As winter meetings loom, Blue Jays' intentions will soon come into focus

TORONTO — Five weeks into the off-season, the Toronto Blue Jays are still in the platitudes phase of their winter. 

For example, based on the info gathered so far, what do the possibilities look like, Ross Atkins?

“We feel confident there are several ways to make our team better,” the general manager replied. “It seems like there are aspects in every market, at every tier that are still available for the organization. We don't have unlimited resources, obviously, but we do have the potential to make our team better via free agency and trade.”

OK, then the chances the Blue Jays can extend the competitive cycle hurtling toward the edge of a cliff after the 2025 season?

“We're certainly going to try to,” said Atkins. “Nothing's a slam dunk and nothing is guaranteed. But we certainly feel that's possible. And it is definitely our goal.”

Fair enough. How about the pursuit of Juan Soto and the potential impact of such a move on longer-term roster construction?

“I have so much respect for where Juan is in the process, what he's accomplished in his career, to be at such a pivotal juncture in his career and what it means for him and his family, also have respect for where Scott (Boras, Soto’s agent) is in this process, that I'm not going to comment specifically on pursuit, lack thereof,” said Atkins. “The interest is obviously there from all 30 teams. As it relates to our roster construction, all 30 teams could find a way to put him onto their 26-man roster and improve their roster.”

An empty calories masterclass, especially since Boras would not mind one bit if the Blue Jays went public on their part in the Soto sweepstakes, happily increasing pressure on the incumbent New York Yankees and crosstown Mets in vying for the superstar’s services. 

Now, Atkins is wise to try and manage public expectations after the Shohei Ohtani mess a year ago, especially with so much of the industry’s winter business yet to unfold. But for a Blue Jays team in danger of falling into the roster abyss, not to mention one facing a downturn in ticket sales the year after completing a $400-million-plus renovation, an under-promise-over-deliver approach requires a faith this front office must earn back.

Only actions, not words, can accomplish that and the contours of this team’s intentions on many fronts should start coming into better focus next week when the winter meetings begin Monday in Dallas, where a resolution of Soto’s free agency may trigger the frenzy of activity developing beneath the surface. 

That the Blue Jays are bidding for Soto at all should be exciting for the team and its fans, but instead there’s a weight to it, in part because of skepticism that they’re little more than Soto’s leverage play, in part due to low expectations borne out of last off-season’s transactions.

There’s probably a dash of self-preservation in there, too, a reluctance to invest emotionally only for hopes to be dashed when Soto, once Boras has effectively scared either the Yankees or Mets into anteing up sufficiently, lands in New York. Reports from SNY’s Andy Martino suggesting that there’s “widespread belief among bidders that Toronto will come in with the highest offer” and from Randy Miller of NJ.com that the Red Sox have emerged as a favourite can certainly be viewed through that lens. 

As one rival agent put it, “I’d be trying to keep as many teams as possible involved, too.”

The Blue Jays know that as well as anyone, hence their everything, everywhere, all at once scouring of the various markets. Maybe they’ll be high bid and lure Soto north, but winning the auction without addressing the roster issues around him would be like buying top-end furniture for a house yet to have flooring and windows installed and the walls painted.

If Soto indeed heads elsewhere, the Blue Jays still need to renovate their roster, but how much money they’ll have to work with is an open question, as the mega dollars needed to sign the outfielder can’t simply be reallocated elsewhere. 

The non-tender of Jordan Romano, whom Atkins said the team will be “heavily pursuing” now that he’s a free agent, opened up roughly $8 million in spending room, with another nearly $2 million created by the parting with Dillon Tate. That may leave them with an estimated $30-$40 million to work with, enough to perhaps add a couple of core pieces.

They’ll need to address the long-term future of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. too, although that isn’t likely to pick up until the arbitration filing deadline Jan. 10. No matter what else they do, the Blue Jays can’t steer away from the cliff without their four-time all-star.

So, there’s a lot to process there, in so many ways. 

Asked about the risk of fans getting their hopes up and dashed by the off-season’s speculation, Atkins conceded “that certain pursuits may create a level of excitement and then that may intensify the level of disappointment. But I don't know a better way to pursue it than to do the best possible job we can to improve our team.”

Hope is, without doubt, a risky business. What, then, should Blue Jays fans be excited about?

“Just that we're always trying to get better,” said Atkins. “We're in a position to do so. We've improved our farm system in a significant way at the trade deadline. We have good pieces with real good reasons to believe. The year that Vladdy is coming off, the emergence of Bowden Francis, some of the stories from double and triple-A that have come into the fold and created depth for us, have created a good starting point for us. We could be in a stronger position. But it is by no means one that could not build into a contender.”

It isn’t the most inspiring of messages heading into the winter meetings, but for Blue Jays fans, it will have to do.