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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander
The Toronto Blue Jays are set to begin spring training this month and are looking to take the next step and win a championship after pushing the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 in the World Series last season.
Unfortunately, just ahead of spring training, the Blue Jays have received some brutal news.
According to a report from longtime MLB insider Bob Nightengale, outfielder Anthony Santander will be out at least the next five to six months after undergoing surgery.
“Anthony Santander, who signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract a year ago with the Blue Jays, is undergoing left labral surgery and will be sidelined 5-6 months, Blue Jays manager John Schneider announces,” Nightengale wrote on X.
Losing Santander for such an amount of time will be difficult to replace for Toronto as the roster is currently constructed. However, there is one clear move the Blue Jays could make to help replace him.
Toronto Blue Jays Have Clear Option After Anthony Santander Injury News
There are still some good players available on the MLB free agency market for Toronto to consider. Andrew McCutchen seems to be the most obvious choice for the Blue Jays.
McCutchen’s time with the Pittsburgh Pirates seems to have come to an end. He remains a free agent and is waiting for another team to come calling. That team should be Toronto.
Last season with the Pirates, the 39-year-old outfielder played in 135 games. He hit 13 home runs to go along with 57 RBI, while also producing a slash line of .239/.333/.367. McCutchen may not be a star anymore, but he’s still capable of playing an important role.
Even when Santander does make his return to the diamond, McCutchen would be quality depth. He would be a piece that could help the Blue Jays pursue their goal of winning a championship during the 2026 season.
Santander is coming off of a 2025 season with Toronto that saw him hit six home runs, drive in 18 RBI, and slash .175/.271/.294 in just 54 games.
What Would It Take to Add McCutchen?
More than likely, the Blue Jays would only have to give the veteran outfielder a one-year deal. There would be no long-term money tied up in a contract with him.
That alone would make this an intriguing option for Toronto.
Even if McCutchen were unable to make a big impact for the Blue Jays, they wouldn’t be losing anything by signing him. He’s at least worth taking a flier on.
Toronto has gone all-in on pursuing a World Series this season. With Santander not playing for quite some time and coming off of a rough season in 2025, the Blue Jays should not hesitate to take a chance on a player like McCutchen who has been productive for a very long time.
Whether or not the team will have interest in McCutchen remains to be seen, but he would be an excellent pickup prior to the start of the 2026 campaign.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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