Toronto Blue Jays entered the 2026 offseason with high hopes, aiming to strengthen their roster for another American League title run.
While the team made some significant moves, the departures of Bo Bichette and the missed opportunity to sign Kyle Tucker have left fans and management reflecting on both the highs and lows of their winter dealings.
Offseason Hits: Key additions and retentions
Toronto’s offseason highlights largely center on pitching and strategic roster retention. Toronto Blue Jays made a major splash by signing right-hander Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal.
Cease, 30, boasts a career 3.88 ERA with 1,231 strikeouts over 188 starts, and his 29.8% strikeout rate last season ranked third among qualified pitchers.
Another pitching boost comes from Cody Ponce, returning to MLB after a dominant season in South Korea with the Hanwha Eagles.
Ponce went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts, earning KBO MVP honors. He joins a rotation already featuring Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber.
Tyler Rogers is set to strengthen the bullpen after signing a three-year, $37 million deal. Rogers led MLB with 81 pitching appearances in 2025 and brings durability and consistency to late-inning relief.
On the offensive side, Kazuma Okamoto joins Toronto Blue Jays on a four-year, $60 million contract, bringing power and versatility after an 11-year career in Japan where he led the league in home runs three times.
The Jays also retained Shane Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young winner, who posted a 4-2 record with a 3.57 ERA in 2025 and opted into his $16 million player option.
Additionally, arbitration-eligible players like Ernie Clement, Daulton Varsho, and Tyler Heineman were signed ahead of the deadline, maintaining roster stability.
Opportunities lost
The offseason, however, came with notable disappointments. Kyle Tucker, long rumored to be a target, reportedly signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, continuing Toronto’s recent pattern of near-misses with L.A.
Most painful for the Jays was the departure of Bo Bichette. The homegrown star shortstop, 27, agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract with the New York Mets.
Bichette was a cornerstone of Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup, finishing second in the AL batting race last season with a .311 average and contributing a crucial three-run homer in Game 7 of the World Series.
While Andres Gimenez may replace him defensively at shortstop, Bichette’s bat will be difficult to replicate.