Ranking the Blue Jays’ biggest contracts handed out by GM Ross Atkins

Since Ross Atkins has taken over the Toronto Blue Jays general manager position over a decade ago, he has managed to give out some of the biggest contracts in franchise history. In doing so, Atkins had been able to secure some massive talent to play for the Blue Jays.

His latest signing just so happens to be the biggest, a $210 million contract that he used to land star free agent right-hander Dylan Cease just this past week. Time will tell whether that deal ends up being a good one or not for Toronto, but in the meantime, here are six other big money deals that Atkins has handed out, ranked on their overall value and impact.

Ranking the Blue Jays’ biggest contracts handed out by Ross Atkins

#6 Anthony Santander – five years, $92.5 million 

This was the Blue Jays’ biggest splash during the 2024-25 offseason. Unfortunately, Anthony Santander had a disappointing first year with his new club. Not only did he post career lows in batting average (.175) and slugging percentage (.294), injury woes ended up limiting the 31-year-old slugger to just six home runs and 18 RBIs worth of offensive production over 54 games played during the regular season.

It also didn’t help that when the team needed him most during the MLB Playoffs, Santander only appeared in five games before he was hit with the injury bug again that ultimately put him out for the rest of the postseason.

With the disastrous 2025 season behind him, things can only go up from here, hopefully. With a clean bill of health heading into next year, Santander should be able to rediscover his offensive prowess. Otherwise, this huge contract could turn out to be one of the biggest busts in franchise history.

#6 Hyun Jin Ryu – four years, $80 million

With the Blue Jays looking to get back into contention, Atkins helped the team secure an ace during the 2019-2020 offseason. He brought in starter Hyun Jin Ryu on a four-year deal and he delivered the goods in his first season with Toronto, pitching to a 5-2 record with a 2.69 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, allowing just six home runs while recording 72 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched over 12 starts during the COVID shortened 2020 season.

Ryu and the Blue Jays reached the postseason for the first time in over four years that year and Ryu even finished as a Cy Young finalist. However, Ryu’s subsequent seasons in Toronto wasn’t as rosy as he struggled with consistency, and underwent Tommy John surgery that put him out of action for more than a year between 2022 to 2023.

Nevertheless, he still finished with a respectable 24-15 record, 3.97 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 60 starts in his four years with the club.

#5 José Berríos – seven years, $131 million

The Blue Jays made a big splash at the 2021 trade deadline by acquiring Minnesota Twins’ ace José Berríos. Berríos made a strong first impression with the ballclub down the stretch that season, going 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, with 78 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched over 12 starts. Atkins then inked Berrios to a massive seven-year contract extension upon the conclusion of the 2021 season.

Since the signing, Berríos has fluctuated between excellence and disappointment in four seasons with the Blue Jays. More notably, he posted some of his worst numbers of his MLB career in 2022 with a 5.23 ERA, 1.42 WHIP while surrendering a league-high 199 hits and 100 earned runs on the year.

Berríos would bounce back in both 2023 and 2024 to become one of the Blue Jays most consistent starters in the rotation, before struggling once again this past year. In fact, he was even relegated to the bullpen prior to the end of 2025. Going forward, Toronto will need more of 2023 and 2024 Berríos for this contract to ultimately provide some good return value.

#3 Kevin Gausman – five years, $110 million

When the Blue Jays landed Kevin Gausman during the 2021-2022 offseason, he was expected to help fill the team ace role that the departed Cy Young winner Robbie Ray had left at the time. Gausman was certainly up to the challenge as he has been exactly everything the Blue Jays needed him to be.

For the past four seasons with the Blue Jays, the veteran right-hander has made at least 31 starts, along with posting double digits in wins, an ERA below 3.85, a WHIP below 1.25 and at least 162 strikeouts each year. More importantly, Toronto and their fans had the absolute confidence that Gausman could deliver a quality start each time the ball was handed to him, making him often their trusted big-game pitchers.

The Blue Jays have received massive value with his contract already even with his final year coming up.

#2 George Springer – six years, $150 million

With the Blue Jays looking for a veteran, offensive leader in the lineup to help lead their young core, Atkins made the bold move in handing out the biggest contract ever given out in franchise history at the time to land four-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner George Springer. In doing so, Springer immediately became a fan favourite.

Despite some slight regression in production during his 2023 and 2024 campaigns, Springer has continued to produce with a .263 average, .804 OPS, with 415 runs scored, 119 home runs and 338 RBIs in 650 career games with Toronto to date. Most significantly, he etched himself in Jays’ history lore when he deliver one of the biggest hits in franchise history with his go-ahead and eventual game-winning home runs in Game 7 of the ALCS.

#1 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 14 years, $500 million

Finally, we have the face of the Blue Jays’ franchise in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. As a five-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and one-time Gold Glove winner, Guerrero has been the heart and soul of the organization since their resurgence to relevance during this part of the decade.

Averaging close to 30 home runs and 100 RBIs each season over a full 162-game schedule while batting a strong .288 with an .861 OPS, no one should ever question the impact that he provides the team on a daily basis.

Atkins handed out the biggest Blue Jays contract ever to Guerrero to keep him a Blue Jay for life. Guerrero responded this year by having his best postseason performance of his career, not to mention, one of the best in MLB history. He batted .397 with a 1.289 OPS, with 18 runs scored, eight home runs and 15 RBIs in 18 playoff games while capturing ALCS MVP honours. If this is the Guerrero that the Blue Jays will be getting for the bulk of his contract, we are here for it.