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Toronto Blue Jays Listed as One of Top 10 Teams to Watch as GM Meetings Get Underway

With the General Manager's Meetings Underway in Texas, everyone knows the pressure is on the Toronto Blue Jays.

Brady Farkas

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) stands in the dugout after pitching five innings against the Texas Rangers without giving up a hit at Globe Life Field on Sept 19.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) stands in the dugout after pitching five innings against the Texas Rangers without giving up a hit at Globe Life Field on Sept 19. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
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As the General Manager's Meetings get going in Texas this week, everyone knows the Toronto Blue Jays are in a fascinating situation.

MLB Insider Bob Nightengale listed them as one of his 10 teams to watch at the meetings on Monday. Here's what he had to say:

Hey, they still have that $700 million that Ohtani didn’t take from them last winter. So, why not offer the same amount to Soto? The Blue Jays know they need to make a splash with their postseason window closing in a hurry with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Dante Bichette free agents after the 2025 season.

Nightengale is right, if the Jays want to salvage the remainder of the Guerrero Jr. and Bichette core, they'll need to act with some real urgency. They have an aging and expensive roster (Chris Bassitt, George Springer, Kevin Gausman, Jordan Romano) that had been built to win, so going after Soto (or other big name free agents) is the way to keep that window open.

However, if they choose to go the other way, they'll have several desirable pieces for potential trade partners to go after this offseason.

Furthermore, will the team look to extend Guerrero Jr.? Can they afford to go after Soto and extend Guerrero Jr.?

The offseason is long and there is time to figure out the answers to these questions, but the Jays have to pick a lane quickly. It will shape their entire winter and beyond.

Toronto went 74-88 this year and finished last in the American League East.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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