The Blue Jays are heading into another roster squeeze, and the pressure points are pretty clear. Toronto needs room not only for possible additions, but also to protect several top prospects from the Rule 5 Draft in December. Among the high-end young players who could need protection are Gage Stanifer, Josh Kasevich, Nolan Perry, Daniel Guerra and Jay Harry.
That means a few players already on the 40-man roster are going to be fighting to hold on. José Rodríguez, Spencer Arrighetti and Brendan Cellucci look positioned to stick around, while Rudy Martin Jr. and Jake Bloss are the names facing the most uncertainty.
Rodríguez made a quick and loud impression after Toronto picked him up from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the beginning of September. The 25-year-old reliever brought real heat out of the bullpen, with a fastball that could touch triple digits, and he didn’t allow a run across four appearances.
In that stretch, he posted a 0.64 WHIP, allowed only three hits, walked none and struck out five. That kind of debut should keep him in the conversation heading toward 2027.
Cellucci also gave the Blue Jays something to hang onto. Signed to a minor league deal last offseason, the 28-year-old finally reached the majors and handled the jump well.
He threw 8.2 scoreless innings over six appearances, giving up just two hits and three walks while striking out 11. His Triple-A Buffalo work backed that up too, as he went 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 51.1 innings over 45 games.
Arrighetti’s first stretch with Toronto was rough, but the organization still appears likely to stay patient. Acquired from the Astros in the Daulton Varsho trade, he had been dominant early in 2026 before things unraveled over the final two months.
In 22.2 innings, the right-hander went 2-4 with a 6.35 ERA and 1.54 WHIP, giving up 16 earned runs, six homers, four walks and 19 strikeouts. Even with those numbers, he’s only 26 and still has time to work back toward the level Toronto expects.
Martin’s path looks much shakier. It was a nice moment when the minor league journeyman finally made his MLB debut after more than a decade in the minors, but it barely lasted.
He appeared in two games before a left hamstring strain ended his season, and he finished with one walk and one strikeout in three plate appearances. With younger options ahead of him, his hold on a future role doesn’t look strong.
Bloss is in a different kind of trouble. He came to Toronto as part of the return for Yusei Kikuchi in 2024, but injuries and inconsistency have slowed him down.
Tommy John surgery in May of 2025 kept him out until this year, and once he returned, the results still weren’t there. Over 11 minor league starts, he posted a 6.18 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, allowed 27 earned runs and 10 home runs, and struck out 37 in 39.1 innings.
With other young arms moving up the ladder, Bloss could be squeezed out when the roster decisions hit.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Fans Are Reliving One Of The Franchises Best October Runs
The Guardians rally from an 0-2 hole in their American League Division Series has put Toronto fans back in a familiar October headspace. Clevelands surge past the White Sox and into the American League Championship Series brought back memories of one of the Blue Jays signature postseason turns, the kind of comeback that still stands out as a defining moment from that 2015 run.
For Blue Jays followers, the connection is obvious enough even without drawing it all the way out. A team staring down elimination found a way to flip the series, lean on big swings and big pitching, and keep its season alive long enough to make the round feel bigger than the moment itself. It is the sort of playoff storyline that lives on in Toronto, and one that fans will recognize immediately even as the details of their own version remain the standard by which these October rallies are measured. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Linked To Playoff-Tested Upgrades Across The Roster
The Blue Jays are being tied to a familiar kind of offseason shopping list, the sort that blends proven depth with players who have handled October pressure before. Among the pitchers mentioned are Sean Newcomb and Foster Griffin, both of whom bring different looks and forms of versatility, while the broader theme is Torontos interest in upgrading the roster with arms who can fit multiple roles and survive high-leverage innings.
Freddy Peralta also comes up as part of the pitching discussion, underscoring how the market could offer both upside and playoff-tested experience if Toronto is willing to explore trades or free agency. The same logic applies on the position-player side, where the appeal is not just talent but adaptability, and the Blue Jays appear to be weighing a set of targets that could help across the roster rather than solving only one problem at a time. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Face A Costly Pitching Choice Tied To The Yankees
The Blue Jays are already being forced to think ahead to 2027, and the Yankees are part of the calculation. With Toronto looking for ways to strengthen its pitching staff, the upcoming free-agent market after the 2026 season could offer a pair of bullpen arms who fit different needs and different price points, giving the club some flexibility as it maps out its next move.
The appeal is obvious because both pitchers have already shown they can help in relief, and Toronto could use that kind of stability if it wants to keep pace in the division. The question, as always, comes down to how much the front office is willing to spend for help, especially when one addition would likely carry a much bigger financial commitment than the other and the Blue Jays still have to decide how aggressive they want to be. [Read more 🡒]