It sure sounds like the Blue Jays are in for another frustrating free agency

The Toronto Blue Jays emerged as legitimate threats to sign Shohei Ohtani last offseason but fell just short, losing out on him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. That miss wound up sparking what ended up being a disastrous 2024 campaign. The Jays did little to nothing over the offseason and finished the regular season with a 74-88 record - finishing last in the AL East.

As frustrating as this past season was, Ross Atkins has an opportunity to make up for it by crushing the 2024 offseason. The Jays roster has a ton of holes, but with several high-end free agents available and a lot of money at his disposal, Atkins has a chance to help this team rebound in a big way.

While the Jays have been heavily mentioned in rumors for just about any high-end free agent, it sounds like they're headed for another disappointing offseason based on the latest reporting from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, and it all starts with Juan Soto.

"The Blue Jays could be the sleeper, but with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette eligible for free agency in a year, Toronto would have to dramatically beat the Mets' offer to have a prayer," Nightengale wrote.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Blue Jays appear to be set up for another wildly disappointing offseason

The Jays are in the thick of the mix to sign Soto, one of the best players in all of baseball, but Nightengale reports that they'd have to dramatically outbid the New York Mets to even have a chance. If the Jays dramatically outbid the field, then sure, he could be a Blue Jay. If they simply match offers or even barely beat the top offer, it sounds like Soto will pass on the opportunity to come to Toronto. The inexcusable lack of extensions for Bo Bichette and especially Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is part of why they'd have to spend as much as they will to have Soto consider them.

As disappointing as it is that the Jays are unlikely to sign Soto, that was always the expectation. Fortunately, there are alternatives out there. The problem, though, is that the Jays don't appear to be in the best position to sign them, either according to Nightengale.

"They will have to make easily the highest offer if they’re successful in landing in Burnes or Fried, along with outfielder Anthony Santander, whom they badly covet."

If the Blue Jays want to pivot from missing out on Soto by signing high-end options like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, or Anthony Santander, they'd have to make 'easily' the highest offer. Essentially, their options this winter will be to either give a free agent not named Juan Soto a contract that they'll likely regret in the long run just to try and be competitive in 2025, or let all of the high-end free agents sign elsewhere and field an uncompetitive team. Not exactly an ideal position to be in.

Would a Guerrero extension help? Perhaps not, but it can't hurt. Barring that, it's hard to see how this offseason is a successful one for the Jays, which, with Ross Atkins' job likely on the line, would be a disaster.