The Toronto Blue Jays entered this season with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette slated for free agency at the end of the campaign. While Guerrero is locked down for the foreseeable future on a franchise record 14-year, $500 million contract that kicks in next year, Bichette is slated to hit the open market barring an extension with the club before he hits free agency.

There is always a chance Bichette returns to the Jays this winter, but anytime you let other teams into the mix, you’re asking for issues.

Alongside Bichette, five other Jays are slated to hit the open market, creating some holes in a few different areas of the roster.

The biggest name of the group is the Jays’ shortstop, who is finding his groove again after struggling in 2024.

Bichette dealt with injuries and poor performance last year, and this season, the right-handed bat has turned a corner. Fans were critical that he wasn’t hitting for home run power out of the gate, collecting his first homer on May 3rd, his 33rd game of the year, but he’s bounced back well to become one of the go-to bats in the Blue Jays lineup.

After last night’s game, Bichette entered the contest with a .310/.354/.478 slash line and a .836 OPS. His 571 at-bats lead the American League, and he also leads the Major Leagues in hits (177) and also in doubles (42). Bichette now has 18 home runs under his belt following his shot to centre field in the top of the second inning, meaning he will likely surpass the 20 home run mark for the fourth time in his career. He is also knocking on the 100 RBIs plateau as well, with 91 to his name this season already.

Even with the lacklustre 2024 campaign on record, Bichette owns a career .294/.336/.469 line with a .805 OPS and a 121 OPS+. He’s amassed a 20.6 bWAR with 111 home runs during that span. While his defence has been shaky at times, it’s his bat that is his calling card, and teams will likely try to move him to second base but still have to find a value closer to a shortstop.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bichette see a dollar figure over the $200 million mark, and if I were the Blue Jays, he is the one player I would not let hit the open market if possible. He continues to find the bat that made him the AL hit king in 2021 and 2022, and the Jays are a better team with Bichette playing North of the border. Bichette will be eligible for the qualifying offer.

Right-hander Chris Bassitt was the main signing from the 2022/2023 offseason, inking a three-year deal with Toronto.

Since joining the Blue Jays, Bassitt has authored a 3.93 ERA through 93 outings and 527 innings, posting a 4.16 FIP and a 1.313 WHIP in the process. The veteran hurler has held opponents to a 3.0 BB/9 while striking out 508 batters to the tune of an 8.7 K/9, which would be his highest total with one club throughout his 11-year career. His best season was the inaugural campaign in 2023, where he made 33 starts and posted a 16-8 record with a 3.60 ERA and a 4.28 FIP.

Keeping Bassitt around might be the smart play for a Jays squad that could potentially lose all five members of their rotation by the end of 2026, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the front office lets him walk with so many internal options knocking on the door in the rotation. A short-term deal might work here if the value sits well for both sides.

Bassitt is not eligible for the qualifying offer after declining the Mets’ one-year deal before signing with the Jays.

One of the most exciting deals in recent memory was the Jays’ signing of Max Scherzer to a one-year deal this past winter.

While he is a shade of his former Cy Young self, adding Scherzer was a bit of a risky move considering his recent injury history, but when healthy, fans know what he is capable of, even though he’s on the other side of 40.

Scherzer did miss a large part of the first few months with a thumb injury after making his Blue Jays debut against the Orioles on the Opening Weekend, but since returning on June 25th, he has been one of the top arms in the Jays’ rotation. The right-hander owns a 4.11 ERA on the year with a 4.92 FIP, but through his last six outings, he’s posted a 3.34 ERA through 35 innings while allowing 13 earned runs. The Jays have won five of their last six starts.

Not everything has been perfect – he’s giving up his fair share of the home runs this season, which has elevated his FIP – but he’s really turned a corner in the latter half of this season and is becoming a go-to arm in the Jays’ rotation.

Scherzer’s time in Toronto may be limited to just this one year, but anything is possible in free agency.

Acquired at the trade deadline, Seranthony Dominguez was brought in to bring some firepower to the back end of the bullpen. Everyone is aware of how he can be wild at times, hence why he owns a career 4.0 BB/9, but that also comes with a 10.6 K/9, good enough for 350 punchouts through 297 2/3 innings across seven seasons.

Since joining Toronto, Dominguez has authored a 3.95 ERA through 13 2/2 innings, allowing nine hits, nine walks, and six earned runs during that span. He’s struck out 17 batters, which is one of the key reasons the Jays brought him in, and when Jeff Hoffman is unable to go in the ninth inning, it seems like Dominguez will be an arm to consider to finish out games. You will get a ton of walks but also a ton of punchouts with Dominguez.

Keeping Dominguez might be a smart move for the Jays, especially if he’s willing to sign for a similar value he is making this season ($8 million). It might be a bit too pricey for the Jays, considering they have some other big fish to fry this winter, but bringing back Dominguez on a short-term deal isn’t a bad option to have.

Ty France was acquired alongside Louis Varland at the trade deadline, a bit of a throw-in to help the Twins shed some payroll while the Jays put a right-handed bat on the bench who can back up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base.

Since joining Toronto, France has found a solid footing at the plate, collecting 21 hits through 67 at-bats (.313) and owns a .821 OPS through the small sample size. He has six doubles, one home run, and six RBIs since coming North of the border.

France is likely only going to be around this season before hitting free agency this winter.

Returning to the fold is Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who rejoins the Jays via the waiver wire from the Pittsburgh Pirates just days ago. The Hawaiian product signed a two-year deal with the Blue Jays during the 2023/2024 offseason before being traded to the Pirates at the 2024 trade deadline.

Kiner-Falefa amassed a 1.6 bWAR with a .264/.300/.332 slash line with the Pirates this season, compiling a .632 OPS with 20 doubles, one home run, and 35 RBIs with Pittsburgh. The veteran utility player will be a bench player for Toronto to finish out the season, with Kiner-Falefa eligible for the club in October as well.