Boras echoes expectation that Blue Jays will be aggressive in free agency

Scott Boras has joined the chorus of people who expect the Toronto Blue Jays to keep their foot on the gas pedal this offseason when attempting to bolster their roster through free agency.

"The Jays are what I've always hoped that the Blue Jays should and could be," Boras said Thursday on "Writers Bloc" with Sportsnet's Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt. "And that is that they're going to be one of the organizations that sits atop the aggressive markets in baseball. They're in a definite phase where I think they have the lamp and now they're looking for the lightbulb."

Boras has not always had kind words for the organization. After the 2018 season, he was critical of the club for not adding big-ticket names and instead opting to enter a rebuild.

He changed his tune in 2019 when Toronto signed one of his clients, ace left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. He says that signing sent a clear message that the Blue Jays are serious about building a contender.

"In signing Ryu, they brought in a leader. They brought in someone who can manage a top tier of the rotation position," Boras said. "It's clear they needed more but it's certainly someone who demonstrated that he can guide the club and be highly competitive with the other ones and twos."

In addition to Ryu, Boras also represents Austin Martin, the Blue Jays' top selection from this summer's draft.

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro stated earlier in the offseason that the club is in a position to aggressively pursue free agents or high-profile trades this winter. The Jays have already been tied to outfielder George Springer and Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, among others.