What a difference a year can make. A year ago, Blue Jays fans were looking at the idea of just squeaking into the playoffs in a wild-card spot and now look where we ended up. Even with the dusk settling after the World Series, leading to missing out on Kyle Tucker and saying farewell to Bo Bichette, one thing we learned about this organization’s front office is that they never sleep.

January 2025 is when we saw the team make a lot of additions, such as bringing in Anthony Santander, Jeff Hoffman and Max Scherzer. The Myles Straw trade was also another thing that transpired last January, which shows the front office is always looking for ways to improve the team.

Ben-Nicholson Smith said earlier in the offseason that the front office isn’t as nostalgic about the 2025 team as we thought they would be, which could explore options of potential trades across the roster. Several names may be floated around as the offseason drags on, and sometimes trades come out of nowhere, see the Andres Gimenez trade that sent Spencer Horwitz to Cleveland (and later Pittsburgh).

On paper, this seems like a move that is inevitable. Joey Loperfido is too good a player to be in the minor leagues and is unfortunately on the outside looking in when it comes to the Blue Jays outfield heading into 2026. With the likes of Daulton Varsho occupying centre field, Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw moving all around the outfield and Addison Barger emerging as a quality option in right field, plus the numerous other outfield options who can fill in easily, there are a lot of spots that take away at-bats.

In 41 games with the Blue Jays this past season, Loperfido amassed a .333 batting average and a .879 OPS,  which are great numbers for a 26-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder, albeit a small sample size. Loperfido is facing a similar fate to the one he had when he was in the Houston Astros organization, in that he fell down the depth chart and lost playing time to other players. While he did see a couple of games in the infield (nine games played at first base in Buffalo), the outfield is by far where he belongs and deserves an opportunity to thrive.

Given teams that sorely need outfield depth, such as the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Guardians, a trade for both parties might make the most sense.

This one may be on the lesser likelihood of happening compared to the other two players, but there is a chance Schneider gets moved this offseason.

In 2023, we were all enamoured with Davis Schneider; some would even say he helped save the Blue Jays’ season that year. After a rotten 2024, Davis rebounded in a big way after being sent down to the minors early on in 2025. When he was called back up in June, he had a much better second half (.245 in 47 games) compared to his first half (.218 in 33 games).

Schneider provides a case for a player who can always have big moments, even if he is not seeing regular playing time.  Of his 77 games played this past season, he spent over 70% of the season playing in the outfield compared to the infield. Where Davis’ fielding is quite solid in left field, as we saw this past season, his bat has also improved against right-handed batters, as he actually batted .259 against the same side. Being able to pull the ball is something at-bats for Schneider in 2025, showcasing he isn’t chasing as much as he used to, and ultimately suffered some bad luck when it comes to the strike zone.

While Schneider may not fetch much of a return on his own, some teams may take note that the Blue Jays are pivoting to the trade market and may begin listening to a lot of major league talent. General manager Ross Atkins noted when signing Kazuma Okamoto that further additions to the team would likely subtract playing time from major league talent; in this case, Schneider may be an odd man out of seeing regular playing time.

Having a bat like his off the bench does prove useful at times (see game five of the World Series for reference), but from a player’s perspective, we could see a case of Schneider wanting to request more playing time, which could prove to be in another uniform. As to who could use his services, keep an eye out for a team like the St. Louis Cardinals if they are interested in listening to a name like Brendon Donovan or Lars Nootbaar from teams looking to swing a trade. Again, Davis won’t be the centrepiece of a deal, but he is far from a player you would regret wanting to trade for.

With the third name of this article, we go from likely to unlikely to just plain out confused. Half of the fanbase in Toronto thought Berrios was as good as gone from the team when he wasn’t in the dugout during the World Series run with his teammates, but cold water has been poured on it, and many believe it is not worth making as much of a fuss about it nowadays.

Now, many have found out Berrios was battling injuries through the 2025 season, and despite the concerning second half, he still finished with a 4.17 ERA. It may not be his best season, but considering the implications, it was far from bad.

While the likelihood of going into spring training with six starting pitchers: Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber and Berrios, there is always the possibility of a trade to help clear up the logjam.  The market is changing day by day, and with names like Mackenzie Gore and Freddy Peralta being moved this winter, respectively, the demand for starting pitching may be heating up as we get closer to spring training.

Given Berrios’ frustrations with the team for moving him to the bullpen late last season, teams can see that as a chance to try and see if a change of scenery entices the 31-year-old. He is owed $66 million over the next three seasons with an opt-out after next season, so the Jays likely will have to eat some money to get a deal done for Berrios.

Keep an eye out for teams like the San Diego Padres, who may want to have an arm come into the fold with them losing Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish for the 2026 season.