Super agent Scott Boras puts blame on Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins
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Victor William
Jan 7, 2026 (2:35 PM)
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Photo credit: Just Baseball
Scott Boras just put Ross Atkins and the Toronto Blue Jays at the center of MLB free agency.
On Tuesday, Boras was asked why position-player free agency feels frozen. He smiled and said, «That's Ross' fault,» aiming the joke straight at Toronto's general manager.
He wasn't crowning Atkins as offseason king, but the dynamic is real. One big spender sets the price, and suddenly everyone else knows whether to push chips in or fold.
Toronto earned «big spender» chatter by going 94-68 in 2025 and winning the AL East on a tiebreaker. They finished plus-77 in run differential, the kind of résumé that invites upgrades.
They already struck with Kazuma Okamoto, four years and $60 million, and he brings 248 NPB homers over 11 seasons. That's not a depth add, that's a lineup bet.
When asked what the hold up is on free agent position players, Scott Boras said "That's Ross' fault," implying that Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins holds the most power in free agency and once he decides on his plan, the other teams will get to make their moves
Scott Boras teases Ross Atkins over stalled market
As a Jays fan, I hear Boras' joke and think, fine, just start the music already. This market has top bats hanging around, and every quiet day feels like one more missed chance.
MLB.com still lists Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, and Cody Bellinger as unsigned for 2026. That's four lineup-center names, and it's hard to imagine them all waiting much longer.
Teams play chicken because years matter as much as dollars, especially around luxury-tax lines and draft-pick penalties. Agents counter by trying to create urgency, and Boras is the loudest at that.
Toronto can nudge the whole board simply by being decisive on one more hitter. If Atkins commits to a lane, rival clubs stop guessing and start bidding, and the «slog» turns into headlines.
The fit question is trickier than the talent question. Okamoto likely plays third, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stays at first, and any new bat has to slide in without weakening defense or flexibility.
Boras tossed the spotlight on Atkins, and it worked, because everyone's talking about Toronto again. The next milestone is simple, sign or trade for another impact hitter, and let the rest of free agency breathe.
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Previously on Toronto Baseball Insider
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 7|350 ANSWERS Super agent Scott Boras puts blame on Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins Does Scott Boras calling out Ross Atkins change anything for the Toronto Blue Jays market? | ||
| Yes it matters | 80 | 22.9 % |
| Just a joke | 154 | 44 % |
| Atkins will wait | 71 | 20.3 % |
| Market will move | 45 | 12.9 % |
| List of polls | ||