The Blue Jays expect to steal a $45 million All-Star from the Yankees in a free agency blockbuster

The Toronto Blue Jays know they are working against time when it comes to securing their status as a long-term contender.

First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette will be free agents at the end of the 2025 season, meaning the Blue Jays could soon begin rebuilding if they don’t successfully crawl out of the basement after a dismal last-place season .

Adding more big bats around Guerrero and Bichette seems essential for the Blue Jays to have a chance in the American League East. Could they poach a slugger from one of the best teams in the division?

Recently, Laura Albanese of Newsday predicted that the Blue Jays would sign former New York Yankees All-Star second baseman Gleyber Torres to a three-year, $45 million deal (The Athletic).

“The Yankees don’t seem to be hoping for a reunion, but there are certainly other teams that could take advantage of Torres’ skills,” Albanese said.

“While it is true that Torres suffered some mental slips, both playing second base and on the base paths, he was still a valuable cog in the lineup, slashing .257/.330/.378. All in all, he should be relatively cheap, and that’s very tempting for teams. He’s familiar with the AL East, so why not stay there?”

Torres, 27, had a slightly down year in 2024, finishing with a .709 OPS/101 OPS+. He was very good in 2023, if not quite at the peak he reached during the juice ball years earlier in his career, with 25 homers and an OPS+ of 118.

Would acquiring Torres require a trade for shortstop Bo Bichette? After all, the Blue Jays just acquired Platinum Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez, who could move to shortstop.

If Toronto decides it’s a better bet to save some money on Torres rather than Bichette in order to acquire a prospect for the latter, that would be understandable. But it would put a lot of pressure on Torres to perform in his first year and maximize the Blue Jays’ chance of retaining Guerrero.

More MLB: The Yankees expect to acquire Gold Glover in a $28 million deal to replace Gleyber Torres