The days of the Toronto Blue Jays playing second fiddle to free agents sure appear to be over, as Dylan Cease agreed to a seven-year, $210 million deal to come north of the border on Wednesday. The deal might be considered a bit of an overpay, but Cease, at his best, is really tough to hit, and gives the Jays' rotation a major boost. The best part about this move is that it feels like the Jays are nowhere near done this winter.
The Jays have money to spend, and are motivated to spend it in their pursuit of winning the World Series in 2026. Their aggressive mentality could result in Toronto landing any of these five big free agents.
Devin Williams, RP
The biggest weakness for the Blue Jays in 2025 was their bullpen. They made it to Game 7 of the World Series in spite of their bullpen woes, but for them to finish the job in 2026, they're going to have to improve the bullpen. Signing Devin Williams would go a long way towards doing that.
Sure, Williams had a 4.79 ERA, but as is the case with Cease, ERA does not tell the whole story. He had a 2.68 FIP, proving to be one of the unluckiest pitchers in the sport. Williams had a 2.11 E-F (ERA-FIP), the third-highest in the league for pitchers with at least 60 innings of work. Cease had a 1.00 E-F, the fourth-highest among qualified starters. If the Jays were willing to bet on Cease, chances are, they'll realize Williams' ERA was an outlier, and he was closer to his usual dominant self.
Williams would be a substantial upgrade over Jeff Hoffman and Co., and stealing him away from the New York Yankees would make it a much sweeter addition.
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Kyle Schwarber, DH
If the Blue Jays really want to get creative, they'll consider signing Kyle Schwarber. Giving a 32-year-old DH the kind of massive deal he's likely to receive might not age well, but the Jays are in win-now mode, and Schwarber would make this offense much scarier.
His fit isn't perfect on paper, given the fact that he doesn't play the field, but they can still make it work by slotting George Springer in the outfield alongside Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander. I'm not sure whether the Jays would want to add a full-time DH, knowing that Springer is getting older and Santander is coming off an injury-riddled season, but when considering how potent a hitter Schwarber is, it should be considered.
Schwarber just hit 56 home runs and finished second in the NL MVP balloting. Even if the team's defense gets worse, adding his bat to that lineup would make them that much tougher to pitch to. Imagine dealing with a trio of Springer, Schwarber and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to start a postseason game. Good luck.
Edwin Diaz, RP
Devin Williams might be the best bang-for-your-buck reliever out there, but Edwin Diaz is unequivocally the best reliever in free agency, if not the sport as a whole. Diaz posted a 1.63 ERA in 62 appearances for the New York Mets this past season, making the All-Star team and winning his third Reliever of the Year award. His 2024 campaign was a bit rocky coming off a lost 2023 season due to injury, but in 2025, Diaz proved that he's as dominant as ever.
Admittedly, meeting Diaz's lavish demands might be too much to ask for, considering how volatile relievers can be, the fact that they'd have to part with additional compensation after Diaz rejected the qualifying offer, and the fact that he'll be 32 years old by Opening Day, but if the Jays are hellbent on improving their bullpen, there isn't a better option out there than Diaz. They've even been connected to Diaz this offseason.
Signing him would be yet another massive statement.
Bo Bichette, INF
There isn't a free agent that Blue Jays fans want more than Bo Bichette, and it isn't hard to see why. Bichette has spent his entire seven-year career with the Blue Jays, he has stated his desire to remain in Toronto alongside Guerrero for the remainder of his career, and he's coming off an outstanding year in 2025. Bichette slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI in 139 games. Despite missing much of September due to injury, Bichette finished tied for second in the majors in hits.
The questions about his defense are valid, but the Jays can simply slide him over to second base, where he's probably better than he is at shortstop. Plus, even if his defense lacks a bit, can they really afford to lose his bat? Not only is he a hit machine, but he has three 20+ home run seasons, and his .381 average led the majors with runners in scoring position. He's an excellent run producer.
Bichette is a fan favorite and a star player. Letting him go would be heartbreaking on multiple fronts.
Kyle Tucker, OF
Bichette has the sentimental factor, and that can't be ignored, but Kyle Tucker is the best player available in free agency. He's also going to be paid like it. Whether the Jays would be open to committing $300+ million to Tucker after giving $210 million to Cease remains to be seen, but this might make them prohibitive favorites to win it all.
Tucker finished his season poorly, but still ended the year with a 143 OPS+ and won the Silver Slugger award. When he was fully healthy in the first half, he was in the MVP conversation. When Tucker is healthy, he's an MVP-caliber player who fits perfectly in Toronto. Pairing him with Guerrero would keep the Jays in contention annually for the next decade.
Say what you want about how good the Los Angeles Dodgers are, but the Jays had them on the ropes before blowing Game 6 and 7. Going from that to adding Cease and Tucker might be what puts them over the top. Given how aggressive the Jays are, we cannot rule it out, as expensive as it'd be.