5 Blue Jays players that might not be back in 2025
Changes appear to be coming for the Toronto Blue Jays, who have just three games remaining in what has been a frustrating season.
Aside from a few solid individual performances, almost nothing went right for the Blue Jays, who currently own a 74-85 record. It’s a major disappointment from what many believed was a playoff-calibre roster heading into the year.
Management is reportedly aiming to get the Blue Jays back to being a contender in 2025, making it clear there will be some personnel changes this offseason. Here are five players the organization might move on from before next season.
1. Bo Bichette
Despite Bo Bichette recently saying he hopes to remain a Blue Jay for his entire career, several other reports throughout the season have suggested otherwise. Often times with this much speculation, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and it has certainly cast a doubt over the 26-year-old’s future with the organization.
Bichette has just one more season remaining on his deal and is set to become a free agent afterward. Despite a disappointing 2024 season, the two-time All-Star still has a ton of value, and if he isn’t at all interested in signing an extension, the best time for the Blue Jays to move on is this offseason.
2. Jordan Romano
Jordan Romano returning to the Blue Jays in 2025 is very debatable. The 31-year-old reliever is expected to command a salary in the $8 million range in his final year of arbitration eligibility.
If healthy, it’s an easy decision to pay Romano that type of money. The issue is that he battled injury throughout the 2024 season, and wound up undergoing surgery to repair an impingement in his right elbow.
Had Romano been able to return and pitch the final few weeks of the season, that would have helped provide the Blue Jays with clarity on whether or not he is fully healthy. Now, it’s a bit of a guessing game, putting into question whether or not the two-time All-Star will return for the 2025 season.
3. Davis Schneider
Few stories in the 2023 MLB season were as good as that of Davis Schneider. The 25-year-old seemingly came out of nowhere when he was first called up to the Major League level in August.
He immediately made a huge impact, becoming the first player in league history to record nine hits (two of which were home runs) through his first three games. By the time the 2023 season ended, he had a tidy .276 batting average with eight home runs and 20 RBIs. The strong run ensured he would be a part of the Blue Jays roster heading into 2024.
While Schneider remains a fan favourite, the results simply haven’t been there this season. He’s hitting just .195 through 132 games, making it unlikely he cracks the roster in 2025.
4. Erik Swanson
Another bullpen arm who really struggled this season was Erik Swanson. His struggles came as a major surprise both to the organization and its fanbase. After all, he was coming off of a very solid first season with the club in which he posted a 2.97 ERA through 66.2 innings.
Things never clicked from the beginning of 2024 for Swanson, who was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in late May. He’s since been recalled but has a 5.40 ERA on the year. He is entering the final year of arbitration eligibility, but management may elect to cut ties given his recent struggles.
5. Zach Pop
Though Zach Pop hasn’t spent the entire 2024 season with the Blue Jays, he’s still amassed 48.1 innings. The results haven’t been good, as he has an ugly 5.59 ERA over that stretch, along with a -1.4 WAR. Those stats come after he put up a 6.59 ERA in 13.2 innings with the Jays a season prior.
The Blue Jays have had the third-worst bullpen amongst all MLB teams this season, and Pop has certainly played a part in that. The bullpen is an area management needs to upgrade heading into 2025, making it very likely that Pop won’t be back.
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