3 players the Blue Jays wish they signed last offseason, 1 they are glad they didn't

During the past 2022-23 offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays made some noise in the free agent market by signing three key players that are currently playing a significant role in their everyday lineup. These key signings included: starting pitcher Chris Bassitt, who has helped stabilize the Jays’ starting rotation after the departure of Ross Stripling; outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, who has helped anchor the much-improved team defence along with providing some surprising offensive output; and designated hitter/first baseman Brandon Belt, who has provided the ballclub with a breadth of veteran experience along with being the strong lefty bat that they had sorely lacked from previous years.

So as much as Jays' GM Ross Atkins has taken harsh criticism in his job in the front office, one should admit that he certainly did well with those signings, as none of them turned out to be a bad move. Nevertheless, one can still be greedy and ponder about potential free agents that the Jays missed out on that could have helped them this season, along with those we are breathing a sigh of relief that luckily the Jays did not take a chance on.

Here, we take a look at three impact players the Jays wished they could have signed this past offseason, along with one disappointing player that they are certainly glad they did not offer a ludicrous contract to. For those that the Jays missed out on, with the trade deadline quickly approaching, it’s never too late to take a second shot at them if they believe the player could be a huge difference maker for the ballclub down the stretch.

3 players the Jays wished they had signed

Seth Lugo, San Diego Padres

With the Jays looking for starting pitching depth help throughout the 2023 season, one solid option was actually available during the 2022-23 offseason that they passed up on without even taking a single sniff at. That target was Seth Lugo, who ended up signing an economical two-year contract with the San Diego Padres worth just $15 million with an opt-out after the first year.

Lugo has been an underrated pitcher that flown under the radar for many years, but has quietly put together a solid MLB career without many taking notice. Since his debut with the New York Mets over seven years ago, Lugo has been as reliable and consistent as one could be, putting together a career record of 35-28, with a 3.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and averaging more than a strikeout per inning. More intriguing, Lugo has had success both as a starter and in a relief role, showing his multi-use versatility.

For 2023, once again he has put together a strong season as in 12 starts, he is 3-4 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, giving up 24 earned runs, 13 walks and 59 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched. He would have been the ideal pitching depth for the Jays and could have easily filled in for Alek Manoah during the time he was optioned to the minors. In addition, with his experience also as a reliever, he could have taken on that role in the Jays’ bullpen as well during the times when the rotation was deemed set. He definitely follows in the footsteps in the rare breed of effective swingman like Ross Stripling in the past for the Jays, except the main difference being that Lugo has been effective in this type of role over many years and certainly would have been worth the Jays’ investment in him.

Craig Kimbrel, Philadelphia Phillies

Craig Kimbrel has been a bonafide, overpowering MLB reliever ever since his big league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2010. His stuff was so electric and so impressive that he was quickly anointed the club’s closer in just his rookie year in 2011 with the Braves. In doing so, he captured NL Rookie of the Year honours, notching a rookie record 46 saves with 127 strikeouts in just 77 innings pitched.

His dominance persisted for close to a decade, before the commencement of his struggles appearing in 2019, when his ERA started hovering above 3.00 for most of the time in the years that followed. Despite the downward trend in his numbers, the Philadelphia Phillies took a chance this past offseason and signed Kimbrel to a one-year deal worth $10 million, easily a number that the Jays could afford as well.

It appeared to be a huge mistake near the start of the 2023 season, as Kimbrel struggled coming out of the gate. However, he has really turned his game around in recent weeks, in particular, during the Phillies’ recent hot stretch dating back to early June. Kimbrel has been on the money in locking down key games in the past few weeks, helping the Phillies back into playoff contention. For the season, he is 5-1 with a 3.41 ERA, 0.973, giving up 14 earned runs with 14 walks and 57 strikeouts in just 37 innings pitched. He certainly would have looked fabulous in the Jays’ back end of the bullpen, but we are left now with just wondering what could have been.

One player the Jays thankfully avoided signing this past offseason

Carlos Rodón, New York Yankees

When the Jays were looking to round out their starting pitching, with both Mitch White and Yusei Kikuchi still question marks in the rotation at the time, they expressed some interest in free agent Carlos Rodón, as he was coming off an impressive injury-free season with the San Francisco Giants in which he pitched to a stellar 14-8 record, with a 2.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 52 walks and 237 strikeouts in just 178 innings pitched.

With such a performance, the money he was commanding was probably a little outside of the Jays’ comfort zone, so in the end, the New York Yankees swooped in to grab Rodón with a huge six-year, $162 million contract, which definitely was way outside what the Jays would probably offer. That gave the Yankees a fearsome starting five for their rotation and could have eventually become a nightmare for the Jays in 2023.

However, Rodón suffered a forearm strain injury during Spring Training, which was followed by a back issue during the recovery process that has put him out this whole time until his recent season debut on July 7th against the Chicago Cubs. The time that Rodón has missed is probably one of the main reasons why the Yankees are still within shooting distance of the wildcard spot, rather than the division lead, having left that gaping hole in the rotation during all this time. At the same time, the Jays are thankful they didn’t invest in him, as the same effect might have put the Jays further down in the standings, as with that money spent on Rodón, they probably wouldn’t have had any money left to sign anyone else, including Kiermaier and Belt, and we know how much they have been key for the Jays’ success this year.