Blue Jays' desperate need for bench help could lead them to Mauricio Dubón

Injuries were the story of the Toronto Blue Jays' season, which challenged the team's depth in more ways than one. With so many starters missing so much time, players originally slated to play a role off the bench were pressed into everyday action... which led to an actual bench group cobbled together by duct tape and castoffs.

Save for Brandon Valenzuela's breakout in place of Alejandro Kirk, the Blue Jays simply didn't get enough contributions from their reserves to remain afloat in 2026. Each of the following players finished with negative bWAR this year despite limited playing time: Jesús Sánchez, Yohendrick Piñango, Lenyn Sosa, Sean Keys, Daz Cameron, Tyler Heineman, Davis Schneider, Eloy Jiménez, and Rudy Martin.

Clearly, the team could use a veteran presence capable of righting the ship and playing a variety of roles off the bench. And it just so happens that one of the league's best utility men, Mauricio Dubón, is slated to become a free agent this offseason.

Mauricio Dubón can provide Blue Jays with the injury insurance they lacked in 2026

On the surface, Dubón isn't an obvious upgrade over what the Blue Jays already have. He's a 32-year-old with a career wRC+ of 88, and he just posted his best offensive season ever with a .719 OPS and 99 wRC+. At best, he's a league-average hitter with minimal pop (12 home runs this year) and speed (10 steals).

So then why is his name so popular in league circles right now?

It all comes back to defense and versatility, where Dubón is one of the best in the business. Not only did he win utility Gold Gloves in 2023 and 2025 with the Astros, but he was just nominated for another one this year with the Braves. And he really puts the "utility" in "super-utility player," having played nearly 800 innings in the outfield and more than 500 across the infield in 2026.

In that context, his offensive contributions start to look a little more tolerable, right? The ability to play elite defense all over the diamond is an incredibly rare skillset, which only requires minimal hitting production to remain propped up. The fact that Dubón only seems to be getting better with age also helps his free-agent case.

Compared to someone like Davis Schneider or Charles McAdoo, Dubón would give the Blue Jays the kind of injury insurance they lacked this past season. He could easily start at one spot if another serious injury occurs, but his true value lies in being able to play all over and hit anywhere in the lineup.

If the price is right -- and it shouldn't go too high given his age and offensive limitations -- Dubón profiles as the perfect pre-lockout addition to give Toronto a little more roster flexibility throughout the rest of the winter.

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