After losing out on Shohei Ohtani, Blue Jays must quickly pivot to what’s next

The Blue Jays did not get their man.

Toronto’s weeks-long pursuit of Shohei Ohtani ultimately proved unsuccessful after the two-way superstar agreed to terms on a record-setting 10-year, $700-million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now the Blue Jays’ front office will face the tall task of pivoting to alternatives to improve the club — knowing no player will equal the impact Ohtani would have brought to the team both on the field and off — while also trying to satisfy an increasingly restless fan base.

Ohtani’s Saturday afternoon announcement on Instagram confirming his choice to play for the Dodgers is a punch to the gut for Blue Jays fans, considering only 24 hours prior, OhtaniMania reached new heights in Toronto as rumours swirled on social media about the Japanese star potentially selecting the Blue Jays.

Fans’ hopes peaked when what proved to be an inaccurate report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi suggested Ohtani was on a flight heading to Toronto, only for it to ultimately be carrying Canadian businessman and reality television personality Robert Herjavec.

That brief, sweet taste of euphoria quickly soured for Blue Jays fans, who will likely spend the rest of the week working their way through the five stages of grief. While Toronto has landed top free agents in recent years, including Hyun Jin Ryu, George Springer and Kevin Gausman, it’s still a familiar feeling up north to be spurned by a star athlete for a team in one of the major U.S. markets. That Ohtani’s decision comes after an achingly unsatisfactory 2023 season that was capped off by a controversial playoff loss makes the loss sting even more for Canadian baseball fans.

The Blue Jays had been one of the finalists for Ohtani, along with the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Earlier this week, at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., the Blue Jays front office appeared quietly confident about their pitch to Ohtani and his camp, which included a hush-hush visit to the team’s player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., as reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. There was a positive sentiment that those with the club had felt encouraged that at least the interest from Ohtani felt genuine.

However, the Dodgers always appeared to be the heavy favourite to sign the reigning American League MVP, thanks in part to their West Coast locale, the agreeable weather in Southern California — not to mention his comfort with the area after six seasons playing for the Angels — and the Dodgers’ established track record of winning, all factors that were reportedly considered important to Ohtani.

From the get-go this offseason, the Blue Jays’ front office appeared to be operating under a set of circumstances that was forcing them to try to make a significant splash this winter, pursuing both Ohtani as well as Juan Soto, who was being dangled by the San Diego Padres. But with Ohtani off the board, and Soto dealt to the New York Yankees, a division rival, it’s close to a worst-case scenario for Toronto, who now must find a way to salvage this offseason, lest they upset the fan base even more.

As hopeful as the front office may have been about landing Ohtani, the club was always preparing for the alternative, doing their due diligence on other players available either through free agency or trade. No single player can deliver the same impact Ohtani would have, but the Blue Jays’ brass still believes there are other ways they can improve upon their 89-win team.

“We’ve made some progress — a little bit more on the trade front,” general manager Ross Atkins said last week in Nashville. “But we have a lot of information on players that we’re interested in, that are interested in us. A decent framework for expectations and timing. And fortunately, feel that we’ll be in a position to pivot if need be and see a lot of avenues to make our team better.”

The Blue Jays’ priorities this winter are focused on position players and with Ohtani off the board, the next best free agent is Cody Bellinger. The Blue Jays have been known to like the 28-year-old and as a left-handed outfielder who can play centre field and first base, he is a nice fit on a roster that requires some impact bats.

The Blue Jays remain interested in bringing back third baseman Matt Chapman, too. He had a very up-and-down 2023 season, and there are fair questions about his offensive potential moving forward, but he is at least a known commodity to the coaching staff. With the Blue Jays focussing on a more individually tailored offensive approach next season, perhaps familiarity with a player could be helpful. Chapman is also a certainty on defense and it’s a shallow market at third after him. Bellinger and Chapman, it should be noted, are both Scott Boras clients and the Blue Jays have had a positive working relationship with the super-agent in recent years.

Meanwhile, with the Dodgers settling on Ohtani as their designated hitter, former Dodgers DH J.D. Martinez could be another intriguing option for the Blue Jays, who need a power-hitting right-handed hitter. His veteran experience would be a plus, too. If the front office was interested in appealing to the fan base, perhaps a reunion with former fan favourites Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. could at least help mend some broken hearts. (Not to mention, both offer some pop from the right side.) Rhys Hoskins, Joc Pederson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are free-agent options, as well.

A trade is a viable route to improving the club, too, and the Blue Jays have been actively engaging in that market this offseason. Atkins said recently that while the club hasn’t moved on any of those discussed trades yet, the opportunities still exist. “We just haven’t decided to move on anything as of yet,” the GM said.

If there is one thing going in the Blue Jays’ favour, it’s that the marketplace this offseason has been slow-moving, partly because much of the industry remained at a standstill awaiting Ohtani’s decision.

That means that plenty of free agents and trades remain in play and the Blue Jays believe the malleability of their roster affords them some flexibility in their pursuits. Time will be of some importance, however, with a lot of teams vying for only a small pool of available players.

Because of his unmatched abilities, nothing the Blue Jays’ front office achieves this winter will be able to match the effect landing Ohtani would have had on the franchise. There was always risk in setting high expectations for a fan base eager to latch onto signs of hope. But as disappointing as missing out on Ohtani is, the Blue Jays will need to find ways to pivot to avoid an even greater letdown in the 2024 season.

(Top photo of Shohei Ohtani before a game against the Blue Jays on July 28: Nick Turchiaro / USA Today)