While Toronto Blue Jays won the AL East and the AL pennant in 2025, they won't enter 2026 with an iron grip on their division.
Despite last season's success and notable offseason additions in Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers, the Blue Jays will likely enter next year as slight division favorites. Signing Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette could change the narrative, but no matter what happens between now and Opening Day, the team will have to contend with a tough division that won't be a cakewalk for any club.
With the winter meetings now over, it's worth taking a look around the AL East to see how the Blue Jays' offseasons are going and what threat they pose to Toronto now.
Playoff result: Lost to the Blue Jays 3–1 in the ALDS.
Important off-season additions: SP/RP Cade Winquest (Rule 5 Draft)
Saved: Trent Grisham (one year, $22.03 million), RP Ryan Yarbrough (one year, $2.5 million)
Notable off-season exceptions: RP Devin Williams (NY), RP Mark Leiter Jr. (ATH)
Publicly associated with: SP Freddy Peralta (trade), OF Brenton Doyle (trade), SP Mackenzie Gore (trade), OF Cody Bellinger, OF Kyle Tucker, SP Tatsuya Imai, SP/RP Brad Keller
Blue Jays Threat Level: High – Toronto handily dispatched New York to the ALDS, but that doesn't mean they'll be gone in 2026. New York has made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons, and the return of Gerrit Cole could improve the team's pitching staff next season.
Aaron Judge remains a superhuman offensive producer who needs more surroundings, but the Yankees will likely add at least one more standout bat, even if it just means bringing Bellinger back. Many of New York's midseason acquisitions, such as Jose Caballero, David Bednar and Camilo Doval, could contribute more throughout the season, and strong starter Cam Schlittler is a breakout candidate.
There are yellow flags here too. New York's farm system ranks in the bottom third of the league according to the latest rankings from MLB.com, FanGraphs and ESPN, which could make it difficult for them to outbid their competitors on the trade market. The owners' comments about the team's profitability could also hint at the Bronx Bombers' lack of maximum spending in the market.
Playoff result: Lost to the Yankees 2–1 in the Wild Card Series.
Important off-season additions: Individual entrepreneur Sonny Gray (trade), SP Johan Oviedo (trade)
Notable off-season exceptions: SP/RP Steven Matz (TBR), OF Jhostynxon Garcia (PIT), SP Richard Fitts (STL)
Publicly associated with: Individual entrepreneur Freddy Peralta (trade), 3B Alex Bregman, RP Seranthony Dominguez, C Kyle Teal (trade), SS Beau Bichette, 3B Eugenio Suarez, INF Isaac Paredes
Blue Jays Threat Level: Medium-High – The Red Sox have a young core of position players, one of MLB's few true aces, and some early offseason trades make them more dangerous.
Gray is the headliner considering he ranks fifth among all pitchers in fWAR over the last three years (12.8) while making a solid 92 starts. His speed is worth keeping an eye on at his age (36), but he still slugged at an elite rate (26.7 K%) in 2025, and at the very least he figures to be a major upgrade in the middle of the rotation. Oviedo is a wild card after losing 2024 and most of 2025 to Tommy John surgery, but additional starting pitchers are a valuable resource and Boston's pitching is in a significantly better position than it was at the end of last season.
The roster will look a little short if Alex Bregman signs elsewhere, but the team appears interested in keeping him and has been linked to a number of high-profile replacements. Outside of Garrett Crochet and the rising Roman Anthony, Boston doesn't have as much star power as some contenders, but it won't take many additions for them to challenge for the division crown. For a team willing to be aggressive in the trade market and able to spend money in free agency, this is a good place to be.
Important off-season additions: 1B Pete Alonso (five years, $155 million), Taylor Ward (trade), RP Ryan Helsley (two years, $28 million), Leody Tavares (one year, $2.1 million), RP Andrew Kitteredge (exercised for one year, $9 million option).
Notable off-season exceptions: SP Grayson Rodriguez (LAA)
Publicly associated with: JV Framber Valdez, JV Ranger Suarez, SP Freddy Peralta (trade), SP Mackenzie Gore (trade), SP Edward Cabrera (trade), SP Tatsuya Imai, SP Michael King, SP Zach Gallen
Blue Jays Threat Level: Middle – The Orioles are a team to take seriously, even if they don't have enough proven pitching talent to be feared.
Baltimore already had a talented roster, and the Alonso-Ward duo they added combined for 74 home runs, a 129 wRC+ and 6.5 fWAR last season. As impactful as these veterans are, the Orioles could benefit from an even bigger upgrade with interior rebounds, as many of their top young players have disappointed in 2025 and could easily do better next season.
Not everyone in this group will return to 2024 production levels, but a couple likely will, and Jackson Holliday is a standout candidate heading into his age-22 season. Alonso and Ward join a group with tons of potential, and there's a good chance the Orioles will be a headache in 2026.
Of course, Baltimore may have its own headaches when it comes to suppression. The back of the bullpen has received a couple of upgrades, but the rotation led by Taylor Rogers, Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer has been underwhelming. Losing Rodriguez hurts because of his potential, even if he has such high variance at this point in his career.
The Orioles' rotation quality and bullpen depth are questionable and will likely be enough to keep them from the AL East crown, but roster upgrades have made them far more interesting than they were at the conclusion of the 2025 season. If they could trade for a top player like Peralta or Gore, it could make things even more intriguing for a club that won 192 games between 2023 and 2024.
Important off-season additions: SP/RP Steven Matz (two years, $15 million), OF Cedric Mullins (one year, $7 million), Jake Fraley (one year, $3 million), RP Yoendris Gomez (trade), RP Steven Wilson (trade)
Notable exceptions during the off-season: Everson Pereira (CWS)
Publicly associated with: 2B Ketel Marte (trade), SP Zach Littell, SP Adrian Houser, SP Zach Eflin
Blue Jays Threat Level: Short – The Rays as a whole deserve the benefit of the doubt, but early offseason results have not been encouraging.
Mullins could be a reliable starter at a low price, and Matz's versatility and production in 2025 are pluses for the Rays. Fraley and the pitchers Tampa Bay acquired from the Chicago White Sox could help, but are unlikely to make a major impact.
The top half of this lineup remains strong and its starting depth is enviable, but there aren't many other clear strengths and there are trade rumors swirling around key contributors Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz.
Tampa Bay isn't a team you can even dismiss out of hand, and its presence in the Alabama East ensures there won't be a terrible cellar dweller to pick up easy wins against. At the same time, unless the Rays' offseason moves dramatically – perhaps as a result of the Marte blockbuster – they will be the least of the Blue Jays' worries.
