Toronto Blue Jays Now Connected to New Sluggers on Free Agent Market
After missing out on Shohei Ohtani in free agency this offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays still appear primed to shop in the very expensive section of the store.
They've been connected to high-priced free agents like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cody Bellinger, and were most recently identified as the favorite for Bellinger.
But the Jays are also being linked with sluggers who will cost less on the open market also.
Per Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet:
...they have some degree of interest in Hoskins, Martinez, Joc Pederson, Justin Turner and Joey Votto, among various others, but they may be able to wait on that front, knowing that someone talented will be available in four or five weeks, perhaps at a lower price.
Votto is certainly an interesting one. He's an Ontario, Canada native and may relish the chance to play for his hometown team. He'd be inexpensive and would very likely only command a one-year deal. The same could possibly said for Hoskins. The 30-year-old missed all of 2023 after tearing his ACL and could be willing to accept a one-year "prove it" deal.
He's a lifetime .242 hitter with 148 homers who helped the Phillies get to the World Series in 2022.
The 39-year-old Turner is coming off a great year with Boston where he hit .276 with 23 homers and nearly 100 RBI. Given his age, he also may be willing to take a one-year deal or a one-year deal with an option attached.
The only issue with Turner and Hoskins is that they are right-handed, and the Jays already have plenty of those with Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer.
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