SAN DIEGO -- Money matters, and as the Blue Jays search for ways to turn a good team into a great one, finances have never been more important.

This organization now lives near the top when it comes to expectations and spending. Toronto is just waiting for the postseason results to follow, and its budget will determine how aggressive it can be on the open market -- which is kicking into high gear at the Winter Meetings.

At this point, the Blue Jays can afford to make a major splash. But can they afford two? And in the meantime, can they afford to extend franchise cornerstones like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette?

“The payroll is rising in a way that corresponds with our team, our success and our expectation, which is to be a championship-caliber team,” club president Mark Shapiro said Tuesday. “We’re not a team that functions without a budget. Every team has one, so we’ve certainly got limits, but the support and the growth of that payroll is unprecedented in the history of the franchise, and it continues to be very strong from ownership.”

As the young core grows more expensive alongside the big contracts of George Springer, Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Hyun Jin Ryu and others, the Blue Jays are getting to the point where they really need to stick the landing if they spend big again.

Just how high can they go, though?

Don’t expect Toronto to lead the big leagues in payroll, but Shapiro said that the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) won’t dictate spending.

“It is not an obstacle for us. It will not limit us,” Shapiro said. “We’ll have a budget, and a budget that we’ll limit to, but the CBT is not going to be what sets our budget, managing around that.”

This all sounds encouraging, but if the Blue Jays have significant money to spend, it’s time to get down to business. The starting pitching market is moving quickly, including another target, Andrew Heaney, agreeing to a reported deal with the Rangers on Tuesday. Plenty of options remain, but Toronto is one of many clubs trying to find the right spot to enter the market.

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This is why the idea of the Blue Jays dealing a catcher from their enviable depth is so attractive. It doesn’t cost money, and if this club can fill one need -- like the outfield, for example -- by dealing a catcher, it can be much more aggressive financially on the pitching market.

For many years, these challenges were a million miles away for the Blue Jays as they spent toward the middle or the bottom third of the league. These new realities aren’t always simple, but it’s the sign of a club doing what fans have wanted to see for a long time: spending. Now that needs to continue.

The long-term wrinkle here is when it comes to Guerrero and Bichette, both candidates for early extensions. We should be including Alek Manoah in that group, too.

“The closer they get to free agency, the more that changes their equation of risk,” Shapiro said. “It makes them probably less willing to give up the risk of what it means to be out there. The timing, it impacts the sharing of the risk and that sweet spot equation. I think that’s the right word. We’re looking for the sweet spot.”

That sweet spot is the secret to all of this, whether it’s in free agency or in-house extensions.

The Blue Jays’ ongoing $300 million renovations to Rogers Centre are another major project, but that budget has no overlap with player payroll. Another interesting wrinkle floated by Shapiro on Tuesday was that the Toronto is “actively seeking” a jersey patch partner to have a sponsorship patch placed on the sleeve of its jerseys. Whether that happens this season or next, it’ll be another welcome revenue stream.

The refreshed stadium will look much nicer when it’s hosting winning baseball, though, and while budgets and money are far from the most exciting factors at the Winter Meetings, that changes quickly when it’s being spent.