Blue Jays Rumors: Club is reportedly targeting two free agent outfielders

Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet took to Twitter Friday morning, mentioning that the Blue Jays have both Michael Brantley and Michael Conforto on their radar.

Few players would've been better baseball fits for the #BlueJays than Brandon Nimmo. Also: $162/8 is a ton for a player who has played 100+ games 2x. Good for Nimmo to get paid. Jays still in OF market. Conforto, Brantley known to be on radar. Trades possible. On paper: ARI, MIN.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) December 9, 2022

The fit for Brantley on the roster is not hard to see. When he's healthy, he's one of the most elite contact hitters in the game today and is a well-respected veteran who can still carry his own out on the field. Of course, health has been a concern for him over the past decade or so, but this is something the Jays undoubtedly are aware of in their pursuit of him.

Brantley, 35, is an on-base machine who draws a ton of walks and hits for high average. A 14-year veteran, Brantley hasn't hit below .284 in a full season since all the way back in 2011. A five-time All-Star Game participant, he would be a welcome addition to the Jays corner outfield/DH picture.

Conforto is largely in the same boat. The longtime New York Met sat out last year while sitting on the free agent market for the first time in his career. After a shoulder surgery kept him from signing a contract last season, he began turning his sights to this offseason to finally latch on with a new club.

Conforto, like Brantley, would represent an immediate upgrade in the outfield and is much more of a power threat than Brantley is. Not to mention, he has had health on his side over the course of his seven-year career, only missing significant time on the injured list twice back in 2016 and 2017.

The 2017 All-Star is a threat to routinely hit 25-30 home runs while driving in 80-90 runs a year while being able to play all three outfield positions (although he is best suited for the corners).

Sure, it might be nice to add one of these players via free agency but they do both come with question marks. Brantley no longer has age on his side and Conforto hasn't played a single game in the big leagues since 2021.

Regardless of how this shakes out, it will be interesting to see which direction the Jays go in their quest to address a hole in the outfield.

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