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Blue Jyas urged to reunite with a player after Bo Bichette decision.
The Toronto Blue Jays could go all-in on pitching after failing to sign Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker.
Toronto showed interest in both Tucker and Bichette, but both signed elsewhere. With most of the top free agent bats off the board, the Blue Jays could decide to spend that money on pitching.
The Blue Jays have already emphasized pitching this offseason, and analyst Matthew Spagnuolo of JaysNation urges the team to bring back reliever Seranthony Dominguez.
“A lot of other free agents from last season, such as Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt, likely will not re-sign with the club as of current writing,” Spagnuolo wrote. “With Dominguez, the door remains open. A solid 3.00 ERA in 24 regular-season games with the Blue Jays was what got the 30-year-old right-hander a lot of use in high-leverage situations. He struck out 25 batters in 21 innings of work. And also put up a 3.18 ERA in 12 playoff games this past postseason for Toronto. …
“What Dominguez brings to the table is a hard-throwing fastball that can top out at 97 mph and also boasts an impressive splitter and sweeper that has generated record whiff rates from batters at a career level aspect. Dominguez has struggled with his control at times, but his command improved in Toronto during the regular season, walking 12 batters across 21 innings, but he struggled in October, walking 11 batters through 11 and 1/3 innings.”
Focusing on run prevention could very well be the move for the Blue Jays, and Dominguez makes sense. He could be a middle-leverage reliever for Toronto and could work his way up to high-leverage later on this season.
Dominguez Wouldn’t Cost Much for Blue Jays
Bringing back Dominguez also makes sense as it wouldn’t cost the team too much.
Toronto was ready to hand out 30 million+ a year for Bichette or Tucker. So, Dominguez would be a fraction of that.
“The reliever market has quieted down after contracts for closers like Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, and Robert Suarez were signed early in the offseason. Dominguez earned $8 million last season. Meaning after a strong 2025, he would likely seek around the same amount,” Spagnuolo added.
Dominguez could likely sign a two-year deal worth around $16-20 million, which is more than fair. He would also join the Blue Jays’ backend of the bullpen. That group currently features Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland, and Yimi Garcia.
Dominguez went 4-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 67 games last season. With the Blue Jays, the right-hander went 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 24 games.
Toronto’s Major Offseason Moves Was Pitching
The Blue Jays’ end to the offseason could be a disappointing one, but the team did make some major moves.
Toronto signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal and also added pitchers Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers. The Blue Jays then signed Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto. But after not landing Bichette or Tucker, it was a disappointing end to the offseason.
Blue Jays insider Ben Nicholson-Smith also expects that to be it for the team’s major offseason moves.
“Barring a scenario in which the Blue Jays swoop in on Bellinger and out-bid the Yankees for his services, their major off-season moves are now done. Meaning an off-season that started with a record deal for Dylan Cease would end a little anticlimactically,” Nicholson-Smith wrote.
“Now, as Blue Jays fans can attest after 2025, you can have a great season without necessarily winning the off-season. And with a roster that has more projected FanGraphs WAR than any team but the Dodgers, the Blue Jays are positioned well. Still, those two deals sting.”
Despite missing out on those two, the Blue Jays still are tied for the fourth-best odds of winning the World Series at +1500.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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