9 Best Blue Jays Free Agent Signings in Team History

The best free agent signings in Toronto Blue Jays history had a significant impact on the baseball betting markets.

They weren’t all MVP or Cy Young candidates, and some never reached the postseason with the Jays, but they all proved to be exceptional value for money. 

Best Free Agent Signings By the Toronto Blue Jays

9. Brandon Belt (One year, $9.3 million)

Any team would be happy with a 135 OPS+ from a player on a one-year, $9.3 million deal. Toronto also got 103 games out of Brandon Belt in 2023, which was the most he’d played since 2019.

The lefty first baseman had 19 home runs in those 103 games and was the Jays’ best hitter by a significant margin. 

8. Justin Smoak (One year, $1 million)

Initially selected off waivers in October 2014, Justin Smoak was released and re-signed in a two-day period in December 2014. 

The switch-hitter didn’t offer a huge amount of value across 2015 and 2016, but he was an All-Star in 2017 and had a 119 OPS+ with 18 home runs between 2017 and 2019. 

7. Russell Martin (Five Years, $82 million)

Signed after an 83-win season, Russell Martin’s arrival coincided with the shortening of Blue Jays World Series odds. Martin was one of the best catchers in baseball at the time and maintained that level of performance in 2015.

An elite defender with decent power, Martin declined towards the end of this contract, but provided plenty of value overall. 

6. Kevin Gausman (Five years, $110 million)

Coming off his first All-Star selection, Kevin Gausman was a sought-after free agent when he signed a five-year deal with the Jays after the 2021 season.

Gausman justified the signing by leading the AL in FIP in 2022 and finishing third in Cy Young voting in 2023. There were signs of decline in 2024 and 2025, but he was still effective and durable.

5. Tony Fernández (Two years, $4.5 million)

Tony Fernández’s third stint with the Blue Jays (out of four) was his most successful individually. Fernández was worth 6.1 bWAR across his age-36 and age-37 seasons, even earning a fifth career All-Star selection in the second of those campaigns. 

Despite playing for six other franchises, Fernández is the Blue Jays leader in hits and ranks second in position player bWAR. 

4. Marcus Semien (One year, $18 million)

The only criticism of this deal is that the Jays didn’t get Marcus Semien to sign a longer term. Ahead of the 2021 campaign, Toronto landed Semien on a one-year deal to play second base.

The veteran went on to have the best year of his career. Along with setting the single-season record for home runs by a second baseman, Semien finished third in AL MVP voting. 

3. Paul Molitor (Three years, $13 million)

After winning the title in 1992, the Blue Jays signed Paul Molitor to a three-year deal after blowing the competition out of the water in free agency. Molitor finished runner-up in the AL MVP race and claimed World Series MVP honours as Toronto made it back-to-back titles.

He again received MVP votes in 1994 after posting a .341 batting average. Across his Jays career, he averaged 17 home runs and 18 stolen bases per season. 

2. Doyle Alexander (Two years, $80,000)

Released by the New York Yankees, Doyle Alexander signed with the Blue Jays in 1983. New York was responsible for the majority of his salary, while Toronto paid only the league minimum.

Alexander had a 127 ERA+ across the 1984 and 1985 regular seasons, even earning a sixth-place Cy Young finish.

1. Roger Clemens (Four years, $40 million)

The Blue Jays gave Roger Clemens the largest pitcher contract in the 1996-97 offseason. Clemens did not disappoint, as he won consecutive Triple Crowns and a pair of Cy Young Awards.

Toronto was still largely uncompetitive on the field, so Clemens was traded to the Yankees before the 1999 season.