"This postseason run for the Toronto Blue Jays is magical because it was entirely unexpected. Who can blame the experts? Toronto was attempting to pull itself out of the basement of the AL East and somehow compete with the elite clubs in baseball. The Blue Jays led the league in free agents who they were "linked" to. The only problem was that none of those "linked" players ever put pen to paper on a contract. The front office must have felt cursed as they went about their business."
"Then, the actual free agent they did sign ended up performing poorly for large stretches of the season. The guy who was signed specifically to hit baseballs out of the ballpark ultimately delivered next-to-nothing in terms of production."
"Having said that, a World Series berth for Toronto should put them in a much better position to attract free agents than a season ago. This postseason run will inject confidence into every corner of the organization. Toronto will always face the obstacles of playing in another country and the differences between the USA and Canada. Maybe someone like Corbin Burnes was never going to sign with Toronto because he prefers the comfort of playing near his home in Arizona. Maybe someone like Pete Alonso just prefers playing in a place that has embraced him since his rookie year."
The Toronto Blue Jays mounted an unexpected postseason run after entering the season as underdogs in the AL East. The club pursued many free agents but failed to sign its linked targets, and the lone prominent free-agent acquisition produced uneven, often poor offensive results. Low-profile signings and role players delivered key contributions that reshaped the roster's competitiveness, with examples like Myles Straw exceeding expectations. A World Series berth will increase the club's appeal to higher-end free agents by generating organizational confidence and demonstrating playoff viability. Cross-border considerations and individual player preferences will remain factors in future recruitment choices.
Read at Jays Journal
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