Blue Jays asserted themselves in most Dodgers way yet with latest free agency update

The Los Angeles Dodgers are cool operators when it comes to free-agency. While they have no problem making splashes like the then-record-setting deal for Shohei Ohtani, they know that they've established a strong enough infrastructure and built the kind of culture that makes free agents sell themselves to the club, rather than the other way around.

It's a position few other clubs can truly claim. The New York Yankees during their dynastic years had this kind of clout, but it has been a good many years since they could claim this status. Los Angeles, for the most part, has stood alone.

That seemed especially true at the beginning of free agency. Fresh off a brutal loss at the Dodgers' hands, the Toronto Blue Jays kicked off the winter by panicking and overpaying for Dylan Cease. They'd continue that line of thinking with a larger-than-expected deal for submarining setup man Tyler Rogers.

But since then, Toronto has found its groove. The club is fresh off signing Kazuma Okamoto to a reasonable four-year, $60 million contract. Now, the Blue Jays have started emulating the Dodgers' posture, telling free agents that they need the Jays more than the Jays need them.

The Blue Jays have begun to imitate the Dodgers' show of strength in the market as the clubs battle over Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette

This newfound confidence has to do with how far above the rest of the American League the Blue Jays currently stand. The junior circuit is weaker overall than the National League, and Toronto's aggressive moves this offseason have vaulted them even further ahead.

Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette are still very much on the Blue Jays' radar. The Dodgers have also sniffed around both, but, especially in the case of Tucker, prefer short-term, high-AAV deals as opposed to the massive long-term commitments both are seeking.

During Okamoto's introductory press conference, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins sent a clear message to Tucker, Bichette, and the rest of the free-agent pool.

“You’ve heard me say too many times to count that we’ll always be open to making our organization and team better if there’s a way to do that,” Atkins said. “In early December and even in November, we felt good about our team as we were set at that point, and that remains the case. We’ve made it better.”

He wasn't done, though. “The one thing that I would add is that additions at this point start to cut away playing time from players that we feel are very good major-league pieces, so we have to factor that in,” the Toronto decision-maker added.

So like the Dodgers, Toronto now feels secure in flexing its muscles and dictating terms. It's something like controlled aggression. It's the type of discipline you'd see from a martial arts master.

It will be fascinating to see how the negotiations for guys like Tucker and Bichette proceed. Will either Los Angeles or Toronto blink first and move away from their principles? Will the fact that, despite the similarities in messaging, the Dodgers have the rings to back up their bluster, while the Blue Jays do not, make a difference?

What is certain is that the Blue Jays have crashed the Dodgers' sandbox, and the two clubs are now the premier destination for free-agent talent. It will be up to the Dodgers now to evict the Blue Jays from their space, or deal with the fallout of welcoming another bully into the fold.