3 contracts the Blue Jays need to get more value from in 2026

One of the biggest reasons for the Toronto Blue Jays' success in 2025 was how almost every member of the roster showed up in a big way for the team. However, there were some players who disappointed, relative to their contracts. Whether it was due to injury, struggles ,or just a down year, here are three players the Blue Jays need more value from in 2026.

3 contracts the Blue Jays need to get more value from in 2026

1. Anthony Santander: Five years, $92.5 million (UFA in 2031)

Last offseason, the Blue Jays signed outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year $92 million deal. At the time, it seemed like Santander would be a big asset for the Blue Jays. He was coming off an All-Star season with the Baltimore Orioles, during which he hit 44 home runs and had an .814 OPS.

While 2024 was a breakout year for Santander, he'd consistently shown the ability to hit for power. From 2019 to 2023, he hit at least 20 home runs in three of the five seasons. The only exceptions were in the shortened 2020 season, when he hit 11 in 37 games, and in 2021, when he hit 18.

It's hard to imagine a worse year for Santander. He played only 54 regular-season games, during which he batted .175 with six home runs and a .565 OPS. Santander missed three months with a shoulder injury. He returned for the final four games of the regular season, and then continued to struggle in the postseason.

He had three hits, all singles, in 15 at-bats. Perhaps the reason for his struggles was that he was still injured. Santander was removed from the Blue Jays' ALCS roster ahead of Game 4 against the Seattle Mariners due to lower back inflammation which effectively ended his season.

The Blue Jays are banking on 2025 being an outlier for Santander. Statistically, it was his worst season since entering MLB, but he was also rattled by injuries. With an offseason to recover, perhaps Santander will come back next season looking a little more like himself

2. José Berrios: Seven years, $131 million (UFA in 2029)

There were a lot of questions surrounding José Berrios at the end of the regular season and during the Blue Jays' postseason run. He was moved into the Blue Jays bullpen during the final week of the regular season; however, he only made one appearance out of the pen during Toronto's 7-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on September 24, giving up three earned runs.

He was then placed on the injured list for the first time in his MLB career due to elbow inflammation. Berrios would not return during the postseason, nor was he with the team during the World Series. While his absence during the Fall Classic raised questions, GM Ross Atkins assured the media that "Everything is fine," during his end-of-season media availability.

Berrios' injury struggles at the end of the season may help explain why 2025 was a disappointing year for him. After he was moved to the IL, manager John Schneider told reporters that Berrios had been dealing with the issue "for a while."

Berrios began the year as the Blue Jays' opening day starter, but gave up six runs in a 12-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Across 30 starts and one bullpen appearance, Berrios had a 4.17 ERA. That's his third-highest ERA during his MLB career, only behind his rookie season in 2016 (8.02), and 2022 (5.23), when he led the league in hits and earned runs.

Like Santander, Berrios' struggles in 2025 could be explained by injury. However, it will be interesting to see how he fits into the Blue Jays' rotation after the recent acquisition of Dylan Cease.

3. Andrés Giménez: Seven years, $106.5 million (UFA in 2031)

Despite two separate stints on the IL in 2025, Andrés Giménez was as injury-hampered as Santander and Berrios. He played in 101 games during the regular season and every game during the postseason.

Offensively, Giménez struggled. His batting average of .210 was a career low and well below his career average of .253. He also had career lows in OPS (.598) and slugging (.313) and hit just five home runs during the regular season, three of which came during the first five games.

Giménez's bat isn't what makes him valuable to the Blue Jays. He's a three-time Gold Glove winner at second base and was nominated for a fourth in 2025. Defensively, it doesn't get much better. He also transitioned well to shortstop when Bo Bichette suffered a knee injury at the end of the regular season.

While Giménez's first season with the Blue Jays wasn't his best, there's a lot to be optimistic about. He's got one of the best gloves in the league. While his batting may be his weakness, he still showed up for the Blue Jays in key moments. Giménez had some key hits throughout the postseason, including his home runs in Games 3 and 4 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners.

If the Blue Jays get these three players producing at their career norms for 2026, that will go a long way to helping them contend once again for the AL East title.