TORONTO — The Blue Jays have reached agreements on 2026 contracts with three of their four remaining arbitration-eligible players prior to Thursday’s deadline, the club announced.
The three agreements are with center fielder Daulton Varsho ($10.75 million), infielder Ernie Clement ($4.6 million) and catcher Tyler Heineman ($1,237,500), leaving left-hander Eric Lauer as the lone Blue Jays player headed toward an arbitration hearing.
Varsho’s $10.75 million agreement is one of the largest one-year deals settled on ahead of the deadline, and for good reason as the 29-year-old enters his final season of control with the Blue Jays.
Varsho’s 2025 season was delayed as he rehabbed from shoulder surgery, and a hamstring injury got in the way soon after. But over his 71 healthy games, he looked better than ever at the plate. Pound-for-pound one of the strongest players in Major League Baseball, Varsho hit 20 home runs in that short span, batting .238 with an .832 OPS. Given Varsho’s previous career high of 27 home runs, it’s clear that 30-plus are in that bat in a full, healthy season, and there’s no time better than a contract year.
This all comes on top of Varsho’s defense in the outfield, which has earned him one Gold Glove Award but carries a reputation that goes well beyond that. Manager John Schneider routinely calls him the best defensive outfielder in baseball and Varsho’s highlight reels make a fine case. Given how key Varsho is to the Blue Jays’ identity, he’s an interesting extension candidate going into 2026, just as catcher Alejandro Kirk was a year ago before inking a five-year, $58 million deal in late March.
Clement gets a nice raise from his 2025 salary of $1.97 million, which is very well deserved after he became a Canadian hero in the 2025 postseason. Clement set the MLB record for most base hits in a single postseason with 30, a stunning run in which he hit .411 and drove in nine runs. That came on the heels of Clement putting up a .711 OPS over 157 games in the regular season while playing strong defense, and barring another major move, he’s positioned to be the Blue Jays’ second baseman on Opening Day.
Clement is beloved by Blue Jays fans and has become one of this organization’s better stories in recent years, signed in the spring of 2023 as a Minor League free agent after being released by the A’s.
In Heineman, the Blue Jays likely have their backup catcher once again in 2026. Brandon Valenzuela, who was acquired in a deal for Will Wagner at the Trade Deadline, looks like the Blue Jays’ long-term solution in that spot, but the 34-year-old Heineman is fresh off a career year in which he hit .289 with three home runs and a .777 OPS, earning the clubhouse favorite some stability after a career spent bouncing between organizations.
Lauer, who did not come to an agreement prior to Thursday’s deadline and will now have an arbitration hearing scheduled, remains a key piece of the Blue Jays after stepping in as one of this organization’s best stories in 2025. Expected to compete for a swingman role in camp, Lauer offers the Blue Jays valuable rotation depth, but could also open the season in the bullpen as a long reliever.
