Blue Jays reported interest in Alex Bregman growing from back up plan to focal point

After the Toronto Blue Jays already negotiated one deal with a Scott Boras client this offseason, they may have their sights heavily set on another. During the Winter Meetings the Blue Jays officially introduced Dylan Cease to the media as their first big offseason move, and sitting at the table with GM Ross Atkins and the star pitcher was Boras himself. There could be another media conference resembling that look before spring training roles around, but in the place of Cease would be another big free agent target; Alex Bregman.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) is now reporting that the Blue Jays interest in the All-Star third baseman is growing and he is considered more than a "potential backup plan."

Blue Jays reported interest in Alex Bregman growing from back up plan to focal point

It's not completely surprising as just last offseason the Blue Jays were reportedly interest in three big bats on the market and were hoping to get two of them. Those free agents were Anthony Santander, Pete Alonso and Bregman. They came away with one of them, landing Santander for five-years at $92.5 million. Last season they also had a clear need at third base going into the season, but over the course of the year, both Ernie Clement and Addison Barger proved to be a more than capable platoon at the hot corner.

Even with Clement and Barger coming back in 2026, one position they could upgrade is third base, since their incumbent shortstop Bo Bichette is still a free agent. Bichette has been telling interested teams that he's willing to play second base and if the Blue Jays do bring him back, they could line up the infield with a combination of Bo at second, Andrés Giménez at short and Clement / Barger at third.

But without Bo, Clement would have to shift to second more frequently, and Barger is someone who performed admirably in right field last season, something he could do again in 2026 - leaving third base as the position the Blue Jays need to fill. Thus, enters the interest in Bregman.

Rosenthal says, "Team officials have been in recent contact with Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, according to sources briefed on the conversations. Ideally, the Jays want to add a left-handed hitter, but either the right-handed Bregman or Bichette would fit their defensive alignment better than Tucker or Cody Bellinger, both of whom bat left."

Rosenthal adds the Gold Glove winning Bregman is valued by several teams including the Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Arizona Diamond Backs, not only for his play on the field but for his leadership off the field. He says, "Like Kyle Schwarber, who re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for five years, $150 million, Bregman is viewed as a player who helps make teammates better, a difference-maker on and off the field."

For a team that valued the clubhouse comradery and were high on "the vibes" in 2025, a guy who is a known leader like Bregman could be boost to that aspect of the club. He's a former teammate of two other big clubhouse guys in Myles Straw and George Springer, all three of whom spent time with the Houston Astros in the past and which should help integrate him into the group fairly easily.

Bregman doesn't help diversify the Blue Jays lineup like a left-handed hitter would, but for a guy who has a .272/.365/.481 career slash line with 209 home runs, he's an addition that would more than satisfy the loss of someone like Bichette. Rosenthal adds it could come down to cost. The 28-year-old Bichette is projected to sign for eight years, $212 million while Bregman's projection is for six years, $171 million.

With a combined $277 million already spent this offseason, and the payroll already climbing to heights never seen before in Blue Jays history, and with Atkins already admitting that the market is quite expensive for bats at the moment, it could be a while before the Blue Jays make another aggressive play. But when they do, it could also be one of the splashiest moves yet, if it involves stealing an All-Star third baseman from a division rival.