Who could surprise us? Under-the-radar free agents the Blue Jays should target

The Toronto Blue Jays are heavily involved in the "Juan Soto sweepstakes" much like they were involved in the "Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes" last winter. But they are fighting quite an uphill battle to sign the free agent and former New York Yankees superstar. Both the Yankees and the New York Mets have a much better chance to land Soto than Toronto does.

But the Blue Jays offseason doesn't depend on Soto and Soto alone. They have backup options they could fall back on. They have a lot of money to spend and plenty of great options to spend it on. But the Blue Jays front office could also explore some of the under-the-radar options in free agency by looking to sign a few players that nobody has connected to them just yet.

Which players could the Blue Jays sign this offseason to shock the baseball world?

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3. RHP Kirby Yates

The Blue Jays, much like the other top contenders in the league, could use some additional bullpen help. Toronto has a few solid options in their bullpen, but they don't really have an elite closer. When you're playing in the loaded AL East with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, you cannot afford to lose the games that you're leading in the ninth inning.

One way for the Blue Jays to upgrade their bullpen is to sign one of the many talented closers on the market. Players like Carlos Estevez and Tanner Scott are both free agents, but they're expected to land huge paydays. Toronto will be smart with their money, as they're still pursuing the big players this winter. They could opt for a veteran closer like Kirby Yates, who's expected to sign a one-year deal that won't tie Toronto up long-term.

Yates was one of the best relievers in the game in 2024, posting an ERA near 1.00 for the Texas Rangers. He would slot in very well for Toronto if the team is looking to add an elite arm for cheap.

2. RHP Walker Buehler

While looking at the Blue Jays, it's obvious they could use one or two starting pitchers to complement the rotation they already have. But spending big money on a pitcher like Corbin Burnes might not make the most sense. While signing Burnes would obviously help the team, Toronto would be better off spreading that money around and opting for a much cheaper pitcher. One of the better cheap pitchers on the market is the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series hero, Walker Buehler.

Buehler struggled for a good chunk of the 2024 season as he never found his rhythm while recovering from an injury. But as the season pushed on, he looked a bit more comfortable out there, capped off when the Dodgers trusted him to secure the final outs of the World Series on short rest. If that decision doesn't prove the kind of pitcher that Buehler is, I don't know a better way to describe it.

The righty is likely looking for a shorter deal where he can prove that his injuries are a non-issue before securing a long-term contract a few years from now. The Blue Jays could afford to take a shot on a two-year, $20 million deal to Buehler to lock down the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation.

1. OF Jurickson Profar

The Blue Jays have a hole in the outfield that they're looking to fill with Soto. Obviously, Soto is the player that would help the most while also helping the team for the next 15 years. It's why they're willing to pay the man north of $600 million this winter. But if they don't land Soto, they need backup plans.

The first, obvious, backup plan would be former Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez coming home and slotting into their outfield. This is a connection often made and it wouldn't really shock anybody.

The shocking move would be if the Blue Jays were to go off-script and steal breakout outfielder Jurickson Profar away from his ideal home in San Diego as a member of the San Diego Padres. Profar had a great 2024 season where he slashed .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs while securing a few MVP votes.

He's expected to land a sizeable deal this winter, but it's nothing the Blue Jays couldn't pay. If Toronto wants to take the most shocking pivot off Soto, they have the chance to pivot to Profar and shock the baseball world while adding quite the talented outfielder.