Four free agents who could round out Blue Jays’ 2025 roster
With Pete Alonso off the board, the Toronto Blue Jays will likely round out their roster with some quieter moves. Sportsnet’s Nick Ashbourne looks at four free agents who could fit nicely.
It is precisely one week until pitchers and catchers report for the Toronto Blue Jays, and the team’s off-season shopping is nearly complete.
Pete Alonso’s now off the board and while they could technically sign Alex Bregman or complete a trade, it seems more likely that they’ll just round out their roster with some quieter moves.
No one on the list below will sell jerseys or tickets, but these are the sort of players remaining in free agency who should be available for relatively little and provide solid value in roles that need filling for Toronto.
They could be the finishing touches on a roster that has improved significantly over the off-season, but still has holes.
Cal Quantrill
Postion: SP/RP
Age: 29
Role: Flexible reliever/spot starter
2024 stats: 6.67 K/9, 4.19 BB/9, 1.4 HR in 148.1 IP with a 4.98 ERA and 5.31 xERA for 0.5 fWAR
2025 fWAR projections: 0.5 – 0.9
The idea: Quantrill’s 2024 numbers are not impressive, but he pitched in Colorado and got off to a strong start (3.13 ERA in his first 12 starts) before faltering down the stretch.
The Canadian right-hander has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons, and it may be time for him to give pitching out of the bullpen a go. He only has 61.1 career relief innings at the MLB level, but he has a 1.88 ERA in that time — and his sinker could probably live around 95 mph in shorter stints.
He’s also reinvented himself in recent years by developing a splitter, which he debuted in 2023 and made his most-used secondary pitch last season.
There is at least one spot up for grabs in the Blue Jays bullpen, and if Quantrill could be convinced to make relief his focus, he’d be an interesting dart throw. He may be holding out for a chance to start, but his market has appeared cold since he was non-tendered in November.
Jalen Beeks
Position: RP
Age: 31
Role: Lefty reliever
2024 stats: 7.07 K/9, 3.47 BB/9, 0.77 HR in 70 IP with a 4.50 ERA and 3.80 xERA for 0.6 fWAR
2025 fWAR projections: 0.1 – 0.3
The idea: More often than not, you don’t want to sign relievers whose strikeout rates are trending like this…
… but Beeks may be a rare exception.
The left-hander changed his approach in 2024, throwing his best strikeout pitch (the changeup) significantly less and using his cutter more in an attempt to induce soft contact.
This was particularly true against left-handers who almost never saw anything soft from Beeks.
The end result was that Beeks produced an 87th percentile exit velocity against, an 89th percentile hard-hit rate and a 91st percentile barrel rate. Left-handed hitters slashed just .202/.283/.287 against him.
It’s tough to know if he can keep that contact-management success rolling, but Beeks seems like a solid bet to perform as a second bullpen lefty, something the Blue Jays currently lack.
Mark Canha
Position: OF/DH
Age: 36
Role: Corner OF and DH vs. lefties
2024 stats: .242/.344/.346 with seven HR in 468 PA for a 102 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR
2025 fWAR projections: 0.4 – 0.8
The idea: Canha may not wield an impact bat at this stage of his career, but he’s posted an above-average wRC+ and at least 1.0 fWAR in every season since 2019. The veteran outfielder is a steady pair of hands who has been particularly proficient against southpaws recently, producing a rock-solid 125 wRC+ against them over the past two seasons.
Canha’s fit with the Blue Jays depends on where the team is at with Davis Schneider, as he would play the role the 26-year-old currently inhabits as a corner outfielder and DH against left-handed starters.
The veteran has a far higher floor than Schneider, even if his pop is less impressive. Canha has above-average speed despite his advanced age (63rd percentile sprint speed in 2024), can handle either corner and is a sneaky base-stealing threat.
Over the past four seasons, he’s gone 33-for-37 swiping bags.
Yasmani Grandal
Position: C
Age: 36
Role: Backup catcher
2024 stats: .228/.304/.400 with nine HR in 243 PA for a 95 wRC+ and 1.4 fWAR
2025 fWAR projections: 0.7-1.9
The idea: Grandal isn’t considered the warmest and fuzziest character, even if a reported incident with teammate Tim Anderson in 2023 is up for interpretation. That may be enough to disqualify him for consideration here, but the chances he’s an on-field upgrade over incumbent Tyler Heineman are high.
Grandal is coming off a season where he showed solid power in part-time duty while producing a top-10 framing runs total (+6) despite limited playing time.
Toronto has acquired Heineman multiple times in recent years and hasn’t shown much interest in replacing him this off-season, but it’s tough to ignore his short MLB resume that includes a 65 wRC+ and one home run in 112 games spread out over five seasons.
Grandal would be a safer bet to give Toronto something at the plate while holding his own behind it. That difference between the two players’ value may not be massive, but Grandal could likely be had for very little, and he’d provide more insurance for an Alejandro Kirk injury.
