Where do the Toronto Blue Jays go from here?
The good news for Toronto is that things can’t possibly go as badly in 2025 as they did in 2024. The bad news is that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a free agent after the upcoming season, and the Blue Jays have to turn a last-place team into something good enough to convince their superstar to stay.
It won’t be an easy task, but all the Blue Jays can do is start building the roster brick by brick. They started that process last week with the Andrés Giménez trade, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Jordan Romano was the Jays’ closer for most of the 2020s, but he’s with the Philadelphia Phillies now. It’s doubtful Toronto wants to roll out Chad Green or Yimi García as the closer in the new season, so adding someone with an All-Star track record in 2024 would be a big help.
Michael Brakebill of FanSided recently predicted that the Blue Jays would land that All-Star, forecasting a contract for Kirby Yates, the ex-Texas Rangers closer, for the 2025 season.
“Kirby Yates finished 2024 with 33 saves and a stellar 1.17 ERA. With a 12.4 K/9, Kirby’s fastball and splitter combo was elite, with hitters guessing all season,” Brakebill said.
“Entering his age-38 season, Yates will likely sign a one-year deal, and perhaps no team still needs bullpen help among playoff hopefuls more than the Blue Jays.”
Yates was brilliant this season, and frankly, he’s been brilliant most years when he’s avoided injury risks. He’s now a two-time All-Star, and he only blew one save all season, by far the fewest of any full-time closer.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post projects Yates for a two-year, $28 million contract, which might be a slight risk for a pitcher in his late 30s, but could pay huge dividends if he keeps up the production he had in 2024. And for Toronto, every risk is worth taking right now.
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