The Toronto Blue Jays used a total of 16 outfielders in 2026; of those outfielders, nine were left-handed batters. Now, with the free-agent pool not as strong as in other seasons, the market for batters may push them toward shorter-term deals, especially with the new CBA yet to be finalized.

With Anthony Santander still a question mark for the 2027 season (whenever it can happen) and Addison Barger still recovering from end-of-season elbow surgery, the Blue Jays are going to need to find ways to inject more power into their lineup. Enter Michael Conforto, a very intriguing, underrated bat who could be a depth signing to shore up power in the lineup.

The 33-year-old Conforto spent this past season with the Chicago Cubs and managed to bounce back from a horrendous 2025 with the Dodgers by hitting 15 home runs and 45 RBIs in 113 games. He also finished with an OPS of .800, which is the highest he has had in six seasons.

Conforto, in a way, is similar to what the Blue Jays wanted to accomplish with Jesús Sánchez this past season; however, Sánchez going into 2026 was a plus defender, which later turned into a disaster in the field.

Of his 113 games for the Cubs, he spent 57 of those as the designated hitter and the other 46 in both corner outfield positions (31 games in right field, 15 in left field). Conforto used to have an incredibly strong throwing arm, but after undergoing shoulder surgery in 2022, his arm is not what it used to be.

Now, with all that information in mind, why would the Blue Jays try the Sánchez experiment on an older, subpar defender who is yet another left-hander in a crowded outfield? The simple answer is how he is against fastballs.

Conforto has always been a great fastball hitter, and last year, hitting .288 against fastballs was his major strength, resulting in 16 XBH in 167 plate appearances. With the team losing out on George Springer as the team’s DH full-time, Conforto could be a bat that the Blue Jays could turn to in a pinch-hit situation off the bench, or against righties. Conforto’s wRC+ was 119 last season for the Cubs, which, for comparison, would have put him fourth on the 2026 Blue Jays, which, of all regular batters, would have put him in the higher echelon.

The benefit about Conforto is that he may not come with an expensive price tag. Last year, he was signed off a minor league contract with the Cubs, after making $17 million with the Dodgers in 2025, before he was kept off the roster for the World Series run in 2025.

While Conforto is not the sexiest name on the market, he could be a potential project that the team can look to capitalize on in 2027 and beyond. As far as what would be a fair value for Conforto, you likely would have to shell out a bit of money if you want his services.

Conforto only made $2 million last season, and he is due a qualifying offer to sign a contract. Spotrac has him making between $7 million and $8 million dollars per season, which is not breaking the bank for a team with over $80 million to potentially spend this coming winter. It will be interesting to see if the team looks to add more power hitting across a multitude of areas.

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