Dream rotation for the Blue Jays to win a World Series after losing Max Fried

The Toronto Blue Jays really want us to take them seriously in the AL East. Ross Atkins and the front office made an earnest attempt to sign Juan Soto, just as the Blue Jays did with Shohei Ohtani last winter. And, just like last winter, Toronto was spurned in favor of a more glamorous franchise with a more sustainable pathway to World Series contention.

On the surface, this Blue Jays team has what it takes to win some games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a bonafide MVP candidate. Bo Bichette ought to perform better than he did in 2024. Andres Giminez figures to help out in the infield. George Springer is a player. Toronto isn't too far off from respectability.

Obviously Juan Soto is out of the picture, but Atkins really needs to focus his efforts — and his funds — on equipping the pitching staff. Toronto has met with Corbin Burnes and other top free agents, which is promising, but until Atkins can actually deliver a meaningful upgrade (or several), fans will remain skeptical.

Max Fried was considered by many the best option left on the marketplace after Blake Snell went to the Dodgers. Well, Fried just inked an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees. That hurts Toronto on multiple levels — not least of all because $218 million is a metric ton of cash. The market is not kind to teams who are only half-serious about spending.

So, let's dare to dream and build out a more dependable rotation for next season.

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Toronto Blue Jays dream rotation after Max Fried spurs them for Yankees

This would involve a rather ambitious multi-step plan from Ross Atkins and the front office — and one that Toronto actually executes. So, again, we're using dream logic. This is not some impossible pipe dream, though. If the Blue Jays were willing to cough up $760 million for Juan Soto, this is more than within their budget.

Kevin Gausman struggled at times last season, but his stellar track record and strong finish should leave confidence in him as top ace. The next three-man run is comprised entirely of new faces, though. This is what the Blue Jays should be aiming for — the stars.

"But what about Corbin Burnes?"

I'll direct you back to Max Fried's EIGHT YEAR, $218 MILLION CONTRACT with the Yankees. If Fried gets north of $200 million, there's a nonzero chance Burnes starts pushing into the Gerrit Cole, Yoshinobu Yamamoto range. That is a lot for a 30-something pitcher with noticeable signs of imminent decline.

As such, I'd advise the Blue Jays to steer clear, so long as Atkins can formulate a viable alternative plan that brings ace-level stuff to Toronto's bullpen.

Garrett Crochet is the obvious next place to look. The Chicago White Sox are hoping to trade their 25-year-old All-Star, who is coming off a breakout season with a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts across 32 starts. The fireballing lefty is still on a team-friendly contract through 2026 and he has the potential to anchor this Blue Jays rotation for the next decade if all breaks right.

That leads us to Roki Sasaki, who is probably the shiniest gem in the remaining free agent pool. At 23 years old, Sasaki — recently posted by his Japanese club — cannot sign as a full-fledged pro. He will sign as an amateur international prospect, capping his annual earnings around $7 million out of the gate. Hey now! An ace on a bargain contract. That is what the Blue Jays should covet.

The one-two punch of Crochet and Sasaki has a chance to lead this Toronto team into the future. Sasaki might not want to operate in the shadow of fellow Japanese icons like Shohei Ohtani or Yu Darvish on the west coast. What about representing two countries at once — Japan and Canada? That's a cool opportunity. If the Blue Jays make a serious pitch and convince Sasaki of their grand ambition, there's no reason to believe he wouldn't consider a move north of the border.

Walker Buehler, fresh off his second World Series victory with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is the final leg of this three-step improvement plan. He'd be the most expensive of Toronto's upgrades in the short term, but his contract won't come remotely close to the Fried or Burnes tier of bidding.

It has been a few years since Buehler was 100 percent healthy, but he looked remarkably like his old self during the Dodgers' postseason run. At 30 years old, Buehler is a tremendous buy-low (or relatively low) candidate whose peak is as an All-Star, maybe even a fringe Cy Young candidate.

Round it out with a proven workhorse in Jose Berrios and an upstart Bowden Francis, and Toronto has depth and talent aplenty. This rotation would stack up with the very best in the American League on paper. So... why not?