuum; even if it's a long shot, Sasaki is a singular opportunity. But the Jays are running out of time to salvage this offseason and convince Guerrero Jr. that he should sign a long-term extension. The only way to do that is to, you know, actually sign impact talent, and now it seems like the Sasaki circus might be costing the Jays their best chance of doing just that.

Cubs could swoop in for Alex Bregman amid Blue Jays' futile pursuit of Roki Sasaki

While the free agent and trade markets have been thinned out by this point in the winter, there remains one obvious fit for Toronto still on the board: former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, a two-way star with championship track record who just so happens to play one of the Jays' biggest positions of need. It's no wonder that, before the team's Sasaki pursuit really cranked up, Bregman was the player they were most frequently linked to; if you want to make the case to Vladdy that you're trending in the right direction, giving him a running mate with two World Series rings can't hurt.

But while Atkins and Co. have been busy courting Sasaki, another team has been circling Bregman: the Chicago Cubs, who are looking for any infielder as the final piece of what they hope to be a championship puzzle. Ever-conscious of the luxury tax, Chicago wasn't in on Bregman when his asking price was nearing $200 million. But as Spring Training nears, he and other Scott Boras clients have begun considering a shorter-term deal at a higher average annual value, a quick cash-in before hitting the market again. And that's put the Cubs back in play, according to a report from 670 The Score's Bruce Levine:

"Recently, powerful agent Scott Boras, who represents Bregman, had casual discussions with the Cubs, who aren’t interested in a long-term contract. For Bregman, the framework of a potential deal with the Cubs could look like a three-year contract with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons."

As if the acquisition of pending free agent Kyle Tucker didn't make that clear enough, the Cubs are all-in on 2025, and landing Bregman on a deal like this would be a huge boost that still preserved the team's financial flexibility for the future. If the Jays want to avoid losing out, they're going to have to bring a serious offer to the table, one that will give Bregman no choice but to say yes. Right now, though, it appears Atkins is putting all his eggs in a basket that's about to go bust.