In a lengthy article on ESPN.com Tuesday morning, insider Jeff Passan connected the Toronto Blue Jays with several of the biggest names on the free agent market.

The biggest name, of course, is outfielder Juan Soto. Passan reported that the Jays had scheduled their first meeting with Soto this offseason. This will take place this week in California. In addition to the Jays, Soto has meetings scheduled with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and New York Mets.

However, beyond Soto, Passan connected the Jays with pitchers Max Fried and Corbin Burnes. He also connected them with third baseman Alex Bregman.

Let’s start with the passage about Bregman:

If it’s not the Astros, Bregman would be a good fit in Detroit – where he could reunite with former manager AJ Hinch – as well as Toronto if he loses to Soto.

The Blue Jays have openings at second and third base this offseason. If they signed Bregman, they could keep Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base and create a left side of the infield with Bregman and Bo Bichette.

Additionally, Bregman would help the Jays’ offense, which was one of the most disappointing units in all of baseball in 2024. George Springer never really got going and Bichette hit .225 with four home runs in a year marked by injuries. Bregman would help lengthen the lineup and make it a more difficult group for pitchers to navigate.

Bregman, 30, was an integral part of the Astros’ 2017 and 2022 championship teams and spent his entire nine-year career with the Astros. Lifetime, he is a .272 hitter with a .366 on-base percentage. He hit 26 home runs and drove in 75 runs this year while playing in 145 games.

As for Fried and Burnes, no one denies that they are excellent pitchers who deserve to be paid among the best in this free agent class. However, the Toronto connection is somewhat surprising. On the surface, the Jays already have five starters: Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Yariel Rodriguez and Bowden Francis. They also have Alek Manoah and Ricky Tiedemann in the organization.

Maybe the Jays are you trying to get a head start when the Bassitt deal closes at the end of the year? Maybe the team views Rodriguez as a reliever? Perhaps they are willing to move one of the aforementioned pitchers. Everything remains to be seen.

Fried, 30, will start next season at age 31. He is coming off a year in which he made 29 starts for Atlanta, going 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA. An eight-year veteran, he helped the Braves win the World Series in 2021. He is also a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glover.

Burnes went 15-9 for Baltimore last season. He posted a 2.92 ERA and helped the O’s make the playoffs. He is a former Cy Young winner with the Milwaukee Brewers.

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