Blue Jays offseason pursuit of Mets slugger, former Yankee is pure desperation

So far this offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays appeared to be just one step behind everyone else in terms of making impactful moves to bolster the club. They may have been rumored to be targeting various star players across multiple positions, whether it be position players or pitchers. But for the most part, they have sadly come up empty-handed. There is at least the small consolation that the Jays had a good focus on pursuing players that would fit their needs for the upcoming 2025 season.

However, in the latest rumors, Toronto seemed to have deviated quite a bit from that plan. Not only have the Jays been linked to former Mets slugger Pete Alonso, but apparently they have been involved in the pursuit of former Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo as well, as per Chris Cotillo. So just wait a minute, does that actually make any sense for the Jays? 

Blue Jays pursuit of Mets slugger, former Yankee this offseason feels like pure desperation 

Let’s start with Alonso. He has been primarily a first baseman throughout his six-year MLB career thus far, with some sporadic starts in the designated hitter spot from time to time. If Alonso joins the Jays, will he be usurping star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from his spot? Guerrero may have expressed his willingness to move to third base if needed for the team.

However, one needs to recall the last time that he played there on a consistent basis when he turned out to be an error machine. Especially now that Guerrero has firmly established himself as a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman, it might not be the best move for the Jays to make. So then if Alonso is used mainly as a DH, at just age 30, it could in effect be wasting his fielding talents and it also may not be a situation that he would want to be in long-term. As a result, Alonso doesn’t seem to be a good fit for Toronto at all.

As for Verdugo, he would be assumed to be fulfilling the Jays’ so-called need for a power-hitting outfielder. However, we are talking about the light-hitting Verdugo, who hasn’t registered more than 13 home runs or 74 RBI in any one season during his eight-year MLB career. More significantly, he is coming off one of his worst hitting seasons of his career, as he batted just .233 with a paltry .647 OPS, 83 OPS+ in 149 games with the Yankees in 2024. Without question that isn’t exactly what one would call a massive offensive upgrade for Toronto.

Taking a look at the big picture, Alonso and Verdugo aren’t ideal fits for the Jays, at least not for the 2025 squad. As a result, Toronto’s pursuit of both players could only mean one thing, in that they are in pure desperation to get something done to somehow salvage this offseason. That certainly shouldn’t be the way to build a team back up into a competing one, as it could potentially blow up in their faces if the fits become awkward.

The Jays need to seriously sit down and think it over carefully once again on what actually would be best for the team going forward, rather than potentially making some rash moves that could end up setting the team backwards instead.

More Blue Jays News from Jays Journal