What's Next For Toronto Blue Jays After Missing Out on Juan Soto?

The Blue Jays came up painfully short yet again in the chase for a big free agent, and there are many options on the table as to what happens next.

New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre on June 30. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays officially missed out on their biggest offseason target on Sunday night, as Juan Soto signed a massive 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.

For the Blue Jays, it's the second consecutive year that they've come up painfully short in the chase for a big free agent. They reportedly just missed out on Shohei Ohtani last offseason before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now, the question for Toronto is "where do they go from here?"

The Blue Jays evidently have money to spend, and there are ample big names still available on the free agent market. The team has been connected to Corbin Burnes and Max Fried on the pitching front, while also being linked to Alex Bregman, Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander on the offensive side of things.

The Blue Jays are in a unique position that requires some tough conversations. On the negative side, they have an aging roster with questions about the future. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are both in the final years of their contracts and could leave at season's end. If the Jays feel like tearing it down and jumpstarting a lagging farm system, then they could move Bichette or Guerrero Jr. and send away pitchers Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt. Maybe somebody would take George Springer's contract as well. The team could always try to re-sign Guerrero Jr. while also re-imagining the rest of the roster around him.

On the flip side, the Jays are a veteran roster that is built to win now. Putting together a good team this year could send the message to Guerrero Jr. that this is a place he wants to be long-term. The team is likely one big lineup contribution and a few bullpen acquisitions away from being a contender again, so maybe they can spread the Soto money around in order to fill all the holes left behind from a 74-88 season.

The winter meetings begin on Monday in Dallas, so maybe we'll start to get some answers.

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