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  • Toronto Blue Jays Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Toronto Blue Jays free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Steve Drumwright
    Turns out that Chad Dallas was just called up to be a safety net.
    The Toronto Blue Jays on Friday optioned the right-hander back to Triple-A Buffalo and called up left-hander Brendon Little from Buffalo.
    Dallas was called up Wednesday when right-handed starter Max Scherzer went on the 15-day injured list with back spasms. Despite it being a bullpen game that day, Dallas did not appear in his second MLB game. Nor did he appear in Thursday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox.
    Now as the Jays open a series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, they opted to have a left-hander in the bullpen over the right-handed Dallas.
    Little, whom the Jays acquired from the Cubs after the 2023 season, is up for the second time this season after making the Opening Day roster. He appeared in five games before being sent to Triple-A, with a 24.55 ERA in 3⅔ innings with three walks and six strikeouts. He did give up 11 runs (10 earned) and 10 hits, including three homers.
     
    Leo Morgenstern
    Last week, the Blue Jays designated Tyler Heineman for assignment when they activated Alejandro Kirk from the injured list. Today, they traded him to the Angels for cash considerations.
    Heineman, 34, spent parts of the past five seasons with Toronto. In that time, he played 126 games over numerous stints with the Jays, hitting .242 with a .663 OPS, while consistently playing superb defense. He was a surprisingly important contributor to the 2025 AL pennant-winning team, enjoying an unusually productive season for a backup catcher.
    While his defense in 2026 has been as excellent as ever, his offense has been poor. Considering Brandon Valenzuela's success on both sides of the ball, it wasn't surprising when the Blue Jays decided to DFA Heineman last Friday. However, considering how many times they have re-acquired Heineman in the past, it also wouldn't be surprising to see the journeyman backstop back in a Blue Jays uniform someday.
    Steve Drumwright
    The return of right-hander Max Scherzer to the Toronto Blue Jays' starting rotation lasted one week.
    Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, went back on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with back spasms. Right-hander Chad Dallas was called up from Triple-A Buffalo.
    Scherzer, 41, came off the 15-day IL a week ago Wednesday after missing more than a month with right forearm tendinitis, but lasted just 3⅓ innings and gave up five runs in a 7-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He would have been in line to start Wednesday, but right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher got the call as an opener.
    Dallas is back with the Jays after making his MLB debut June 4. In that 7-2 win over Atlanta, Dallas was the bulk guy after Mason Fluharty opened. Dallas went 3⅔ with one run on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Eight of his 11 appearances with Buffalo have been as a starter.
    Whether he sticks around is another issue. Right-hander Shane Bieber had a rehab start Wednesday and could be ready to return to the rotation. Bieber has not pitched for the Jays this season after coming down with right elbow inflammation in spring training.
     
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Blue Jays designated Connor Seabold for assignment last week when Max Scherzer returned from the injured list. Today, the right-hander's time in DFA limbo came to an end. The Jays have shipped Seabold off to the Royals in exchange for minor league right-hander Denis Samudio. Toronto also gets cash considerations in the deal. 
    Seabold appeared in five games for the Blue Jays this season. He gave up three runs in 3.1 innings, striking out one and walking two. Presuming he gets in a game for the Royals, they will be his seventh MLB team. 
    Samudio signed with Kansas City as an international free agent in January 2025. He pitched well in the Dominican Summer League last season (1.72 ERA, 30.6% strikeout rate), earning an honourable mention on FanGraphs' list of the Royals' top prospects. According to Brendan Gawlowski's write-up, the righty was touching 95 with "some of the best vertical break" in Kansas City's system.
    After starting the 2026 season in the Arizona Complex League, Samudio earned a promotion to the Single-A Columbia Fireflies in May. In four outings for the Fireflies, he struck out 17 and walked eight in 14 innings of work, pitching to a 4.50 ERA. His latest outing was his best. The 21-year-old earned his first professional win with four innings of scoreless relief work.
    Samudio will remain at the Single-A level for now and report to the Dunedin Blue Jays.
    Steve Drumwright
    The Captain is back, but the center fielder is down for a bit.
    In a busy day of transactions, catcher Alejandro Kirk was activated from the 10-day injured list and center fielder Daulton Varsho went on the 10-day IL with left wrist inflammation. Catcher Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment to make room for Kirk on the 26-man roster, while outfielder Davis Schneider was called up from Triple-A Buffalo.
    Also, right-hander Yariel Rodriguez cleared waivers after being DFA'd and was outrighted to Triple-A, while right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia had his rehab assignment moved to Buffalo.
    Kirk has been out since April 4 with a fractured left thumb. He played six games in the minors on a rehab assignment before returning.
    Heineman was a casualty due to the play of rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela, who has slashed .252/.333/.457 with seven homers and 18 RBIS in 46 games since making his MLB debut this season. He was acquired from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline for infielder Will Wagner. Heineman, meanwhile, had a .154/.205/.205 slash line with a homer and six RBIs in 33 games.
    Varsho had hoped to avoid going on the IL and took batting practice before Wednesday's game, but obviously was not ready to play in a game. Varsho, a terrific defender, has a slash line of .256/.331/.408, including five homers and 17 RBIs in 64 games.
    Schneider was demoted due to struggling on offense with a .127/.295/.211 slash line in 38 games. He hasn't been much better in 14 games at Buffalo, where he has slashed .188/.550/.219.
    Rodriguez was DFA'd Monday and was not claimed, not surprising considering he is owed the prorated portion of his $7 million salary this year and $14 million more the next two.
    Garcia is close to returning, perhaps needing only one or two appearances at Triple-A before being activated. He has been out since spring training last year after having surgery on his right ulnar nerve and right AC joint.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    Mad Max is back with the Toronto Blue Jays.
    Right-hander Max Scherzer was activated from the 15-day injured list Wednesday and will start the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. Right-handed reliever Connor Seabold was designated for assignment.
    Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion, has been on the Il since April 27 with tendinitis in his right forearm and inflammation in his left ankle. The tendinitis has been the trickier of the two ailments for the 41-year-old.
    He had struggled to an 8.35 FIP (9.64 ERA) in five starts in which he lasted just 18⅔ innings, posting an abnormally worse walk rate (9.5%) and strikeout rate (11.9%). His career numbers are 6.5% and 29%, while he had rates of 6.4% and 22.9% last season, his first with the Jays. Scherzer made two rehab appearances and went 6⅔ innings, walking three and striking out nine while giving up three runs for a 4.05 ERA.
    Scherzer is the second starter the Jays have gotten back in the last two days after Dylan Cease returned from injury Tuesday.
    Seabold was in his second stint with the Jays. He signed a minor-league contract in the offseason, but was released late in spring training. He latched on with the Detroit Tigers, where he made the Opening Day roster and had 11 appearances out of the bullpen, with a 4.12 FIP (3.45 ERA) before being DFA's May 24. The Jays, in need of pitching due to a slew of injuries, traded for Seabold. He pitched in five games with a 4.30 FIP (8.10 ERA) in just 3⅓ innings. 
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The return of Dylan Cease is official.
    The right-handed starter was activated from the 15-day injured list Tuesday by the Toronto Blue Jays, who optioned left-handed reliever Adam Macko to Triple-A Buffalo. Cease, who has been out since March 25 with a strained right hamstring, is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
    Cease, who signed a seven-year, $210 million contract as a free agent this offseason, has a 2.59 FIP (3.05 ERA) in 11 starts over 62 innings, with a 10.1% walk rate and a career-best 35.7% strikeout rate before being injured.
    Macko has made 12 appearances, including his MLB debut, over 12 innings, with a 2.94 FIP (1.50 ERA), posting an excellent 4.2% walk rate to go along with an above-average 25% strikeout rate.
    His demotion leaves Mason Fluharty as the only left-hander in the bullpen and just one of two lefties on the staff (starter Patrick Corbin is the other).
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The return of Tommy Nance has brought the end of Yariel Rodriguez's time with the Toronto Blue Jays.
    Nance, a right-handed reliever, was activated from the 15-day injured list Monday following right forearm discomfort. Right-hander Yariel Rodriguez was designated for assignment.
    The DFA of Rodriguez brings an end to a disappointing tenure. Rodriguez signed a five-year, $32 million contract before the 2024 season as he came over from Cuba. He made 21 starts as a rookie, then converted to a relief role in 2025, appearing in 66 games. This year, Rodriguez pitched in just 10 games after starting the season at Triple-A on the injured list. He had a 7.71 ERA in 9⅓ innings, allowing two homers, seven walks and striking out six.
    If no one claims Rodriguez, the Jays will be on the hook for the remainder of his $7 million salary this season as well as the $14 million over the final two years of his contract.
    Nance is a welcome return to the bullpen. He appeared in 20 games before hitting the IL on May 17, posting a 3.86 ERA in 21 innings, walking eight and striking out 25.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The return of Simeon Woods Richardson to the Toronto Blue Jays is official.
    The Jays on Friday added Woods Richardson to the 26-man roster and demoted right-handed starter Chad Dallas to Triple-A Buffalo after a nice MLB debut the day before.
    Woods Richardson was originally drafted by the New York Mets in the second round in 2018, then dealt to the Jays at the 2019 trade deadline in the Marcus Stroman deal. Two years later, Woods Richardson was on the move again as the Jays shipped him to the Minnesota Twins in a trade-deadline move to acquire right-hander Jose Berrios. Just a few days ago, after being designated for assignment by the Twins, Woods Richardson was reacquired by the Jays in a cash transaction.
    While he has the tools to be a good piece in a starting rotation, he has struggled in 2026. In 10 starts and two relief appearances with the Twins, Woods Richardson had a 6.17 FIP (7.74 ERA) over 47⅔ innings with a .330 opponent batting average. His walk rate is up (11% this year, 9.5% career), while his strikeouts have been down remarkably (11.5%, 19.7%).
    How Woods Richardson eventually fits into the Jays' pitching staff is yet to be determined, but he figures to initially begin in a relief role.
    Dallas, meanwhile, was only expected to get the one appearance after being called up Thursday to make his MLB debut. And it went very well for the 25-year-old, who was the bulk guy behind opener Mason Fluharty in Thursday's 7-2 win over Atlanta. Dallas went 3⅔ innings, allowing one run on two hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The unexpected journey of the Toronto Blue Jays' pitching staff has led to Dallas. Chad Dallas, that is.
    The right-handed starter had his contract selected from Triple-A Buffalo to and is expected to make his MLB debut Thursday against Atlanta. The Jays optioned right-handed reliever Hayden Juenger, who made his MLB debut Sunday, to Triple-A. Right-handed reliever Tanner Andrews was designated for assignment to make room for Dallas on the 40-man roster.
    Dallas, a 25-year-old who was the Jays' fourth-round draft choice in 2021 out of Tennessee, has made eight starts in his 10 appearances this year at Triple-A, where he had a 4.50 ERA with 13 walks and 38 strikeouts in 36 innings.
    Juenger pitched twice in his four days in the majors. He allowed three runs in his debut Sunday, giving up two hits and walking two with no strikeouts in a 9-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. But he bounced back with a perfect inning Wednesday in a 7-3 loss to Atlanta.
    Andrews, who was at Triple-A, had appeared in two MLB games with the Jays, throwing three shutout innings, giving up one hit and two walks with a strikeout. At Triple-A, he had a 1.29 ERA in 17 games and 21 innings, allowing 15 walks and striking out 23.
     
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Blue Jays have acquired pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson in a trade with the Twins, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Minnesota will send cash considerations back to Toronto.
    Woods Richardson, 25, was a prospect in the Blue Jays' system from 2019-21. Toronto acquired him from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman trade and later sent him to the Twins in the José Berríos deal.
    The righty was designated for assignment over the weekend. He pitched well for the Twins from 2024-25, putting up a 4.11 ERA over 51 games (50 starts). However, he has struggled in 2026, with a 7.74 ERA in 47.2 innings. Jays Centre's Jim Scott recently wrote about Woods Richardson as a potential target for the Blue Jays.   
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired more right-handed depth in the form of veteran reliever Justin Topa.
    Topa, 35, has seven seasons of MLB experience with the Brewers, Mariners, and Twins. He owns a 4.27 ERA in 172 career appearances, with nine saves and 32 holds. The righty struggled badly for Minnesota earlier this year (8.05 ERA, 5.97 xERA in 19 IP), prompting his release. However, he was solid for the Twins in 2025, pitching to a 3.90 ERA (4.42 xERA) in 60 frames.
    The Blue Jays have 10 pitchers on their major league injured list, and they're currently counting on bullpen games to fill two of the five slots in their rotation. So, it makes sense that they're stockpiling pitching depth, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Topa get a shot with Toronto in the coming weeks.
    Steve Drumwright
    The Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday called up right-handed reliever Hayden Juenger to make his MLB debut. Right-handed reliever Austin Voth was designated for assignment.
    A sixth-round draft choice by the Jays in the 2021 draft out of Missouri State, the 25-year-old Juenger has been good at Triple-A this season, posting a 3.15 ERA in 17 appearances and 20 innings, walking eight and striking out 23. He has been a reliever these last four seasons after trying his hand at starting in 2022. He rose through the ranks quickly, debuting at High-A in 2021, then splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2022. He has been at Triple-A since, other than some rehab appearances last year. For his career, Juenger has a 4.45 ERA.
    Voth appeared in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, giving up five runs in 3⅓ innings, including five hits and four walks with no strikeouts.
     
    Leo Morgenstern
    It's more bad news for yet another Toronto Blue Jays pitcher. Left-hander Joe Mantiply, who has already been on the IL for the past two weeks, needs surgery to repair the damage in his left knee. It will be an arthroscopic procedure.
    The good news is that the Jays expect to have Mantiply back at some point later this year, although it might be toward the end of the season. The 35-year-old pitched well for Toronto before he hit the shelf, tossing 17.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA. He struck out 16 and walked four, generating groundballs at a 48.9% rate.
    While Mantiply is out, the Blue Jays will continue to lean heavily on fellow left-hander Mason Fluharty. Rookie southpaw Adam Macko will also have a chance to carve out a more permanent role in Toronto's bullpen if he continues to succeed.
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Toronto Blue Jays have officially selected infield prospect Charles McAdoo to their active roster. He will replace fellow righty-batting infielder Lenyn Sosa, who heads to the IL with a right wrist contusion after getting hit by a pitch on Tuesday. Lazaro Estrada (shoulder impingement) has been transferred to the 60-day IL to open space on the 40-man roster; the right-hander had been on the 15-day IL since April 4. The Jays will hope McAdoo (Jays Centre's No. 14 prospect) can be a spark for their offense, which has struggled against left-handed pitching in 2026.
    In addition, Connor Seabold has reported to the Jays. He will be available out of the bullpen tonight, giving the Jays a much-needed fresh arm. Fellow right-hander Chase Lee has been optioned to make room on the active roster. Toronto already freed up a 40-man slot for Seabold when they traded for him yesterday.
    Leo Morgenstern
    Charles McAdoo is heading to Baltimore. Jays Centre's No. 14 prospect will join the Blue Jays tomorrow as they start a series against the Orioles, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. He'll be making his MLB debut when he first gets in a game.
    The Jays can free up space for McAdoo on the active and 40-man rosters by designating Lenyn Sosa for assignment. While I'm only speculating, it's all but certain that's how they're going to do it (unless there's been another injury we don't know about).
    McAdoo, like Sosa, is a right-handed-hitting infielder. He is primarily a third baseman but has recently started getting reps in at second base, which is Sosa's primary position. And while Sosa is hitting beyond poorly this season (.195 with a .490 OPS), McAdoo has hit well down in Triple-A Buffalo. He has eight home runs and a 13.9% walk rate, and his wRC+ is 12% better than league average. 
    The Blue Jays will hope McAdoo can keep it up at the MLB level, much like his former Bisons teammates Yohendrick Piñango and Brandon Valenzuela.
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