Nearly two months into the 2025-26 off-season, no team has acted more aggressively, particularly in free agency, than the big-spending Toronto Blue Jays — committing $277 million in payroll between Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers. They haven’t shied away from flexing their financial muscles thus far.

But don’t be surprised if management turns its attention to the trade market before spring training arrives in a few months.

With a handful of marquee free-agent bats still available, notably Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, as well as Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger, the Blue Jays’ brass remains poised to address its biggest remaining need with dollar figures rather than exchanging assets via trade. However, with a surplus of depth at multiple positions, they may have a move or two up their sleeve in that regard.

Trades of any kind usually take time to blossom, at least in most cases. For Toronto, there are three reasons why they should consider planting trade seeds for the remainder of this off-season.

As recently as last season, the Blue Jays have proven to be comfortable operating with a crowded major-league outfield, and that’s largely due to Addison Barger and Davis Schneider’s ability to bounce back and forth between the outfield and infield. But adding a full-time outfielder to the fold, say Tucker or Bellinger, for example, will likely alter that flexibility in 2026.

Signing either of those two would likely cause a ripple effect in multiple ways: Firstly, most (if not all) of Barger’s opportunities would come at third base next season, and secondly, Nathan Lukes could find himself out of a job.

In this scenario, Toronto’s primary outfield trio for next season would include Daulton Varsho, the return of Anthony Santander (if healthy) and Tucker or Bellinger. Since Myles Straw is under contract for ’26 at $7.4 million ($1.4 million paid by Cleveland), Lukes could become an intriguing trade candidate for anyone seeking a cost-effective and controllable outfielder, considering he isn’t arbitration-eligible until next winter.

Again, though, the Blue Jays could decide to run outfielder-heavy and carry both Straw and Lukes as reserves. If that theory becomes reality, perhaps it opens the door for a potential trade involving prospects Joey Loperfido or Jonatan Clase — each of whom will enter the ’26 season with one minor-league option remaining.

There’s a fresh wave of outfield prospects rising to the surface, featuring Yohendrick Pinango, RJ Schreck and Victor Arias, that the organization will need to make room for at triple-A. Plus, even after adding Rogers to the bullpen, the front office remains open to further bolstering its depth with a controllable and optionable relief arm. So perhaps they could execute an outfielder-for-reliever swap.

As currently constructed, the Blue Jays’ projected Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) payroll for next season is approximately $10 million shy of the fourth and final luxury-tax threshold of $304 million, according to FanGraphs’ RosterResource. Assuming they aren’t finished spending, it could be worth exploring ways to create additional financial flexibility.

Trading José Berríos, who’s owed $66 million over the next three seasons and can opt out of the final two years of his deal next winter, could present the biggest financial relief of any potential cost-cutting solutions. But it’d undoubtedly require a considerable amount of salary retention to facilitate a trade, and there likely aren’t many suitors who’d be willing to acquire a diminishing asset at this point.

Still, it’s an option worth considering in the weeks leading up to spring training, as is trading Yariel Rodríguez — who’s on the books for $17 million through 2028.

All 29 teams passed on him before the Blue Jays outrighted the struggling hurler off their 40-man roster earlier this month. Now that the free-agent reliever market has thinned out, though, the starter/reliever hybrid righty could become a more appealing trade candidate if a bit of cash is attached alongside him.

While Toronto could also test the waters on Santander’s market, all signs point towards him returning next season with an opportunity to bounce back from his injury-plagued ’25 campaign.

Infielder Leo Jiménez, who’ll be out of options next season, may have already played his final game with the Blue Jays organization. As such, the 24-year-old is likely a strong candidate to be designated for assignment as the corresponding move for a position-player addition, clearing room on the 40-man roster.

Jiménez has enjoyed two separate stints with Toronto in as many seasons, but saw his development stalled by injury in ’25, limiting him to fewer than 100 minor-league plate appearances. Considering he shares a similar glove-first profile to Josh Kasevich, who also spent significant time on the IL last season and went unclaimed in the Rule 5 draft at last week’s Winter Meetings, there’s an opportunity to clear up a bit of redundancy amongst the organization’s infield depth.

It’s similar to the dilemma the Blue Jays encountered with Otto Lopez during the 2023-24 offseason, leading to the San Francisco Giants’ acquisition of the out-of-options infielder just a few weeks before the start of spring training. Any team looking to upgrade its infield defence will likely come knocking.