The Blue Jays have been busy this offseason, but they’re still searching for that one big move to push them into clear playoff contention.
Toronto’s already made some solid additions, bringing in reliever Jeff Hoffman, outfielder Anthony Santander, and starter Max Scherzer. But they’ve been swimming in deeper waters too, pursuing game-changers like Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Roki Sasaki without landing any of them.
Now they’re eyeing Pete Alonso, the power-hitting first baseman who’s surprisingly still available. The former Met hasn’t found the nine-figure contract he’s looking for, and Toronto’s emerged as his strongest suitor outside New York.
The fit makes sense. Alonso’s got 226 homers over the past six seasons – exactly the kind of pop the Blue Jays’ lineup needs. While both he and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are first basemen, there’s room for both with the DH spot in play.
“Toronto has entered the chat in a big way over the past week,” writes Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report. “Though recent history tells us that when the Blue Jays start getting mentioned as one of the finalists for one of the most coveted free agents, it just means we’re getting close to that player finally signing with someone else.”
Miller’s predicting Alonso heads back to the Mets on a three-year, $75 million deal. That feels light for a player of his caliber, but it’s been that kind of market.
The Blue Jays could certainly top that number – they’ve got the resources. The question is whether they should. Alonso’s entering his age-29 season, and a decline in his early thirties could make a big contract look rough, especially if it somehow impacts their ability to keep Guerrero long-term.
That’s where things get tricky. Toronto needs another big bat to really compete in the AL East, but they’ve got to weigh the short-term boost against the long-term risks. They’re better than they were last year, but theres still work to be done if they want to hang with the division’s heavyweights.
