TORONTO — The MLB off-season is quietly underway, and for a Toronto Blue Jays team that’s had extra time to prepare, the intrigue is about to build.

Eight 2026 Blue Jays hit free agency last week as Shane Bieber, Patrick Corbin, Yimi Garcia, Max Scherzer, Paul Sewald, George Springer, Jameson Taillon and Luis Urias are now among the 155 players on the open market. Additionally, the team cleared a 40-man roster spot by outrighting outfielder Rudy Martin Jr. to triple-A.

But alongside those smaller procedural moves bigger questions are approaching, starting with a first wave of decisions coming Monday, the fifth day after the World Series. Qualifying offer decisions are due league-wide, all players must be reinstated from the 60-day injured list and free agency officially opens.

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at what that means for the Blue Jays:

Qualifying offers due

Around the league, there are some interesting candidates to receive the $23.15-million qualifying offer, including Jazz Chisholm Jr. and David Bednar of the Yankees, Jake Bauers of the Brewers, Ian Happ of the Cubs and Adrian Morejon of the Padres. All QO decisions are due Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

Whether those players receive and reject the qualifying offer will impact whether it costs a........

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