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8 Blue Jays projected for arbitration raises this winter
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Photo credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Oct 9, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 8, 2026, 22:03 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays are set to have a busy offseason as they try to prove the 2026 campaign was just an aberration from the success they displayed in 2025. 
Among the decisions that will be needed, will be whether the Blue Jays decide to tender contracts to eight players who are arbitration eligible this winter. Each player who is arbitration eligible earns a raise on what they made the previous season, which makes some of the calls tougher to make than others. 
This offseason, eight current Blue Jays will be due for raises, including Ernie Clement, José Soriano, Josh Smith, Bowden Francis, Spencer Arrighetti, Louis Varland, Nathan Lukes, and Davis Schneider. 
As projected by MLB Trade Rumors, here is a look at the estimated salaries for each of the players in 2027 and how they fared this past season. 
Ernie Clement
After making $4.6 million in 2026, Clement is expected to jump to $7.6 million in his penultimate arbitration year. Through 158 games this season, Clement batted .259 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs. 
Clement was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season, and started at second base in the Midsummer Classic for the American League. Unfortunately for the 30-year-old, his numbers fell off a cliff following the All-Star break, as Clement batted .203 with only one home run and 11 extra-base hits in the 65 games that followed. 
With an ability to play all around the field, Clement feels like a safe bet to be tendered a contract before the deadline. 
José Soriano
Acquired at the trade deadline by the Blue Jays from the Los Angeles Angels, the club is hoping that Soriano takes a big leap heading into the 2027 campaign, which makes the $5.6 million tag an easy decision. 
Through 32 starts this season between both the Angels and Blue Jays, Soriano went 12-8 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The 27-year-old struck out 169 batters across 177.1 innings and limited opponents to a .235 clip. 
Expected to slot into the Blue Jays’ rotation next season behind ace Dylan Cease, the coaching staff will be hoping for better results than Soriano showed in his first 10 starts in a Toronto uniform. 
Josh Smith
Like Soriano, Smith was also acquired at the trade deadline. The Blue Jays sent left-hander Adam Macko to the Texas Rangers to bring Smith to Toronto. After making $3.23 million last season, Smith is projected to see his number rise to $3.7 million. 
In 35 games with the Blue Jays after being acquired, Smith batted .184 with five home runs and seven RBIs. Given his two years of control, and positional versatility, Smith is likely to remain with the club heading into 2027. 
Bowden Francis 
Francis missed the entire duration of the 2026 season after undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery in February. Expected to make $1.3 million, Francis will head into spring training with a chance to compete for a spot in the back end of the Blue Jays’ rotation. 
During the 2025 season, Francis went 2-8 with a 6.05 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Francis struck out 54 batters across 64 innings and was hit at a .283 clip. After dazzling down the stretch in 2024, when it felt like Francis flirted with no-hitters in every outing, the 30-year-old could be sent to Triple-A Buffalo to get fully stretched out to pre-injury levels. 
Spencer Arrighetti
The third Blue Jay on this list to be brought in prior to the trade deadline. The Blue Jays acquired Arrighetti from the Houston Astros in exchange for Daulton Varsho, and upon joining Toronto, Arrighetti pitched in seven games. During that span, the 26-year-old went 2-4 with a 6.35 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. 
Expected to make $1.9 million, Arrighetti, like Francis, will be an option for the Blue Jays’ rotation in 2027. The right-hander struck out 19 batters across 22.2 innings and was only hit at a .236 clip after joining the Blue Jays, but struggled with walks, highlighted by 14 in that span. 
Louis Varland
Coming off a season in which he recorded 35 saves, the Blue Jays’ closer is expected to make $3.8 million. Varland appeared in 71 games with the Blue Jays this season and went 5-6 with a 1.71 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. 
Varland struck out 97 batters across 78 innings and held opponents to a sparkling .196 average. Named an All-Star for the first time in his career, Varland will head into a season with the closer role locked up for the first time in his career. 
Nathan Lukes
Over the past two seasons, Lukes has carved out a nice role with the Blue Jays, and will be rewarded with seeing his salary climb to $2.9 million. Across 125 games this season, Lukes batted .277 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. 
Not only did Lukes provide quality at-bats through much of the 2026 campaign, but the 32-year-old impressed with his play in the outfield. Lukes totalled 10 outfield assists and had a perfect fielding percentage across his 116 games in right field. 
Davis Schneider 
Expected to make $1.3 million, Schneider could be hard pressed to return to the Blue Jays for a fifth season. Schneider was shuttled between Buffalo and Toronto for much of the year, and in his 69 games at the big-league level, the 27-year-old batted .145 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. 
A career .206 hitter, Schneider’s fit on the 40-man roster is hard to envision, especially with the club looking to add to an offence that finished with the fewest runs and home runs in 2026.
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