The Toronto Blue Jays have some work to do to improve an offense that ranked dead last in baseball in home runs in 2026. They were second-last in the major leagues with a .691 OPS. Their .381 slugging percentage ranked 26th of the 30 teams. Yes, a lot of help is needed.

The Jays will be targeting some significant bats on the free agent market. And according to several baseball insiders, Toronto is the projected landing spot for two of the top sluggers who’ll be available.

Depending on whose list you follow, Sato, the Nippon Professional Baseball MVP in 2026, who’s set to come to North America, is either the 2nd (ESPN) or 3rd (Athletic) ranked player available to MLB teams this winter. The 27-year-old slugger slashed .306/.383/.609 and launched 40 doubles and 39 homers with 106 RBIs for the Hanshin Tigers.

Teruaki Sato is a hitter who, folks with other teams tell me, the Blue Jays are going to be in big… He’s a high-impact guy.

Fellow insider Steve Phillips, however, told the guys on First Up that because third base is his main position, there isn’t a natural spot, as Okamoto is set there. And left field, another potential slot for Sato, is clogged up by the $92 million contract of Anthony Santander. He’s been a complete bust for the Jays thus far, but that money is on the books for another three years. Phillips calls it an “untradeable contract.”

But Phillips does name another Japanese player who makes a lot more sense for the Jays:

Free agent Seiya Suzuki is a prime target of the Blue Jays

Suzuki has been a consistent, productive power bat for the Chicago Cubs since coming over from Japan five years ago.

“Suzuki’s been a 125-135 OPS+ in every season he’s played in the major leagues. He’s been that consistently good,” said Phillips.

Indeed, Suzuki, 32, has an .823 OPS in 675 big league games, with a 128 OPS+. He’s averaged 29 long balls and 95 RBIs over his past two seasons in the Windy City. He has a career .269 batting average and an impressive .351 OPS. That’s the kind of contact plus power that Toronto could use in their lineup.

Another former MLB GM, Jim Bowden, also projected Suzuki for the Jays, in writing for The Athletic.

“There is a lot of scuttlebutt in the industry that the Blue Jays are going to be targeting him as they look to add more offense to their outfield and more protection in their lineup for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.”

Whatever they can do to wake up the moribund bat of Guerrero would be more than welcome in Toronto.