In the final weeks before Opening Day, the consensus around baseball was that the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, or Toronto Blue Jays would represent the American League in the World Series.
Typically, we’d say “two out of three ain’t bad,” but the 66 percent in this situation refers to Seattle and Toronto each missing the playoffs. Injuries, most notably to pitchers Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber, ravaged the Blue Jays all season. Veterans hinted that manager John Schneider had lost the clubhouse, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s shocking regression has raised significant questions about whether he’ll regain his MVP-caliber form.
“Stuff pops up over the course of the year and guys are a little bit older,” Schneider said earlier this week. “Trey’s was weird with the knee and you can’t really put a finger on why. This was a year that was very, very unfortunate for a lot of guys at the same time.”
As of publication, the Blue Jays hadn’t announced Schneider’s status for 2027. We nonetheless expect several notable changes this coming offseason, especially regarding older players who won’t be of much help down the road.
Ernie Clement, 2B/IF
Hot take! Yes, we know that Clement led the AL in All-Star votes this summer, and he deserves kudos for turning his career around in Toronto. That said, the Blue Jays only owe so much loyalty to a utility infielder who turns 31 next March and has two years of team control left.
Clement is a fan favorite, and he’s also hitting just .209 with a .509 OPS in 230 second-half plate appearances. Both things can be true. Heck, both things are true!
Don’t get us wrong: We definitely see the value in keeping Clement around as a backup utilityman. But if the Blue Jays have an opportunity to get younger, we suggest they at least explore the idea.
Max Scherzer, P
We debated including Scherzer, given that he’s 42 and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2023. At this point, the only thing he’s really chasing is 3,500 strikeouts; he’s already won a World Series and is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, and he’s nowhere close to even hitting the 250-win mark.
If Scherzer returns for the 2027 season, we’re hesitant about the possibility of him finishing things out in Washington. Look, we love a reunion as much as anyone, but there’s no reason to think he’d be even a league-average starter.
Myles Straw, LF
Straw’s situation is simple: he turns 32 in October and has a .634 OPS. His best-case scenario is finding a team that’ll give him a one-year deal in the range of $3 million, though even that’s a tough ask.
But don’t dismiss Straw if he settles for a non-roster invite to spring training. There’s always a home for those players, especially the veterans who work an opt-out clause into their deal. We wouldn’t be shocked if he’s coming off the bench for a contender next summer.
And speaking of ex-Cleveland players set to hit free agency…
Shane Bieber, P
If Bieber returns to Toronto, then we imagine it’d be on an incentive-laden one-year deal. Then again, that’s probably the case for many of his possible destinations, considering that he’s thrown only 108 innings since the start of 2024. We’re not sure why any team would gamble and guarantee him something along the lines of $10 million with how much time he’s spent on the injured list.
By now, you know how this works. The Yankees or Dodgers will sign Bieber shortly before spring training, he’ll most likely make the Opening Day roster, and he’ll either be a solid back-of-the-rotation arm or someone who is off the team by June 1.
Bieber doesn’t have age working in his favor, either; he turns 32 next May and his 9.9 percent walk rate was easily the highest of his career before a season-ending elbow injury.
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