Junior Fortunato $3.2 million signing bonus with the Toronto Blue Jays for January 2027. Outfielder, five-tool player, 60+ arm, and 60+ power. A talented player with the physical ability and tools to develop into a high-level prospect. 🔥 #Toronto #BlueJays
Blue Jays linked to top 2027 IFA prospect Junior Fortunato
Photo credit: © Jonathan Dyer - Imagn Images
Aug 19, 2026, 07:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 18, 2026, 21:27 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays have been linked to one of the top prospects in the 2027 international free agency.
According to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, the Blue Jays are expected to sign left-handed batting outfielder Junior Fortunato for a bonus of $3.2 million.
Fortunato, 16, is eligible to be signed during the 2027 international free period as he has a November birthday. Not much else is known about the outfielder, but Rodriguez did report he’s a five-tool player with a plus arm and power.
He’s one of a handful of prospects linked to the Blue Jays this period, with X user Nolan (@NWints30) linking the team to a handful of other prospects in the 2027 period as well.
Here is a thread of 2027 IFA prospects the Blue Jays are linked with… Starting with 🇩🇴 OF Junior Fortunato - he is projected to get one of the bigger bonuses we’ve handed out in recent years
The Jays were also linked to 2028 international free agent prospect Ángel Montás by Rodriguez. The third baseman is expected to be one of the better prospects in the class (I mean just look at those grades), with an estimated bonus of $5.5 million.
Although there’s far more uncertainty about whether or not they’ll get that deal done given the possible impending lockout. One sticking point during the 2021/22 Major League Baseball lockout regarded an international free agent draft. It didn’t get done, but an international draft was once again proposed by the owners in this recent negotiations.
Five years ago, the 2022 IFA signing period went on as normal despite MLB’s lockout, so the Fortunato signing has a good chance of going through, but who knows about Montás.
The Jays are in need of finding some top prospects in the international free agent market. None of their big signings since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2015 have really worked out. Orelvis Martínez, Manuel Beltre, Luis Meza, and Enmanuel Bonilla are some of those top signings, and they have three big league plate appearances combined.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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