The only thing the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans are focused on at the moment is winning Game 6 of the ALCS on Sunday night against the Seattle Mariners to force a winner-take-all Game 7 at the Rogers Centre on Monday. 

While that’s undoubtedly the case, general manager Ross Atkins and president Mark Shapiro also have their eye on what will be a crucial offseason for the organization when all is said and done in 2025. Superstar shortstop Bo Bichette and starting pitchers Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are all pending free agents with uncertain futures. 

The pitching staff should be fine, as Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios will still be in the fold, along with youngsters Trey Yesavage, Bowden Francis and money to spend on another arm or two if needed.

However, what’s irreplaceable is the bat of Bichette. We’ve seen the Blue Jays continue to grind away offensively without him this postseason, but that would be much harder to do for years to come. Re-signing the 27-year-old will be management’s top priority this winter. That said, it feels like the Blue Jays could use another bat, particularly a lefty, given that Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and George Springer are all righties. 

That’s never easy to find, though there might be a perfect fit on the Mariners, who stand in their way of a World Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, first baseman Josh Naylor.

Josh Naylor’s fit with the Blue Jays

The Blue Jays have gotten an up-close look at Naylor over the last week, and he seems made to be a Blue Jay.

Naylor was born in Mississauga, Ontario, and you have to imagine he would love to come home and play for his hometown team and country. The same can be said for the Blue Jays, bringing in one of their own who would embrace playing for Toronto and all of Canada.

Sentimentality aside, Naylor is a stud and a tremendous middle-of-the-order bat. In Toronto, he could fit in very nicely behind Guerrero Jr. and Bichette and before Kirk, allowing the likes of Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger and Ernie Clement to hit further down the order, making one of the deepest lineups in baseball even deeper. 

Naylor exemplifies all of the qualities the Blue Jays are about, having plate discipline, the ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field, while at the same time having the power to go yard on any swing. Not to mention his sneaky base-stealing prowess. At 28, he’s in his prime, which should make Toronto feel comfortable handing him four or even five years on a contract, and they’ll be able to provide him the necessary compensation.

The only concern would be the positional conflict, as both Naylor and Guerrero Jr. are first basemen, and very good ones at that. Naylor began his career in the outfield and should be able to pick that back up on occasion. Another way this could easily be fixed is by rotating at designated hitter, which in turn keeps both players fresh as the Blue Jays continue to have their sights set on long postseason runs. 

There are more important things to sort out for Toronto over the coming days and weeks, but once the offseason commences, targeting Naylor should be something they consider.