Brian Wolfe, who spent three seasons in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays before carving out a long run in Japan, died Tuesday, Sept. 15. He was 45.
His wife, Rachell Wolfe, said in a Facebook post that he had died after what she described as “a really really difficult and torturous battle.”
Wolfe’s path to Toronto started back in his California days. The Fullerton native was drafted in the sixth round out of Servite High School by the Minnesota Twins in 1999. He then spent six seasons in the Twins’ minor league system from 1999-2005, climbing as high as Triple-A.
Minnesota let him go in May 2005, and Wolfe wrapped up that season in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization. The Brewers then dealt him to the Blue Jays in January 2006 in exchange for Corey Koskie.
That move set up his climb to the big leagues in Toronto. Wolfe advanced quickly through the minors, debuted in May 2007 and turned in his busiest MLB season that year, making 38 appearances out of the Blue Jays bullpen and finishing with a 2.98 ERA.
The right-hander went on to appear in 72 major-league games from 2007-09, compiling a 5-5 record with a 3.81 ERA. After the 2009 season, he hit free agency and took the next step in his career overseas.
In Japan, Wolfe found sustained success with the Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. From 2010-13, he started 77 games and went 35-29, with his final season there coming during Shohei Ohtani’s first year with the club.
Wolfe later pitched for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks from 2014-15 and the Seibu Lions from 2016-18 before retiring at 37.
Former major league outfielder Brandon Barnes also confirmed Wolfe’s death in a video posted to his Facebook account Wednesday. “I just lost one of my best friends and a mentor,” he said.
In Other News...
Three Former Blue Jays Are Fueling A Tough What-If Feeling
There is plenty of Blue Jays overlap in the latest round of former-Toronto watch, and it has not exactly been a comforting exercise. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., once a fixture in Toronto before moving on, was designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks after an injury-hit season went sideways, while Eric Lauer has managed to put together a strong record since landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers but is now sidelined on the 60-day injured list because of elbow inflammation.
Jeff Hoffman has been the clearest reminder of what the Blue Jays let get away. After being traded to the Minnesota Twins, he has given them quality relief work with a 2.63 ERA and seven holds in 15 appearances, the kind of dependable late-inning production Toronto could have used. Put together, the three cases create the same nagging feeling for Jays fans: there were real possibilities here, even if only one of those ex-Blue Jays is currently turning it into steady value. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Bullpen Plan Fell Apart Fast And Fans Know Why
The Tigers came into the night with Michael Lorenzen lined up to handle the bulk of the pitching work, but the plan unraveled almost immediately. Toronto jumped on him early, turning what was supposed to be a managed staff night into a game that forced Detroits bullpen to soak up extra innings while the Blue Jays kept piling on.
Torontos 10-1 win never really let the visitors settle in, and the Tigers offense did little to change the tone. Detroit scraped together only six singles and one run, while Ernie Clement provided one of the cleaner defensive moments at second base as the Blue Jays kept control from start to finish. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Front Office Faces A Roster Test Fans Can't Ignore
The Blue Jays have spent the stretch run trying to answer a question that goes well beyond the standings: how aggressively should they push while they are still in the Wild Card race? Two games back of the Guardians, Toronto has not been in a position to treat the deadline as a clean fork in the road, and that has left the front office threading the needle between buying enough to stay alive and selling enough to keep an eye on what comes next.
A few expiring contracts only add to the pressure, because they could open real financial flexibility once the season ends. Toronto still has a core worth building around, but the next roster move is going to say plenty about how the club views its competitive window, and whether this group is headed for a simple patch job or a more deliberate retooling. [Read more 🡒]