Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, the Toronto Blue Jays fell well off the pace in the American League East last season, as the team's 74-88 record was good for dead last — 20 games behind the division-winning New York Yankees.
"Canada's Team" needs a talent injection to make 2024 a distant memory and has often been mentioned as a possible landing spot for the premier free-agent bat available this winter, Yankees outfielder Juan Soto.
While Bob Nightengale reports that Toronto remains one of "only four teams that are seriously in play" to sign Soto, it may take a contract along the lines of Shohei Ohtani's Major League Baseball-record deal to bring him north of the border.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand notes that another top free agent could actually be a better fit for the Blue Jays, and come at a fraction of the price.
Feinsand identifies shortstop Willy Adames as the free-agent acquisition that makes the most sense for Toronto.
"The Blue Jays are looking at a number of free agents in an effort to upgrade the offense, but Adames may make the most sense," Feinsand wrote. "Toronto could shift him to third base next season, after which he could move back to shortstop if Bo Bichette departs as a free agent next winter.
Adames, who hit 32 home runs with 112 RBI, 93 runs scored and 21 stolen bases in a career year with the Milwaukee Brewers last season, would represent a big upgrade over current Toronto third-base starter Ernie Clement.
Spotrac projects Adames' market value to command a six-year, $152 million contract this winter. While a bidding war would likely raise those numbers, he would still come at a fraction of the bank-busting price Soto is bound to receive on the open market.
Signing Adames instead of Soto would allow Toronto to conceivably save millions that the team could put towards retaining Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and/or Bichette, both of whom are eligible for free agency a year from now.
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