The potential work stoppage isn’t worrying the Blue Jays

This morning, Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro appeared before the Toronto media to conduct a post-season review.

They probably weren't looking forward to it, of course. They'd imagined themselves in the playoffs.

Obviously, the team is disappointed with how things turned out (and grateful for the fans' support) during the 2026 season.

Hey, while we're on the subject of the obvious: the team believes Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will bounce back in the 2027 season.

“Very confident that he will be back, as is he.”

Ross Atkins speaks on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s struggles this year. pic.twitter.com/ELh6tHW5Qg

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 30, 2026

What I'm taking away from this is that management doesn't seem afraid of a potential work stoppage. They won't say otherwise, but…

Ross Atkins (who's taking the blame for the season) said the team needs to make elite acquisitions. And that, under normal circumstances, doesn't exactly come cheap.

“We need to make sure we are elite on the acquisition front.”

Ross Atkins on the Blue Jays' offseason strategy. pic.twitter.com/pMSNin8aGK

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 30, 2026

Basically, since a potential salary cap (the club hasn't commented on this yet) wouldn't be imposed until 2027, the fact that the club is wealthy gives the GM some options.

After all, if the club signs players before December 1, that could allow them to have “acquired” players and take advantage of the owner's budget for a little longer.

As one of the teams that spends the most, my feeling is that the @BlueJays will be aggressive after the World Series, aiming to sign players under the current collective bargaining agreement rules, before a potential salary cap prevents them from doing so…

— Jeremy Filosa (@JeremyFilosa) September 30, 2026

Because yes, the team wants to make the playoffs again in 2027. So to do that, they'll need to boost the team's offense.

That much is clear.

Mark Shapiro says he trusts the #BlueJays front office to fix the offense, which ranked last in scoring in 2026:

He says there will be “… an understanding that if we add, it's got to be meaningful.”

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 30, 2026

Will the team—which is counting on Vladdy's strong comeback as well as the return to health of Addison Barger and Anthony Santander—add some power this winter?

Only time will tell.

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