The offseason is over. Now the Blue Jays have to make the plan pay off

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Plan A, Juan Soto, didn't materialize in Toronto.

But unlike a year ago when they missed out on Shohei Ohtani, the Jays aggressively pivoted to Plan B. The front office and ownership can, at least, say they did something at a time when many fan bases suffer through winters of little activity.

Only the Mets, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks spent more on players this offseason than the Blue Jays.

But it's one thing to execute a plan in the offseason. All that matters is how it pays off on the field.

Floor to ceiling

The Blue Jays made a rare, opportunistic addition when they acquired Andrés Giménez in a three-team trade this offseason.

Giménez was the only established position player under age 27 to be traded this winter. He owns an outstanding resume: three Gold Gloves (and one Platinum Glove as the best defender league-wide) and an All-Star appearance. He also leads baseball in defensive runs saved since 2022.

Giménez's glove and baserunning skills give him a reliable floor. The key to whether the Jays are merely satisfied with the trade or win it in a big way is if his bat can come anywhere near where it was in 2022 (141 wRC+, 6.1 fWAR). Giménez has excellent bat-to-ball skills, but the problem is he too often swings at pitches he can't do damage with and makes weak contact.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said the team believes there's offensive upside they can tap into.

"He's so good at handling the bat that there were times where he played it a little safe with the line-drive, contact approach," Schneider said. "The message to him is, 'Be as athletic in the field as you are in the box.' He's got plenty of juice to do that. … Take some shots when he has good counts. I think there is more to unlock."

Giménez told theScore he's working on pitch selection to eliminate weak contact. He swung 10% less often in Florida compared to recent seasons to produce a .283/.377/.543 slash line this spring.

"He's an exciting player, and we're looking forward to the work he's putting in with our coaching staff to help him build on an already impressive young career," Jays general manager Ross Atkins said.

Toronto emphasized defense when it couldn't land the bats it wanted. Having Giménez contribute on both sides is important for the team's success.

Spinning gold

Another area of focus will be internal improvement. The Blue Jays hired a new hitting coach, forward-thinking David Popkins, from the Twins in October. Minnesota ranked first in the majors last season in pulled fly balls (473), a batted-ball type that can generate lots of offense.

Some rival coaches thought the Blue Jays trailed the industry last year in getting the most out of their major-league bats.

But there's evidence of change. Bo Bichette, an all-fields spray hitter for his career, hit four home runs this spring after hitting only four in his injury-shortened 2024 season. He also posted a 44% pull rate in Florida after not reaching 30% in the last four campaigns.

Getting more power out of Bichette would be a major development.

If the Jays can get offensive improvement in the middle of the field from Bichette, Giménez, and center fielder Daulton Varsho, it would go a long way toward beating expectations.

The club also needs internal improvement on the mound, including homegrown depth.

The Jays hired Justin Lehr to fill a new role as minor-league pitching director. The organization lost seven prospects to Tommy John surgery last year. Homegrown arms combined for just 14.9% of Toronto's innings in 2024. That must change, too.

The Blue Jays have state-of-the-art facilities in Dunedin and Toronto, but the key is the human element: having coaches to create effective plans and getting buy-in from players.

"Everything is moving so quickly," Atkins said. "Even if you are having success, you cannot rest on your process being a good one. The old adage, 'If it's not broken, don't fix it,' is probably not a good approach, meaning you constantly have to be challenging everything to be the best it can possibly be.

"We are excited about a lot of the additions to our coaching staff, to our front office, to the way we are trying to get information to our coaches and players. We feel very good about the dynamic."

Powering up

The Jays' run differential has trended the wrong way in recent years as the team has pivoted to defense. In 2021, the club posted a plus-183 run differential (fifth in MLB). Last year, it was minus-72 (23rd).

Toronto hit more than 100 home runs in 2021 compared to last season (262 to 156).

The best teams crush the ball. Since 1995, the AL East champion has averaged a 109.3 OPS+, about 10% better than the league average. It's also recorded 209.2 home runs and 829.7 runs per season.

The Jays have reached those thresholds just twice (2015 and 2021) since 2015.

Although Soto signed with the Mets, Toronto managed to land Anthony Santander, who hit 44 home runs with Baltimore last season.

The concern regarding Santander is how his power skills will age during the five-year deal. The Jays desperately want to extend their competitive window. Santander is entering his age-30 season. Moreover, there can be a drop-off in the first year of a new deal for position players changing addresses.

"His level of preparation, the work that goes into him being ready, physically and mentally, is elite," Atkins said. "And that gave us confidence that he will be able to adapt and adjust to stay at a very high level for some time. … Our staff touched base with the various stakeholders around (Santander) - players, trainers, strength coaches, hitting coaches - to verify all the work he puts in. In every conversation, it only strengthened our confidence in signing him."

End game

Games often fell apart when it was close or late for the Blue Jays in 2024. They were 19-30 in one-run contests.

Toronto ranked 30th in the majors in bullpen fWAR (minus-2.5) last season and 29th in bullpen ERA (4.82).

Only the Rockies posted a worse ERA from their relief group, and only the White Sox bullpen combined for fewer wins above replacement.

The Jays added two of the best relievers available this offseason, Jeff Hoffman and Yimi Garcia. The club liked how both miss bats with multiple pitches and are platoon-neutral.

Toronto believes it addressed its biggest issues from a year ago. But even addressing all of that might not be enough. The AL East is a tough neighborhood.

After so much went wrong in 2024, the team needs much to break right this season. The Jays need their rotation to continue to be durable and more productive. They believe Max Scherzer will not only add valuable innings but also bring a competitive edge to the clubhouse. They need Bichette to bounce back and for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to remain an MVP candidate. They need young players like Alan Roden and Will Wagner to produce.

If that happens, combined with their offseason plan, there's a path to October.

Travis Sawchik is theScore's senior baseball writer.