Mark Shapiro doesn't see the Blue Jays tightening the purse strings after a last-place finish. That might be the most important thing said all week.

Speaking Wednesday at Rogers Centre, the team president said he doesn't anticipate "any major fundamental change" to the budget. He expects a "similar area of support and resources."

Toronto spent $315 million in 2026, according to FanGraphs' Roster Resource. Similar is still a mountain of money for a club that finished at the bottom of the AL East.

And plenty of it just came off the books. George Springer, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Yimi Garcia, Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho and Jesus Sanchez are all gone from the ledger.

That clears room to chase top players. The Jays have been motivated spenders in recent winters, both domestically and in Korea and Japan.

Ross Atkins sounded like a GM bracing for a sprint. "We'll be ready to go from day one," he said, with October set aside to prep free-agent and trade talks.

A possible Dec. 1 lockout puts the Blue Jays on a November clock

The timing is the real story here. Many around the game expect a work stoppage this winter, and neither executive waded very deep into it.

The club still plans for a business-as-usual start. That could make the weeks right after the World Series busier than a normal November.

There's a tell in the minor-league planning too. Toronto expects a Rule 5 Draft, so Nolan Perry and Gage Stanifer need 40-man spots or they're exposed.

That's no small detail. The 2021 Rule 5 Draft was cancelled because of that winter's lockout.

Shapiro also played down the salary cap push from owners. He said he doesn't think a new system "would cause for immediate action."

Translation: spend now, sort out the fine print later. Any new restrictions would likely phase in over years, possibly with exceptions for deals already on the books.

Why wait, then? A last-place team with this much salary freed up has no business sitting on its hands while the labour clock ticks.

The free-agent class is thin, but the top has real names. Tarik Skubal, Seiya Suzuki and Brandon Lowe lead the group, and agents are happy to link their clients to Toronto's checkbook.

Atkins was candid about the sting of this season. "I know no one cares," he said of his own stress, before adding he wouldn't care either.

October optimism from a front office is a little like a January gym membership. The commitment sounds great until the first real bill shows up.

Skubal's price will test exactly how similar that budget really is. The Blue Jays haven't finalized the number yet, and the clock to Dec. 1 doesn't care.