Blue Jays ready to be among the top spenders in baseball?

The Blue Jays front office have been one of the more aggressive teams when it comes to signing free agents over the last few years, and from the sound of things it’s possible that they’re far from done opening ownership’s chequebook.

We’ve already seen the Jays spend big over the last couple of offseasons on veteran stars like George Springer (6 years, 150 million), Kevin Gausman (5 years, 110 million), and an extension for Jose Berrios (7 years, 131 million), which has shifted the perception of the team from a fringe contender into a real problem. The front office has done an excellent job of building a talented core of in-house young stars, and gradually have supplemented that group with All-Star level veterans.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York post, the Blue Jays could continue to be one of the most aggressive teams once the lockout is over.

"“Perhaps more interesting, however, is Sherman’s suggestion that one theoretical Freeman suitor, the Blue Jays, has been given ownership approval for a “large increase in payroll” even after the additions of George Springer, Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios over the past year-plus. The Jays’ desire to add a left-handed bat to the mix isn’t exactly a new revelation; they reportedly pursued Corey Seager prior to his deal with the Rangers and have been speculatively tied to names like Kyle Schwarber and the since-retired Kyle Seager. The Jays were even linked to Freeman as far back as Nov. 30. More recently, Rosenthal said on Sportsnet that he expects the Jays to be involved on Freeman whenever the lockout lifts.”"

What does this mean exactly? It’s hard to say, but it’s very encouraging that ownership is reportedly ready to invest in this team, perhaps in a way we’ve never seen before in the baseball world north of the border.

The main name floating around the Blue Jays rumour mill these days is former NL MVP Freddie Freeman. The 32 year old is one of the better left-handed hitters in baseball, and from a purely offensive standpoint, his fit in Toronto would be nearly perfect. However, he’s spent the vast majority of his career at first base, which is a spot that’s currently occupied in Toronto by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and it’s hard to see that changing. Both players have some experience at third base, but I don’t know that we should expect to see them on opposite corners of the diamond in the same uniform, other than maybe the occasional start.

In order for Freeman to work in Toronto, chances are the Blue Jays would have to split his time with Vlad Jr. between first base and the designated hitter spot. That could fly, but the Blue Jays have shown they prefer to have some flexibility with the DH role, and that allowed them to keep George Springer in the lineup last year when he was unable to play defence.

After the Blue Jays were reportedly in on Corey Seager before he ultimately signed a 10-year, 325 million dollar pact with the Rangers, perhaps there’s a lot more than just smoke here. Hopefully the lockout can end sooner than later, because I know I’m not the only Blue Jays fan who is excited to find out.