Why the Blue Jays are beginning to turn a corner

For years, the Toronto Blue Jays have struggled to attract top free agents, and it's not just because of Canadian taxes. From botched contracts to baffling decisions, the Jays' culture has often looked more like a bad reality show than a well-oiled machine. But things seem to be turning around.

But before we get into why things are changing, let's take a look at some of the problem they've run into.

1. Deferred money gimmick

Anthony Santander’s new five-year, $92.5 million deal? Sure it sounds big, but the value will drop as time goes on thanks to over $60 million of it being deferred.

Whether it's inflation or the inability to earn much more interest by investing the money sooner, players want to be paid now, not a decade later. Sure the Dodgers are presenting a masterclass in deferred money, but even with their deferrals their player's current contract values are much higher.

2. Ohtani tunnel vision

The Jays put all their chips on Shohei Ohtani last offseason and had no backup plan when he chose the Dodgers. Chris Bassitt even said that Toronto wasn’t thinking about anyone else. Losing out on Ohtani itself is not as bad as having no plan after the fact.

3. Roki Sasaki cap gamble

Toronto traded for Myles Straw’s $11 million contract just to get an extra $2M in international cap space… only for Sasaki to sign elsewhere. Imagine paying full price for a lottery ticket, tipping the cashier at the gas station for some reason, and then predictably not winning. Embarrassing.

4. The Berríos blunder

In the 2023 postseason, José Berríos was dealing against Minnesota, only to be yanked after three innings in an over-managed move that backfired. It showed a lack of trust in the players, and free agents took notice. Mistakes happen, but the Blue Jays never really took ownership of the head-scratching move. Sure, they said things, but they didn't really do anything to demonstrate that this is not acceptable in their culture...and that isn't okay.