The Blue Jays haven’t had the most success when it comes to being attached to highly coveted free agents like Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, and Juan Soto, coming away empty-handed in recent years.

Offseasons were hardly kind to Toronto’s front office when all of these players chose to sign elsewhere, even after a long period of persuasion. That hasn’t stopped other big names from taking their talents to Toronto, such as George Springer, Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, and a host of others, but for the Blue Jays, this phenomenon evolved into a trope, effectively locking them into a perpetual runner-up status, while ‘kicking the tires’ on free agents became a running joke amongst the fanbase.

But this disappointing narrative has shifted considerably this winter.

Once considered an annoyance, rumours and speculations are now becoming exhilarating around Toronto. The ‘Jays checking in on a player’ or ‘being in the running’ doesn’t seem so far-fetched anymore, mostly because their recent track record both on and off the field has given them a sort of swagger that not many teams have. Almost winning a World Series will do that, but having the money to spend and upgraded facilities are a nice touch to a city that many players already sing high praises for during road trips.

Let’s take a quick trip to see why that narrative has really shifted this winter.

The Blue Jays did not have much to boast about in the early 2020s. The club managed to get to the playoffs in 2020, 2022 and 2023 but got swept each time and continued to avoid postseason wins like it was going out of style. The 2024 season was the absolute rock bottom, with the team coming in last in the AL East. They were the embodiment of paper tigers, and no one expected Toronto to bounce back as their division rivals each bulked up and enhanced their rosters.

Despite the pessimism, the Blue Jays’ front office remained aggressive and made necessary moves to improve the team, including handing out a massive extension to the face of the franchise, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This persistence, on top of internal improvements, fuelled the team to push through the tough AL East division and eventually helped them secure the division lead. They even beat their nagging playoff curse and got to the World Series after not winning any playoff games since 2016.

Although Toronto fell short of winning the World Series this year, the team still won a whopping 11 playoff games and expressed its interest in building on the momentum this offseason. This incredible playoff run earned the team more serious recognition around the league and among more players.

The Blue Jays are putting money where their mouth is this offseason.

Technically, this commitment started when the team extended Guerrero’s contract at the beginning of the 2025 season, but they have continued to push their payroll to uncharted territory in franchise history. This foundation has now become a building block for this winter as the team looks to improve and change the roster for the 2026 season.

Toronto has taken advantage of its strong 2025 season results and is translating them into a tangible movement through savvy signings this offseason. So far, the team has signed ace starting pitcher Dylan Cease on a seven-year deal, KBO MVP-winning pitcher Cody Ponce on a three-year deal and reliever (submariner) Tyler Rogers on a three-year pact as well. These signings have indicated the Blue Jays’ ownership’s vast interest in extending the contention window without cutting any corners, and that hasn’t taken into consideration other players who are on the team’s radar this winter.

Toronto still has a shot of signing either Bo Bichette or Kyle Tucker, or potentially adding both, as some executives and baseball pundits think could happen this winter. This narrative wouldn’t have been possible if the Blue Jays weren’t serious about opening up their chequebook and ignoring CBT penalties that come with going past the luxury tax, but winning postseason games can do a lot for a franchise.

There’s also an intangible draw to the Blue Jays team this time around. One of the biggest contributors to Toronto’s solid run in 2025 was the immaculate vibe in the clubhouse. The ideas of the vibe shift began as early as spring training this year, when players and staff both hinted at having a good feeling about this team.

This culture change involved everyone on and off the field. The front office introduced some analytical changes while players and the coaching staff bonded together as they worked to send out the best version of the team each day. This effort was what led the team to drive sustainable and tenacious success and propelled the Blue Jays to the ALDS, ALCS and eventually the World Series.

Even though the Blue Jays couldn’t secure the Game 7 win, fan favourite Ernie Clement described Toronto’s postseason experience as one awesome ride. In his postgame interview, Bo Bichette said this group taught him what a team is and how this was probably one of the most valuable lessons in his career. Now, free agents Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer also expressed their interest in re-signing with the team while emphasizing the strong bond between the players in the clubhouse throughout the 2025 season.

This friendly and open culture has garnered attention from everyone in MLB and has become one of the conversation threads in how the Blue Jays were able to succeed at a higher level in 2025. As much as money talks, invisible factors like culture and friendship also play a crucial role in players’ decisions to sign with a team. Whether this good reputation around the team’s culture will become a much bigger story remains to be seen as the Blue Jays remain aggressive this offseason.

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