The Blue Jays may have lost the World Series, but their unbelievable playoff run has set a solid foundation for Toronto to continue building a competitive core for years to come.
All this was possible in 2025 because of the Blue Jays’ incredible clubhouse chemistry and the wide-open AL East division. For Toronto to replicate this kind of success next season, it will have to remain aggressive this offseason, among many contenders.
There will be many mountains the Blue Jays will have to climb this offseason to create their magic again, but here are three main areas they have to focus on before spring training.
Re-sign Bo Bichette or find creative alternatives
On November 6th, the Blue Jays announced that they extended a qualifying offer to all-star shortstop Bo Bichette. It’s most likely that Bichette will reject the offer to wait for an offer that gives him the years and money he so desires. The cost of bringing Bichette back won’t be cheap for the Blue Jays, but it’s the cost the team would have to accept if they are willing to keep another face of the franchise alongside first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Bo Bichette just unleashed one of the coldest bat flips ever 🥶 pic.twitter.com/cF2V2pzdZP
— MLB (@MLB) November 2, 2025
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There are a ton of upsides to re-signing Bichette for the Blue Jays. The first is that his signing would signal the team’s belief in the 2025 core that punched the ticket to the World Series. The Florida native played an important role in putting Toronto out in the front for the last game of the World Series before the Dodgers came back, while managing to produce impactful RBIs despite his knee injury.
But if the Blue Jays have doubts about Bichette’s abilities, such as his defence and declining sprint speed, they will have to find alternatives to fill the hole Bichette left on the infield. The team already has good defenders like Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez, which would open doors for Toronto to explore offensive-forward players like Alex Bregman. No matter which path the Blue Jays take, Bichette will either have to be brought back or replaced one way or another.
Round out the starting rotation
As soon as the World Series ended in early November, the Blue Jays knew they would lose more than half of their starting rotation.
The Blue Jays can’t risk increased home run rates again in 2026, with other AL East teams’ potential for a rebound and a more competitive playoff race.
The starting rotation free-agent market doesn’t boast a top-end ace, but there are still skilled pitchers the team could target. Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen and Ranger Suarez will bring durability and reliability to the table, while Lucas Giolito, Adrian Houser and Brandon Woodruff can bring their high-risk-high-reward profile. Depending on which types of risk the Blue Jays are willing to take on, there are still ways to strengthen the rotation for a deeper playoff run.
Bieber’s opt-in for his 2026 contract was the start of solidifying the Blue Jays’ starting crew; they will have to beat out many want-to-be contenders to sign good starters. A team’s starting rotation is the lifeblood of a team – the Blue Jays will have to choose wisely to get another shot at glory.
There’s no such thing as enough relief pitching
After enduring a painful season of negative regression in the bullpen for the 2024 season, the Blue Jays’ relief pitching core rebounded in 2025. In 2024, Toronto’s relief pitching recorded a 4.82 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, but the team improved the numbers to a 3.98 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 2025. For a team that operated without Ryan Burr, Yimi Garcia and Nick Sandlin, the team fared well in the playoffs as it got to the World Series, despite some visible concerns, such as walks and home runs.
However, out of 12 teams that arrived at the playoff stage, the Blue Jays ranked 10th in relief pitching with a 4.44 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. This relief core also gave up 17 home runs, which is the worst out of all teams in the postseason. Along with starting rotation, relief pitching is also one of the biggest areas of improvement that the Blue Jays simply can’t ignore.
Breaking: Padres All-Star closer Robert Suarez, who led the NL with 40 saves, has opted out. Had $16M over 2 years to go. Now a free agent.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 3, 2025
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Relief pitching, in general, is volatile. A core that used to be good can quickly turn into a mess in a dime because relievers throw fewer innings and their performances aren’t as consistent as starters, due to how relief pitching operates. Even with the possibility of injured relievers returning next season, the team still needs to find either flame throwers or relievers who tend to walk fewer batters for a chance at getting cleaner innings both during the regular season and the playoffs.
If Jeff Hoffman isn’t married to the closer role in Toronto’s eyes, this offseason is their chance to find a new closer. The free agent market is also full of options: Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez to start. Bullpens are no longer an option for a playoff team – it’s a necessity – and the Blue Jays should consider some of these top names this winter.