Ross Atkins signing Santander shouldn’t make Blue Jays fans forget the real goal

The Toronto Blue Jays finally made a free agency splash over the weekend, signing Anthony Santander to a five-year contract worth more than $90 million. It was a long overdue victory for Ross Atkins, who has struggled to land the plane with Toronto's various big-ticket pursuits this winter.

Famously, the Blue Jays were in the mix for Juan Soto before his decision to join the Mets. Toronto needed another slugging threat. Santander obviously won't offer as complete an offensive profile as Soto, but he's coming off a 44-home run, 102-RBI campaign. The 30-year-old was a first-time All-Star last season and occupied an important role in the young Orioles clubhouse.

There is no doubt that Santander can and will help the Blue Jays. He's an ideal switch-hitting power threat to protect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. near the top of the lineup. That said, Atkins cannot get complacent after landing Santander.

With all due respect to Toronto's new outfielder, there's a reason he waited until long after Soto and other top free agents set the market. Santander does not occupy the upper echelon of stardom. He's an explosive power bat, but his .308 OBP last season was Santander's lowest since 2019, when he appeared in just 93 games.

Santander is a great complement to Guerrero and Toronto's core. That said, if the Blue Jays can't extend Guerrero, this offseason feels like a bust.

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Blue Jays need to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to justify Anthony Santander signing

Toronto has made its desire to field a contender abundantly clear. Few teams have threatened to spend so aggressively this winter. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, it has been difficult for the Blue Jays to actually push needle-moving additions over the finish line. Santander joins top reliever Jeff Hoffman as Toronto's biggest offseason prizes. Santander and Hoffman alone probably don't vault the Blue Jays ahead of, say, the Yankees.

Santander is a prolific cleanup bat, but he can't be the focal point of Toronto's lineup. The Blue Jays' top priority is therefore extending Guerrero, who appears open to a deal in the right tax bracket. The gulf between Toronto and Guerrero is troubling (he's a free agent next winter and the market has exploded in recent years), but his well-documented affection for the organization gives the Blue Jays hope. It also gives the fandom something to cling to.

If Guerrero walks in a year (or gets dumped for prospects in a couple months), this Santander signing is going to land with a dull thud. The deferred money on his contract makes it a strong value, but it's all in service of 70 wins and another free agency gambit unless Toronto can keep its entire star apparatus in tact.

We already know Bo Bichette is out the door as soon possible. Guerrero is the white whale, though, and he's already in Toronto's harbor. The Blue Jays need to keep him from leaving. It will take an extraordinary investment, but that's the price for extraordinary talent. If Toronto was willing to run up the bill on Juan Soto, there's frankly no excuse for cheaping out on Guerrero, who slashed .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI in his age-25 season.

Atkins can save his job and finally earn the confidence of Blue Jays fans across the globe with a single move. He needs to get Guerrero's signature on the dotted line before spring training. If that does not happen, just know Toronto is still hurling toward oblivion.