Free-agent hitter targets for the Blue Jays

TORONTO — After limping to the finish line in 2024 sporting an offence that ended up 23rd in runs scored, 27th in homers, 27th in stolen bases and hit into more demoralizing double plays than all but three other teams, it’s very clear that lineup improvements are key to the Toronto Blue Jays’ retool.

The spots they have to fill are pretty obvious, too.

There are three gaping holes that scream for big-bat additions — third base, left field and DH.

The other spots on the diamond are mostly spoken for at this point, but there’s also a chance a trade could shift needs in the blink of an eye, and we’ll get to some trade targets the Jays could be eyeing in a separate piece later this week.

Luckily for the Jays, the free-agent market and their needs line up reasonably this winter, which wasn’t the case a year ago.

While third base might be tricky, finding production in left field and DH should be fairly easy, and this list of my favourite options reflects that.

OF Juan Soto, NYY, age-26

The interest is real, as is the ability to meet his financial demands.

Will Soto choose the city of Toronto and the Jays? That seems to be the only question.

It would be a shocking decision for those south of the border and it might rattle the baseball world for a while, but it’s on the bingo card at least.

Not much needs to be said about Soto.

He’s a generational hitter and one who’s only 26, which means you could conceivably envision Soto producing for the entirety of a 10-year contract, a rare occurrence when it comes to these mega deals.

He’s not Shohei Ohtani, but he’s pretty darn close and Jays ownership seems to realize that.

Are Jays fans in store for more heartbreak in the end?

Maybe, but it’s not nothing that they’re being considered by these high-end stars these days, even if no one wants to hear that.

3B Alex Bregman, HOU, age-31

Thanks to middle-of-the-road power production that hasn’t received a ton of attention in a stacked Houston lineup over the years, Bregman flies under the radar a bit.

But there’s no doubt he’s the cleanest non-Soto fit for the Jays in this free agent market.

Plop him in at the hot corner and into the middle of the lineup and you’re likely to get 25 homers, solid defence and a 4.0 WAR season, a threshold Bregman has hit in every single full campaign that he’s played.

It’s a safe $150-million investment.

OF Anthony Santander, BAL, age-30

As a switch-hitter coming off a 44-homer season, Santander’s profile is a match made in heaven for the Jays.

There are also a whole lot of red flags that scream career year and there are warnings all over the place that whoever signs the 30-year-old won’t quite get the production that they expect.

But someone is going to make the bet, and it might not be the worst one depending on the final price.

He’s not a very good defensive outfielder so a split between left field, where he was minus-8 DRS the last time he played that spot with any regularity, and DH might be the best situation.

SS Ha-Seong Kim, SD, age-29

Kim’s market is murky thanks to his recent shoulder surgery, but his new agent, Scott Boras, claims he’ll be ready to go early in the season next spring.

That’s simply a guess after labrum surgery, so Kim will likely be taking some sort of prove-it deal with an opt out or two.

The Jays were hot for Kim when he first arrived four years ago, and after posting 10.9 fWAR over those four seasons, including a high-water mark of 4.2 in 2023, they are interested once again.

A healthy Kim would fit in a couple of different ways.

His ability to play both third and second would give the Jays options next summer, but it’s Kim’s shortstop profile that could really benefit the Jays down the road in the event of Bo Bichette either being traded or walking in free agency next winter.

There’s a chance Boras could drag this one out as Kim rehabs his shoulder this winter, so Kim probably can’t be Plan A.

OF Michael Conforto, SF, age-32

It’s been a weird few years for Conforto, who at one point five years ago looked like an emerging slugger with the New York Mets.

Shoulder injuries, including an April 2022 surgery, have taken a toll since, but there were glimpses of the left-handed hitter’s power returning in 2024.

Not only did Conforto hit 20 homers, his most since 2019, but under the hood he also posted his highest exit velocities since 2020, including a max EV of 113.6 mph, almost four mph higher than his hardest hit ball in 2023.

His 40.7 per cent hard-hit rate was also the first time he’s been above 40 since 2017 when he was 24 years old.

Is Conforto’s shoulder healthy now? I’d give him a two-year deal to find out.

3B Yoan Moncada, CHW, age-30

Now we’re into the targets I love, and the ones you hate — reclamation projects!

Similar to Conforto, it’s been years since anyone was truly excited about Moncada, and the Cuban infielder has posted a middling .244/.326/.395 slash line over his past 404 games, spanning five seasons and all sorts of injuries.

But there’s that 2019 season sitting there, too.

That year he slashed .315/.367/.548 with 25 homers and 10 steals, looking like one of the brightest young stars in the game.

You wouldn’t want him as your starting third baseman next April, but he’s an interesting low-risk bet.

DH Eloy Jimenez, BAL, age-28

Pretty much everything you read about Moncada applies to Jimenez, who has absolutely cratered the last couple of years.

In 2019, Jimenez bashed 31 homers at the age of 22 and looked to be developing into a middle-of-the-lineup cornerstone.

That has not happened, and his power also evaporated this year.

In addition to the fact that he’s unplayable in the outfield, there aren’t a lot of exciting aspects in the profile these days.

So, why would the Jays sign him?

Well, because he’ll come cheap and they’re desperate for power. That’s why.

It’s one of those moves that seems unexciting in December but starts to matter in March when he’s motivated and raking.

OF Max Kepler, MIN, age-32

When you look at the outfield market, there are three very clear tiers.

Soto is one by himself, followed by the power-hitting tier of Santander and Teoscar Hernandez.

After that it’s the Tyler O’Neill and Jurickson Profar tier that involves some risk, followed by all of the platoon-type bats with warts in the profile.

Of that group, Conforto and Kepler are my personal favourites as left-handed hitters who you could envision having a late stage breakout.

Over the course of his career, Kepler has been above average against right-handed pitching, posting a .778 OPS and 111 wRC+.