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One Blue Jays offseason whiff may be looking to sway another away from Toronto 

Could one Blue Jays miss end up leading to another in an unexpected way?

ByEdward Eng|
May 24, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes gets ready to crown shortstop Willy Adames (27) with a Cheesehead after he hit a two-run home run during the first inning of their game against the Houston Astros at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images
May 24, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes gets ready to crown shortstop Willy Adames (27) with a Cheesehead after he hit a two-run home run during the first inning of their game against the Houston Astros at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images | Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images

Earlier this offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays missed out on a potential massive upgrade to their infield when slugger Willy Adames signed a seven-year, $182 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. Adames could have been a huge cornerstone for the Jays’ infield along with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going forward that wouldn’t be topped by many teams. Nevertheless, at least the Jays managed to add defensive stalwart Andrés Giménez in the end to make things somewhat more palatable.

However, it appears as though Adames could double up on the disappointment for the Jays by potentially prevent another huge piece from landing with Toronto. During a press conference with his new Giants team, he was asked with the status of his former teammate Corbin Burnes being a free agent, if he had any communication with him in terms of potentially pitching for him to join the Giants organization as well. Courtesy of KNBR, Adames’ response was one that Blue Jays absolutely didn’t want to hear.

One Blue Jays offseason whiff may be looking to sway another away from Toronto 

“I haven’t talked to him (Burnes), but I will definitely give him a call after today,” Adames said. “Obviously you know, you always want a guy like him and … the guy is going to compete out there for you. And having a guy like that will be such an amazing addition … I will give him a call definitely later.”

With Burnes right now being one of the top priorities of the Jays currently, that’s the last thing they would want, having their one whiff sway another prime target away from their grasp. With Juan Soto already off the board, Burnes becomes one of the top-coveted free agents remaining in the market. Especially with Max Fried also finding a new home with the New York Yankees, he is unanimously also the top starting pitcher left.

Rumors have it that the Jays were expected to be one of the most aggressive in pursuing Burnes, as per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. For a potential ace like Burnes, who wouldn’t be. After all, the four-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner has posted a stellar 60-36 mark with a 3.19 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 1051 strikeouts in just 903.2 innings pitched over 199 career games. There’s no doubt that adding Burnes would be an instant game changer for the Jays heading into the 2025 season.

Let’s just hope that Adames and Burnes weren’t too close during their time as teammates with the Milwaukee Brewers. Otherwise, the Jays could be watching their remaining big fish swim away once again with no hope in sight.

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