Toronto Blue Jays: Four Keys To A Successful Offseason

Contingency Plans

Obviously, in a perfect world, the Blue Jays would be able to retain Ray, Semien, and Matz. I’m not saying that won’t happen but the amount of money it will take could make that difficult.

Either way, the Jays need to be prepared if one or more of these players signs elsewhere. In the pitching department, I’ll throw out a couple of familiar names that the team could potentially at least kick the tires on.

Marcus Stroman had an up-and-down, five-year run in Toronto. It ended in 2019 when he was shipped to the Mets in exchange for Simeon Woods-Richardson and Anthony Kay. He’s coming off a solid 2021 campaign and will be a free agent.

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Noah Syndergaard was once in the Blue Jays organization but was traded away in the R.A Dickey deal prior to the disappointing 2013 season. He’s gone on to have success in New York but has had a hard time staying on the field as well.

He’s also a pending free agent and the fact that he’s only thrown two big league innings since 2019 could decrease his market value. He’s still young enough to bounce back, but that injury history won’t help his cause.

If Semien defects it will be a stinging blow. The Jays could attempt to rebound by pursuing Javier Baez, Trevor Story, and Corey Seager. However, all of those guys are primarily shortstops. Another cheaper option that wouldn’t require a position change? How about Josh Harrison, who could also play third base.