There hasn't been a team more active than the Toronto Blue Jays this winter, as they've gone out and spent over $300 million on free agents to bolster the bullpen, rotation, and the lineup this offseason.
They aren't done adding just yet, either, as the Blue Jays plan to continue pursuing top free agents like Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman, and Bo Bichette. Amid a slow market, it may take some time for a deal to be completed.
Scott Boras, at the press conference for the Blue Jays' signing of Kazuma Okamoto, was asked about why free agency has been so slow. Boras, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, jokingly blamed Ross Atkins for the slow winter, and the Blue Jays GM had a great response to Boras.
Top MLB agent blames Blue Jays GM for slow market
"Scott Boras was asked why the position player market is moving so slow this winter," Bannon writes. "'That's Ross' fault,' he joked. The Blue Jays GM laughed."
The top of the free agent position player market has been very slow this winter, with the only big names to sign so far being Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, both of which happened surrounding the MLB Winter Meetings in December.
It's been a while since a top free agent signed, and Boras is jokingly blaming the Blue Jays and their GM for the slow market.
Toronto is the most interested team in top free agent Kyle Tucker, and with the rest of the market waiting to see where Tucker goes before making moves, the Blue Jays are, to some degree, holding the free agent market up.
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With the Blue Jays also interested in Bregman, Bichette, and Bellinger, there is a lot tied up in their offseason decision atop the position player market.
While no team has to wait for the Blue Jays to make their move, seeing what the top of the market does will help make the other players more affordable, as the possible landing spots will decrease, and teams will have more leverage in negotiations.
Toronto has a lot of leverage this offseason, and as Boras joked, their general manager holds a lot of power this winter atop the free agent market. His decision on who the Blue Jays will sign will have a big impact on the rest of the free agents this winter.
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