Part 4/7:
Historically, the Blue Jays have spent intelligently, navigating off-seasons where many teams were hesitant. By embracing a more aggressive spending strategy—illustrated by signings like Santander—the Blue Jays have positioned themselves to possibly reach or exceed the competitive balance tax (CBT) threshold. Current payroll projections indicate they are making headway towards establishing a top-tier payroll, placing them among the elite spending teams.
Despite these advancements, however, the roster does not yet resemble a championship caliber team; deficiencies remain, particularly in terms of pitching and offensive firepower. The outlook is that while their batting lineup is reasonably solid, substantial improvements can still be made to transform the team into true playoff contenders.