The Blue Jays designated Raposo for assignment Friday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The Blue Jays claimed Raposo off waivers from St. Louis in early August, and he went on to slash .246/.361/.311 with five RBI over 20 games with Triple-A Buffalo. He'll be stripped of his 40-man roster spot to create room for Yimi Garcia, who officially signed a two-year deal with Toronto on Friday, though Raposo will likely remain with the club as organizational depth behind the plate.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Eric Lauer: Gets NRI with Toronto
Rotowire
The Blue Jays signed Lauer to a minor-league contract on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Lauer split the 2024 season between the Triple-A level (where he had a 5.26 ERA in 75.1 innings) and the Korea Baseball Organization (where he held a 4.93 ERA in 34.2 frames). The 29-year-old lefty will likely begin the 2025 season as rotation depth at Triple-A Buffalo.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Angel Bastardo: Poached in Rule 5 draft
Rotowire
The Blue Jays selected Bastardo (elbow) with the sixth pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.
Bastardo is recovering from Tommy John surgery that was completed in the middle of the 2024 season, so the Blue Jays may be able to stash him on the injured list for most of the season before easing him into a low-leverage relief role once he's completed a lengthy rehab assignment. Bastardo logged a 5.36 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 53:21 K:BB in 45.1 innings across 10 starts at Double-A last year before needing surgery, although his 4.28 FIP and 3.63 xFIP suggest he deserved a lower ERA. The Jays can stretch Bastardo back out as a starter in 2026 if they hold on to him in the majors/on the IL all season.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Nick Sandlin: Dealt to Blue Jays
Rotowire
The Guardians traded Sandlin to the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell were sent to the Guardians in return for Sandlin and Andres Gimenez. Sandlin departs Cleveland after playing for the Guardians for the first four seasons of his career, finishing his tenure with a 3.27 ERA across 195.1 innings, including a 3.75 ERA across 68 appearances in 2024.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Andres Gimenez: Bound for Toronto
Rotowire
The Guardians traded Gimenez to the Blue Jays on Tuesday alongside Nick Sandlin in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Gimenez had a down year offensively in 2024, slashing just .252/.298/.340 with 63 RBI in 152 games. However, the 26-year-old infielder is coming off his second consecutive 30-steal campaign and has developed into one of the game's best defenders. His glove will almost certainly keep him in the lineup everyday for Toronto, and he still has potential to bounce back at the plate after posting an .837 OPS just two seasons ago.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Back north of the border
Rotowire
Garcia (elbow) signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Garcia, who was traded from the Blue Jays to the Mariners shortly before the trade deadline, ended the year on the shelf with elbow inflammation. The 34-year-old righty had a 3.46 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 49:12 K:BB and five saves in 39 innings last year before his elbow started barking. If he's healthy, Garcia could work as Chad Green's setup man or even challenge for a share of ninth-inning duties.
Gowdy signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday and received an invitation to spring training.
Gowdy spent all of last season with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, where he logged a 4.56 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 51.1 innings. The 27-year-old will almost certainly need to improve upon those numbers in spring training to have a shot at making Toronto's Opening Day roster. Otherwise, he'll fill in as organizational depth at Triple-A Buffalo.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Could miss Opening Day
Rotowire
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Tuesday that expecting Varsho (shoulder) to be ready for Opening Day "could be unrealistic," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Atkins noted that Varsho isn't behind schedule in his recovery after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in late September. However, manager John Schneider's original prediction of Varsho being close to full participation for the start of spring training no longer seems likely. A clearer picture regarding the 28-year-old's timeline will emerge as the new season approaches.
Blue Jays' Michael Stefanic: Inks minors deal with Toronto
Rotowire
The Blue Jays signed Stefanic to a minor-league contract Wednesday, Nate Heisler of Klutch Sports reports.
Stefanic elected free agency after being outrighted off the Angels' 40-man roster in October. The 28-year-old has slashed just .232/.317/.275 over parts of three big-league seasons and will likely begin 2025 as a utility infielder at Triple-A Buffalo.
Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Avoids arbitration with Toronto
Rotowire
Swanson agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blue Jays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Swanson will stick around in Toronto for a third straight season after being acquired from the Mariners in November of 2022. Swanson spent most of the 2024 regular season in the majors, and across 45 outings with the Blue Jays, he posted a 5.03 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 39.1 innings. The 31-year-old will provide right-handed relief out of Toronto's bullpen for the 2025 campaign.
