3 Blue Jays who deserve long-term contracts right now

Trey Yesavage, Daulton Varsho, and Addison Barger all had different levels of success this season but all of them deserve a chance to come to the table and talk numbers with the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason. After an incredible run to the World Series, all three of them had big moments in the postseason that could extend their tenures with the Blue Jays for a long time.

While Yesavage and Barger are nowhere near their free agency dates, the Blue Jays could save themselves a lot of second guessing down the road by giving each of these guys a long term deal today.

3 Blue Jays who deserve long-term contracts right now

Starting with Yesavage, there aren't a lot of comparable's as it's rare young pitchers sign extensions so early. A few examples include Chris Archer who signed an eight-year deal in April 2014 after only 29 major league appearances. He debuted in 2012 and pitched in 23 games in 2013 before signing the deal that had a maximum value of $43.75 million and a guaranteed value of $25.5 million.

But pitchers and young arms are unfortunately fleeting and that's why a lot of them don't get those long term deals until they hit free agency, Archer's brief success being exhibit A. The Blue Jays also recently had a "pitcher of the future" who was released earlier this season, Alek Manoah. Manoah burst onto the scene in 2021 and was a Cy Young finalist in 2022, but injuries and inconsistencies quickly caught up and he is now a member of the Atlanta Braves.

Regardless, Yesavage feels like a good investment to make for the Blue Jays. He landed a $4.1 million signing bonus after being drafted in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft, so what's a couple million more? He's scheduled to earn $820,000 for the 2026 season and if he has the year he is expected to have, he could be one of the best dollar for value players in the league.

If the Blue Jays give him an eight-year deal that kicks in, in 2027 it would buy out all of his arbitration years, plus his first three years of free agency. Yesavage would hit the open market at 31 years old instead of at 29. The only current starting pitcher the Blue Jays have signed beyond 2026 is José Berrios so Toronto could look to lock in Yesavage to have at least one more foundational rotation piece taken care of.

Barger will hit free agency in 2031, when he turns 32-years-old, which means he could already be past his prime or only have a few more productive years left. At 26-years-old right now, these next three of four years when he is arbitration eligible could be the most productive years of his career and by taking him to arbitration every season, the Blue Jays once again could be getting a ton of dollar per value with Barger.

But the Blue Jays have long valued positional flexibility and have long needed power production. As a left handed batter who hit 21 home runs and has an above average arm that can play at both third and in right field, Barger is the prototypical player the Blue Jays have said they want to have on their roster.

Barger probably doesn't project to be a guy who will command a massive yearly salary, but could end up anywhere in the $11-$20 AAV range at some point in his career. Toronto could look at building a deal that keeps him on the team a bit past his first foray into free agency, while having a solid number on what he's owed instead of waiting for the arbitration numbers to come through.

Lastly, there is Varsho whose arbitration number is projected at $9.7 million. Varsho doesn't qualify as a young guy who the Blue Jays should sign to get the most out of in his prime years as the centre fielder will be 30-years-old next season. However, both Varsho and George Springer are set to hit the open market at season's end and that would leave the Blue Jays in a bit of hole and the Blue Jays farm system isn't currently overloaded with young outfield prospects.

Varsho's superb defence is almost worth a contract extension alone, but the emergence of his power stroke (he hit 20 home runs in 71 games when healthy) is intriguing enough that the Blue Jays could gamble on Varsho's first few years into his 30's. A five-year deal with an AAV of around $11 million could end up being a steal if Varsho continues to produce on both sides of the ball.