Blue Jays: Last offseason interests and how they are doing so far this year

This past offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays had three to four key players heading to free agency and the front office had reportedly been given the green light to spend from ownership, trying to improve upon the 91-71 finish the year prior that was just short of the playoffs.

Whether it was via trade or free agency, the Blue Jays were linked to numerous rumours for both pitchers and position players, who had the ability to make this lineup better overall to try and push for postseason glory.

By the time Opening Day rolled around, the Jays had signed Kevin Gausman, Yimi Garcia, Yusei Kikuchi, and David Phelps (MiLB deal) while also trading for Raimel Tapia and Matt Chapman, creating a stronger defensive presence while also letting Randal Grichuk play somewhere he will receive regular playing time, which was not guaranteed in Toronto.

Looking back, the Blue Jays found themselves entangled with quite a few different players, with some receiving a ‘kick at the tires’ check-in while others received legitimate offers, only to sign elsewhere before the season began.

Let’s take a look back at some of the players who stood out from amongst this group and how they are doing so far this year as we get past the quarter mark of the season

Marcus Semien

Signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Texas Rangers

Signing with the Jays on a one-year prove-it deal for the 2021 campaign, Marcus Semien became one of the top players in the league by the start of October. He finished third in AL MVP voting while adding an impressive 45 home runs and a .873 OPS, earning a Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger, and an All-Star appearance for his efforts.

The Blue Jays did attempt to extend Semien before the season was over but there was no way they were going to beat the seven-year pact the Rangers were willing to give him, and the seventh year was reportedly what got the deal done. A career year netted him a monster payday and the Blue Jays ended up with draft pick compensation as a result.

So far this season, Semien has struggled with his new club, sporting a .477 OPS while manning second base for the Rangers. He currently does not have a home run on the year and owns a .181 batting average along with some of the lowest percentiles across numerous offensive categories per Baseball Savant. While he did have a rough April with the Jays last year, the trend bucked off for Semien in May and it appears that he still hasn’t found a groove with his new club just yet, evidenced by -0.1 bWAR on the year.

It is obviously too early to consider whether this deal is a bust (given there are six more to go), but it looks like the initial reaction to this deal is not in a positive tone.

Steven Matz

Signed a four-year $44 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals

Acquired during the 2020/2021 offseason, Steven Matz bounced back from a rocky 2020 season that saw him pitch to career lows during the condensed campaign. The Jays would send a package of prospects to the New York Mets for Matz and the southpaw lasted one year with the Blue Jays, spinning a 3.82 ERA through 29 starts while posting a 1.334 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, and a 2.6 BB/9 while filling out the back end of the rotation.

The biggest question with the Blue Jays and Matz would be whether the club would extend him a qualifying offer, valued at $18.4 million for this season. The club decided to not extend him a QO but instead tried to extend him to a multi-year deal, with Matz rejecting the offer and turning towards free agency. The Mets were also in the hunt for his services but eventually, the St. Louis Cardinals won the battle, signing the New York product to a four-year, $44 million contract.

So far this season, Matz has struggled on the mound, pitching to a 6.03 ERA through nine starts. He has offered some really solid outings but has also been tagged for quite a few runs when he is off, like the seven-earned run affair during his first start of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Matz owns a 10.6 H/9 and has allowed 25 earned runs through 37.1 innings of work this season.

While the Blue Jays were in town to face the Cardinals earlier this week, Matz started Sunday’s game against the Pirates but left in the first inning after throwing just four pitches and was placed on the IL with a shoulder injury shortly after.

Robbie Ray

Signed a five-year, $115 million deal with the Seattle Mariners (opt-out after three)

After being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks midway through the 2020 campaign, left-hander Robbie Ray returned to the Blue Jays on a one-year deal and became one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League. The starting pitcher led numerous pitching categories in the AL like innings pitched (193.1), ERA (2.84), and strikeouts (248), which was actually league-leading (not just within the AL). He eventually finished the season with some hardware, taking home the AL Cy Young Award and geared up to cash in at free agency.

While it was reported that the Jays were interested in a reunion, Ray left the team and joined the Seattle Mariners on a five-year deal worth $115 million, which includes an opt-out after the third season. This also netted the Jays a compensation pick after he rejected the clubs qualifying offer prior to signing with the Mariners.

So far with his new club, Ray is also struggling to find his 2021 form. Through ten starts, he owns a 4.75 ERA and while he currently leads the league in innings pitched (60.2), his 10.09 K/9 is roughly one and a half points lower than what it was with the Jays last season. The Tennessee product has also struggled with the walks this year, boasting a 3.1 BB/9 compared to the 2.4 he put up last year.

Ultimately, it looks like the Jays and Ray were never destined to reunite, as the southpaw did not make the trip to Toronto when the Mariners rolled into town last week. While the Mariners did not address the reason why he wasn’t with the team, considering the former Cy Young winner would be subject to COVID-19 laws when entering the United States and Canada (that differed from last year), one can kind of assume why he wasn’t North of the border, especially after all the success he had with the Jays last season.

Freddie Freeman

Signed a six-year deal worth $162 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers

What initially started out as a conversation before the lockout turned into free agency pandemonium amongst the fanbase when it came to Freddie Freeman and the Blue Jays organization. Former MLB power hitter Carlos Baerga became the talk of the town when he predicted the former Atlanta Braves star would be taking his talents North of the border and the Blue Jays were reportedly very interested in the lefty slugger, along with the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ultimately, Freeman decided to head out West and signed a six-year deal with the Dodgers worth $162 million. While it would have been amazing to add his power-hitting left-handed bat to the Jays’ lineup along with his solid play at first base, the overall fit on the club didn’t make a lot of sense given the presence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the right side of the diamond. The two could have platooned the position along while switching out as the DH or Guerrero could have been pushed back to third base, a defensive predicament for the club given his past history at the position.

So far this year, Freeman is living up to his monster contract, owning a .899 OPS on the season while sitting in the high percentile in numerous offensive categories like xwOBA (97th percentile), xBA (93rd percentile), and xSLG (97th percentile). He is also tied for the lead with Matt Olson at 18 doubles so far while also adding four home runs and 28 RBI, which could have gone a long way for the Jays this season considering the RISP issues the club is having through the first two months of the season.

Corey Seager

Signed a 10-year, $325 million contract with the Texas Rangers

A bit of shocking revelation was made when Corey Seager decided to sign with the Texas Rangers. Not only were the Blue Jays interested in the premium shortstop, but the club was reportedly far along in discussions with the former Dodgers star before he signed with Texas.

It makes sense that Toronto was not willing to match the Rangers’ 10-year offer but it was interesting to see the Jays willing to talk with one of the top free agents on the market this offseason, confirming the front office was given the green light to spend if the opportunity arose.

If the Jays did bring Seager to Toronto, Bo Bichette would most likely be moving to second base to accommodate. Signing the North Carolina product would have also put financial pressure on the front office to extend Guerrero Jr. and Bichette, as both players will need hefty raises in the near future with other contracts like Jose Berrios, George Springer, and Kevin Gausman on the books for another five seasons.

However, Seager decided to head to the AL West and so far, the lefty batter is putting up some average stats that fair better than his counterpart Marcus Semien but falls short of a $300 million dollar man. Through 42 games, Seager sports a .700 OPS and 12 extra-base hits on the year. He is finding more power in the bat in Texas, already sporting eight home runs on the season when his previous career-high was back in 2016 when he belted out 26. He is also sporting a -2 bDRS on the left side of second base and has five errors on the year for a .969 fielding percentage.

Seiya Suzuki

Signed a five-year deal worth $85 million with the Chicago Cubs

While the Blue Jays explored the international free-agent market a few seasons ago with Shun Yamaguchi (when it comes to MLB-ready players), the front office was also reportedly interested in outfielder Seiya Suzuki this past offseason.

Posted by the Hiroshima Carp just prior to the lockout, Suzuki was regarded as a player ready to transition straight to the MLB stage, as the right fielder posted a .315/.414/.570 slash line through nine seasons in the NPB, adding 182 home runs, 562 RBI, and a .985 OPS.

Adding Suzuki would be a fun idea for this Jays squad but would have created even more of a logjam in the outfield, considering the core of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez, and George Springer along with Randal Grichuk (at the time) on the bench creating a difficult environment for regular playing time. The righty batter would eventually sign with the Chicago Cubs on a five-year deal worth $85 million while the Jays added Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer (with Grichuk heading to Colorado).

Considered a rookie, Suzuki has been productive at the plate, sporting a .776 OPS while adding four home runs and 21 RBI through 139 at-bats. While he is striking out a bit more than Cubs fans probably like (10th percentile in K%), he does work the count and has some power in the bat, evident by his 87th percentile BB% and 72nd percentile average exit velocity. In right field, Suzuki has one error through 319.0 innings while adding one assist.

Jose Ramirez

Signed a five-year extension with the Cleveland Guardians worth $124 million

One of the top infielders over the past few seasons, the small market Cleveland Guardians were gauging trade interest on their top player Jose Ramirez for most of the offseason. Right from the get-go, the Toronto Blue Jays were interested, as adding the switch-hitting third baseman would create one of the deadliest lineups in all of Major League Baseball.

This goes back all the way to the 2021 trade deadline, where a deal was lined up for Ramirez to come to Toronto but the Jays front office decided to look elsewhere due to the high price tag. The rumours were so wild that even after the Matt Chapman trade there were reports the Jays were interested in Ramirez to play second base.

While no trade ever materialized this past offseason with discussions reportedly looking like a combination of Alek Manoah, Gabriel Moreno, and/or Alejandro Kirk would need to be included, the Guardians pulled a 180 and got Ramirez to sign a long-term extension with the club, effectively ending any trade discussions with Ramirez leaving some money on the table to sign with the only team he has ever known rather than head to free agency in two years time.

Ramirez, as per usual, has been one of the top players in the game, currently sporting a 2.6 fWAR on the year while adding 1.002 OPS with three triples, 11 home runs, and 43 RBI, which currently leads all of the MLB. He has also walked more than he has struck out (23 vs. 14) and a .980 fielding percentage at third base this season, committing only two errors so far.

Chris Taylor

Re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a four-year deal worth $60 million

After a few seasons with the Seattle Mariners organization, utility player Chris Taylor found himself with the Los Angeles Dodgers and has found a home in California ever since being traded back in 2016.

As a member of the Dodgers prior to the 2021/2022 offseason, Taylor owned a .799 OPS while adding 79 home runs and 299 RBI through 657 games. While his .264 is solid enough on its own, Taylor is a versatile athlete that can play numerous positions across the diamond in a utility-type role that many teams covet but seldom own. Not only that, Taylor was coming off a strong 2021 campaign that saw him earn his first All-Star appearance.

The Dodgers offered the Virginia product a qualifying offer, which he rejected, and looked to cash in on the free-agent market. The Blue Jays did have some serious interest in the utility player but he ultimately returned to Los Angeles on a four-year, $60 million extension.

Through 40 games this season primarily suiting up in the outfield, Taylor owns a .261/.341/.462 slash line with 21 RBI and a .803 OPS. He has racked up 55 strikeouts on the year but has been hitting well when he gets the pitch he wants with his 81st percentile barrel %.

Jonathan Villar

Signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with a mutual option for a second season with the Chicago Cubs

It is safe to say that if you say the name Jonathan Villar around any Blue Jays fans, you might not receive the warmest of reactions.

Acquired by the Blue Jays as a late-season addition to the Blue Jays 2020 playoff push, the infielder struggled with his new club, routinely running into baserunning errors and struggling at the plate to a .481 OPS through 69 at-bats. It also looked like he quit on the team when he was pulled against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second game of the Wild Card, which rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way.

A year removed from his time with the Jays, Villar was back on the free-agent market this past offseason and the front office was apparently interested in a reunion. The club reportedly offered him a one-year, $6.5 million dollar deal that he ultimately did not accept and instead joined the Chicago Cubs on a one-year deal with a mutual option for a second season.

Villar is a versatile player who can play multiple positions and so far with the Cubs, he has done just that, splitting time between third base and shortstop with a few spot starts at second mixed in. His bat is still a work in progress, as he currently owns a .239 batting average on the season with two home runs and 12 RBI through 113 at-bats.

Kyle Schwarber

Signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on a four-year, $79 million deal

One of the top left-handed power bats on the open market this past offseason, it only made sense that the Blue Jays would be interested in Kyle Schwarber.

After being non-tendered by the Cubs two years ago, Schwarber found success last year with the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, earning a .928 OPS on the year while mashing 32 home runs with 71 RBI. The Blue Jays were considered front runners to land Schwarber, given the club needed some bats from the left side amongst their right-handed heavy lineup, as well as Schwarber’s ability to play first base, left field, and slot in as the DH.

When all was said and done, the Ohio product inked a four-year deal with the Phillies.

So far in 2022, the former Cubs’ top prospect has struggled to find any rhythm as a member of the Phillies, slashing .194/.308/.426 with a .734 OPS. His ten home runs have him tied for sixth in the National League and he is starting to turn around his slow start to the year, albeit still hitting below the Mendoza line and a ways away from his solid 2021 stats.

Noah Syndergaard

Signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels for $22 million

No stranger to the Blue Jays organization, right-hander Noah Syndergaard was in an interesting spot heading into the 2021/2022 offseason. Since being traded to the New York Mets in 2012 as part of the R.A. Dickey package, Thor has put up solid numbers when healthy. He missed all of the 2020 season and most of the 2021 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery while also missing time throughout his career due to various injuries. Overall with the Mets, Syndergaard earned a 3.32 ERA but only made 121 starts over six seasons and seven years with the club.

The Blue Jays’ front office was interested in a reunion with their former top prospect and were reportedly very close to re-signing him before he agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels, as it apparently came down to the Angels offering a bit more money when all was said and done.

With the Angels, Syndergaard has continued to pitch well, owning a 3.08 ERA through seven starts while adding a 1.079 WHIP through 38.0 innings. His strikeouts are on the lower side compared to his career average at 6.4 K/9 but he is throwing well, limiting opposing batters to a .231 batting average and keeping the walks in check, sitting in the 84th percentile when it comes to BB%.

It looks like it will net the right-hander a nice payday this upcoming offseason if he can stay par for the course, with the Blue Jays not scheduled to see him this upcoming road trip.

Justin Verlander

Re-signed with the Houston Astros on a two-year, $50 million contract which includes an opt-out

Similar to Syndergaard, right-hander Justin Verlander found himself in a peculiar spot heading into the offseason. He missed most of the 2020 and all of the 2021 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery and was heading into the upcoming season at 39 years old and a lot of question marks regarding his health and potential to return to form.

The Blue Jays cast a wide net this past offseason but many players decided to sign elsewhere. Let’s take a look at how they are doing so far this season.

The future Hall of Famer has a pretty impressive career that includes two Cy Young awards, One MVP award, the Pitching Triple Crown, a World Series ring, and eight All-Star nominations through 16 seasons in the MLB. A member of the Houston Astros since being traded at the 2017 deadline, Verlander reportedly wanted to sign with a team that had a training complex in Florida, which boded well for the Blue Jays who recently upgraded their facilities down in Dunedin, Florida. Verlander had other plans though, and he decided to re-sign with the Houston Astros on a two-year, $50 million contract.

If there were any questions about his health or any potential backstep after the Tommy John surgery, the Virginia product is definitely shushing any doubters with his impressive start to the campaign.

Through eight starts, Verlander is currently tied with Dodgers starter Walker Buehler with six wins on the season and boasts the lowest starting pitcher ERA across all MLB at 1.22. His 0.72 WHIP is also league-leading at this time and sits high in many of the pitching percentiles featured on Baseball Savant, as the long-time Detroit Tigers pitcher has not allowed an earned run over his last three starts through 19.0 innings and is an early Cy Young favourite a quarter way through the season.

Kris Bryant

Signed a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Colorado Rockies

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 18th round back in 2010, Kris Bryant and the Jays knew the top-ranked prep-star would be heading to college unless he was drafted in the higher rounds, and thus the two sides never agreed on a deal (or really spoke to each other for the matter).

He eventually went second overall a few years later to the Chicago Cubs and became a household name, earning the 2015 Rookie of the Year award, 2016 MVP award, and a World Series ring while breaking the Cubs championship curse at the same time. In Chicago, Bryant earned a .886 OPS with 160 home runs, 465 RBI, and a .508 slugging percentage before being traded at the 2021 deadline to the San Francisco Giants.

Bryant was one of the more tempting options for teams this past offseason, as he had the pedigree, was able to play both the infield and corner outfield positions, and was also not attached to a qualifying offer after being traded midway through the previous season. While the Jays were reportedly interested in the former Cubs star, Bryant surprised quite a few around the league when he agreed to a long-term deal with the Colorado Rockies, an organization that recently traded superstar Nolan Arenado after he agreed to a long-term deal back in 2019 in what is arguably one of the most one-sided trades in recent history (not for the Rockies).

In 2022, Bryant is not off to a great start with his new club, as the former top prospect has only suited up in 17 games due to various injuries and recently went back to the IL due to a back strain. Through 63 at-bats, the former MVP has zero home runs, four doubles, and four RBI while sporting a .676 OPS with 15 strikeouts while in left field for the Rockies.

Joc Pederson

The Blue Jays reportedly offered Joc Pederson a contract this offseason but the former Dodgers outfielder decided to sign a one-year, $6 million contract with the San Francisco Giants instead. This season, Pederson has appeared in 35 games and owns a .937 OPS on the year, adding 11 home runs and 24 RBI. He most recently played the hero against the New York Mets earlier this week when he clubbed three home runs and drove in eight in a 13-12 affair with the Giants earning the win.

Brad Miller

Another player the Jays front office apparently offered a contract to this offseason, Brad Miller decided to sign a two-year deal with the Texas Rangers worth $10 million. Miller is seeing some more game action with the Rangers than he probably would have if he signed with the Blue Jays, already having 106 at-bats on the year while amassing a .220/.265/.4394 slash line with a .659 OPS.

You may remember Miller being an absolute buzzkill during the Jays’ home opener, leading off the game with a solo home run off Jose Berrios that silenced the crowd pretty quickly.

Andrew Heaney

Regarded as the type of player to bounce back like Robbie Ray did last year with the Jays, southpaw Andrew Heaney had his fair share of suitors this offseason, including the Toronto Blue Jays. Heaney became one of the first players off the market when he signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $8.5 million ($500K more than what the Jays signed Ray to the offseason prior).

The left-hander has only made two starts this season before going on the IL in mid-April due to shoulder discomfort. He is close to a return and will hopefully continue to pitch as he did before the IL stint; through 10.1 innings he has yet to allow an earned run while striking out 16 batters compared to four hits allowed.