Blue Jays Rumor Roundup: 2 former MVPs, Japanese ace firmly on club's radar

The Toronto Blue Jays are still very much in "add mode", despite the fact that they have tried and failed to land some of the game's biggest stars in Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani.

With Soto heading to the division rival Yankees and Ohtani signing an absolutely ridiculous contract with the Dodgers, the Jays are left to pick from the best of the rest. There are certainly some impact players still available, but none that could come close to the production these two juggernauts have.

By now, Jays fans are undoubtedly tired of hearing about the fact that their team's pursuit of these players did not come to fruition. We're not here to dwell on that. The fact of the matter is that the Jays are a team that chases after the best talent out there every time they're available. Really, all teams should be doing the same. When a Soto or Ohtani is available for the taking, you'd be foolish not to at least kick the tires.

But that's behind us now. Instead, there are three of the top-remaining players this offseason, one on the trade market and two free agents, that the Jays are reportedly pursuing. There's a difference between players that would make nice fits on the roster and ones that the club are actively looking at. In this instance, the club is rumored to be actively pursuing these names.

Let's dive in to the rumor mill and share what we're hearing about the next group of targets on the Blue Jays' radar.

Christian Yelich

Previously, we had taken a look at Yelich as a player the Blue Jays would be smart to target. He's got a massive contract, but that could play in the Jays' favor. Since he is still owed so much money, the Milwaukee Brewers are likely going to have to either eat some of the money, or settle for less of a return in trade talks because of the monetary situation.

According to everyone's favorite MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays are "kicking around Yelich" in internal trade discussions.

Yelich, 32, is under control through the end of the 2028 season. His contract also comes with a team option for the 2029 campaign. When he first signed this deal back in 2020, he was fresh off of an MVP Award and a second-place finish in the voting the next season.

Since then, his production had tapered off a bit but is now rising once again. Last season, he had 19 home runs with 76 driven in in 144 games. His 124 OPS+ was the highest he posted in a year since 2019 when he finished second in the MVP voting.

It's worth noting that the two-time batting champion has dealt with multiple back injuries in recent years, and those are known to be ones that nag you and have a high likelihood of not healing properly. If his offensive output from 2023 was any indication, he may be turning things around.

The Brewers are a club with multiple tradeable assets. After they non-tendered Brandon Woodruff and began dangling Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames in trade talks, their roster began to feel like an "everything must go" situation. Yelich and his contract is surely something the club would love to get out from under, even if he's beginning to turn things around.

With Nathan Lukes projected to be the Blue Jays' every day left fielder in 2024, the time is now for an upgrade. Sure, there are multiple free agent options out there, but adding Yelich would be a massive get for this Jays club.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

One of the last things the Blue Jays need this winter is more starting pitching. With the Gausman, Berrios, Bassitt, Kikuchi quartet leading the way and a hopeful resurgence from Alek Manoah on the horizon, the fit may not quite be there for someone like Yamamoto.

However, the Jays should make this happen anyway. The club clearly has the financial flexibility to make it work, and Yamamoto is coming off of one of the most dominant stretches of play the world has ever seen. In seven seasons in Japan, the right-hander posted a combined 1.82 ERA in 172 games and nearly 900 innings.

MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported on Tuesday that the Blue Jays are going to meet with the top-tier free agent in the coming days. Unfortunately, there's always going to be competition, with the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Red Sox also securing meetings.

As Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic notes, the Blue Jays could improve their current rotation by signing Yamamoto and then trading away one of the other starters. This feels like the best route for the Jays to go, as Kikuchi and Manoah both have considerable trade value and could be used to upgrade their offense.

Yamamoto is sure to land a major payday in his jump over to Major League Baseball, and he has more than earned it. Historically, there have been many instances where this transition does not work out for the player, but this does not feel like one of those. He is a true ace and has been compared to Pedro Martinez, which says a lot about the quality of player the Jays could be landing here.

Point blank, the Blue Jays need to make a move here. Not only are there multiple different spots on their roster in need of upgrades, but they need to do what they can to keep up with the Yankees. New York has landed Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo in recent days and now is the time for the Jays to make their move before the already-weak market is picked clean.