The Toronto Blue Jays started investing in the 2025 season about six months ago. They dictated their entire deadline strategy to maximize their ability to win in 2025. Now the offseason is here and Toronto is expected to be one of the biggest spenders in the entire league.

They are looking for superstar outfielder Juan Soto and whatever other top free agent they can land. But if they land all the top players they target, they will have to part with a few players, preferably the more expensive ones. Toronto will not hesitate to make the necessary moves to capture New York Yankees in the loaded American League East.

Who are the players most likely to be off the Blue Jays roster at the end of the MLB Winter Meetings?

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The Blue Jays will be targeting some of the top names in the class. But what if they snoop on their top targets?

They will have a backup plan and that plan likely includes trading some trades. The Chicago White Sox have both their ace Garrett Crochet and their midfielder Luis Robert Jr. expected to be treated this winter. Toronto could take a shot at both of them. The St Louis Cardinals have a host of players they could move, including Ryan Helsley, Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray.

With Toronto expected to make a move, they would need to move a package of prospects to acquire the talent they want. When looking at their revamped top prospects, utility man Charles McAdoo stands out as the most likely to be moved.

McAdoo, 22, slashed .279/.364/.479 as he toiled through three levels of the minor leagues last year. He is a stud with the bat and he is a versatile defender. That’s exactly the kind of prospect it would take to land one of the great commodities on the market.

The Blue Jays could be in the market to add a starter this winter. There’s potential for them to pursue a guy like Max Fried while making a bid for one or two of the Japanese pitchers coming over to the big leagues this winter. Either way, the idea will be to bolster their starting rotation, which already has serious promise.

One player they could consider shipping, both to capitalize on his value and to clear free agent cash, is right-hander Chris Bassitt. Personally, I felt like the Blue Jays should have traded him at the deadline last season, but they chose to hang on to him because he was under contract until 2025. Now he’s on an expiring contract and Toronto could find much better options for the same price tag, especially in this offseason’s loaded free agency class.

This one is far from a guarantee, but it’s still a move I think Toronto should make. Ultimately, they likely won’t move him unless they’re blown away by a trade offer. His value should go up after the free agents sign the best. If Toronto acquires a top free agent, expect to see Bassitt traded away soon after.

The Blue Jays will need to shed some of their payroll if they want to comfortably bring in Soto and extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. These are the two biggest steps to Toronto’s eventual World Series victory they are trying to pursue. But they can’t do this with George Springer on their payroll as the highest paid player.

The Blue Jays will have to find every possible way to get him off their roster. Springer has been far from a beneficial play for Toronto, so finding a trade partner will be difficult. In order for the Blue Jays to make a move, they would need to connect Springer prospects to send him to a team like the White Sox or Miami Marlins.

Toronto could work with these smaller market teams that would be willing to eat Springer’s contract just to get some top-30 prospects in the deal. It would make sense for both sides, but more importantly, it would free up a ton of money and open up a spot in the outfield for either Soto, Teoscar Hernandez or Robert.

The possibilities would be endless for the players Toronto could try to replace Springer, but the most important piece of the puzzle would be getting him, his struggling bat and his huge salary away from the team in the next few weeks.