Spending is set to reach historic heights in 2026 for the Toronto Blue Jays.
After losing in heartbreaking fashion in Game 7 of the World Series last fall, the franchise hasn’t hit the brake pedal since transitioning to the off-season, building off the incredible momentum sparked by their magical post-season run with a trio of aggressive free-agent signings — first Dylan Cease, then Cody Ponce and most recently Tyler Rogers.
And that’s before making any meaningful position-player additions.
The Blue Jays’ front office will surely continue spending into the New Year, narrowing its sights on improving a lineup that features franchise cornerstone Vladimir Guerrero Jr., along with George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger, and a returning Anthony Santander — who missed most of 2025 due to multiple injuries.
Whether that’ll result in bringing back Bo Bichette or making another free-agent splash with Kyle Tucker, arguably the best player available from this year’s crop, remains to be seen. There’ll be other alternatives if they happen to miss out on both, such as pursuing Cody Bellinger or Alex Bregman, or shifting their focus to the trade market.
Even after reportedly signing Rogers — a deal that, once officially finalized, will require opening a spot on the 40-man roster — and claiming fellow reliever Spencer Miles during last week’s annual Rule 5 draft, Toronto’s intentions to continue fortifying its pitching depth likely aren’t finished quite yet. Any potential future additions, though, will probably come in the ‘pen.
If we’ve learned anything from the last six-plus weeks, it’s to expect the unexpected (to steal the infamous line from the reality show Big Brother). What’s clear is that the Blue Jays are all-in on returning to the World Series next season, even if it means spending more than they ever have before.
- 42.5 per cent surcharge on $$$ spent above the third luxury-tax threshold (in addition to 20 per cent tax on all overages)
- 2026 first-round selection pushed back 10 places
- Forfeit second and fifth-round draft selections, plus $1 million from international bonus pool for signing qualified free agent (Cease in this case); also forfeit third and sixth-round selections for signing multiple qualified free agents (worth remembering with Tucker)
As currently constructed, the Blue Jays have already surpassed last season’s CBT payroll figure and are close to reaching $300 million for the first time in franchise history, with their ’26 payroll sitting at approximately $294 million — $10 million above the third luxury-tax threshold.
For those wondering, that provides Toronto with the fourth-highest projected CBT payroll in the majors for next season, trailing only the New York Mets ($297 million), Philadelphia Phillies ($298 million) and back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers ($339 million), per RosterResource.
If this team continues spending at its current pace, which is currently the expectation, they’re likely to cross the fourth and final luxury-tax threshold (previously coined the “Steve Cohen threshold”) of $304 million before spring training arrives. As a result, they’d enter another increased tier of CBT penalties for the second straight year.
- 60 per cent surcharge on $$$ spent above the fourth luxury-tax threshold (in addition to 30 per cent tax on all overages)
- 2027 first-round selection pushed back 10 places
- Forfeit second and fifth-round draft selections, plus $1 million from international bonus pool for signing qualified free agent; also forfeit third and sixth-round selections for signing multiple qualified free agents
As aggressive and motivated as the Blue Jays brass has operated this off-season, they almost certainly aren’t about to enter the extreme territory that’s been exclusively reserved for the Mets and Dodgers in recent years. So, while this organization will probably soar beyond the fourth luxury-tax threshold in ’26, expecting to stand alongside those other financial behemoths is unrealistic.
Flush with a new generation of Canadian baseball fans, the Blue Jays — who’re owned by Rogers Communications, one of the wealthiest ownership groups among all 30 clubs — are proving again exactly how much financial power they can hold when competing for a World Series title.
They’ve always been a big-market team, supported by an entire nation and playing in the country’s most populous city. It’s just taken three decades for the rest of the world to catch on.