Will Vlad be extended and other offseason questions that must be answered

This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

TORONTO -- Running back the same roster isn’t an option for the Blue Jays this time.

Significant additions are needed just to bring their bullpen up to MLB standards, let alone make it a strength, and their lineup clearly needs upgrades around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This isn’t a question of whether moves will be made, but how many.

While the Blue Jays watch the postseason from home, these are the major questions waiting for them when the offseason begins:

1. Will they sign Vladdy to an extension?
This question hangs over every inch of the Blue Jays’ offseason. When the club speaks to free agents, it’s going to be one of the players’ first questions, too. That’s important.

Guerrero is an attraction again. He’s beloved and respected around the league, particularly among his fellow Dominican stars, but playing just one season with Vlad isn’t enough to tip any scales. Free agents discussing multi-year deals with the Blue Jays will want to know what this whole thing looks like in 2026 and beyond. Will the club still be competitive and build around Vladdy? There’s an off-ramp Toronto can take after '25, which players (and agents) will notice.

Beyond the baseball of it all -- Guerrero is once again one of the top hitters in the sport -- Vladdy is also embracing his role as the face of this franchise in a way some organizations dream of. What the Blue Jays have in Guerrero is rare -- a homegrown star who has embraced Toronto, embraced Canada and wants to stick around. This needs to be their No. 1 priority, and it stands miles above whatever No. 2 is.

2. What about Bichette?
Discuss Guerrero or Bo Bichette, and the other’s name isn’t far behind. It’s always been that way.

Bichette is coming off a career-worst season in which he battled recurring calf injuries, so there’s very few positives to take away from the past 12 months. But the Blue Jays know, like the rest of the baseball world does, that this was an outlier for Bichette, who is capable of being a star in this league when he’s at his best.

A year ago, it felt like Bichette was the “sure thing,” reliable year-to-year and easy to project. That’s changed this year, and while trade talks will bubble up again this offseason, the Blue Jays’ best chance at competing in 2025 is with Bichette bouncing back in their lineup. It’s '26 and beyond that feels far less certain.

3. How aggressive will the bullpen rebuild be?
In the past, this front office has done well with acquiring veteran relievers on low-end deals. This offseason demands more, and with bullpen arms only getting more expensive, the Blue Jays are going to have to spend. A lot.

When asked recently about who the Blue Jays’ closer is in 2025, GM Ross Atkins was surprisingly non-committal to Jordan Romano, instead pointing to the collective closing experience of Romano, Chad Green and others. Regardless of how that shakes out, though, the Blue Jays need to replace the role Yimi García had before being traded to the Mariners, then find two or three more relievers with legitimate high-end potential. This won’t be easy … or cheap.

4. An offensive upgrade is coming … but where?
The Blue Jays don’t need anyone else who can play second base along with four other positions. That shelf is stocked. This organization needs offensive upside and power. Period.

First base is an option, especially with Guerrero’s openness (eagerness?) to play third base. Third would work, too, but left field continues to feel like the right spot for this to happen. Keep an eye on the trade market, especially. The Blue Jays’ wealth of MLB-ready infield depth will appeal to other clubs, and if one of those has some excess in the outfield, it’s an easy match.

5. What’s the payroll for 2025?
Last week, club president and CEO Mark Shapiro said he did not see the Blue Jays’ payroll “growing or decreasing in a big way” next season. Let’s call it “roughly the same.”

The Blue Jays continue to prove that money isn’t an issue. The results on the field haven’t followed, but narratives about Toronto being outspent and outbid are tired and lazy at this point. The Blue Jays should be in on any big name they want -- Juan Soto included -- but with so many needs, they’ll need to choose their big swings wisely.