Getty The Blue Jays are looking for help at designated hitter. They've been linked to five free agents who could help.
The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t made any significant additions to their MLB roster yet this winter. However, they’re in the process of evaluating available players to supplement their lineup at designated hitter, according to a December 19 report from Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith.
Nicholson-Smith specifically mentioned five hitters the club is considering: Rhys Hoskins, Justin Turner, J.D. Martinez, Joc Pederson and Joey Votto.
Toronto ran out 12 different players to be its designated hitter during the 2023 season. The majority of that playing time went to Brandon Belt. He suited up as the Jays’ DH in 69 games. That lineup spot is more of a question mark now because Belt has re-entered free agency.
Hoskins and Votto have played lots of first base in the past, while Turner has spent time at both first base and third base. As for Martinez and Pederson, the majority of their at-bats in recent years have been taken primarily as a designated hitter.
Signing a player with experience at corner infield positions would help with roster flexibility. Toronto could use a third baseman if it doesn’t re-sign free-agent Matt Chapman. Bringing in a first baseman would help keep Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fresh. He racked up 155 plate appearances in 2023 as a designated hitter.
Blue Jays Still Pursuing Free-Agent Cody Bellinger
Toronto was one of the legitimate landing spots for Shohei Ohtani at the outset of the 2023-24 offseason before he ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 10 years and $700 million.
While that was disappointing, the organization has moved on to other options. With Ohtani officially off the board, outfielder Cody Bellinger is one of the best hitters remaining on the free-agent market.
On December 17, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said the Blue Jays were the favorite to sign Bellinger. He also reported that the Chicago Cubs were still in the hunt. Later in the week, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman added the San Francisco Giants to the mix for the 2019 NL MVP Award winner. Nicholson-Smith also mentioned these three clubs as perceived frontrunners for Bellinger.
His price tag won’t be nearly as high as Ohtani’s $700 million payday. But if MLB super-agent Scott Boras has anything to say about it, his client won’t be signing on the dotted line for any kind of discount. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported on December 19 that Bellinger’s camp is looking for more than $200 million.
Bellinger has a good track record that includes an MVP, NL Rookie of the Year Award and lots of postseason experience thanks to his time with the Dodgers. He also had an excellent 2023 with the Cubs, slashing .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 20 steals, 97 RBI and 95 runs scored.
There could be some hesitancy in shelling out that kind of money for the 28-year-old because of the rough three-year stretch he endured between 2020 and 2022. Across 1,143 plate appearances and 295 games played, Bellinger struggled to a .203/.272/.376 triple slash, which resulted in a .648 OPS.
Can Toronto Take the Next Step in 2024?
The Blue Jays have found themselves in a weird spot heading into the 2024 regular season. They’ve proven to be a postseason-caliber team in recent years, but the club hasn’t made any kind of deep October run upon getting there.
Toronto has produced four straight winning seasons. They’ve also registered at least 89 wins each year since 2021, which includes two 90-win campaigns. This success has resulted in three trips to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Jays haven’t won a single game during this time. They’ve been swept out of the postseason in the Wild Card Round three straight times, including each of the last two seasons (2022 and 2023).
With whatever acquisitions are made before spring training starts in February, the hope in Toronto will be that the club will not only return to the postseason in 2024 but also make it past the first round.