The Toronto Blue Jays closing in on adding one more batter

On Monday, a Sports Illustrated piece argued Toronto should add one more star hitter to finish the job. The logic is simple, you can't waste a loaded rotation by running out a thin lineup.

The Jays have already pushed hard, signing Dylan Cease and bringing in Kazuma Okamoto. That's a real «win now» posture, not the usual toe-in-the-water winter.

But Alex Bregman signing with the Chicago Cubs tightened the board, and the SI angle is that three offensive stars remain. In their framing, it comes down to Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, or Bo Bichette.

Tucker is the cleanest roster fit because he's an impact outfielder, and MLB.com has linked the Blue Jays to his market. If you're going to spend, spend where you actually have a need.

Tucker's 2025 line shows why the dream won't die, .266 with 22 homers, 73 RBIs, 25 steals, and an .841 OPS in 136 games. That's middle-of-the-order production plus real speed pressure.

Now picture that next to Guerrero, who hit .292 with 23 homers, 84 RBIs, and an .848 OPS over 156 games in 2025. When Vlad is that steady, the only missing piece is another star who scares pitchers.

Bellinger is the other outfield route, and he brings the glove versatility Toronto loves. The downside is he's not the same nightly on-base headache Tucker is, and this lineup needs more table-setting.

Then there's Bichette, still a fan favorite, still a monster bat when he's right. He also posted a .311 average with an .840 OPS in 2025, but adding him doesn't solve the outfield math.

If the Jays are truly all-in for 2026, the next milestone is landing the last premium bat. Do that, and the lineup stops feeling like it needs perfect health to score.