This is part three of a series I started the week before last. Part 1 surveyed the current Jays roster, while Part 2 looked at the team’s financial situation and prospect capital. Since I wrote, they’ve signed Cody Ponce to add depth to the rotation and outrighted Yariel Rodriguez off the 40-man roster. I’d hoped to have this wrapped up before the winter meetings, but the flu had other plans so we’re picking it up today.

Before getting into the moves I want to make, I thought I’d go over some things I decided not to do and explain myself.

With that out of the way, on to the moves I would actually make. I’ll deal with the big one, the Jays’ choice of top offensive free agents, tomorrow. For now, I wanted to look at how they might clear enough space to afford one. They currently have $278.5m assigned against the 2026 luxury tax, giving me only $5.5 million under my budget target.

First up, I’ll trade Myles Straw (including the $1m the Guardians are paying towards his 2026 salary and the $1.75m they’re sending to cover his buy-out) and Landen Maroudis to the Mets for a player to be named later. Straw was quietly an excellent pickup last winter, playing clutch defence and hitting just a little bit in the fourth outfielder role. The Jays just have better things to do with the $6m of his 2026 salary they’re responsible for, though. Joey Loperfido can fill in in centre. The Mets, meanwhile, don’t care about money, need some centre field depth, and could use a flier prospect as much as anyone.

Second, I’ll send Yariel Rodriguez and $9m over three years to the Texas Rangers and Yimi Garcia plus Jonatan Clase to the San Francisco Giants, both for a bucket of balls. This is just more space clearing. Rodriguez went through waivers unclaimed, but he’s still a live arm with experience getting MLB outs. I’m hoping that for half price, a team with some money in bullpen need will take a flier. Yimi is potentially set for a bounce back, but that’s uncertain and he’s expensive. I’m hoping that a rich team in a bit of a rebuild like the Giants will take him on for a prospect (and they could use some CF depth) and the potential to flip him at the deadline if he does bounce back.

All in, those moves free up $17.3m against the luxury tax, giving me $22.8m a year to work with. Tomorrow, I’ll talk through how I want to use it.