Report: Blue Jays targeting Brantley, Turner
The Toronto Blue Jays appear to be targeting some of the top free agents this offseason.
Toronto has been in recent contact with outfielder Michael Brantley and third baseman Justin Turner, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The Blue Jays also made a three-year offer to right-hander Kevin Gausman before he accepted the San Francisco Giants' qualifying offer, Rosenthal adds.
The club is expected to be aggressive this offseason, and the Jays have previously been linked to George Springer and DJ LeMahieu. Toronto is still pursuing those two in addition to Brantley and Turner, Rosenthal notes.
"What we'd like to do is add another really good player, or two, or three," Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said recently. "We'll see. It's really hard to acquire elite players. This will be another opportunity for us to do it. We'll see what happens. Whether that's in the form of an elite pitcher, or an elite offensive player. Hopefully, we're making the team better in several ways."
Acquiring Brantley and/or Turner would certainly make Toronto better. The pair have been two of MLB's top hitters over the past few seasons.
2018-2020 stats
| PLAYER | PA | wRC+ | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Brantley | 1455 | 129 | .852 | 9.0 |
| Justin Turner | 1150 | 142 | .894 | 8.9 |
Brantley and Turner are also both familiar with winning cultures, and the Blue Jays are trying to establish that environment after securing a postseason berth in 2020.
Brantley spent the last two campaigns with the Houston Astros, reaching the World Series with them in 2019. Turner, meanwhile, won his first title this past season after also appearing in the Fall Classic with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 and 2018.