Ross Atkins wants Anthony Santander thinking about the outfield in 2027. After two lost seasons in Toronto, that's a big ask.

"We want Tony to be thinking about playing the outfield and being an option for us there," Atkins told MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. The GM isn't treating him as a full-time DH.

The history makes that plan tough to trust. Santander has appeared in just 54 games through two seasons with the Blue Jays.

Year one was derailed by a left shoulder injury. He hit just .175 with six home runs.

Year two never started. He had surgery to repair a torn labrum in February and spent the whole season rehabbing.

A September assignment to Triple-A Buffalo didn't help. Lower back soreness slowed him down, and he never appeared in a minor league game.

Anthony Santander's $92.5 million deal still has three years left

That's the uncomfortable part. Toronto signed the switch-hitter to a five-year deal after a career-high 44-homer season with the Orioles in 2024.

He was supposed to give Vladimir Guerrero Jr. some help in the middle of the order. Instead, Guerrero had arguably the worst season of his career, and Santander never got on the field.

There is some good news. The team expects him to be fully healthy entering spring training.

But can a 32-year-old coming off a missed season handle the outfield every day? Nobody knows yet.

Toronto should plan as if he isn't there. Any production from Santander in 2027 should be treated as a bonus, not a pillar of the lineup.

The outfield should be crowded anyway. Addison Barger is due back, Brett Bateman is in center, and younger players are pushing for big-league time.

The money exists for an upgrade. Toronto has roughly $195 million committed to the 2027 payroll, leaving room to chase another proven bat.

The Blue Jays hit just 152 home runs this season. One more hope-and-pray bet won't fix that.

Counting on him right now is like planning a road trip around a car that's been in the shop for two years. Maybe it runs, but you still book the rental.

If he earns a corner spot in camp, great. If he doesn't, Atkins is stuck with a contract that gets harder to justify every spring.