The Blue Jays have started their offseason with a move that barely registers on the financial scale, but could matter when the roster gets trimmed down and roles start to sort themselves out. Toronto is bringing back Rudy Martin Jr. on a minor league contract, and he’ll head to big league camp as a non-roster invitee. The deal was first reported by Ari Alexander of 7News.
The timing makes the signing worth watching. Earlier this week, the Blue Jays declined Myles Straw’s $8 million option, and Martin looks capable of covering a similar job for far less. If Toronto is hunting for a speedy, defense-first outfielder who can fill in off the bench or in the field, this is the kind of low-cost move that fits the bill.
Martin also gives the Blue Jays another right-handed bat, which is something they don’t exactly have in abundance. That part matters, because adding right-handed hitting is expected to be a major part of their offseason shopping. For now, Martin provides depth while the front office works on the bigger pieces.
There’s still reported mutual interest in a reunion with Straw, but the comparison is obvious. If the Blue Jays are mainly after an end-of-the-bench outfielder with speed and defensive value, an $8 million commitment is a tough sell when a minor league deal can offer similar coverage. If Straw does return on a cheaper contract, then the question becomes what each player brings that the other doesn’t.
Toronto originally picked up the 30-year-old Martin off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles in August. Before that, he had been with the Kansas City Royals, who sent him to Baltimore for cash. He made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays in late September, 12 years after being drafted, though his first stint was brief: three plate appearances, no first hit, and one walk.
The Blue Jays removed Martin from the 40-man roster last week, and he chose free agency after that. Most of his 2026 season came at Triple-A, split between the Royals and Blue Jays organizations. Across that stretch, he hit .274/.394/.421 with 11 home runs and 45 stolen bases in 53 attempts, an 84.9% success rate.
Martin’s minor league track record stretches back more than a decade. The Royals drafted him in the 25th round out of Lewisburg High School in Missouri, and he’s spent 12 years grinding through the minors.
In nearly 2,500 minor league plate appearances, he has hit .252/.358/.387 with 239 stolen bases. Speed has always been his calling card, and his on-base ability gives him a chance to stand out in camp.
At his best, Martin could work as a platoon option alongside Brett Bateman, giving Toronto another way to manage the outfield without making a bigger splash in free agency or on the trade market. That’s the ceiling here. The deal carries no 40-man risk, Martin has to earn everything, and the Blue Jays have added a right-handed runner who may make the Straw decision easier.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Just Changed Jake Bloss Roster Outlook
Jake Blosss roster path just got a little more flexible for the Blue Jays. The right-hander, acquired from the Astros in 2024 and working back from UCL surgery, has already burned through his first three option years, but Toronto has now secured a fourth one, giving the club more room to maneuver as it sorts out its pitching depth.
For a team that is always balancing immediate needs against long-term roster control, that matters. Bloss can still be shuttled between the majors and minors as the Blue Jays see fit, and the added cushion gives them another season to manage his development and health without being forced into a tougher decision. The wrinkle now is how Toronto chooses to use that flexibility when 2027 rolls around. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Could Face A Tough New Roster Decision Soon
A new labor proposal from MLB owners could soon ripple into Torontos roster planning, even if the details are still far from settled. The idea would alter the path to free agency for certain players and comes bundled with a larger push that also includes a salary cap and floor, a package the players have already resisted.
For the Blue Jays, the practical concern is simple: a change like this could move some decisions up by a year and make the front office think differently about who to keep, who to extend and who might be more valuable as a trade chip. Toronto has spent the winter and early spring trying to balance present contention with future flexibility, and any tweak to service-time rules would add another layer to that calculation. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Still Have One Rotation Question Next To Dylan Cease
After locking up Dylan Cease on a seven-year, $210 million deal last offseason, the Blue Jays got the kind of frontline starter they were hoping for, and he delivered a strong first season in Toronto. Even so, the rotation still looks like it could use one more established arm, and the club is being linked to a strong free-agent class as it weighs how best to round out the staff around its new ace.
Dean Kremer, Sonny Gray and Hunter King are among the names being floated as possible complements, each bringing a different profile that could help balance the group behind Cease. Toronto does not appear to be chasing a headline for the sake of one, but rather looking for the kind of pitcher who can steady the middle of the rotation and give the Blue Jays a more complete look heading into next season. [Read more 🡒]