Blue Jays trade idea could come with major repercussions for Ross Atkins

There might not be a single executive who faces more pressure this offseason than Ross Atkins. The Toronto Blue Jays had a wildly disappointing 2023 offseason which led to the team's fall from one that made the postseason to a last-place finisher in the AL East.

The pressure is on Atkins to turn things around quickly. If he doesn't, his job could be in serious jeopardy. Right now, the focus is on Atkins trying to will his team back to playing October baseball in 2025.

The Jays will certainly be active in free agency, and have already been linked heavily to Juan Soto - as unlikely as signing him may be. While adding offense is obviously important for a team that finished 23rd in runs scored and 26th in home runs last season, the lineup isn't the only area for Ross Atkins to address.

A big reason why Toronto fell off as much as it did was because its bullpen was an absolute mess. Some of that was due to injury, but injuries weren't the only reason that the Jays bullpen ranked dead last in fWAR and 29th in ERA. They were worse than the 121-loss Chicago White Sox in both categories. They ranked only ahead of the Colorado Rockies in bullpen ERA, and Colorado plays in altitude 81 times per season. The bullpen needs a complete overhaul.

There are some intriguing pieces available in free agency that the Jays should consider, but arguably the best reliever available could be had by trade - Devin Williams. With Williams entering his final year of club control, the Milwaukee Brewers have no choice but to listen to offers, as they did last offseason with Corbin Burnes. They'll want to keep him to start the season, but if an offer blows them away, don't be surprised if he's dealt.

There's no denying that Williams would make the Jays bullpen immensely better. Acquiring him could also come with major repercussions for Ross Atkins.

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Blue Jays trade idea would make difficult task that much tougher for Ross Atkins

Acquiring Williams for the 2025 season would be a no-brainer kind of decision for Ross Atkins to make, assuming the Jays have the assets needed to get a deal done. Despite a bit of an iffy postseason resume, Williams is as dominant of a reliever as there is in the game right now.

The one problem that comes with acquiring Williams is the fact that he's under control only for one season. He's set to hit free agency at the end of the 2025 campaign, making him nothing more than a rental.

Now, Williams being a free agent after the year doesn't mean he couldn't return to Toronto, but it makes things tricky, especially because the Jays' two best players, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, are set to become free agents after the year as well.

Plenty of doubt has already been cast on Toronto's chances of extending both Guerrero and Bichette on long-term deals. How likely is it that the Jays get all three of Guerrero, Bichette, and Williams locked in? Probably not very. In fact, since Atkins traded for him and wouldn't want him to be a rental, it's possible Williams could be prioritized over a player like Bichette, making his future in Toronto even murkier.

Adding Williams would help the 2025 Blue Jays a ton - there's no disputing that. It would also add many more questions about the future of this franchise. The Jays aren't in a decision to make major deals for rentals before getting an extension done with at least one of Guerrero or Bichette. Trying to win in 2025 is great, but the long-term future is important to keep in mind as well. Atkins would be doing anything but that by acquiring Williams. Acquiring Williams could risk one or two cornerstones departing after 2025, which would make the argument for keeping Atkins around tough to present.