6 Blue Jays who won’t be back in 2026 after gutting World Series loss

Despite a gutting loss in Game 7 of the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays should be proud of what they had accomplished during the 2025 MLB season. After all, coming off a hugely disappointing 2024 campaign in which they finished in the basement of the American League East division, no one could have predicted what a successful season the Blue Jays would have going from worst to first and push the defending champions Los Angeles Dodgers practically to the brink for the championship title at the end.

But one thing is for sure, with the special core of players that Toronto had, it enabled them to put together the magical season that the Jays organization and their fans will remember for a long, long time.

Nevertheless, with now the offseason and free agency upon us, there is bound to be some changes to their roster as they hope to build upon their success from this year. With that in mind, as much as Toronto would want to keep their whole group intact, let’s take a look at 6 Blue Jays players that won’t be back for the 2026 season.

6 Blue Jays who won’t be back in 2026 after gutting World Series loss

1B/DH Ty France

As part of the trade deadline acquisition with the Minnesota Twins that brought bullpen workhorse Louis Varland to Toronto, Ty France was expected to provide some solid value off the bench both offensively with his bat and defensively with his glove. France impressed initially when he filled in for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the lineup when Guerrero was sidelined with a hamstring injury in mid-August.

However, once the star first baseman returned to full health, France was utilized more sparingly down the stretch and was even left off the Jays postseason roster until the World Series.

In total, the 31-year-old infielder posted a .277 average, .693 OPS, along with nine runs scored, one home run and eight RBIs in 37 games with Toronto during the regular season while going just 1-for-4 with one RBI during the postseason.

With his primary usage being at first base and designated hitter, those positions have been taken up by Guerrero and likely George Springer respectively for the upcoming 2026 season. Added to the Jays plethora of players that could play multiple positions in the infield, France’s tenure with Toronto will be just a one-and-done outcome.

UTIL Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Being one of the Blue Jays few lone bright spots during the 2024 MLB season, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was brought back as a waiver claim from the Pittsburgh Pirates by general manager Ross Atkins for their stretch run.

Given his veteran experience along with his flexibility to play strong defense at multiple positions in the infield and outfield, Kiner-Falefa was believed to be a valuable bench piece for Toronto in their eventual playoff run. 

However, aside from a couple key hits along the way, his return to the Jays has left quite a lot to be desired. Kiner-Falefa compiled just a .233 average, .625 OPS, along with five runs scored, one home run and five RBIs in 19 games during the regular season and a measly .162 average, .400 OPS with four runs scored and two RBIs in 15 playoff games with Toronto. As a result, just having solid defense and not much bat will make his potential return to the Jays unlikely for the upcoming season.

P Seranthony Domínguez 

When the Jays needed an upgrade for their relief corps at the trade deadline, they turned to veteran Seranthony Domínguez in which they acquired from the Baltimore Orioles surprisingly during the middle of a double-header in July.

After joining the ballclub for the stretch run, Domínguez provided exactly that as he went 2-1 with a tidy 3.00 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, giving up just seven earned runs with 25 strikeouts in just 21 innings of work over 24 relief appearances. By providing some much-needed leadership and stability to the Jays bullpen, it helped Toronto reach the postseason for the third time in four years.

However, one main caveat in his pitching is the fact that when he’s on his game, he can be one of the best in the business. But when Domínguez experiences trouble with his command, which can be more often than expected, he would surrender a high number of walks which could potentially be detrimental, as witnessed from his 11 walks that he issued over just 11 1/3 total innings during the postseason for the Jays.

Therefore, with the number of elite, reliable relief options available in the free agent market that Toronto can upgrade with this winter, Domínguez will be looking elsewhere for a new home this offseason 

P Max Scherzer 

It sure was a wild ride for the Blue Jays after bringing in former three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer in their huge bounce back season in 2025. Signing the aging veteran pitcher always came with risk, which surfaced right away at the start of the regular season when Scherzer had to miss multiple months due to his recurring thumb issue.

However, after returning to the Jays lineup midway through the year, the 41-year-old starter actually displayed flashes of his old form, including a stretch between the end of June to early August where he held the opposition to three runs or less in eight of his string of nine starts.

But perhaps Father Time had caught up to him towards the end of the regular season as he struggled to the finish line while enduring problems with the long ball. As a result, for the year, Scherzer amassed just a 5-5 record with a 5.19 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, while giving up 49 earned runs including 19 home runs in 85 total innings over 17 starts.

With the Blue Jays having only Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and perhaps Trey Yesavage as their main starters for 2026, they will be looking to bolster their rotation this offseason with solid options available in the free agent market. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt his valiant effort during the postseason, including two strong starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the World Series, has left a lasting moment for a lifetime for Blue Jays fans everywhere in the process.

P Chris Bassitt

Chris Bassitt had quietly been one of the most consistent starters for the Jays during the past three years. Bassitt managed to post double digits in wins (including leading the American League with 16 back in 2023), an ERA between 3.60 to 4.20, more than 170 innings pitched, more than 165 strikeouts while making at least 31 starts in each of his three seasons for Toronto from 2023 to 2025. Sure, he had some ups and downs at times, but his 37 wins over that time was tops on the team, even outdoing more than Gausman and Berríos, who both had only 36 wins over that same stretch.

More importantly, Bassitt showed his versatility this season during the MLB Playoffs where he shone as a shutdown reliever for the Jays en route to their first World Series appearance in 32 years. In seven postseason games, the 36-year-old veteran posted a sparkling 1.04 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, yielding just one run with 10 strikeouts in just 8 2/3 innings pitched. 

However, with the free agent market thin on elite starting pitching this year after the likes of Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease and Ranger Suárez, Bassitt could command a substantial last contract leading up to his twilight years given his proven performance despite already in his mid-30s. With that, it could end up be8ng beyond what the Jays could offer to retain him.

SS Bo Bichette

Finally, we have the Jays’ long-time star shortstop Bo Bichette finally reaching the inevitable free agency that many had feared. As one of the main offensive catalysts for the Blue Jays alongside Guerrero since the organization’s resurgence since 2020, Bichette represents one of the top hitters playing currently in today’s game.

After all, the two-time All-Star had led the American League in hits twice, and would have for a third time this year if it hadn’t been for his knee injury that he suffered in September. More importantly, Bichette has consistently hit close to .300 with an above .800 OPS, while averaging close to 24 home runs and 95 RBIs over a 162-game schedule pace on a yearly basis.

On top of that, he showed that 2024 was just an outlier season for him as he returned to his true dominant form during his 2025 campaign to help the Jays reach all the way to the World Series. Bichette has also been a proven clutch hitter, coming through for Toronto in many key moments.

That was exactly what we saw after his return from the IL in the World Series even while playing on one bad knee. Unfortunately, he is also by far the best shortstop available this offseason, with names such as Ha Seong Kim, Miguel Rojas and others as the next best options. 

It is not a stretch to think he’ll command a contract north of $200 million plus. So it will come down to if the Blue Jays are willing to put the bulk of their investment in both Guerrero and Bichette for the long-term, while potentially sacrificing needs in other positions going forward. But given what we saw how many of the complementary role players helped Toronto to their winning success this season, it will be a sacrifice that they can ill-afford to have, which would end Bichette’s time with the Jays.