The Toronto Blue Jays are eyeing championship experience with hopes of a return to the World Series.
The Blue Jays have expressed interest in free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, according to a Saturday report from The Athletic.
Previously viewed as a contingency plan if Bo Bichette bolts in free agency, Toronto has been in “recent contact” with Bregman’s agent Scott Boras about potentially luring the two-time World Series champion north of the border.
Ideally, writes Ken Rosenthal, the Jays are looking to add a left-handed hitter — namely Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger — but either the right-handed Bregman or Bichette could better address the team’s run prevention efforts.
Bregman opted out of his three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox after one season, fresh off hitting .273 with an .821 OPS, 18 homers, and 62 RBIs across 114 games while providing stellar defense at the hot corner.
However it’s not just his Silver Slugger bat or Gold Glove defense that makes him one of the most coveted infielders on the market — rather it’s his leadership, especially for a club with championship aspirations.
“Bregman is viewed as a player who helps make teammates better,” wrote Rosenthal, “a difference-maker on and off the field.”
Bregman is also drawing interest from the incumbent Red Sox, as well as the Cubs, Diamondbacks, among others.
But the market for both infielders “appears intense,” according to The Athletic, with Bichette remaining a target for similar squads — even flirting with Boston brass over Zoom during the Winter Meetings.
Bichette, about to turn 28, is projected by The Athletic to fetch an offer around eight years, $212 million, while the 31-year-old Bregman could get something close to six years, $171 million.
Sweetening Toronto’s bid for Bregman would be the potential reunion with former Astros teammates George Springer and Myles Straw, both of whom have become leaders in the Toronto clubhouse.
Toronto seems eager to empty its pockets after falling to the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series, already bolstering their pitching depth with strong free-agent signings headlined by a seven-year, $210 million bid for Dylan Cease.
Former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber will also return to the club after exercising his $16 million player option.
Toronto is eager to return to the Fall Classic, and a veteran leader in Bregman, who has twice advanced all the way, would certainly support that effort.
