MLB insider says this late free agent add could solve some of the Blue Jays issues

The MLB regular season may be around the corner for the Toronto Blue Jays, but it is never too late to make a last-minute free agent add that could help round out their roster heading into 2026. MLB insider Chris Landers believes that the addition of free agent outfielder Tommy Pham could help solve the potential outfield issues for the Blue Jays. 

Signing Pham could change the complexion of the Blue Jays outfield

Landers noted that with the current projected Toronto outfield setup of Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho and the newly-acquired Jesús Sánchez, that has created a considerably left-handed heavy presence in their everyday lineup. Not to mention that they could also have outfielder Nathan Lukes coming off the bench, and he also happens to be a lefty as well. As a result, adding a potential strong righty platoon bat such as Pham would help balance the lineup a lot more.

That notion also suggested that Landers doesn’t exactly have the confidence in either Myles Straw and Davis Schneider from the current Blue Jays roster to produce enough offensively from the right side in the outfield picture. After all, Straw had just a .680 OPS with four home runs and 32 RBIs in close to 300 plate appearances while Schneider struggled to a .234 average, albeit with a little more production with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs over 227 plate appearances last season for the Blue Jays. 

With Pham, he is coming off a solid 2025 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he posted a .245 average, .700 OPS, along with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs over 120 games played. In addition, he could provide some veteran leadership in the clubhouse with 12 years of extensive major league experience under his belt.

But of course, Toronto fans will have to get over some of the prior beef that Pham previously had with the organization and vice versa during his confrontation with Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman in a game between the Blue Jays and Pirates last season.

What better way for both sides to make up for things than for Pham to join Toronto and help them in their pursuit of a World Series championship. After all, with a career .315 batting average and .823 OPS in the postseason, along with helping the Arizona Diamondbacks reach the World Series just three years ago, he certainly knows a thing or two about getting it done on the biggest stage. As a result, the Blue Jays can put the finishing touches to their lineup with the addition of the right-handed hitting 12-year veteran.