🚨 JUST IN: Toronto proves its window isn’t closing as a Bichette-less 2026 roster is still financially engineered for immediate contention ⚡.DD
The Toronto Blue Jays have a payroll filled with veteran players and large salaries, which will make keeping Bo Bichette difficult.
The Toronto Blue Jays took care of their next piece of housekeeping on Friday at the non-tender deadline. They smartly kept their small number of arbitration-eligible players on the roster. The next issue is paying them.
Coming off a World Series run that saw the franchise nearly end a 32-year championship drought, the Blue Jays are built to win now — and their payroll is proof. But is it built to bring back shortstop Bo Bichette, their top free agent? That’s worth exploring because the numbers suggest the Blue Jays will either have to get creative or shed some talent to re-sign Bichette.
Blue Jays 2026 Payroll after Non-Tender Deadline
Start with the arbitration-eligible players. The Blue Jays tendered contracts to outfielder Daulton Varsho, pitcher Eric Lauer, infielder Ernie Clement and catcher Tyler Heineman. Toronto had already released three other players in the same category — pitchers Dillon Tate, Nick Sandlin and Ryan Burr.
MLB Trade Rumors projects that the quartet the Blue Jays kept will make a combined $19.4 million. They all have until January to reach an agreement to avoid arbitration.
Toronto has 12 players on veteran deals or contracts signed to help players avoid arbitration. Foremost among that group is first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. His massive 14-year, $500-million extension kicks in this coming season with an annual payroll hit of $40 million. Outfielder George Springer ($25 million) and pitcher Kevin Gausman ($20 million) are the only others above $20 million, per Spotrac.
Toronto has six veterans set to make $10 million or more — pitcher Jose Berrios, infielder Andres Gimenez, outfielder Anthony Santander, pitcher Shane Bieber, catcher Alejandro Kirk and closer Jeff Hoffman. Bieber triggered a player option to stay with the Blue Jays. Pitcher Yimi Garcia, pitcher Yariel Rodriguez and outfielder Myles Straw will all make $6 million or more in 2026.
The Blue Jays basically have 16 players locked in. Per Spotrac, their current payroll allocation is $193 million for 16 players. Throw in the remainder of the roster, which will likely be pre-arbitration players making a fixed salary and Spotrac projects the total allocation at $224 million. That important because the first tier of the competitive balance tax for 2026 is $244 million. If the Blue Jays want to be under that, they don’t have much room to maneuver.
So how do the Blue Jays keep a analysts see as a $200 million player in free agency? Well, some of it is creativity. They could lengthen the contract to lessen the average annual value. They could trade some players to make payroll room. They could make Bichette’s 2026 salary less than the rest of the average annual value and then boost it when other deals come off the books.
But it’s a win now mentality for the Blue Jays, based on their payroll. They must figure out if — and how — Bichette fits in.
