According to Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays offered Kyle Tucker a 10-year deal.
How the 2026 Blue Jays stack up against last season’s team
Photo credit: © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
By Ben Wrixon
Jan 17, 2026, 15:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 17, 2026, 14:10 EST
The Toronto Blue Jays’ once-promising offseason has taken a sour turn following Bo Bichette’s departure and Kyle Tucker’s decision to join the Los Angeles Dodgers. It appears increasingly likely that Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto will stand as the team’s lone offensive addition this winter, and likely its final big move before the 2026 season gets underway.
That begs the question: is this team better or worse on paper than the beloved group that came up just short against the Dodgers in the 2025 World Series?
Offensively, the Blue Jays’ lineup will be worse without Bichette; he was the team’s best clutch hitter and most consistent run producer last season. The team’s late-September swoon when Bichette was injured —during which they hit .236 as a group with an 87 wRC+—exemplified how his presence made everyone else around him better.
There are also some regression candidates in the lineup to be worried about. George Springer probably won’t put up a .959 OPS again in 2026, and Daulton Varsho likely won’t hit home runs at an Aaron Judge-ian pace for a full season if he stays healthy. Another full season of Ernie Clement is on the horizon, and there could be some regression there as well.
Still, there are reasons to believe the Blue Jays will once again field a potent lineup. Projecting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for more than 23 home runs and 84 RBIs after his legendary postseason performance feels appropriate. Okamoto’s power and bat-to-ball skills should carry over to MLB. Anthony Santander can only improve upon his abysmal 2025 performance.
Ultimately, the Blue Jays will probably be a bit worse offensively this season—but gains in the pitching department could easily offset any losses on that front.
Toronto’s starting rotation to open the 2025 season was Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, and Bowden Francis. It now projects as Gausman, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and either Berríos or Cody Ponce.
This current group has a higher floor and a much higher ceiling. Cease is a strikeout machine with Cy Young upside. Bieber should be even better with a healthy offseason under his belt. The sky is the limit for Yesavage, even if there are bound to be growing pains. Berríos and Ponce are question marks for different reasons, yet could both be effective back-end guys.
In the bullpen, the biggest change from the end of the 2025 season to now is that Seranthony Domínguez has been replaced by Tyler Rogers. The stats suggest Rogers is the more effective arm despite his unconventional submarine delivery. The Blue Jays will also have trade deadline acquisition Louis Varland for a full season.
Of course, the team’s bullpen was hardly its strength last year—a blown save cost them a World Series title. This group’s overall numbers aren’t likely to be much better than they were in 2025, especially with Jeff Hoffman still entrenched as the closer.
With all that being said, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to suggest that the 2026 Blue Jays look like a better team on paper than last year’s squad. Meaningful improvements to their starting pitching should help offset any lost offense. Games aren’t played on paper, however, and only time will tell whether this squad can recapture the magic of last season.
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