PHILADELPHIA – Deep breaths taken post trade deadline, it’s a good time to zoom out and survey how the Toronto Blue Jays are set up for 2027 and beyond. After all, while GM Ross Atkins didn’t totally punt on the season at hand before Monday’s cutoff, the driving force in what he and the front office pulled off was about stabilizing the foundation for the future.

As he explained once the chaos had stopped, the Blue Jays “were determined to do what was best for the organization and try to optimize things given a situation that was less than ideal.” That meant putting in place assets for the years to come, with some benefit as well as some sacrifice in the present, especially in the bullpen where Jeff Hoffman’s absence has been immediately noticeable in the games since.

That being said, most pertinent is the way the Blue Jays are set up for next year and beyond and how they’re positioned to deal with the pending free agencies of George Springer, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Jameson Taillon, Yimi Garcia and, potentially, Myles Straw, who has an $8 million club option, while also improving the group.

So, let’s examine their asset mix, including upper minors depth and potential impact prospects lower in the system, moving forward:

Majors: Dylan Cease (through 2032); Jose Soriano (through 2028); Trey Yesavage (through 2031); Cody Ponce (through 2028); Spencer Arrighetti (through 2030); Jose Berrios (through 2028); Bowden Francis (through 2029)

In the system: John Klein (triple-A); Jake Bloss (triple-A); Josh Stephan (triple-A); Nolan Perry (double-A); Gage Stanifer (double-A); Johnny King (high-A); Cole Carlon (complex); Dasan Hill (Vancouver)

Outlook: Signing Cease during the off-season was the first step in remaking the rotation and Soriano’s acquisition secured a high-end complement. Behind the hard-throwing duo are Yesavage and Ponce, who will be returning from a season-ending knee injury, along with Berrios, in the latter half of next season, and Francis, coming back from Tommy John surgery. Spencer Miles is an intriguing possibility and his future role is being debated after a massive spike in his workload in what’s been his first full season of pro ball. One of Bloss, Stephan, Perry and Stanifer may also emerge shorter term, with King........

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