3 free agents the Blue Jays should not bother getting into a bidding war over

As the Toronto Blue Jays look to make multiple significant moves this winter to help bring the team back into relevance for the 2025 season, one way to accomplish it is to make some key signings from free agency. Not only would the Jays not have to lose any player assets in the process, they could selectively pursue targets that have the greatest potential to provide full value from the contract that they end up signing.

For players like Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes, they would be worth every penny even if it requires an overpay to get the deal done. However, the Jays must avoid getting into a bidding war over players that could potentially fail to live up to the potential deal that they are given. In such cases, not only would it leave them with less money to address other immediate needs, but the potential albatross of a contract for the underperforming player could essentially set the Jays back for years to come.

As a result, we will take a look at three free agents that the Jays should not engage in a bidding war with other teams and end up overpaying for in free agency.

3 free agents the Blue Jays should not bother getting into a bidding war over

Alex Bregman

When it comes to Alex Bregman, what is there that isn’t to like for the star third baseman. As a former two-time All-Star and World Series champion, AL MVP finalist in 2019, along with a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Award as part of his MLB resume, Bregman has proven himself to be an all-around winner in the league. In his nine seasons with the Houston Astros, he has averaged 28 home runs and 97 RBI over a 162-game schedule each season while posting a solid career batting average of .272 and OPS of .848.

However, Bregman hasn’t been able to reproduce the elite production numbers that he put up from his career-best 2019 season, with his batting average, home run and RBI totals all trending downwards in recent years. In addition, as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com observed, his walk rate has fallen to a career-low 6.9% this past season and had been on the decline in the past three years. Turning 31 by the start of the 2025 MLB season, Bregman’s upside appears to be limited (just think George Springer and his contract with the Jays). As a result, Toronto should make sure he could be had at a reasonable price without the signing ultimately blowing up in their faces.

Anthony Santander

As for Anthony Santander, he is currently one of the top outfielder options in the free agent market this offseason behind the absolute top option in Soto. That is because Santander is coming off a career year with the Baltimore Orioles in which he recorded personal bests in runs scored (91), home runs (44), RBI (102) and total bases (301). He certainly chose the opportune time to be at his best during his contract year.

Even the latest rumors have it that the Jays are one of the biggest threats to land Santander if they end up missing out on Soto, according to Manny Randhawa of MLB.com. However, they must temper their expectations of the 30-year-old slugger because he has never had a season previously in which he registered more than 33 home runs or 95 RBI, so his 2024 year could have just been an outlier. In addition, Santander managed just a .235 batting average last season despite putting up his big production numbers. Therefore, as much as the Jays strongly covet the All-Star outfielder, they should be wary if his price begins to climb due to heated competition with other teams.

Jurickson Profar

There is an intriguing backup option for the Jays if they fail to land Soto or Santander in Jurickson Profar. After spending more than 10 seasons in the majors with various teams, Profar finally broke through with the best season of his career last year with the San Diego Padres. In 158 games played, he compiled a solid .280 average, .839 OPS, along with 94 runs scored, 29 doubles, 24 home runs and 85 RBI. In doing so, Profar earned his first All-Star nomination as well as capturing his first Silver Slugger Award in 2024.

However, similar to Santander, last season could be just an outlier for Profar, since he hadn’t recorded a season with more than 15 home runs or 58 RBI since back in 2019 with the Oakland Athletics. On top of that, his career batting average is usually more in the .240 range, which is almost forty points below the mark he set in 2024. Also turning 32 prior to the start of the 2025 regular season, the chances of Profar replicating his performance from last year is looking less optimistic. As a result, if the Jays resort to this potential backup option to add to their roster, they just have to make sure they don’t overdo the offer to get it done.