The 2026 International Free Agent signing period begins today

While the annual draft - which takes place in the summer - is still a big event and is where the bulk of MLB prospects come from, the IFA signing period has seen a heightened presence and increased relevance in recent years.

The International signing period is where teams can scoop up youngsters who aren't eligible for the draft, which is only open to players who have attended either high school or college in the United States.

While much of the focus is on the Caribbean and Latin America regions, other countries have seen representation as of late. In fact, a Hungarian pitcher, is expected to be the first from that country when he signs a professional contract next year.

Additionally, while the Japanese posting system is its own entity, it too has been incorporated into the IFA period.

Many teams already have pre-existing agreements in place, and many contracts are expected to be finalized during the first 48 hours of the new period.

While the Toronto Blue Jays don't appear to any contracts yet in place, that will likely change. Canada's team signed around 30 international players last cycle.

While some of them have already passed through the system, the Jays, like many teams, opt for quantity over quality.

The biggest international success story for the Blue Jays? That would be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year old.

Last IFA, the Blue Jays focused on pitchers and shortstops, a trend that is likely to continue in 2026-2027. It's going to be a busy January.

The Blue Jays will have just under $6MM to spend on international prospects. This puts them in the fourth tier, the second lowest among MLB teams.

Due to this, it is likely that they won't sign as many players as last cycle, but could still scoop up 15-20 players.

Also read on Blue Jays Central :
Myles Straw gets Blue Jays fans fired up with Kyle Tucker post, then deleted it