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5 depth signings the Blue Jays should consider this offseason
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Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Graeme Wallace
Nov 26, 2025, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 25, 2025, 19:48 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays are considering several players who could help push them over the top after they came as close as possible to winning a World Series in 2025. They’ve been linked to the top free agent on the board, Kyle Tucker. Fans are also hopeful that a long-term extension for Bo Bichette could be in the works, but it’s unlikely that both of those moves will get done this winter.
But as exciting as the big-name moves are, there are middling transactions that end up paying huge dividends for playoff teams every year. No one jumped for joy when Toronto inked Eric Lauer to a minor-league deal on December 20th, but he was one of the most important players on the team and solidified the starting rotation when it looked dire. They’ve also already dipped their toes into the ‘depth’ waters, adding UTIL Carlos Mendoza and INF Rodolfo Castro on MiLB deals. 
With that in mind, here are five depth signings the Jays should make this year.
Eric Fedde
Midway through the 2024 season, Fedde was a popular trade target. The Chicago White Sox were in the middle of a historically awful season, but the right-handed starter was one of the most prominent bright spots after going 7-4 with a 3.18 ERA through 21 starts for the South Siders. 
The St. Louis Cardinals traded for Fedde, and he went 2-5 with a 3.72 ERA down the stretch. It was a different story last year as the 32-year-old went 4-13 with a 5.49 ERA across 32 appearances (24 starts) with the Cards, Braves, and Brewers.
His numbers were much better in a small sample of seven relief outings with Milwaukee, where he posted a 3.94 ERA over 16 innings, so that may be his role now.
Chris Stratton
You just never know with relievers. One season, they could be a huge part of the solution, pitching in high-leverage roles, getting important outs, and helping to win games. Next, they could be like a completely different guy, and one incapable of consistently getting outs.
Chris Stratton has fit that description over the past several seasons. 
Between 2020 and 2023, the 2012 first-round draft pick recorded a 21-7 record with a 3.91 ERA for the Pirates, Cardinals, and Rangers while averaging a 9.4 K/9. Over the last two years with the Royals and Dodgers, the righty’s numbers ballooned, which led to him being DFA’d by both teams. A change of scenery might be for the veteran right-hander, who could find a groove under Pete Walker and the Jays’ pitching staff.
Chris Taylor
From 2017 to 2021, Taylor was a mainstay on some successful Dodgers teams, including the 2020 and 2024 World Series winners. During that time, the super utilityman hit 78 home runs with a .804 OPS and accumulated a WAR of 14.5. The 35-year-old struggled in 2022, but recovered the next season, albeit in a reduced role.
Over the last two seasons, the wheels fell off for Taylor.
A groin injury limited him to 87 games, and he struggled with a .202 average with just four homers and a .598 OPS. The former University of Virginia star received limited playing time in 2025 before being designated for assignment and later released in mid-May. He finished the campaign down the road with the Angels, spending time on the IL with a hand fracture. 
He could hang it up, but if Taylor makes the team on a minor-league deal and is near even his ‘23 form, he’d fit nicely into the Whit Merrifield-like role on the 2022-23 circa teams. This would bode well if Bichette departs and Ernie Clement plays every day again in 2026. 
Carlos Santana
If he’s still interested in playing, this could be an intriguing fit.
The Jays have preferred to have a secondary first baseman/bench bat on their roster in recent years, and Santana, a switch-hitter with considerable power and a 2024 Gold Glove award winner, could be a match. He’s hit 335 home runs over his career and has enjoyed a late-career surge before a drop-off last season. He can still play solid defence, evidenced by his 2025 nomination, and the notorious Blue Jays killer might be better suited on the team versus on the opposite side. 
Genesis Cabrera
If you’re at the scrap heap, why not kick the tires on an old favourite?
Cabrera was a 2023 trade deadline acquisition from the Cardinals and was a steady member of the Jays’ bullpen for the rest of that season and all of 2024. As he’s done with countless other pitchers, Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker has gotten more out of Cabrera than any other team has been able to. In 98 appearances in blue, the lefty had a 3.34 ERA, nearly a run lower than his 4.24 career mark. 

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