The Toronto Blue Jays are a team with title aspirations. They have a tremendous pitching staff that ranked fourth in ERA as a group last season, while their offense ranked 8th in wRC+ at 108 (100 is league average), but 14th in runs scored. The top of their lineup with George Springer, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is enviable.
Yet, according to Roster Resource, their DH as of right now is backup catcher Danny Jansen. That figures to change with the Jays either adding a first baseman and sliding Vladdy to DH, or just signing or acquiring a full-time DH.
While the Jays reportedly have “very strong interest” in free agent Joc Pederson, they’re not the only team with the slugger on their radar. He’s also projected to cost about $24 million over two years, which isn’t an unreasonable deal. But they will likely need a backup plan just in case they don’t land Pederson. That’s where the A’s come in.
Oakland has two options at play that could be fits for Toronto. The first is Brent Rooker, who can roam the outfield when needed, but is likely to fill the DH role for the A’s in 2024. Rooker got regular playing time for the first time in his career last year, and responded by launching 30 home runs and hitting .246 with a .329 OBP. His 127 wRC+ would have ranked second among regulars on the Jays in 2023, behind Brandon Belt (138), who is now a free agent. Rooker also played in 137 games, and his health combined with his production could be a draw for Toronto.
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