Possible off-season bats who would have benefited the 2024 Blue Jays lineup

The Blue Jays off-season left a lot of empty promises and missed opportunities to make the offensive wholesome. Several players were left untouched or unconsidered, whether the possibilities were there or not.

Toronto’s offence is hurting, and there isn’t a painkiller in sight unless the big dogs wake up or the team forces a trade before the deadline. At this point, the position of the buyer or seller is not determined due to the premature stages of the season. However, “buyers” should have been the more aggressive approach in the off-season.

The Jays aimed for the stars and landed back on a gridlocked Ontario 401 west with no eminent way to offensive success. The Shohei Ohtani rumour was a gimmick that discredited all other interesting noise.  The team bit the bullet and signed infielders Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Justin Turner, who greatly helped the team. However, there were so many more possibilities to consider.

Toronto should have put its best foot forward to land outfielder slugger Juan Soto. Regardless of the skeptics and their views, Soto is worth a long-term investment, and the Blue Jays had equity to afford him.

The Yankees gave a ton of stock to land Soto in the big-apple, but Toronto could have done the equivalent. At this point, you hold off on signing Kevin Kiermaier or flip him in the deal. Kiermaier bats a .244 with a .278 on-base percentage. New York flipped some high-end pitching prospects such as Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, and Michael King. The Blue Jays could have offered Alek Manoah, left-hander Adam Macko, righty Hagen Danner, and some other disposable names.

The fact of the matter now is that Juan Soto plays in your division for the New York Yankees in conjunction with a lineup that is slashing MLB pitchers. Juan Soto is currently .313 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .413 on-base percentage.

Cody Bellinger would have been another great name to pursue with priority. He plays in the outfield and can play first base. Bellinger is signed through 2024 with a player option for 2025-2026. This would have been a big, dependable bat on the card; he currently has seven home runs, 21 RBIs, and slashes a .254/.333/.482.

The Blue Jays catcher situation was never ideal to paint the playoff picture. To this point in 2024, only 50% of the catching scenario makes any sense from an offensive perspective. Danny Jansen has been keeping his head above water with the bat, hitting a .315 and a .387 on-base percentage. On the flip side of this is Alejandro Kirk, who is struggling and batting a gruelling .188 with only 15 hits in 80 at-bats. Kirk is signed through 2024 and will be a free agent as of 2025.

The solution to this half-way duo would have been a trade for a more offensive catcher with equal or greater defensive capabilities. The catcher catching attention comes from the Kansas City Royals, Salvador Perez.

Perez is ranked 9th in the top 25 MLB batting averages. He slashes a .325/.393/.543; he’s knocked out 33 RBIs on eight home runs and 49 hits. Perez is signed through 2025 with an option for 2026. If a trade of such would have worked, Toronto would get a minimum of two seasons from him. That would be enough to evaluate his insertion into the team and possibly offer an extension.

The player who stings a bit has been talking about returning to the Blue Jays, but nothing ever amounted. Former Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez would have been a great story and a huge boost to the Jays lineup. The newly acquired Los Angeles Dodger is on a one-year “rental” deal worth $23.5M and possibly a World Series ring. That sort of deal is hard to turn down.

With the possible amount of money Toronto expected to offer Ohtani, $23.5M or more would have been more than doable. This would have definitely made sense for a guy who has 11 home runs to date with 36 RBIs and 42 hits. Hernandez would have greatly complemented the current outfield with George Springer and Daulton Varsho. His powerful bat and the on-base percentage would have been a huge addition to the offence.

Could have, would have, should have. This is always the case this time of year, especially with a struggling ball club. Blue Jays management will dwell on some of these players as the season progresses. Toronto may revisit further purchases or sales closer to the trade deadline, depending on the club’s position.