The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to improve their team after reaching the World Series last year and missing the playoffs this year. Moreover, one area that Toronto might have to improve is having more players who can produce on offense.
A terrible 2025 MLB season from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. showed that the Blue Jays’ offense, as currently constructed, can’t overcome that problem. While Guerrero is the face of the franchise, Toronto needs to have a backup plan to ensure that they can overcome any struggles from their star.
So, what options could the Blue Jays pursue? Well, there’s free agency, and Toronto Blues on SI’s Maddy Dickens sees Seattle Mariners free agent Randy Arozarena as the player that needs to be on the team’s radar.
“So, there are some holes to fill in the roster, including the outfield, as the revolving door in left was hard to watch,” Dickens wrote in an Oct. 9 article. “That, combined with the fact that Anthony Santander has been hindered by injury over the last two years, means that they need someone with a proven bat who can play the field.
“Well, the Seattle Mariners’ left fielder Randy Arozarena is set to become an unrestricted free agent the second that the World Series comes to a close, and he should be high on management’s list of available players.”
Randy Arozarena Would Bolster Toronto’s Lineup
This past season, Arozarena hit .281 with 161 hits, 26 homers, 79 RBIs, and 113 runs scored in 154 games for Seattle, per StatMuse. Furthermore, if the Blue Jays were to have this production in their lineup, the 31-year-old would be one of Toronto’s best hitters.
“Arozarena just capped off his sixth consecutive season hitting 20+ bombs while also driving in a minimum of 60 runs,” Dickens added in their article.
“2026 was even better than average, as he blasted 26 home runs and 79 RBI, which would have trailed only Okamoto in terms of production. There are going to be a lot of options available in terms of elite power, and Arozarena is just a piece.”
Blue Jays Insider on Potential Kevin Gausman Return
Speaking of free agency, would the Blue Jays consider bringing Kevin Gausman back? Blue Jays reporter for MLB.com, Keegan Matheson, shared his candid take on whether he sees that scenario happening.
“I go back to Chris Bassitt a year ago, who the Jays didn’t seem to have a ton of interaction with about bringing him back,” Matheson said on the Oct. 7 edition of “Toronto Sports Rush.” “Bassitt was a touch older, maybe not with the same ceiling as Gausman, but we’ll see. I think they’ll talk to him, obviously, because that relationship is so strong on both sides.
“But we’ve seen the Jays recently, time and time again, kind of cash out at the right time and try to get out of it one year early. I say that about a team that just pitched Max Scherzer on the last day of the season, but I don’t know. I’d still say I’m not as optimistic as the aggregated headlines are.”
Blue Jays Get Strong Free Agent Take on Randy Arozarena