The Toronto Blue Jays had the best record in the American League last season, went on to win the AL Championship and came two outs short of taking the third World Series victory in franchise history. But they clearly were not satisfied.
This offseason, no team has spent as much on free agent signings as the Blue Jays.
“They’ve dropped $337 million in free agency — $142 million more than anyone else,” reported Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Wednesday, “and dramatically improved the starting rotation, upgraded the bullpen, and enhanced their positional depth.”
That total dollar figure does not even include the $16 million they committed to former AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, when he exercised his option to stay in Toronto — or for that matter the $500 million they will pay face of the franchise first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after signing him to a 14-year contract extension back in April.
And there are strong indications that CEO Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins are not done yet, as they are known to be pursuing their own free agent shortstop Bo Bichette, and former Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros four-time All-Star Kyle Tucker. But at least as of this week, those talks appear at a standstill.
But next week, the Blue Jays will likely be making several more moves, including, experts project, signing a highly rated catcher out of Venezuela.
International Signing Day on January 15
Each year, Major League teams may sign international free agent players at any time during an 11-month period that runs from January 15 until December 15. Players must register with MLB to declare their signing eligibility, and are required to be at least 16 years of age before signing.
For the top available international players, January 15 is the big day — the day they actually sign contracts with MLB organizations. But teams are allowed to reach informal agreements with players before they sign, often up to two years before. Those pre-agreements make it easy to predict which international free agents will sign with which teams.
According to both Baseball America and Beisbol FR, the Blue Jays next week will sign a 17-year-old, 6-foot-1, 220-pound left-handed hitting catcher, Juan Caricote.
Caricote to Receive $1.8 Million Bonus
When the Blue Jays signed free agent outfielder Anthony Santander last offseason, they lost $500,000 of their assigned bonus pool cash for signing international amateur players, because Santander had declined a qualifying offer before becoming a free agent.
That leaves Toronto with $5.94 million to spend on all of their international free agent signings — except those who sign for $10,000 or less, sums that do not count against the bonus pool.
According to journalist Francys Romero, author of the Beisbol FR newsletter, the Blue Jays are projected to pay Caricote a bonus of $1.8 million. Baseball America estimates that Caricote will receive the second-highest bonus of any catcher in the 2026 IFA class.
Caricote Called ‘Athletic and Agile’
While projecting the future of teenage prospects is an iffy proposition at best, the Blue Jays clearly have high hopes for Caricote, who Baseball America described as having “a good balance of skills in the batter’s box and behind the plate. He projects to stick at catcher, where he’s an advanced receiver comfortable handling high-end velocity. He’s athletic and agile, helping him block balls in the dirt.”
“With the signing of Juan Caricote (the Blue Jays) will secure one of the best bats in the class. His control of the strike zone is impressive for a hitter, with excellent pitch selection and strong chances to generate power,” added Romero in his Beisbol FR report. There were some doubts about his position some time ago, but his defense and physical development have progressed appropriately. For many scouts, it is unquestionable that he is the catcher with the highest projection in the class.”
Blue Jays to Sign $1.8 Million Catcher as Bichette, Tucker Talks Stall