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      Matthew Lenz

      With a bevy of relief pitchers on the 40-man roster, the Toronto Blue Jays have effectively non-tendered one who was in his arbitration years.

      According to the Blue Jays' official transaction log, pitcher Nick Sandlin has been outrighted by the team. MLB Trade Rumors projected the righty to earn $2 million via arbitration. The Jays now have 37 players on their 40-man roster.

      Sandlin, acquired via trade about a year ago, made 19 appearances, throwing 16 1/3 innings in 2025. Injuries limited his availability and likely his productivity.

      So, do you think he'll choose free agency or accept his assignment to the minor leagues? Let us know what you think in the comments!

      Featured image courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      Major League Baseball introduced a brand-new award last night and bestowed the inaugural prize on Toronto Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Vladdy is MLB's very first Entertainer of the Year.

      It's a well-deserved honour for one of the most delightful personalities in the sport, both on the field and off. Guerrero was not present at the awards show on Thursday, so his godfather, Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez, accepted on his behalf.

      In other Blue Jays awards news, Guerrero was also named to the All-MLB First Team, winning over Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz. In even more of a surprise, Bo Bichette earned Second Team honours, beating out shortstops like Geraldo Perdomo, Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor, and Jeremy Peña.

      Featured image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images.

      Jesse Burrill

      The Blue Jays coaching staff has already seen some changes this offseason.

      Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that Blue Jays assistant hitting coach Hunter Mense is leaving the team and will be joining the San Francisco Giants as their hitting coach.

      Mense had been with the Blue Jays since the 2022 season. Working with hitting coach David Popkins and fellow assistant coach Lou Iannotti, Mense coached the Blue Jays to a .330 wOBA in 2025, the third highest in baseball.

      In San Francisco, Mense will reunite with the Giants' new manager Tony Vitello, whom Mense previously played for at the University of Missouri.

      For the Blue Jays, this marks the second departure from the big league staff, as bench coach Don Mattingly stepped away from the team earlier this month. 

      Featured image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      Speaking to DiamondCentric's John Bonnes at the GM Meetings on Wednesday, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the Jays "definitely, definitely have interest" in extending Daulton Varsho, who is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility.

      "The interest is definitely there," said Atkins. "I can't say enough about Daulton, the player, the person, the teammate. He checks all the boxes we're looking for."

      The GM did not want to speak about any potential negotiations, but from his tone, it certainly seems like an extension for Varsho will be one of the team's priorities this winter.

      Varsho, widely considered one of the best defensive outfielders in the league, is coming off an injury-shortened but highly promising 2025 campaign. Tapping into his power like never before, he hit 20 home runs in 71 contests, with a career-best .833 OPS, .341 xwOBA, and 123 wRC+. He finished with 2.2 fWAR and 2.8 bWAR in less than half a season of games. 

      Featured image courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      The AL Silver Slugger Award winners were announced on Friday, with George Springer taking home the prize at DH. This is his third career Silver Slugger, after previously winning in 2017 and '19 with the Astros. 

       

      Springer led the AL's primary designated hitters in home runs (32), runs scored (106), stolen bases (18), and FanGraphs WAR (5.2). His victory over fellow finalists Yandy Díaz and Brent Rooker comes as little surprise.

       

      Springer was also a finalist for a Silver Slugger as an outfielder but lost to Aaron Judge, Riley Greene, and Byron Buxton. Toronto's other two finalists, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, came up short as well, with Nick Kurtz claiming the honors at first base and Bobby Witt Jr. winning at shortstop. 

      Meanwhile, the Blue Jays lost the Silver Slugger Team of the Year Award to the Yankees, who won for the second year in a row.

      Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      To no one's surprise, the Blue Jays have extended the $22.025 million qualifying offer to All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette.

      Bichette technically has until November 18 to decide whether or not to accept the offer, but it's all but a guarantee that he will reject it and seek a long-term contract in free agency.

      Once he rejects the offer, any team that signs Bichette – except for the Blue Jays – will have to forfeit a draft pick (and possibly also international bonus pool space). That could give Toronto a leg up on the competition for his services. 

      Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      Don Mattingly is leaving the Blue Jays. As first reported by the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Mattingly, who served as Toronto's bench coach for the past three seasons, is stepping down from his role. However, he is not yet retiring and would consider taking on a role with a new team. 

      To that point, Phillies insider Jim Salisbury reports that Philadelphia has had internal discussions about bringing Mattingly on as a bench coach. It's not yet clear if Mattingly would be willing to take on the same role with a new organization.

      Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      In pleasantly surprising news, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reports that Shane Bieber has exercised his player option with the Blue Jays for the 2026 campaign. The right-hander will collect a $16 million salary instead of a $4 million buyout. 

      Because of that buyout, Bieber would have only had to earn $12 million on the open market to match his guarantee from the Blue Jays. Thus, many thought it was a foregone conclusion that he would opt out and return to free agency. Instead, the 2020 AL Cy Young winner will return for at least one more year (and one more shot at a title) with Toronto.

      Featured image courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the finalists for its big four end-of-season awards today: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year. While no Blue Jays players will be taking home any of the BBWAA hardware, skipper John Schneider is in the running for the AL's highest managerial honour. 

      His fellow finalists are Stephen Vogt of the Guardians and Dan Wilson of the Mariners.

      As a reminder, the finalists for the BBWAA awards are not nominees. The winners are decided upon immediately following the regular season, and the three finalists in each category are simply the three highest vote-getters. 

      The 2025 Managers of the Year will be announced on November 11 on MLB Network.

      Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.

      Brock Beauchamp

      We're looking for contributors to write Blue Jays content over the offseason!

      First, feel free to reach out via email at brock.beauchamp@jayscentre.com or reply to this article.

      Writing Articles
      If you’ve ever wanted an audience for your Jays takes, this is the perfect place. While we generally lean into analytics and analysis, we also take a “come as you are” approach to baseball and give writers a lot of leeway to write about the game in a way that interests them. That could manifest in historical pieces, previews, or regular series. It’s a matter of finding your niche in the fandom and carving out a space for it. 

      Making Videos
      We're also looking for videographers! Most of our content is on the shorter side (3-7 minutes), though we have space for plenty of different formats and ideas. Like the writing side of the site, we usually lean into analytics, but it's not the only path we're open to exploring.

      It is also noteworthy that we pay our content creators. It’s certainly not enough to quit your day job. So don’t do that. However, it might be enough to show that we value your time, talent, and effort.

      If you know someone who might be interested in creating Blue Jays content as a side job, please share this with them!

      Matthew Lenz

      Less than 24 hours after a devastating Game 7 World Series loss, the Toronto Blue Jays have been informed that two players will be testing free agency rather than sticking with the organization.

      Pitcher Ryan Borucki (outrighted on September 18th) and infielder Michael Stefanic (outrighted June 7th) elected free agency today.

      Burocki appeared in 39 games in 2025, pitching 35.0 innings between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Blue Jays. Signed to a minor league pact after being released by the Pirates, only four of those innings came with Toronto, where he allowed zero earned runs and posted a 5:4 K:BB ratio.

      Stefanic played nine games for the Blue Jays, mostly at second base, in 2025. Over 25 plate appearances, he recorded four hits (all singles) with one run scored. He appeared at second base in nine games and briefly at shortstop.

      Both players are likely looking for minor league contracts to get another shot at a big league roster in 2026. Do you think the Blue Jays should re-sign either player as depth? Let us know in the comments!

       

      Matthew Lenz

      After a heartbreaking defeat in Game 7 of the World Series, reporters were quick to look ahead to next season in their postgame interviews.

      In front of a pool of reporters, an emotional Chris Bassitt expressed his hope to return to the Toronto Blue Jays next season. In part, the 37-year-old said, "You can try to replicate this. A lot of people will try, but it’s not really possible."

      With Max Scherzer also set to become a free agent and only three others locked into the rotation, there is plenty of room if Bassitt and the Blue Jays can agree to a deal. The righty would be a solid mid to back-end rotation piece behind Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Jose Berrios.

      Last season, he started 31 games, sporting a 4.01 FIP and 15.5% K-BB rate across 170 1/3 innings - his fourth consecutive season reaching that plateau. Additionally, he was extremely effective out of the bullpen in October (and November), throwing 8 1/3 innings of relief, giving up one earned run, and striking out 10.

      Do you think the Blue Jays should pursue Bassitt or shoot higher on the trade or free agent market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

      Matthew Lenz

      After a heartbreaking defeat in Game 7 of the World Series, reporters were quick to look ahead to next season in their postgame interviews.

      After starting Game 7, Jesse Rogers of ESPN asked Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer about his future in Major League Baseball. The surefire Hall of Famer didn't fully commit to playing in 2026 but instead said "...it’s going to take some time to give a full answer to that, but there is no way that was my last pitch.”

      The 41-year-old Scherzer started Games 3 and 7 in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up four earned runs over 8 2/3 innings. In his only other postseason start in game four of the American League Championship Series, the three-time Cy Young Award winner earned the victory, allowing two earned runs and striking out five in 5 2/3 innings. Overall, 2025 was a tough season that was impacted by a thumb injury. The righty made 17 starts, sporting a 4.99 FIP and 16.5% K-BB rate. Scherzer is a free agent in a relatively weak 2025-2026 starting pitching free agency class.

      Do you think the Blue Jays should re-sign the two-time World Series champion?

      Leo Morgenstern

      The Blue Jays put up one heck of a fight, but in the end, it wasn't enough.

      With Toronto up 4-3 in the top of the ninth, Jeff Hoffman allowed a game-tying home run to Dodgers nine-hole hitter Miguel Rojas. It was hard to watch. Two innings later, Shane Bieber gave up a home run to Will Smith. It was even harder to watch. 

      Then, in the bottom of the 11th, in front of 40,000 anxious fans at the Rogers Centre, Alejandro Kirk grounded into a double play. Toronto's magical run was over. The Dodgers had won their second straight World Series title, and all the Blue Jays could do was stare in disbelief. 

      This was still a special season for the Blue Jays. A heartbreaking World Series loss doesn't change that. But fans can celebrate all that this team accomplished in due time. For now, no one will blame you for wallowing in defeat. 

      Featured image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      The Blue Jays have announced their lineup for Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers. Fans will be pleased to see George Springer and Alejandro Kirk included. Springer looked to be playing through pain in Game 6, while Kirk exited in the bottom of the ninth after being hit by a pitch on the hand.

      It's a slightly different batting order than the Jays have used in any other game this season, with Addison Barger moving up to the five-hole and Daulton Varsho dropping down to seventh:

      Barger's move up the order is well deserved. He has been red-hot in the World Series, with 10 hits in 21 at-bats, including two doubles and a home run. The lefty slugger leads Toronto's offense in hits, wRC+, and Win Probability Added over the last week.

      Manager John Schneider is surely looking for any and all advantages he can give his team against Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani. Max Scherzer will toe the bump for the Blue Jays in what's sure to go down as one of the most iconic starting pitching matchups in World Series history.

      Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      The Blue Jays have announced their starting lineup for tonight's World Series Game 6, and George Springer is back in the leadoff spot:

      Springer exited early in Game 3 after injuring his right side on a swing. He has not played since. While the Blue Jays won Games 4 and 5 without him, they're surely elated to have his bat back at the top of the order. Springer was the team's best hitter during the regular season, and his three-run home run in Game 7 of the ALCS is the reason they're playing in the World Series right now. The Blue Jays have a chance to win it all tonight, and it wouldn't feel right if Springer wasn't a part of the winning effort. 

      Featured image courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      The Toronto Blue Jays have officially released their 26-man roster for the World Series.

      All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette, out since mid-September with a knee sprain, is finally back. Ty France, who hit the IL with left oblique inflammation later in September, has also been added to the roster after missing the ALDS and ALCS.

      Bichette and France are replacing outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-hander Yariel Rodríguez. It's little surprise to see Loperfido cut; he was only added to the ALCS roster mid-series to replace Anthony Santander. The decision to effectively swap out Rodríguez with France is a little more interesting, since it means the Blue Jays will only have 12 pitchers at their disposal for the series. Of course, Rodríguez struggled badly in limited work in the ALCS, so it seems the Jays decided they'd rather have another right-handed bat than an extra, less-than-trustworthy arm.

      Featured image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      The story of Trey Yesavage's first MLB season just keeps getting better. Drafted in 2024. Pro debut in 2025. Four promotions. An AL East title. A dominant postseason debut. An AL pennant. 

      What's next? World Series Game 1 starter.

      When the 2025 World Series kicks off at the Rogers Centre tomorrow night, Yesavage will throw the first pitch of the game, presumably to Shohei Ohtani. He'll go toe-to-toe with two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell. He's already pitched the "biggest game of his career" several times this year, but that description applies once again. 

      Kevin Gausman, who started Game 1 of the ALDS and ALCS, is taking a breather after pitching in relief in Game 7 on Monday. Game 2 is scheduled for October 25, five days after ALCS Game 7, so, in theory, both Gausman and Shane Bieber should be available, though John Schneider has not yet revealed who will take the ball against Dodgers All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

      Featured image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      Three Blue Jays hitters were named finalists for Silver Slugger Awards today, and let's be honest, you probably don't need this article to tell you who they are. But I'm going to tell you anyway:

      All three of Toronto's finalists had strong years at the plate, but only Springer is a good bet to take home the prize (indeed, he's likely to take home two). Kurtz is the heavy favourite at first base after his remarkable rookie season. The competition is closer at shortstop, but Witt has the edge in most counting stat categories.

      Springer, however, should easily win the Silver Slugger after leading AL DHs in home runs (32), batting average (.309), wRC+ (166), and xwOBA (.417), as well as stolen bases (18). He also has a strong case in the outfield; among primary AL outfielders, only Judge finished with a higher OPS or wRC+. Do I think it's a silly system in which Springer could win at both positions? Yes, without a doubt. But I'm not going to complain about Blue Jays winning major awards. 

      The Blue Jays, collectively, were also named finalists for the team Silver Slugger Award, alongside the Mariners and Yankees.

      AL Silver Sluggers winners will be revealed on November 7 at 6:00 pm. 

      Featured image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images.

      Brock Beauchamp

      It's hard to predict how this offseason will unfold, as there is an increasing chance of (yet another) MLB lockout following the 2026 season. Will teams spend big this offseason, hoping to create surety in the face of an unknown collective bargaining agreement? Or will they be hesitant in hopes of a favorable outcome for ownership groups?

      No matter how it shakes out, teams will need to compete in the 2026 season, and they'll need to sign free agents this winter. DiamondCentric has compiled a complete list of free agents, sortable and searchable by pretty much any metric you need. Looking for a first baseman? A catcher? We have you covered. We offer two pages for your reference: one for position players, the other for pitchers.

      Free Agent Hitters In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason

      hitters.jpg

      dc-initials.png Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Hitters

      DiamondCentric.net
      Here is a complete list of free agent hitters in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason.

      Free Agent Pitchers In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason

      pitchers.jpg

      dc-initials.png Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Pitchers

      DiamondCentric.net
      Here is a complete list of free agent pitchers in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason.
      Leo Morgenstern

      Rawlings revealed the finalists for the 2025 Gold Glove Awards this morning, naming three defenders at each position in each league. Five Toronto Blue Jays players were announced as finalists in five different categories. Yet, somehow, someway, the Jays have a total of six finalists, tied with the Chicago Cubs for the most of any team. Let me explain.

      Alejandro Kirk is a finalist at catcher, and Andrés Giménez is a finalist at second base. Simple enough. But then things get more complicated. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ty France are both finalists at first base. Meanwhile, Ernie Clement is a finalist as a third baseman and as a utility player.

      The Blue Jays are the only team with two finalists at one position and the only team to have a player who is a finalist at multiple positions.

      To make things even more confusing, Giménez shouldn't even be eligible, according to the criteria laid out on the Rawlings website. He didn't play enough innings before the cutoff date. Does this mean he is, in fact, eligible after all? Maybe. But this wouldn't be the first time a player was named a finalist for an award he couldn't win. For example, Bryce Harper was named a Silver Slugger finalist in 2022, despite not having played the minimum number of games to qualify.

      So, the Blue Jays have two finalists at first base, a possibly ineligible finalist at second base, and a finalist at third base who is also their finalist for the utility Gold Glove. What is this, an Abbott and Costello routine?

      Featured image courtesy of Mark Smith, Imagn Images.

      Leo Morgenstern

      Nathan Lukes initially stayed in Sunday night's ALCS Game 1 after fouling a ball off his right knee, but the Blue Jays later removed him from the contest and sent him for testing. After the game, manager John Schneider told reporters that Lukes went for X-rays and a CT scan, which both came back negative for a fracture.

      While this is certainly good news for the club, Lukes is still dealing with pain, so it's not yet clear if he'll be able to play in Monday's Game 2. However, Schneider suggested the outfielder will be in the lineup as long as he is medically cleared.

      The lefty-batting Lukes is 4-for-13 with two doubles and five RBI through five games this October.

      Featured image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images.

      Mike LeSage

      The Toronto Blue Jays have released their roster for the ALCS (first pitch at 8:03 PM EST tonight!), and there were a couple of changes from the team we saw in the last round. 

      First, we say goodbye to Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl. Nance pitched an inning and a third in the ALDS and had a team-high 13.50 ERA (4-game small sample alert) of pitchers with at least one inning pitched. Bruihl misses the one-inning cut-off by two-thirds as he retired only one of the four batters he faced, gave up a dinger, and was saddled with an ERA of 54.00 (even smaller sample size alert!). Taking their places are Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt. Bassitt ended the regular season on the IL with lower back inflammation, but was eligible to be selected for the ALDS roster. Scherzer struggled down the stretch, posting a 10.20 ERA in September (only Tyler Heineman's 67.50 was worse) to go along with a 5.34 FIP.

      The Jays haven't fully committed to a rotation plan this series, other than announcing Kevin Gausman as the Game 1 starter, but it is safe to assume, based on how the last round went, that Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber get games 2 and 3. Does that give us a Scherzer Game 4 start with the shortest leash in the world and Bassitt out of the 'pen in relief? That's where my first thought would be.

      With all that shuffling of the pitchers, there was unfortunately no change on the hitters' side. Bo Bichette, despite running the bases yesterday, was not yet in a position to occupy a roster spot. As noted by Ben Nicholson-Smith, Bichette was still showing signs of discomfort in that knee that was injured September 6 in a collision with Yankee Austin Wells. The Jays will have to make the World Series now to guarantee Bichette another shot at playing in a Toronto uniform before hitting free agency this coming off-season.

      Leo Morgenstern

      A second opinion has confirmed that right-hander José Berríos does not have structural damage in his elbow (per Sportnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith). However, he has begun throwing again and will not be available to join Toronto in the upcoming ALDS. If the Blue Jays advance in the postseason, it remains a possibility that he could rejoin the team for a later round, presumably in a bullpen role.

      Thankfully,  Nicholson-Smith notes that right-hander Chris Bassitt is still on track to return for the ALDS. The veteran hit the IL with low back inflammation in mid-September. The Blue Jays have not yet confirmed whether or not Bassitt would get a start in the series, but he is a strong contender to take the ball for Game 3 or a potential Game 4.

      Finally, Bo Bichette continues to make progress, but general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (including MLB.com's Keegan Matheson) that the Jays "don’t have a date" for his return. Atkins added that "every day has gotten better for him," but he is still "day to day."

      In additional Blue Jays news, Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling reports the potential start times for Toronto's first two games in the ALDS. If the Jays are playing the Yankees, Game 1 on October 4 will begin at 4:08 pm, while if they are playing the Red Sox, the contest will start three hours earlier at 1:08 pm. Game 2 on October 5 will start at 4:08 pm regardless of Toronto's opponent.

      Featured image courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images.

      Mike LeSage

      The Atlanta Braves announced earlier today that they have claimed Alek Manoah. They moved second baseman Ozzie Albies from the 10-day IL to the 60-day to clear a spot on their 40-man roster. If they can help him regain the form that saw him compete for the Cy Young Award in 2022, this will be a nice feather in the cap of former Jays and current Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos. Of course, Manoah was taken in the first round of the 2019 draft, four years after Anthopoulos parted ways with Toronto, so this isn't simply a case of 'the old guy holding on to old scouting reports.'

      Current Jays GM Ross Atkins said of the decision to DFA Manoah: "This just came down to a roster crunch and us feeling like [this was] the best decision for us to hold depth and support this staff as we push forward into very important weeks."

      Manoah put up a 2.24 ERA over his rehab starts as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. The Jays clearly made an assessment that he would be unable to help their 2025 push for the playoffs, but there was always a feeling that he would be in the competition for a spot in the 2026 rotation. Atlanta, for their part, has already been eliminated from possible playoff contention this season after a disappointing year in the NL East. It is not out of the realm of possibility that they could even find a spot for Manoah on their 28-man roster to make a start against Pittsburgh in their final series of the year.

      Featured image courtesy of Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images.

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