The Toronto Blue Jays came very close to winning their first World Series championship in over three decades last season, coming up just short in a grueling seven-game series against the eventual champions in the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, the Blue Jays will now have to wait for another chance for a potential title.
Louis Varland has the attitude and arsenal to be a successful closer. His fastball sat at 98 mph last season, and he generated ground balls at an elite 53.3% rate. He showed throughout the playoffs that he has a rubber arm and, more importantly, a short memory. Hoffman often let his struggles snowball; Varland may be better equipped mentally to turn the page after a shaky outing.
When Ray was traded to the Jays, he was at an all-time low in terms of value. An ERA of 7.84 in 12 games in Arizona saw him lose his spot in the rotation, and the Diamondbacks were content with letting him walk away for a little return. Toronto signed Ray the following winter to a one-year, $8 million contract, and it turned out to be one of the best buy-low gambles for the team.
On the bullpen side, the team signed Tyler Rogers to give the relief core a different look with his submarine delivery. Still, the age-old adage stands: you can never have enough relievers and looking back at 2025, the Jays could have used a few more arms down in the bullpen to provide some stability when things were going off the rails.
