Brandon Lowe makes sense, but projected price tag adds to already pricey Blue Jays infield

The Toronto Blue Jays are already busy planning their offseason, and that could mean opening their chequebook like never before. 

MLB Trade Rumors listed second baseman Brandon Lowe No. 11 on its "top 50 Free Agents With Predictions", and one writer in the collaborative piece projects the left-handed slugger will sign with the Blue Jays. 

The prediction raises a question for the Blue Jays and their front office. Would they be willing to invest heavily in another infielder? Their infield already features Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Andres Gimenez, and Kazuma Okamoto, all three of whom will make $15 million or more starting in 2027.

Guerrero Jr. is one year into the polarizing, 14-year, $500 million contract extension he signed in 2025 that will keep him in Toronto through the 2039 campaign. He’s coming off his worst season by far, hitting just nine home runs with a .688 OPS in 141 games. He was a Gold Glove finalist at first base.

The Cleveland Guardians traded Gimenez to the Blue Jays just before his salary was set to hit eight figures. He made a little over $5 million in 2024, his last season in Cleveland. Then, that number jumped to $10 million in 2025, $15 million in ‘26, and $23 million each year from 2027 through 2029 with a club option for 2030. 

Gimenez’s second season in Toronto was better than his first, as he played 148 games after 101 in 2025. The Venezuela native made significant improvements in batting average (.244, +.034 from ‘25), doubles (25, +14), OPS (.649, +.051) and was second on the team with 59 RBI. Still, the 28-year-old failed to improve on the 1.1 bWAR he earned in 2025.

Okamoto signed a four-year, $60 million contract before last season and proved that he’s a legitimate slugger in his first MLB season. The 30-year-old hit 33 home runs and drove in 92 runs, by far the highest totals on the club last season. He also struck out 183 times and graded below average defensively, so he has room for improvement.

Brandon Lowe's power and defensive turnaround make him an attractive target

The Blue Jays signing Lowe makes a lot of sense. He’s coming off a season in which he hit 35 homers, the second-highest total of his career. Toronto had the fewest runs and home runs in the majors last season and is desperate to improve an offense that was one of the worst statistically in franchise history. 

Lowe and Okamoto have similarities: a high strikeout rate and subpar defence, but the 32-year-old reinvented himself as a defender with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He produced a minus-14 Defensive Runs Saved and minus-14 Outs Above Average in 2025 with the Rays; Lowe improbably turned things around with the Bucs in 2026, recording plus-13 DRS and plus-15 OAA.

Lowe’s defensive turnaround makes him a more attractive free-agent target, but he still strikes out at a high rate (28.8%), walks at a slightly above-average rate (9.5%), and will turn 33 on July 6. That means he’s likely to receive a three-year deal, rather than one of four or more years. MLB Trade Rumors predicts a three-year, $69 million contract.

Having four big-money players on the infield, and another behind the plate (Alejandro Kirk is playing on a five-year, $58 million deal starting in '26) may not be ideal roster construction. But the club can take solace in knowing it has two pre-arbitration players in the outfield in Nathan Lukes and Brett Bateman, and another behind the plate, with Brandon Valenzuela. 

Lowe isn’t a perfect player, but wheels fell off Toronto's offence last season, and the front office needs to be aggressive this offseason to generate better results. 

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