Shushkewich: What should the Blue Jays' New Year's resolutions be?

Re-signing Bo Bichette should be one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ New Year’s resolutions, according to Tyson Shushkewich.

December 30, 2025

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays exceeded all expectations in 2025: signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a record contract extension, finishing first in the AL East, and coming within a few outs of a World Series championship.

It wasn’t the finish fans were hoping for, but it showed the baseball world that the Blue Jays mean business.

Ross Atkins and co. have already been hard at work this winter to revamp the pitching corps. Adding Dylan Cease to a franchise free agent record seven-year deal, KBO MVP Cody Ponce, and submarine reliever Trevor Rogers are great places to start, and if the hot stove rumours hold their value, the Jays are not done adding this offseason.

With all this in mind and a new season on the horizon, it’s time to look at five New Year’s resolutions for the organization as they look to repeat their success in a new campaign.

1. Sign Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette

The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t bludgeon opponents to death in 2025; they slowly passed the baton down the lineup to frustrate opposing pitchers. They would grind out at-bats, lace a double down the corner, and then look for the next man up to get the job done.

One of the key members from that lineup was Bo Bichette, who is the most notable free agent from the Jays organization this winter. Injuries and poor performance raised questions about his value in 2024, but in a ‘prove-it’ year in 2025, he answered the bell. The Florida product put forward a 3.5 bWAR while finishing the campaign with a .311/.357/.483 slash line and a .840 OPS. Had he not finished the campaign on the IL, missing the final three weeks with a knee sprain, he likely would have led the league in hits and doubles as well.

With Bichette, you’re signing a consistent bat with some pop while taking the lumps that come with his fielding abilities at the shortstop position, an idea that the 27-year-old has addressed this offseason by telling teams he’s willing to move to second base. Bichette told the media before the season's end that he wants to win with Guerrero and return to Toronto, and the organization does still seem like the favourite to sign him this winter.

However, an interesting wrinkle is the emergence of the Jays in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes this offseason.

Across eight seasons, the left-handed batter has authored a 27.3 bWAR with a .273/.358/.507 slash line and a .865 OPS. He’s also chipped in with 147 home runs, posting 20+ homers a season since 2021, and is a four-time All-Star. Tucker can also fly on the base paths, posting 25+ stolen bases across three seasons since his debut in 2018. While a hand injury limited him in 2025, Tucker is geared for a long-term contract that could rival the $400 million mark when all is said and done.

Pundits in the industry believe the Blue Jays are in a position to add at least one of Bichette or Tucker, with the latter visiting the Dunedin Player Development Complex earlier this month. The biggest hurdle for the Jays will be how far they want to blow past the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold and the penalties that come with it, but they’re putting that hard earned postseason money to good use this winter with the Cease, Ponce, and Rogers’ deals.

The one downfall of being owned by a corporation is that the business side of the game plays more of an integral role compared to being owned by a billionaire with an ego. Rogers Communications isn’t going to get made fun of at the country club because the team didn’t make the postseason. However, with the organization already putting so much money into the stadium renovations and the current roster, including the Guerrero extension, the cost of doing business might just be having to pay the heavy tax that comes with signing high-value players.

At the end of the day, the Jays are one team that could afford to sign both Tucker and Bichette and deal with the finances at a later date, one that potentially comes with some more postseason funds flooding into the new year. But with some expensive contracts coming off the books for 2027 – George Springer, Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, Yimi Garcia, Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios (player-option) – biting the bullet for another all-in season might make sense for a roster that needs another big bat or two.

2. George Springer 2.0

Speaking of George Springer, what a year for the Connecticut product.

What started as a big question mark about how the 36-year-old will add to the roster in 2025, marred by Springer’s lack of success in spring training, turned into humble pie for those who doubted his abilities.

Springer was the driving force for the Jays last season, evidenced by his stellar .309/.399/.560 slash line and .959 OPS with a team-leading 32 home runs. He also put himself into Blue Jays lore with his timely home run in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners and was one of the big reasons Toronto made the postseason in the first place.

In the final year of his contract with the Blue Jays, this could be the last year Jays fans see Springer play North of the border, especially if the club signs Kyle Tucker this offseason and doesn’t move on from Anthony Santander (more on him later). It’s all speculation at this point, but if the Jays want to compete in the AL East again, having Springer put forward another 4.0+ bWAR campaign is a great place to start from the DH spot.

3. Figure out the Jose Berrios situation

While Springer saw career high’s in 2025, it was a different story for right-hander Jose Berrios.

Berrios wasn’t consistent last season, as the Puerto Rican product would go six-plus innings with limited earned runs one outing and then struggle to get out of the third inning in his next start, putting the bullpen in a tough spot. Across 31 outings (one relief appearance), he posted a 4.17 ERA and a 4.65 FIP with an elevated 1.301 WHIP. He also pitched just 166 innings, a career low for the right-hander since becoming a big league rotation arm in 2018, and hit the IL for the first time in his career with elbow inflammation towards the season's end, putting him out for the postseason.

On top of the in-season struggles, Berrios made some headlines off the field that have some questioning his role in 2026 (and beyond). He was noticeably disappointed when the Jays demoted him to the bullpen late in the year, and he wasn’t on the bench during the Jays' World Series bracket against the Dodgers. This, combined with the additions of Cease and Ponce, sparked rumours that the Jays might move the right-hander and the $67 million remaining on his three-year contract.

His up and down play, remaining money, and looming player option (that he likely doesn’t opt out of unless he posts a Cy Young calibre season) make a trade difficult for Ross Atkins and the front office. They have come out and said they expect Berrios to be ready to go in the spring, but the Jays have arguably seven capable starters on their roster, and that’s why Ponce and Eric Lauer likely start the campaign in the bullpen while the likes of Ricky Tiedemann and Adam Macko will be chomping at the bit in triple-A.

There are a ton of question marks surrounding Berrios and his future with the Jays, so it will be interesting to see if they do move on from the right-hander this winter. If not, the hope will be that he can be a contributor out of the rotation for Toronto or at least not throw a temper tantrum when he’s moved to the bullpen.

4. Anthony Santander plays to his contract

The Blue Jays were looking for a power bat last winter and signed one in Anthony Santander, inking the switch-hitter to a five-year deal worth $92.5 million. Belting 105 home runs since 2022 with the Baltimore Orioles gave the Jays’ front office confidence that he could continue that power within the division, and invested heavily in the Venezuelan.

What followed was a disappointing campaign for Santander. He struggled at the plate, putting forth a .175/.271/.294 slash line while injuries limited him to just 54 games and 194 at-bats. When he was in the lineup, he wasn’t hitting for power (or really anything) and collected just five doubles and six home runs. On top of his injuries and poor at-bats, he was also a defensive liability, and found himself in the outfield because of Springer’s stranglehold on the DH spot.

Overall, it was a bad season for Santander and Jays fans were quick to cast doubt on the deal, especially since the club is tied to Tucker and Bichette this offseason. Santander’s contract likely doesn’t limit the Jays from spending this winter, although it will add to the tax they will pay for going over the CBT.

The best thing Santander can do is shake off the cobwebs and prove to the fans that he still can swing it from both sides of the plate. Others have struggled in their first year with the Jays – Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Berrios (first year of extension) – the Jays are hoping Santander is another statistic in the first-year jitters category and that he returns to form in 2026.

5. Continued farm system success

The Blue Jays' farm system has been a bit of a sore spot for the organization in recent memory. They haven’t had an impactful pitching prospect since Alek Manoah, and some high-ranking names within the system have struggled mightily to break through that big league wall and establish themselves as everyday players.

That changed considerably in 2025, highlighted by right-hander Trey Yesavage and his historic rise through the system. Starting his pro-career in high-A, Yesavage bull-rushed his way up the ladder and found himself in a Jays uniform in September, while also making some key starts for Toronto in the postseason that put him on the map for 2026.

While Yesavage gained most of the glory, there were several other breakout names in the farm system. Gage Stanifer and Johnny King had notable campaigns of their own, with Stanifer earning MLB Pipeline’s breakout player award for the Jays' farm system this winter. Khal Stephen, Juaron Watts-Brown, and Kendry Rojas performed well, and they were all moved at the trade deadline to help the big league roster.

The hope will be that this success continues in 2026, with the likes of Arjun Nimmala likely getting a crack at double-A this season and 2025 first-round pick JoJo Parker getting his feet wet in pro baseball. Tiedemann and Macko will be in triple-A looking to establish themselves as rotation options for the future while some other big names from the 2025 draft – Micah Bucknam, Blaine Bullard, and Jared Spencer – will be looking to make their mark in the organization as well.