Blue Jays news: Corbin Burnes offer, Luis Castillo interest, Anthony Santander update

This winter somehow got even more underwhelming for the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, as starting pitcher Corbin Burnes — Ross Atkins' new top target after whiffing on Juan Soto, Blake Snell, Max Fried, Teoscar Hernandez and even Gleyber Torres — became the latest big-name free agent to spurn the team's money to sign somewhere else. Now, Toronto is running out of both time and talented players available to prevent a crucial offseason from becoming an outright disaster.

Now that Burnes is off the table, where might Atkins turn as he tries to turn the Jays into contenders in 2025 — and convince Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to stick around for the long haul? There are still options available to Toronto, but as the latest from the rumor mill shows, it's going to be an uphill battle.

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Blue Jays were willing to go to record lengths to sign Corbin Burnes

You can say this for Atkins and the Blue Jays: They didn't lose out on Burnes for lack of trying, or lack of money. While we still don't know exactly what Toronto offered Burnes before he took a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, it sure seems like it was significant, with USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggesting that it was above and beyond the previous record for the largest contract in franchise history.

That number belongs to George Springer, who signed for $150 million back in 2021. While seven years and $250 million may be a bit of retroactive spin, multiple reports have confirmed that Burnes took less to sign with Arizona than he could've gotten elsewhere, and it sure seems like Toronto was one of those teams.

Blue Jays could pivot to Luis Castillo trade after whiffing on Corbin Burnes

So now that Burnes is off the board, what now? Just about every compelling free-agent option to upgrade Toronto's rotation has signed elsewhere, with only Jack Flaherty remaining on the market. If Atkins is willing to pivot to the trade market, however, that opens up some interesting fits — highlighted by Seattle Mariners righty Luis Castillo.

Awash in starting pitching depth but short on bats, the Mariners have been pretty open about at least listening to offers on Castillo all winter long. The 32-year-old is coming off a relatively down year, but he was still an above-average starter, and he's flashed Cy Young upside in the recent past. Plus, he comes with at least three more years of team control, awfully enticing for a Blue Jays team with precious few players under contract beyond 2026.

Toronto's farm system likely doesn't have enough assets to go toe-to-toe with, say, the Baltimore Orioles, should the O's decide to pivot to Castillo as well. But young infielders like Davis Schneider, Leo Jiménez and Will Wagner could be of interest to Seattle.

Angels could be Toronto's primary competition for Anthony Santander

Of course, the rotation is far from the only place this team needs help in 2025 and beyond. There are also several gaping holes in the Jays' lineup, especially in left field, and Toronto could really use a left-handed slugger to offer Guerrero Jr. some protection.

Those needs would seem to make former Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander an ideal fit. There's just one problem: The Blue Jays aren't alone in their interest in Santander, and one team in particular looms as a potential spoiler. According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, the Los Angeles Angels are a finalist for Santander along with Toronto, as Arte Moreno continues to throw money around in a vain attempt to remain competitive in 2025.

Mired in mediocrity as the Halos might be, they still offer the chance to play in Southern California, and they still have plenty of cash at their disposal. That's a dangerous combination, especially considering how reluctant players have been this offseason to come to Canada.