5 free agents the Blue Jays should avoid signing this winter

The Toronto Blue Jays enter the offseason with clear needs, including more power in the lineup and more dependable innings from the starting rotation. With plenty of free agents hitting the market, there will be no shortage of names linked to the Blue Jays in the coming months. But not every addition is a good one, and a splashy signing can quickly turn into a regret.

Finding value in free agency comes down to opportunity cost. Is it better to sign a great player to a bad contract or to sign a slightly lesser player to a better deal? Those are the kind of decisions MLB general managers must make every offseason. 

When it comes to these five players though, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins would be better off looking in a different direction. Whether it be due to fit, ability, or the size of the contract they are expected to command, this group isn't made up of the ideal targets.  

5 free agents Blue Jays should walk away from

1. Luis Arraez

Arraez had a great year in 2026, hitting .310 while somehow becoming an elite second baseman overnight after years of struggling on defense. He’s a valuable player, but the last thing the Blue Jays need is another slap hitter who doesn’t barrel the baseball. 

The fit just doesn’t make sense here for a team looking to add power to its lineup. It’s also fair to wonder whether Arraez’s defensive strides will carry over to 2027, especially when considering he’s never been the most athletic player on the diamond. 

2. Teruaki Sato

It’s extremely challenging to project Japanese hitters coming over from NPB. Kazuma Okamoto was supposed to be a bat-to-ball guy and instead proved himself to be a three-true-outcome guy en route to down-ballot Rookie of the Year votes. Nobody really knows. 

With that being said, Sato is coming to MLB with some serious red flags in his profile despite possessing prodigious power. He swings and misses a ton, but unlike Okamoto, doesn’t offset those strikeouts by working walks. Expect extreme peaks and valleys. 

3. Freddy Peralta

This one is less about the player and more about the contract he is likely to receive. Many projections have Peralta in the range of $25-$30 million per season over four or five years, which is a price point at which the Blue Jays shouldn’t have much interest. 

Peralta deserves credit for turning his season around in the second half with the Tampa Bay Rays, but his underlying metrics weren’t all that different. He showed everyone in 2026 that his floor is much too low to get paid like a true frontline starter. 

4. Alec Bohm

Bohm is a free agent after several tumultuous seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Blue Jays would be wise to steer clear. He’s not an impact bat, plus defender, or great baserunner, meaning the money could be better spent elsewhere. 

While yes, Bohm has proven himself a capable run-producer over the last few years—he racked up 88 RBIs in 2026—that’s more a byproduct of his situation than his skill. They need to aim higher if they hope to get back into postseason contention.

5. Shane Bieber

This one doesn’t feel great to write, but sometimes the truth hurts. Bieber was ineffective or injured for most of 2026. He hasn’t been healthy in years. What proof of concept is there to believe that he’s actually going to hold up for 30 starts in 2027? 

The Blue Jays need more dependable starting pitching to avoid over-using their bullpen again. Bieber is the opposite of that. If the front office does want to take a chance on someone with balky health, they should at least aim for higher upside.

Whether it's the fit, the ability, or the price tag, each of these five players comes with enough risk that Toronto is better off looking elsewhere. The Blue Jays still need more power in the lineup and more dependable innings from their rotation, and the best way to get there is to spend smartly, not just spend big.

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