Toronto Blue Jays Connected to Alex Bregman, Multiple Top Free Agents By ESPN Insider

In a lengthy piece on MLB free agency, Jeff Passan of ESPN has connected the Jays to several of the biggest names on the market.

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a sacrifice fly during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Sept 27. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

In a lengthy piece on ESPN.com Tuesday morning, Insider Jeff Passan connected the Toronto Blue Jays to several of the biggest names on the free agent market.

The biggest name, of course, is outfielder Juan Soto. Passan reported that the Jays have the first meeting scheduled with Soto this offseason. It will take place this week in California. In addition to the Jays, Soto has meetings scheduled with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and New York Mets.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the first meeting this week. The Boston Red Sox are next. Then the New York Mets. And the New York Yankees. The Juan Soto sweepstakes is heating up.

At ESPN+, my ultimate offseason preview, on Soto and all of MLB free agency: https://t.co/5ZXqtrQUrB

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 12, 2024

However, beyond Soto, Passan connected the Jays to pitchers Max Fried and Corbin Burnes. He also connected them to third baseman Alex Bregman.

Let's start with the passage on Bregman:

If it's not the Astros, Bregman would be an excellent fit in Detroit -- where he could reunite with former manager A.J. Hinch -- as well as Toronto should it fall short on Soto.

The Blue Jays have openings at both second base and third base this offseason. If they were to sign Bregman, they could keep Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base and make a left side of the infield with Bregman and Bo Bichette.

Furthermore, Bregman would help the Jays offense, which was one of the most disappointing units in all of baseball in 2024. George Springer never really got going and Bichette hit .225 with four home runs in an injury-plagued year. Bregman would help lengthen the lineup and make it a tougher group for pitchers to navigate.

The 30-year-old Bregman was an integral part of both the 2017 and 2022 Astros championship teams and has spent the entirety of his nine-year career with the Astros. Lifetime, he's a .272 hitter with a .366 on-base percentage. He hit 26 homers and drove in 75 runs this year while playing in 145 games.

As for Fried and Burnes, no one is denying that they are excellent pitchers who deserve to be paid near the top of this free agent class. However, the connection to Toronto is somewhat surprising. On the surface, the Jays already have five starters in Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Yariel Rodriguez and Bowden Francis. They also have Alek Manoah and Ricky Tiedemann in the organization.

Perhaps the Jays are trying to get a jump for when Bassitt's deal is up at the end of the year? Perhaps the team sees Rodriguez as more of a reliever? Perhaps they are willing to move one of the aforementioned pitchers. It all remains to be seen.

The 30-year-old Fried will pitch next season at the age of 31. He's coming off a year in which he made 29 starts for Atlanta, going 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA. An eight-year veteran, he helped the Braves win the World Series in 2021. He is also a two-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glover.

Burnes went 15-9 for Baltimore this past season. He carried a 2.92 ERA and helped the O's get to the playoffs. He is a former Cy Young winner with the Milwaukee Brewers.

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