The Jays are in a favourable payroll situation. Their 2019 payroll is estimated at $116 million, of which $49 million is retained salaries. This total is unlikely to rise significantly in the near term from the existing player base, as so many of the current players are still early in their careers.
This payroll room could be used to sign free agents or to pursue expensive international players. But it could also be used to take on “bad” contracts to acquire good young talent.
In an ideal scenario, the player acquired under the bad contract would meet several criteria.