Latest GM Comments Make it Seem Like Blue Jays Will Step in and Spoil Free Agency for Contenders

The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the best young cores in baseball, and look to be a dominant squad in the near future, but GM Ross Atkins' latest comments make it seem like the Jays will attempt to begin the leap to the playoffs this offseason.

The Jays have been tame in free agency over the past couple of seasons, however it looks like the team plans to be active on the market this time around.

Sounds like #BlueJays plan to spend more this winter. More like after '15 and '16 than after '17 and '18 per Atkins, who says #Jays are open to different structures and term.

Atkins: 'the overall outlay will be more significant than it certainly was last year'
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) October 1, 2019

Atkins said that the team will spend more similarly to how it did in the free agencies of 2015 and 2016, rather than the past two years where they chose to continue developing in-house talent rather than pursue big-name free agents.

The Jays are certainly going to tread cautiously, and President Mark Shapiro cited the Padres and Phillies as teams who tried to win the offseason but ultimately fell short of expectations.

Mark Shapiro: "We've got flexibility with both term and the amount of money we can offer." But Shapiro cautions that #BlueJays aren't looking to win the off-season. Mentions San Diego and Philadelphia as teams that have spent big without winning big.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) October 1, 2019

This will be a pivotal offseason for Toronto and they are in position to shake up the rest of the league by driving up the price of free agents, and possibly luring some talent away from contenders. While they likely won't be inking anyone to a mega-deal the likes of Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, they will still be active on the market.

If they can bring in a few seasoned veterans, particularly on the mound, they should be able to at least approach the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays next season.