Ranking the Blue Jays free-agent signings during the Ross Atkins era

The Blue Jays have been quiet on the free agency front so far this offseason, though with the team’s stated desire to add one to four position players this winter, at some point, things will pick up.

But, with nothing new to report for now, this feels like as good a time as any to look back at the Jays’ recent history of free-agent signings under current general manager Ross Atkins, who took over in December 2015.

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There have naturally been some contract misfires and during the rebuilding years; the priorities were much more about finding players to fill in the gaps as opposed to raising the competitive ceiling. As the club’s competitive ambitions increased, it was able to identify and bring valuable players to the organization. In the process, Toronto became a more desirable landing spot for free agents.

That said, let’s rank the club’s most significant free-agency signings of the Atkins era. (For brevity’s sake, the list is confined to major-league deals.)

29. Tanner Roark, two years, $24 million (2019)

Roark was signed to eat innings, but from nearly the start, he struggled to execute pitches and was unreliable. After a rough first season in 2020, he was released three appearances into the second year of his contract. He never pitched in the majors again, and this contract will go down as a misstep.

28. Jaime García, one year, $10 million (2018)

While rebuilding, the Blue Jays were looking for guys to throw innings rather than seeking high-end starters, but García struggled to stay healthy and when he was on the mound, he was rarely effective. He was moved to the bullpen before being DFA’d in August.

27. Tyler Chatwood, one year, $3 million (2021)

This was only a one-year deal and Chatwood briefly looked like he was going to make it worthwhile when he pitched to a 0.53 ERA through his first 16 appearances. But it went downhill — very quickly — and he was released that July.

26. Shun Yamaguchi, two years, $6.35 million (2019)

Yamaguchi had a successful career in Nippon Professional Baseball but largely struggled to find success in the majors, despite having a wicked splitter. The Blue Jays moved on before the start of the second year of his contract.

25. Kirby Yates, one year, $5.5 million (2021)

In practice, signing Yates was a high-risk, high-upside play. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays only experienced the risk end of the bargain as Yates missed the entire season following Tommy John surgery.

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24. Travis Shaw, one year, $4 million (2019)

There was hope a change of scenery could help Shaw rediscover the 32-home-run hitter he was in Milwaukee in 2018. But the third baseman hit just six home runs in the 60-game pandemic season with a 95 OPS+, leading to his non-tender in the offseason.

23. Matt Shoemaker, one year, $3.5 million (2018)

The rebuilding Blue Jays were a good landing spot for Shoemaker, whose early career had been plagued by injuries. But unfortunately, that trend continued when the right-hander tore his ACL in April after pitching to a 1.57 ERA in five starts. Early promise on this deal was ultimately undone by injuries.

22. Kendrys Morales, three years, $33 million (2016)

Signed early in the offseason — and ostensibly ending the Blue Jays’ pursuit of the popular Edwin Encarnación — Morales was signed to be a slugger but he averaged a 102 wRC+ over his first two years in Toronto, not enough production for a bat-only player. The Blue Jays essentially ate the remainder of his deal when he was traded to Oakland on the eve of the 2019 season.

21. José Bautista, one year, $18 million (2017)

For Atkins, keeping the beloved Bautista in Toronto for at least another season following the club’s first two postseason appearances in more than two decades was a no-brainer. But Bautista’s best days in Toronto were already behind him and he put up a disappointing .674 OPS in 2017. His 2018 option wasn’t picked up, ending his Toronto tenure, but for sentimental reasons alone, no one can be mad at this deal.

20. Rafael Dolis, one year, $1 million (2020)

The Dolis era was as wild as his oft-wayward command. The right-handed reliever had a 1.50 ERA in 24 innings in 2020. The club picked up his $1.5 million option for 2021, but he didn’t match his success the following season and he was DFA’d by August.

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19. Clay Buchholz, one year, $3 million (2019)

The 2019 Blue Jays memorably used 21 different starting pitchers to get through the season. Buchholz was one of them, but injury limited him to just 12 starts with a 6.56 ERA. Still, he provided a veteran presence for young players, a valuable contribution.

18. Curtis Granderson, one year, $5 million (2018)

In a 2018 season going nowhere, the three-time All-Star Granderson gave the Blue Jays above-average production at the plate at 37 years old before he was flipped at the now-defunct waiver trade deadline to the Brewers for a chance to play in the postseason. A completely fine one-year deal for a respected veteran.

17. David Phelps, one year, $2.5 million (2019)

Recovery from Tommy John surgery limited Phelps to 17 appearances in 2019 before he was traded to the Cubs at the trade deadline. But bringing Phelps to the Blue Jays left an impression and he returned in 2021 and 2022 to be a key piece of more competitive teams.

16. Steve Pearce, two years, $12.5 million (2016)

In the second year of his deal, Pearce had a .868 OPS through his first 26 games so the Blue Jays executed a rare June trade to the Red Sox for Santiago Espinal, while Pearce went on to be World Series MVP.

15. Freddy Galvis, one year, $4 million (2019)

Galvis was largely signed to bridge the time before the start of Bo Bichette’s big-league career and he did that. Galvis had a strong April (.844 OPS) and while he regressed, he still helped ease Bichette’s transition to the majors before he was DFA’d and claimed by the Reds.

14. Chad Green, two years, $8.5 million (2023)

The Blue Jays got creative when they signed Green, who was coming off Tommy John surgery, to a uniquely structured contract with a series of club and player options after his initial season. Ultimately, the club opted for a two-year club option worth $21 million. It feels far too premature to rate this contract since Green only made 12 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2023, but he looked good and there is reason to believe he can be a reliable middle-inning reliever for the next two seasons.

13. Yusei Kikuchi, three years, $36 million (2022)

Kikuchi followed his career-worst season (2022) with his career-best (2023). That means the third year will tip the scales on how we evaluate this deal. But Kikuchi at least proved this past season that his upside was worth investing in.

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12. Seunghwan Oh, one year, $2 million (2018)

Atkins and Co. had a run of sneaky good relief signings, including Oh, who was a bright spot in the bullpen in 2018 and he pitched well enough — a 2.68 ERA — that he was moved to the Rockies at the trade deadline, netting Toronto three players.

11. Daniel Hudson, one year, $1.5 million (2019)

Signed at the end of spring training, Hudson quietly put together a solid season and was rewarded with a trade to the Nationals, where he went on to win a World Series. Pretty good deal for all parties.

10. Yimi García, two years, $11 million (2021)

García made 134 appearances and pitched to a 3.61 ERA in the last two seasons. As one of Toronto’s go-to middle relievers, he’s more often good than bad. He earned the guaranteed third year of his deal when he hit the vesting threshold this past season, bringing the contract’s value up to $16 million over three years — still good value for what he’s provided.

9. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., seven years, $22 million (2016, amateur free agent)

Signed after defecting from Cuba with his brother Yuli, Gurriel Jr. was developed in Toronto’s system and made the successful move from infield to outfield in the majors while being an above-average — if streaky — hitter. Moved to the Diamondbacks last offseason, Gurriel is now a free agent and could be a fit in Toronto again.

8. Chris Bassitt, three years, $63 million (2022)

Two years remain on Bassitt’s contract so he can move up this list. The first year, however, was exactly what the Blue Jays hoped for and as of now, the deal looks savvy. After a rocky first outing, Bassitt went on to be a reliable mid-rotation starter, pitching a career-high 200 innings with a 3.60 ERA.

7. George Springer, six years, $150 million (2021)

Over the first half of his contract, Springer has been worth 9.0 fWAR and FanGraphs values his contributions at about $71 million — so just under half the amount of his contract. Ideally, the Blue Jays would have extracted the most value in first half of the deal, but injuries disrupted Springer’s first two seasons. Still, landing Springer — a top free agent — that offseason was a boost in the Blue Jays’ effort to be a legitimate contender. There are still three seasons left before we can fully evaluate the deal.

6. Brandon Belt, one year, $9.3 million (2023)

5. Kevin Kiermaier, one year, $9 million (2022)

Both Kiermaier and Belt signed one-year deals and both worked out as well — or even better — than expected. Both signings were risky — well, as risky as a one-year deal can be — because they were coming off injury-disrupted seasons in 2022, but both rebounded in 2023 to put up impressive numbers. Kiermaier played 129 games and returned to being the class of centre fielders, winning his fourth Gold Glove while being an above-average No. 9 hitter. Belt led the Blue Jays in on-base percentage (.369) and consistently delivered competitive at-bats.

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4. Hyun Jin Ryu, four years, $80 million (2019)

The pandemic and injury limited Ryu to 60 starts over his four seasons, and he pitched to a 3.97 ERA. It’s fair to have wanted more out of the Ryu deal, but the signing will still go down as a significant one, which is why it’s so high on the list. Landing Ryu — a Scott Boras client — ushered in a new era for the Blue Jays, who were willing to spend big on top free agents.

3. Kevin Gausman, five years, $110 million (2021)

According to FanGraphs, Gausman has been worth about $87 million over his first two years in Toronto — meaning, he’s been worth nearly his entire contract’s value already. One of the AL’s leading starters, the Blue Jays targeted Gausman in free agency before but finally landed him in 2021 and it’s already proving to be one of the best signings of the Atkins era.

2. Marcus Semien, one year, $18 million (2021)

Semien signed a pillow deal, and it couldn’t have gone much better for both sides. Semien established himself at second base with 45 home runs — the most ever for a second baseman — and finished as an MVP finalist. Known for his dedication and work ethic, Semien also left a lasting impression on his teammates, which is still felt today.

1. Robbie Ray, one year, $8 million (2020)

The Blue Jays saw early promise in Ray when they acquired him from Arizona in 2020, leading to his quick re-signing and an offseason spent tinkering with the club. The result? A Cy Young Award season for Ray, leading to an even bigger free-agent payday. It’s hard to find a better one-year deal for all parties involved. In the case of both Semien’s and Ray’s deals, the only downside was that the Blue Jays missed the postseason in 2021.

(Top photo of Kevin Gausman: John E. Sokolowski / USA Today)

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