The Toronto Blue Jays are facing a do-or-die season.

After a disappointing 2024 campaign and with franchise slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, this could be the team’s last chance to build a winning team around its current core before being forced into a vast reconstruction.

Signaling their interest in strengthening the roster around Guerrero, the Blue Jays have join the race to sign superstar slugger Juan Soto this winter.

“Soto begins meeting with teams this week in California, and the Blue Jays will be first, according to major league sources,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported. “After attempting to sign Shohei Ohtani last winter, Toronto is seriously considering adding a star alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and has targeted Soto.”

Although adding Soto to a long-term deal would instantly increase the Blue Jays’ rivalry chances, a championship run would require additional firepower. To that end, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer predicted that the Blue Jays would add veteran left-hander Max Fried in a six-year, $160 million deal.

“Even though he is a two-time All-Star and World Series champion, he may still be underrated,” Rymer wrote. “He’s been 51 percent better than the average pitcher over the past five seasons, and that’s over 659 solid innings. He doesn’t get hurt with walks and doesn’t allow batters to do damage easily. He’s usually good for one strikeout per inning, and he was in the 96th percentile for ground balls and 95th for exit velocity this year.

After eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Fried, 30, reached free agency after a 2024 All-Star with a 3.25 ERA, two complete games and one shutout in 29 starts. He would add critical left-handed looks to a Blue Jays veteran rotation expected to include Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassit next year. After the Blue Jays dealt Yusei Kikuchi at the 2024 trade deadline, they could use another reliable starter.

As one of the best pitchers on the market, Fried is going to land a long-term contract in the nine-figure range. The Blue Jays hope to lock up Soto while having the financial flexibility to extend Guerrero to a long-term deal, but they are relatively free of other long-term contracts, so it could work.

“Toronto, of course, is hoping to extend the aforementioned Guerrero and would need a massive offer to do so, but a long-term salary cap with Soto and Guerrero seems entirely feasible given the lack of other commitments,” according to MLB Trade Rumors.

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