Why the Blue Jays can’t afford to wait on opening day of MLB free agency - Toronto Star
Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer landed nine-figure contracts in the last pre-lockout market.
Longtime Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki is a potential target for the Blue Jays in free agency, which starts at 5 p.m. Monday.
The Blue Jays and other teams can start signing players when free agency officially opens Monday at 5 p.m. ET, in what will be the closest thing to a frenzy that you’ll find in baseball.
Major League Baseball off-seasons are notoriously slow to develop, and it’s common for top players to wait until mid-December before signing. November is when the off-season begins and yet it tends to be the sport’s slowest month.
That won’t be the case this year because of a standoff between the players and owners that has led to a looming lockout on Dec. 2. Free agents have one month to sign in the current economic landscape before a roster freeze goes into effect.
In the fall of 2021, owners and players were faced with a similar situation during talks toward a new collective agreement. There was a December roster deadline that year, too, and both sides were eager to get deals done before the shutdown.
That pre-lockout free agency saw the Texas Rangers sign middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien for a combined $500 million (U.S.). Infielder Javier Báez got $140 million from the Detroit Tigers, while future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer went to the New York Mets for $130 million. The Jays’ top addition was pitcher Kevin Gausman at $110 million.
Expect a similar approach this time around. Super-agent Scott Boras will almost certainly get a new deal for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal before Dec. 2. Fellow top starters Michael King and Freddy Peralta should as well. In the bullpen, there will be multiple teams vying for left-hander Adrian Morejón.
The top position players should go off the board this month, too. Corner infielder/outfielder Teruaki Sato and outfielder Seiya Suzuki are the best hitters available and the Jays are expected to be interested in both. Outfielder Randy Arozarena, second baseman Brandon Lowe and first baseman Jake Bauers are among the others who will receive lucrative contracts.
It’s highly likely the vast majority, if not all, of those players will receive new deals in the next month. Those in the middle and lower tiers are more likely to be forced to wait. Post-lockout is when the Jays added pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on a three-year contract while rounding out the rest of their roster.
Deals should materialize quickly, yet still not as fast as in the NHL and NBA. Don’t expect much in the first couple of days, but action should pick up from Nov. 10 to 12 at the general managers meetings in Las Vegas, which the Star will be covering.
Once one big name goes off the board, others will soon follow. Teams and agents usually stay patient across a four-month off-season, but this is one year when the typical rules don’t apply.
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Gregor Chisholm is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star. Follow him on X: @GregorChisholm or reach him via email: gchisholm@thestar.ca.
