3 offseason contract swaps that could help the Blue Jays retool their roster for 2027

The phrase “bad contract swap” does not quite fit the Toronto Blue Jays.

They don’t have a roster full of unmovable money heading into 2027. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s deal is simply the cost of keeping a franchise cornerstone, while Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Trevor Rogers and Alejandro Kirk are producing and earning their respective contracts. The Blue Jays are also set to clear money from the George Springer, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber contracts, all of whom are free agents.

That leaves three contracts that can at least be described as complicated: Anthony Santander, José Berríos and Andrés Giménez. Santander has barely stayed on the field since signing with Toronto. Berríos is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is likely to exercise his player option rather than test free agency. Giménez remains an elite defensive infielder, but his bat has made his rising salary harder to justify when the rest of the lineup is not producing enough.

That does not mean Toronto can just dump any of them for payroll flexibility. The better question is whether the Blue Jays can turn these questionable contracts into players who better match the 2027 roster.

Can the Blue Jays get some more bang for their buck with these three contracts?

One big hypothetical swing: Blue Jays trade Anthony Santander, José Berríos and Andrés Giménez for Mike Trout

Let’s be clear right away: this is the wildest version of the exercise, not the most likely one.

Mike Trout is under contract with the Angels through 2030 on the 12-year, $426.5-million extension he signed with Los Angeles, with an annual salary north of $35 million remaining in each of the final years of the deal.

For the Blue Jays, this would consolidate three complicated commitments into one enormous upside play. Santander, Berríos and Giménez combine for more remaining money than Trout is owed, but their commitments are spread across different roster spots and less term.

The Angels would probably need extra incentive, and Toronto might have to include some prospect capital. The hope would be that Trout still has enough star-level production to justify the risk. It’s unlikely, but it captures the kind of aggressive swing Toronto could at least explore.

A more realistic pitching swap: José Berríos for Aaron Nola

A José Berríos-for-Aaron Nola framework is much easier to imagine.

Nola is signed through 2030 on a seven-year, $172-million deal with the Phillies. That is a major commitment for a pitcher entering his mid-30s, especially after an uneven stretch.

Still, there are signs that Nola may be better than his numbers suggets. Since June 2, Nola has posted a 4.13 ERA over 104.2 innings, with a more encouraging 3.78 xERA and 3.99 xFIP. He has also struck out 109 batters against 37 walks over that stretch.

For a Blue Jays team that has spent much of the season surviving rotation injuries, even a diminished Nola could help stabilize the staff and protect the bullpen from being overexposed again in 2027. Toronto has enough of a track record with their pitching development to believe they could help Nola steady himself.

For Philadelphia, Berríos would be a shorter and less expensive bet, even if his Tommy John recovery complicates any deals. If the Phillies wanted to trim future payroll while taking a chance on a later-season return, there is at least a path to a conversation.

A creative position-player swap: Anthony Santander for Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa returned to Houston in 2025, with the Astros taking on a significant portion of his remaining contract while Minnesota retained money. He is guaranteed money through 2028, with vesting options beyond that. The appeal for Toronto is, if he’s healthy, he's a premier producer. Since 2023, Correa has hit .267/.341/.427 with 48 home runs and 9.7 fWAR, though he has played fewer than 90 games in two of those seasons.

From the Blue Jays, Correa would address a roster area that could use more thump. Toronto has Giménez as an elite defender and Ernie Clement as a useful piece, but when those bats are not producing there is a glaring hole.

Santander carries a similar risk profile. For Houston, the appeal would be a lower annual salary and the chance to pair Santander’s power with Yordan Alvarez.

Where Andrés Giménez fits into the conversation

Giménez might be the hardest contract to classify because the money is not wasted. His defence is genuinely valuable, but his salary jumps to $23 million next season and remains there through 2029, with a club option for 2030.

If the Blue Jays wanted to explore a Giménez deal, the target list would probably start with teams that have enough offence to absorb a bat-first subtraction but could use a major defensive upgrade in the middle infield.

Seattle is an interesting fit because Josh Naylor’s five-year, $92.5-million deal gives the Mariners a productive but expensive first baseman / DH, and a Giménez-for-Naylor framework would let Toronto add a left-handed impact bat.

Minnesota's most expensive player is Byron Buxton. For most of his career his health has been an issue, though similar to Correa, when healthy he can be elite. Buxton is nearing the end of his deal faster than Giménez, hitting free agency after 2028.

Texas is another club worth monitoring because of Corey Seager’s massive contract and Brandon Nimmo’s deal could create some questions around their payroll this winter. If the Rangers valued Giménez’s defence enough to pull the trigger on a deal, either Seager or Nimmo could be moved to reallocate the funds.

None of these are obvious matches, but they show the type of teams Toronto could have a conversation with. That is what makes contract swaps worth exploring and if the Blue Jays are serious about retooling, this is the kind of creativity that should be on the table once the 2026 season ends.

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