Blue Jays: Former players on the open market this offseason

There are a plethora of former Toronto Blue Jays players who have hit the free-agent open market this offseason in search of a new contract.

The Blue Jays have a handful of in-house free agents they have to make decisions on that suited up for the squad in 2020. The likes of Taijuan Walker, Matt Shoemaker, Ken Giles, Robbie Ray, Anthony Bass, Jonathan Villar, and Joe Panik are all free to choose their own destiny this offseason.

However, there are also a ton of former Blue Jays who will hit the open market in search of a new employer this offseason. The most talked-about free agent is obviously Marcus Stroman but we have discussed him ad nauseam of late, so I will forego any further discussion about the hurler.

Familiar faces such as Kevin Pillar, Justin Smoak, Freddy Galvis, and J.A. Happ all will be in search of new deals this offseason. Pillar signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox but was then shipped to the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline. Pillar ended up hitting .288/.336/.462 with six homers and five stolen bases in 54 games.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King
• Toronto Blue Jays: Has the Shift Killed Kevin Gausman’s 2022 Cy Young Hopes?
• Blue Jays: What Yusei Kikuchi’s latest stumble should mean

Smoak signed with the Milwaukee Brewers this past offseason but was released in September after the team added Daniel Vogelbach. Smoak latched on three days later with the San Francisco Giants, however, that was short-lived as the Giants gave him his walking papers 13 days later. The 33-year old struggled to hit just .176 with five homers in 36 games this season.

Galvis has spent the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds hitting .220/.308/.404 with seven homers in 47 games. Happ rebounded of sorts this season going 2-2 with a respectable 3.47 earned run average in nine games, far better than the inflated 4.91 earned run average he posted in 2019 with the New York Yankees.

World Series representative Aaron Loup is a free agent at the conclusion of the postseason. Loup accumulated an impressive 2.52 earned run average in his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Jeff Mathis, Eric Sogard, Jake Marisnick, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jesse Chavez, Tyler Clippard, Liam Hendriks, and Jeremy Jeffress also will all be available for the taking this offseason. Hendriks has established himself as one of the premier closers in the league over the past two seasons.

Former players who have either club or mutual options include Edwin Encarnacion, Eric Thames, and David Phelps. Any of the three could become free agents should their options be declined by their respective clubs.

Would you like to see any of these players return north of the border for a reunion with the Blue Jays? Let us know below in the comments.