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  • Toronto Blue Jays Trade & Free Agent Rumors

    Follow the latest Toronto Blue Jays trade and free agent rumors, along with quick notes on the big league club, the minor leagues and the draft.
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    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. 
    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
    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
    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
    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:
    Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a finalist at first base, alongside Nick Kurtz of the Athletics and Vinnie Pasquantino of the Royals. Bo Bichette is a finalist at shortstop, alongside Jeremy Peña of the Astros and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals. Finally, George Springer is a finalist at DH, alongside Yandy Díaz of the Rays and Brent Rooker of the Athletics. Springer is also a finalist for one of three Silver Sluggers in the outfield, alongside Cody Bellinger of the Yankees, Byron Buxton of the Twins, Riley Greene of the Tigers, Aaron Judge of the Yankees, and Julio Rodríguez of the Mariners. 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.
    Mike LeSage
    When the Blue Jays announced their lineup for Game 4, there were a few shuffles from the night before. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was slotted in at second base, which shifts Ernie Clement to third, and puts Addison Barger in right field. Out of the lineup was Anthony Santander.
    Manager John Schneider confirmed that Santander "woke up feeling sore" but was non-commital regarding his availability off the bench as a potential late-inning pinch hitter. 
    Ken Rosenthal and Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reported that, according to "sources," the Blue Jays had made a medical request to have Santander removed from the ALCS roster. If approved, that would make Santander ineligible for the World Series roster, should Toronto make it that far.
    Within an hour, the Jays had their answer. Santander's removal was approved, ending his season. Joey Loperfido has been called up to take his place and is active for tonight's game.
    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
    According to a report from The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli, Toronto Blue Jays executive James Click was one of "at least three candidates" the Colorado Rockies interviewed to be their newest "head of baseball operations."
    Click was the Houston Astros' general manager from 2020-22. Houston made the playoffs in all three seasons of his front office tenure and won the World Series in his final year with the club. Following his surprising departure from the Astros, he accepted a job as the Blue Jays' vice president of baseball strategy, a role he has held for the past three seasons.
    There was a time not so long ago when Click was a popular choice among fans to succeed Ross Atkins as Toronto's GM. However, considering the team's success this season, it's hard to imagine Atkins is going anywhere any time soon.
    Featured image courtesy of Lucas Peltier, Imagn Images.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Mark Sheldon of MLB.com posed one question for Cincinnati’s offseason: Would trading Hunter Greene help bring back a bat? The 26-year-old Greene is signed through the 2028 season, with an option for 2029, all well below market value for a free agent of his calibre.
    In 2025, Greene made 19 starts and threw 107 2/3 innings with a 2.76 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 31.4 K%, 6.2 BB%, 1.25 HR/9, and a 0.94 WHIP. His average four-seam fastball velocity was 99.4 mph. 
    For comparison, Toronto’s primary starters produced the following 2025 lines. Kevin Gausman: 32 starts, 193 innings, 3.59 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 8.81 K/9, 2.33 BB/9, 0.98 WHIP. Chris Bassitt: 31 starts, 170 1/3 innings, 3.96 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 8.77 K/9, 2.75 BB/9, 1.16 WHIP. José Berríos: 30 starts, 166 innings, 4.17 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 19.8 K%, 8.0 BB%. 
    As a staff,  in 2025 Toronto's rotation ranked 20th in ERA (4.34), 14th in strikeouts (786), and 24th in FIP (4.46).
    Greene’s expected indicators included a 3.09 xERA and 3.27 xFIP in 2025. He has yet to exceed 150 1/3 innings or 26 starts in a season, with a 2025 groin strain among recent IL stints. 
    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.
    Brock Beauchamp
    José Berríos is going to the injured list for the first time in his major league career. Since debuting in 2016, he has avoided the MLB injured list; the only prior disabled-list notes were minor-league 7-day stints in 2013 and 2014 while in the Twins organization. 
    Berríos was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right elbow ailment, manager John Schneider told reporters. Schneider said the issue is something Berríos has been “dealing with for a while.” He had recently been moved to the bullpen; in his first relief outing on Wednesday, he allowed three earned runs in two innings. Toronto recalled right-hander Paxton Schultz in a corresponding move. 
    No timetable was announced.
    Context underscores how rare this is for a modern starter. Berríos has made 32 starts in each of the last six full seasons (excluding 2020), a run documented by MLB.com in June. He also entered 2025 with 204 starts since the beginning of 2018, second most among MLB pitchers over that span behind Phillies starter Aaron Nola. In 2024, he worked 192 1/3 innings.
    Leo Morgenstern
    The Toronto Blue Jays were first reported to be signing Seojun Moon last month, and today, the team announced that the deal is official. The 18-year-old is the first Korean-born player the team has ever signed in international free agency.
    The Athletic's Mitch Bannon notes that the Dodgers were "very interested" in signing Moon, but the talented young hurler chose the Blue Jays instead. On top of that, TSN cites a report from The Chosun Daily that claims he turned down offers from both the Dodgers and the Mets this summer.
    While Moon won't be pitching at the Rogers Centre anytime soon, he'll be an exciting prospect to watch in the Jays' minor league system next season. 
    Interested in learning more about the Toronto Blue Jays' minor league system? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles, and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!
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