Remember just before the offseason when Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro told fans the team would go all-in and do whatever it takes to chase a World Series? Sure, Toronto made a splash by landing Dylan Cease, but when it comes to the offense, most of the wish list is still untouched.

The Jays have been linked to big names like Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker, and even Bo Bichette in trade chatter, but so far, no one has actually ended up in Toronto. At the same time, heavyweights like the Dodgers and Yankees have jumped into the mix, making an already messy market even more chaotic for the Jays. So, what do they need to do to upgrade their offense significantly?

According to Blue Jays broadcaster Craig Borden, there’s a clear answer.

“And then the next part is like we were talking about

finding that missing piece. What do they need to do to finish the story? Is it adding Kyle Tucker and giving him whatever he wants? Yes. Is it paying Bo Bichette whatever he wants? Yes. If you need to dump money later because this whole thing doesn’t work. You can always trade those players. People are going to want them,” Borden said via Jays Latest podcast.

Well, Tucker has clearly been the top target for the Blue Jays, with Bo Bichette essentially put on the back burner. Once Bichette chose to test free agency, Toronto zeroed in on Tucker as their preferred option. And there are reasons for that!

According to Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, Tucker is the player who best matches what the Blue Jays actually need. Tucker checks a major box for Toronto as a left-handed power bat. So why hasn’t anything happened yet?

The big holdup is money!

Tucker is expected to command something around $400 million over 10 to 12 years. And that’s where the Dodgers enter the picture. MLB insider Jon Heyman has hinted that Tucker could consider a short-term deal with Los Angeles. Given the Dodgers’ deep pockets and their comfort with deferred money, pulling that off would be pretty easy for them.

Then there’s Bichette. The Blue Jays’ longtime shortstop is still sitting in free agency because the front office is hesitant to go anywhere near the $200 million range.

But now the Yankees are reportedly willing to offer that kind of money as they look to move on from a struggling Anthony Volpe.

According to Borden, though, it’s still not too late for Toronto. The missing piece is simple: the Jays need to pay up, ideally for both to truly fix their offense. And why not?

With players like Tucker and Bichette, there’s always flexibility down the line to trade them and recoup value. Bottom line: the Blue Jays can’t afford to wait any longer.

The Blue Jays might need Japanese solutions

“Maybe it’s even just being really bold and grabbing Tatsuya or Okamato from the Japanese baseball league,” Borden added further.

Well, if the Blue Jays strike out on the big American stars, why not look overseas? Beyond the Tucker-or-Bichette sweepstakes, Toronto still has another intriguing option in Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, and at a much more manageable price.

ESPN MLB insider Kiley McDaniel projects Okamoto to sign a three-year, $36 million deal. For that kind of money, the Jays would be getting a hitter who batted .322 with 15 HRs and 51 RBIs in just 77 games in 2025.

So, when you look at how the Blue Jays are built, it makes a lot of sense. This team thrives on making contact, limiting strikeouts, and still doing damage with power, something we saw clearly during the World Series run. Okamoto checks all those boxes. He hits for average, brings pop, and even shows strong plate discipline, posting an 11.3 percent walk rate last season.

So, as Craig Borden points out, maybe the missing piece for the Blue Jays doesn’t have to come from within American borders at all.