Ranking every relevant Blue Jays offseason signing (so far)

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The Toronto Blue Jays sure had a turbulent offseason so far as we saw them miss out on some big name free agents, but at the same time, managed to make some key signings nonetheless. All in all, the Jays certainly hope they have made enough moves to bolster their roster for the 2024 season, with still the outside possibility that they might not be done just yet. Nevertheless, how have the Jays done with their signings to date?

Here, we will rank each of the Jays' relevant offseason signings thus far and how they could ultimately help the club. For this rankings list, we will focus only on players that actually have the chance to make a significant impact for the team this coming season. Therefore, minor depth signings ranging from Paolo Espino to Payton Henry will be excluded in our discussion.

6. Daniel Vogelbach

With the Jays looking for a power bat to inject some offense into their lineup, they took a flyer on a former recruit in veteran designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach. "Vogey" is in camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league deal. Known mainly for his enormous power, Vogelbach once hit a career-high 30 home runs with the Seattle Mariners back in his lone All-Star season in 2019. His first tenure with the Jays was short-lived when he lasted just over a week with the team after coming over from the Mariners in a trade.

If we take a careful look at Vogelbach’s track record, we should temper our expectations with regards to what he can bring to the team. One, he hits for a low average, and for two, he resembles the second coming of the modern day Adam Dunn. What that means is he is a “three true outcomes” hitter; 45% of his plate appearances in his career has ended with a home run, walk, or strikeout. As a result, it makes this minor gamble by the Jays on Vogelbach a potential boom or bust move.

Since Vogelbach bats left-handed, if he manages to impress enough to make the Opening Day roster, he could serve as a potential platoon with the right-handed hitting Justin Turner in the DH spot. However, with Turner showing that he could confidently handle both left-handed (.276 career average) and right-handed (.293 career average) pitching in the past, he will likely take sole possession of the DH role for the most part in 2024, leaving Vogelbach mainly as a potential pinch-hitting role or insurance depth option at best.

5. Eduardo Escobar

As one of our previously suggested reclamation projects for the Jays to pursue, veteran Eduardo Escobar was also inked to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. However, unlike his power-hitting counterpart, Escobar has a slightly better chance of making the team given his past consistency. During his 13-year MLB career, he has hit 20 or more home runs six times and has registered over 60 RBI seven times.

More importantly, Escobar is just three years removed from his All-Star season in 2021 when he hit .253 with a .786 OPS, along with 77 runs scored, 26 doubles, 28 home runs and 90 RBI in 146 games played. However, he put up some of his worst numbers of his career last year when he batted .226 with a .613 OPS, with just 32 runs scored, 6 doubles, 6 home runs and 31 RBI in 99 games played split between the Mets and Angels.

With the ability to play multiple positions, if Escobar can find his prior form once again this spring training, he can potentially challenge for a spot on the Jays’ 26-man roster for 2024. In addition, the fact he can hit from both sides of the plate with some pop, along with being a consistent run producer throughout his career, he could play well for the Jays. However, if Father Time has indeed caught up to him already and that he is, in fact, on the decline - his stint with the team may end up lasting only this spring as it’s unlikely he will accept a minor league assignment.

4. Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Among one of the first relevant signings by the Jays this offseason, Isiah Kiner-Falefa inked a two-year, $15M deal during the Christmas break. IKF provides great flexibility for the Jays because he possesses the ability to play strong defense all over the field. This was exemplified when he saw action last season in almost every position other than first base and catcher with the New York Yankees. Funnily enough, he did come up through the minors as a catcher, too. Along with his speed and ability to hit for a decent average, his overall tool set makes him a decent viable replacement for departed utilityman Whit Merrifield.

For his career, Kiner-Falefa sports a .261 batting average, while averaging close to 70 runs scored, 50 RBI and 20 stolen bases over a 162-game schedule pace. However, he had a down year offensively in 2023 with the Yankees in which he compiled a .242 batting average with a .646 OPS, along with 39 runs scored, 6 home runs, 37 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 113 games of action. On the good side, Kiner-Falefa has always flashed a solid glove on defense, including taking home Gold Glove honours back in 2020 with the Texas Rangers as a third baseman.

If the intent of the Jays is to use IKF as a super-sub, very much like how Merrifield was deployed in 2022, then the signing can be classified as an adequate one. However, if he will be used primarily as the replacement for Matt Chapman at third base as some are speculating, then the signing would represent a considerable downgrade from last season due to the massive decrease in offensive potential. There is also the uncertainty that exists on whether or not he will be a starter or bench player as well, which would affect his overall value on the team.

3. Yariel Rodríguez

After missing out on the biggest prize of the offseason in Shohei Ohtani, the Jays received a nice consolation prize when they beat out a few other teams to acquire the services of Cuban star pitcher Yariel Rodríguez. With the Jays in need of pitching depth for both their starting pitching and the bullpen heading into 2024, Rodríguez could provide the solution to both as he has previously established a solid track record as both a starter and a reliever in his eight-year professional baseball career.

In total, Rodríguez has registered a 48-38 record, along with a 3.06 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, giving up just 35 total home runs and striking out 645 batters in 731.1 total innings over 195 games (76 starts). More importantly, he put together the best season of his career the very last time he pitched in 2022. That year, he went 6-2 with an impressive 1.15 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, giving up just 7 earned runs all year, along with 18 walks and 60 strikeouts in just 54.2 innings pitched with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japan Central League.

However, what prevents Rodríguez from being ranked higher on this list is the fact that he hadn’t pitched since that 2022 season, as he spent all of 2023 in preparation for his move to North America to pursue a career in the MLB. As a result, he will likely need some time to get up to speed, as he recently even indicated that his arm is only at 75% heading into spring training. The faster he is able to get into game shape, the better the chance he can regain his dominant form shown in the foreign leagues that he played in. Also, how well he can translate his game to the MLB level will also determine if the Jays made the right move in the end. Nevertheless, Rodríguez will be given all the time and opportunity to succeed.

2. Kevin Kiermaier

Ranked the second-best signing on our list, we have the re-signing of fan favourite Kevin Kiermaier to a one-year contract worth $10.5M. This signing made a lot of sense for the Jays. After all, Kiermaier put together a strong season both defensively and offensively (relative to his standard output) in 2023 with the ballclub. In 129 games, he amassed a .265 batting average with a .741 OPS, 104 OPS+, 58 runs scored, 21 doubles, 6 triples, 8 home runs, 36 RBI and 14 stolen bases. In doing so, he was one of the most productive nine-hole hitters in the league.

Just for good measure, Kiermaier put his elite defensive acumen on full display. After stealing hit after hit from the Jays back during his time with the Rays, it was nice to have him on the "light side" for once. Last year, Kiermaier committed only 3 errors all year for a stellar .989 fielding percentage, along with 5 outfield assists and a whopping 18 DRS, showing that he's still got it despite coming off major surgery the year prior. More importantly, his excellence was recognized as he took home his fourth career Gold Glove in the process.

Kiermaier might not be the power outfield bat that the Jays were looking for from the start of free agency. But one thing is for certain, they will not have to worry about their defense in 2024 as the dynamic duo of him and Daulton Varsho will be back to command the outfield to create nightmares for opposing hitters. And of all the potential reunions that was predicted for the Jays to rekindle this offseason, at least one has come to fruition, and it Is one that everyone really wanted back.

1. Justin Turner

As if there was any doubt, the top spot goes to the lone power bat the Jays were able to land this offseason in veteran Justin Turner. Since the club struggled with offense and timely hits for much of 2023, Turner will provide a strong remedy for that this season. After all, he has proven to be a solid contact hitter with consistent run production throughout his career. On average, Turner can be counted upon for 20 home runs and 80 RBI of production, along with a batting average close to .290 and OPS above .800 each season. In addition, he brings with him his wealth of postseason experience, including winning it all with the Dodgers back in 2020. As a clubhouse leader, he can show the younger Jays how to get it done.

More significantly, he still put up one of his best seasons of his career in 2023 at the ripe age of 38. With the struggling Red Sox, Turner compiled a .276 batting average, .800 OPS, 114 OPS+, along with 86 runs scored, 31 doubles, 23 home runs and 96 RBI. On top of that, guess what his numbers were with runners in scoring position? Turner batted a stellar .338 with a .943 OPS, 9 home runs and 77 RBI with RISP. He was even more clutch under the same situation with two outs, posting a .333 average, 1.002 OPS with 25 runs scored, 3 home runs and 26 RBI in just 51 at-bats. There’s no doubt if the Jays had him in the heart of their daily lineup last season, they certainly would have gotten farther than they did.

There’s only two things of concern for Turner in 2024. One is despite his strong offensive production, his defense has been on the decline the past few seasons, which was why he had been relegated more to DH duties as a result. Other than first base, where he managed to post respectable numbers last year with 3 DRS and a .989 fielding percentage, it’s of the Jays’ best interest to keep him off the field as much as they can to maximize their chances at winning. The second thing is hopefully he still has plenty of game left in him as he enters the 2024 season at the glorified age of 39. But seeing how David Ortiz and Nelson Cruz continued to produce into their 40s, hopefully Turner will be able to follow suit and lead the Jays to much success.

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