Blue Jays Face Dodgers in World Series After Overcoming High-Profile Offseason Misses
The Toronto Blue Jays are set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series, a matchup born from a season of resilience and a defiant response to offseason setbacks. The unforeseen series has resurrected familiar jokes about thwarted ambitions – the pursuit of Roki Sasaki, the anxious tracking of planes potentially carrying Shohei Ohtani – but the Blue Jays have transformed those narratives of failure into a compelling story of progress.
The Blue Jays have been relentlessly reminded of their ambitious pursuits that ultimately fell short, likened to Charlie Brown’s perpetual quest to kick a football. The sting is particularly acute given that both Sasaki and Ohtani now star for their World Series opponent. However, this championship series represents far more than a rehash of past disappointments for Toronto.
“Our team understands who’s on the other side of that line,” outfielder George Springer said on the eve of Friday’s Game 1 at Rogers Centre. “That’s a great baseball team. There’s absolutely no denying it. For us, it’s just about staying in the moment.”
The possibility of this moment felt distant on December 8, 2023, when the Blue Jays appeared on the verge of signing Ohtani. General manager Ross Atkins and team president Mark Shapiro seemingly had the biggest prize in free agency within their grasp. Players and fans alike followed the developments with bated breath, but Ohtani ultimately signed a megadeal with the Dodgers. “It’s an unfortunate reality as a free agent,” Ohtani said through a team interpreter, “that you only get to really pick one team.”
A similar scenario unfolded in January with Sasaki, the highly touted Japanese pitcher. After wearing a Blue Jays jersey and pitching on their mound during a pre-signing workout, Sasaki ultimately chose Los Angeles. The Blue Jays had even proactively traded with the Cleveland Guardians for $3.75 million in international bonus pool money, positioning them to offer Sasaki an $8.26 million signing bonus, and also acquired Myles Straw in the deal. Sasaki offered a terse response when asked about returning to Toronto, simply stating, “It’s cold. That’s what I thought.”
Despite these high-profile misses, the Blue Jays have earned their place on baseball’s biggest stage. The funds initially earmarked for Sasaki were strategically reinvested, laying the foundation for the team’s future. Even with Ohtani looming in the opposing dugout, Toronto’s resurgence has positioned them to potentially silence the critics.
The Blue Jays’ record against the Dodgers over the last two seasons is 2-4, but factoring in the two “free agency defeats” brings the tally to 2-6. However, those past results are now largely irrelevant. Securing four wins is all that matters, and a championship banner will hang in Rogers Centre if they succeed.
The Blue Jays’ path to the World Series wasn’t built on signing Ohtani or Sasaki, but on internal development and shrewd maneuvering. They secured a 14-year, $500 million contract with homegrown star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. following a rebuilding 2024 season, utilizing the trade deadline and the draft to bolster their farm system with talents like JoJo Parker.
The international bonus pool money acquired in the pursuit of Sasaki was also put to good use, resulting in the signing of 18-year-old infielder Juan Sanchez, considered by some within the organization to be one of their best international additions since Guerrero. They also secured the signature of 18-year-old Korean pitcher Seojun Moon, a player multiple Jays executives believed was also a Dodgers target.
Interestingly, Straw, acquired primarily to facilitate the bonus pool trade, has become a valuable contributor, posting a 2.9 bWAR and earning praise from teammates like reliever Louis Varland as “everything good about this team.” “I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else,” Straw said. “Things worked out how they should. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see Moon throw in the World Series for the Blue Jays one day.”
This year’s Blue Jays team has demonstrated a knack for overcoming adversity, culminating in a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays to clinch the AL East – their first sweep of Tampa since 2015. They secured their first division title since 2015, and the first under the leadership of Shapiro and Atkins. A Division Series victory over the Yankees, punctuated by a franchise-first Game 7 win, cemented their place as the first Toronto team to win the American League pennant since 1993.
The Dodgers, seeking a back-to-back championship – a feat not accomplished since the 2000 Yankees – boast a formidable lineup with three MVPs and a rotation that surrendered just two earned runs in the NLCS. They also, of course, feature Sasaki and Ohtani.
Every Blue Jay has been asked how they plan to overcome the Dodgers’ dominance. Most have offered measured responses, acknowledging the Dodgers’ strengths while highlighting Toronto’s own capabilities. But Ernie Clement was more direct: “David won,” Clement said. “Didn’t he?”
One more slayed beast, and the punchlines will finally end.
