Lack of qualifying offers could push Blue Jays toward Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ian Happ

Qualifying offers can be somewhat of a road block to signing a player. The draft pick compensation is sometimes just not worth losing for the player it is attached to. However, eight players still received qualifying offers including rumored Toronto Blue Jays targets Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe.

That doesn't mean the Blue Jays will steer clear of those potential additions, but it does allow them to look at some alternatives in the market who won't cost a potential future contributor.

The Yankees and Cubs decided not to extend offers to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ian Happ respectively, meaning both became free agents with no draft pick compensation attached. The Blue Jays need an upgrade at second base and should also be searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder that can bring some slug.

Lowe fits the former, coming off a 35 home run 4.9 fWAR season. Suzkuki and Arozarena fill the latter roles. Suzuki posted a 134 wRC+ and was worth 4.5 fWAR. Arozarena had a 20-20 season, but was actually closer to a 30-30 campaign with 26 home runs and 26 steals and a 5.5 fWAR.

All three would immediately boost the Toronto offense, but the question is, how many draft picks are the Blue Jays willing to give up to get them? That's why Chisholm and Happ offer compelling alternatives.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ian Happ offer value for the Blue Jays without the draft pick cost

Jazz Chisholm Jr.: The Blue Jays have been pegged as a team who would be interested in Chisholm from a number of angles. For one, it makes sense to chase a left-handed hitter like Chisholm, who could be in a semi-platoon with Ernie Clement. He won’t come cheap, although he may not be as expensive as he once was.

Coming off a 31-homer, 31-steal season in 2025, Chisholm had big aspirations about his 2026 season. He publicly stated that he had his sights set on joining the exclusive 50-50 club. Instead, he slashed .231/.312/.399 with 19 homers and 55 RBIs in 137 games.

He stole 41 bases though, which is a career high, but he finished with a .711 OPS, more than a hundred points lower than his .813 OPS in 2025. Still, these numbers would have gone a long way to helping the Blue Jays' pedestrian offense in 2026. You also can't fault many for believing that the 28-year-old could be the prototypical bounce back candidate.

Ian Happ: There is a lot to like about Happs consistency over the years. In 2026, he hit 24 home runs with a .738 OPS while reaching the 150-game plateau for the sixth year in a row.

As a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, he was also solid defensively once again in 2026, as was worth one out above average, and ranked in the 96th percentile with an arm value of five. But there is a reason he wasn't offered a qualifying offer. He struck out a career-high 189 times in 2026 and batted .218 and a 107 wRC+, his lowest mark since 2021.

Yet the overall body of work remained respectable, and given his track record, he is also a candidate who could have a bounce back season.

The Blue Jays will surely keep pursuing some of the top names on the market, in Suzuki Arozarena and Lowe likely at the top of that list. Starting pitcher Trevor Rogers has been floated as a player who could jump ship in the AL East from Baltimore to Toronto. The Orioles gave him a qualifying offer as well but they've also been linked to other starters such as Freddy Peralta.

If the Blue Jays feel they are outpriced by some of those free agents, a fall back to Happ or Chisholm, neither wouldn’t be the worst decision.

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