The initial deal gives the Blue Jays flexibility after a quiet winter meeting

Orlando, Fla. — These winter meetings featured a variety of interesting flex, were it the Philadelphia Phillies’ no qualms about allowing Kyle Schwarber to test the market before bringing him home over the finish line; Too much power from the Los Angeles Dodgers in lust over Edwin Diaz; Or okay-let’s-finally-go-for-the-Baltimore-Orioles landing Pete Alonso.

That third stood in stark contrast to the apparent simplicity offered by the New York Yankees, who reduced themselves to a Rule 5 pick for the first time since 2011; And the crosstown Mets, who lost Diaz and Alonso on consecutive days; Along with the mental discipline of the Boston Red Sox, careful surveyors of the player-market buffet as they patiently consider which line to hit.

Among that mix were the Toronto Blue Jays, operating from a position of strength they weren’t in last winter, one born from a run to the World Series and the freedom afforded them by the early signing of Dylann Seaz.

The Blue Jays are working to do more, especially in the bullpen, and will eventually do more, but they can leave the Bonnet Creek Resort Area with only Roll 5 pick Spencer Miles, more information downloaded, and not feeling the need to scramble to get something. Between Cease, the pending deal for Cody Ponce and Shane Bieber’s opt-in, it’s already been a productive offseason, leaving the Blue Jays time and flexibility to shake up or play opportunities as they see fit.

“It could be a little bit of both,” assistant GM Mike Moroff said Wednesday of how the early Cease signings affected their approach to the market. “If there is the right deal, it allows us to be aggressive because we don’t have to save assets. Whether it’s a trade or it’s a free agent, we don’t have to keep in mind, well we have to keep something for this other thing – we address the most profitable thing in our current list. So it allows you to have this opportunity, but it’s also that we have the opportunity to give this opportunity. If the market goes out of control in a certain area, which is a If you are in a position you don’t want to be in, you can avoid it.

Now, it’s just a matter of how they use their existing steps, and that’s where the pile of notes from all of their conversations comes into play.

According to some agents involved with the Blue Jays, Robert Suarez, the last closer in free agency, is their top target, which wouldn’t be surprising since they pursued him last time he was on the open market as well. But there are a few other leverage relievers they are considering, as well, with Luke Weaver, Pete Fairbanks, Brad Keller and Tyler Rogers among those they have been in contact with.

How the various options fit into their plans is uncertain, but the Blue Jays may be at the point where their next addition takes them away from other prospects. This will not apply to their pursuit of Bo Bechette and Kyle Tucker, who are seen as unique opportunities, allowing them to exceed their current budgets. Outside of the couple and maybe a few others, though, it’s reasonable to think they’ll think particularly hard about what they do next.

At stake is not just 2026 but beyond, when the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026, the future looks a little bleaker.

The expectation at this point is that a lockout will be implemented immediately, followed by a push to move from the current competitive balance tax system, which limits but does not control spending, to a hard cap.

If the owners succeed in getting a cap hit, the highest-spending teams can hurt themselves if they have too much guaranteed future money on the books.

The Blue Jays are currently projecting about $273 million in CBT salary for next year, but they have about $92 million on the books for 2026. George Springer ($25 million), Kevin Gassman ($23 million), Shane Bieber ($16 million), Dolton Warsaw ($9.7 million), Amy Astra ($7 million), Eric Garcia ($7 million), Lauer ($4.4 million) are all potential free agents.

Feeding into those savings is that Seaz ($22 million to $10 million with $30 million deferred to $9 million), Jose Berrios ($18 million to $24 million), Andres Gimenez ($15 million to $23 million) and Alejandro Kirk ($8.7 million to $12.325 million) are very important.

Still, with nearly $154 million guaranteed to nine players, the Blue Jays should have plenty of flexibility to either navigate a potential restructuring of sports finances or capitalize on the upcoming free agent market under current rules.

It is also true if the market works one of them Bichette or Tucker, yet another by-product is therefore quickly done.

“It put us in a position to have productive meetings,” Muroff said. “Scott (Boris, the lawyer of the lawyer) pointed to this, we have more, perhaps, positivity to the organization, which is a reflection of the performance that the players have done and a reflection of the ownership and it is good and helpful to help engage some of them. It is obvious that they have nothing to report through the different opportunities of the last three days.

A winter meeting flex that is all its own.