The Toronto Blue Jays are making moves as they gear up for the 2026 season, trimming their roster by releasing five players from their minor league contracts. This decision affects third baseman Damiano Palmegiani, outfielder Jacob Wetzel, catcher Nicolas Deschamps, and pitchers Bo Bonds and Dahian Santos.
Among these players, Dahian Santos stood out as a promising prospect. Back in 2024, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 22 prospect within the Blue Jays' organization. Unfortunately, the right-hander faced challenges, spending the entire 2025 season on the injured list and struggling with command issues in 2024, evidenced by 27 walks over 35.2 innings across three minor league levels.
Damiano Palmegiani, a Canadian talent with Venezuelan roots, has had an interesting journey. After playing college ball at Southern Nevada, he was picked by the Blue Jays in the 14th round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Palmegiani also represented Team Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Despite reaching Triple-A in recent years, his 2025 performance with the Buffalo Bisons, where he slashed .159/.299/.232, hindered his path to the majors.
Bo Bonds, a 13th-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette in 2022, showed promise with a 2-1 record and a 3.34 ERA over 28 games at advanced Class-A Vancouver in 2025, mostly pitching in relief.
Jacob Wetzel, who joined as an undrafted free agent from Frederick Community College, had limited action last season, playing only 12 games with Vancouver and spending much of the year on the injured list.
Catcher Nicolas Deschamps reached Double-A New Hampshire last year but struggled at the plate, managing just 4 hits in 32 at-bats with 12 strikeouts.
These roster changes became official on March 17, as the Blue Jays prepare to kick off their season against the Athletics on March 27.