The Blue Jays made a roster move with the season winding down, designating right-hander Michael Lorenzen for assignment and opening a spot for José Rodríguez, who has been selected to the club.
Toronto added Lorenzen about three weeks ago after the Rockies let him go. At the time, the Jays were dealing with a rash of injuries and were looking for innings. Lorenzen had already put up a 7.08 ERA in Colorado, and Toronto seemed to be banking on a change of scenery away from Coors Field helping him settle in.
Instead, the results got worse. Lorenzen gave the Blue Jays 11 2/3 innings across six outings, and in that stretch he was tagged for four home runs and an 8.49 ERA.
The numbers were rough, and the timing didn’t help his case either. Toronto had an off-day yesterday, the bullpen is fully rested heading into the weekend, and the club is expecting Trey Yesavage back from the injured list in the coming days.
That gives the Jays some flexibility in how they line up the next few games. Dylan Cease and José Soriano are set to pitch tonight and tomorrow, respectively.
After that, Yesavage, Max Scherzer and Spencer Arrighetti should all be able to cover multiple innings in some order. Toronto could also come back around to Cease on Wednesday before another off-day on Thursday.
For Lorenzen, the move sends him into DFA limbo. Because the trade deadline has already passed, he has to go through waivers.
There isn’t much reason for another team to jump in and claim him: he’s carrying a 7.21 ERA this year, wouldn’t be postseason eligible with a new club, and there’s barely a week left in the regular season. If he clears, he could choose free agency, though he might also stay with Toronto in case the Jays need to bring him back if they reach the postseason.
The flip side of the move is Rodríguez getting his shot. The right-hander will make his major league debut the first time he gets into a game.
Toronto acquired him from the Dodgers at the start of this month, and since then he’s made three appearances for Triple-A Buffalo. In 3 1/3 innings there, he allowed three earned runs, walked three and struck out five.
It’s a tiny sample, but it lines up with the bigger picture. Since the start of 2025, Rodríguez has thrown 92 minor league innings with a 4.79 ERA. The strikeout stuff stands out - his 32.9% strikeout rate is strong - but he’s also handed out walks at a 14.1% clip.
There was also a clock ticking on Rodríguez’s future. He was likely close to becoming a minor league free agent in a few weeks, which helps explain why the Dodgers moved him.
Toronto, after acquiring him, seemed headed toward giving him a roster spot before that happened, and now they’re doing it immediately. That keeps him from reaching the open market and gives the Blue Jays a look at his arm at the big league level.
He still has a full set of options and six full years of club control left.
The trade was announced on the afternoon of September 1. If it was completed before noon that day, Rodríguez would be eligible for the postseason with Toronto, even though he didn’t officially get a roster spot until today. In that case, the team would need to petition the league to include him as a replacement for an injured player, though that kind of move happens regularly without trouble.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Could Solve Their Biggest Contract Problem With Bold Swaps
The Blue Jays have spent plenty of time trying to balance present-day competitiveness with the long view, and their contract picture remains one of the trickiest parts of that equation. Anthony Santander, Jos Berros and Andrs Gimnez sit at the center of that conversation, each shaping how much flexibility Toronto has as it tries to keep the roster strong without boxing itself in for years to come.
So the speculation around possible swaps is less about headline hunting than roster math, with names like Mike Trout, Aaron Nola and Carlos Correa surfacing as examples of the kinds of bold swings that could change the clubs outlook. None of it is imminent, and it is all framed as possibility rather than transaction, but it underscores the same question hanging over the front office: how far should the Blue Jays go if a deal could ease one contract problem while creating another? [Read more 🡒]
Bo Bichette Just Gave Blue Jays Fans A Tough Reality Check
Bo Bichettes move to the Mets brought an end to a familiar era in Toronto, and now hes giving Blue Jays fans a candid look at what that transition really feels like. After seven seasons in a Blue Jays uniform, Bichette signed a three-year deal with New York, and while the departure was already a major change for the club and its fan base, the personal side of it has been quieter than some might have expected.
Bichette said he still has respect and affection for his former teammates, but the day-to-day contact has been limited since the move. Between the demands of the season and everyones own schedules, the conversations have not been nearly as regular as they were when he was in Toronto, a reminder that even close clubhouse bonds can loosen quickly once a player changes teams. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Could Target A Dodgers Castoff For Needed Lineup Help
Ryan Wards name is worth tracking as the Blue Jays look for ways to deepen an offense that could use another bat. The 28-year-old was recently designated for assignment by the Dodgers, but his minor-league track record still carries plenty of appeal, with multiple seasons of 20-plus home runs and at least 75 RBIs. He also got his first big league look this season in Los Angeles, where he showed some pop even if the overall line was uneven.
For Toronto, the fit is pretty straightforward: an opportunity to claim a left-handed power source and add a little more flexibility at first base and in the outfield. The Jays do not need a headline-grabbing move here so much as a useful one, and Wards profile gives them a chance to see whether a late-blooming bat can translate into something more than depth. Whether another club beats them to the punch is the part worth watching. [Read more 🡒]