BREAKING NEWS: Beyond money, why would big-name free agents sign with the Toronto Blue Jays?

When a team is a winner or perceived to be aggressively trending in that direction, it’s easy to overlook those concerns. Accordingly, the Blue Jays have landed a number of big-name, big-money players in recent years from Hyun-Jin Ryu to George Springer, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt to name a foursome.

Thanks to the bountiful Rogers Communications cash and terrific renovations to team facilities in both Toronto and Dunedin, the Jays’ stock was mostly on the rise since baseball returned to normal post-pandemic.

But when there is a whiff of discontent, the courting process becomes all the more challenging.

“It’s your one chance to pick your spot,” the source said of the mindset of most free agents shopping for a multi-year deal that, in most cases, will be the biggest contract of their career. “There are challenges for playing in Toronto, but at the same time, it’s a hell of a place to play when they’re not good. It’s not exactly always what you want.

“Right now, so many teams are stronger than the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s the reality of it. When you start matching position by position, they can’t compete with many (teams).”