Blue Jays named as landing spot for stud third baseman who will soon be a free agent

Following the departure of Matt Chapman last offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays had a huge hole to fill at third base heading into the 2024 MLB season. Many were worried at the time whether there would be a huge drop-off in production as a result. But whoever the Jays ended up playing at the hot corner this season, whether it be Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Ernie Clement or even Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to name a few, they have actually all done a fine job filling in the role. Collectively, they have hit a solid .263 with a .715 OPS, along with 64 runs scored, 31 doubles, 16 home runs and 76 RBI in 150 games played. In fact, those numbers were almost similar to what Chapman put up in his final season with the Jays, aside from perhaps the higher batting average.

As a result, the Jays may already have internal solutions available that can handle the hot corner going into 2025. However, as good as the makeshift replacements were, nothing beats adding a proven perennial superstar to significantly boost the team’s chances of winning and long-term success.

In a recent article by Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report, the Jays were suggested to be a suitable landing spot for Houston Astros’ third baseman Alex Bregman. Now who wouldn’t want to add the two-time All-Star, former Silver Slugger winner and AL MVP finalist? With the ability to muster close to 30 home runs and 100 RBI while batting above .270 on a yearly basis over a full 162-game schedule, Bregman would instantly provide the Jays with a huge offensive boost to their lineup. In terms of his defence, it probably won’t be at the Gold Glove level, but at least he can hold his own, having registered 25 DRS and a respectable .968 fielding percentage over nine seasons in the position.

More importantly, having been part of some deep playoff runs the past seven seasons, Bregman would bring with him a breadth of postseason experience. He has appeared in 97 playoff games for his career, posting a .235 batting average, .790 OPS with 63 runs scored, 17 doubles, 19 home runs and 54 RBI. In addition, he has also secured two World Series championships under his belt, so he knows exactly how to get it done. For a Jays team desperately looking for a big-time performer on the biggest stage, Bregman would fit the bill perfectly. 

However, Bregman won’t come cheap, as he will likely be looking for a long-term deal that should hit nine figures. With the Jays still having George Springer and his big contract on hand, along with potential upcoming extensions to star players Guerrero and Bo Bichette, it will be up to Jays’ management to figure out if they can fit in the 30-year-old star third baseman.

One thing to keep in mind though was the fact that Rymer also listed a whopping nine other teams as potential landing spots for Bregman. Among them included some of the big boys in the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, along with his current Astros team as well. So going up against stiff competition like that, it could still be just a pipe dream for the Jays. Nevertheless, if the Jays can manage to somehow pull it off, it would do wonders in making up for the utter disappointment from last offseason in their failure to sign Shohei Ohtani.