The top January free agent signings by Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins

"The month of January usually feels like a dead zone for baseball transactions, but with a good number of free agents still on the board, it could be an unusually active first month of the calendar for teams in the coming weeks. The Blue Jays wasted little time in kicking off the new year with a surprise signing of Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract. While the Blue Jays have tapped into the overseas market before, Okamoto's signing represents the first significant signing of a Japanese position player by the Blue Jays organization."

"5.) Freddy Galvis (2019) and Curtis Granderson (2018): 1 year, $5M Seven and eight years ago in Blue Jays land seems like a lifetime ago because many of the current fixtures on the roster weren't even in the organization, but 2018 and 2019 were a semi-dark time in franchise history as Toronto experienced its most recent rebuilding phase. Rebuilding teams often wait until the eleventh hour to grab the leftovers at the proverbial free agent table, which often means veterans signing one-year deals."

"In 2018, veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Blue Jays, and in 2019, veteran infielder Freddy Galvis signed a one-year, $5 million contract with a club option. Since the Blue Jays were in the midst of a rebuild, it was no shock when both players were traded at the 2018 and 2019 trade deadlines. Nothing of consequence came back in return, but both Granderson and Galvis enjoyed some success during their brief time with the Blu"

January usually feels like a dead zone for baseball transactions, but a significant number of free agents still available could make the month unusually active. The Toronto Blue Jays signed Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract, marking the first significant signing of a Japanese position player by the organization. Early-calendar signings can occur when asking prices decline or the market cools, enabling teams to add impact players. Under General Manager Ross Atkins, notable January additions have included veteran one-year deals such as Curtis Granderson (2018) and Freddy Galvis (2019), both later traded during their seasons.

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