Injuries & Roster Moves: Stefanic, Gowdy sign MiLB deals
This page will be updated throughout the offseason to track all of the Blue Jays' moves, along with the progress of any injured players.
LATEST NEWS
Dec. 3: INF Michael Stefanic, RHP Kevin Gowdy agree to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training
Stefanic was outrighted by the Angels to Triple-A Salt Lake by on Oct. 24 and elected to become a free agent. The 28-year-old infielder posted a .591 OPS across 90 games with the Angels from 2022-24. Gowdy elected free agency on Nov. 4 after spending the previous two seasons in the Dodgers' Minor-League system. The 27-year-old has yet to appear in the Majors after being drafted in the second round by the Phillies in the 2016 Draft.
Nov. 22: RHP Erik Swanson agrees to one-year, $3 million deal
Swanson avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to the deal ahead of the Nov. 22 tender deadline, taking care of business early with a contract that falls in line with projections. Swanson's stretch run looked much better after he returned to the big leagues last summer. If the Blue Jays are going to rebuild their bullpen on the fly, they'll need him to be a big part of that. Even with the multiple bullpen moves expected to be coming this offseason, Swanson projects as a versatile, high-leverage reliever.
Nov. 22: RHP Jordan Romano, RHP Dillon Tate non-tendered; all other unsigned 40-man roster players tendered contracts for 2025
Romano was projected to earn $7.75 million in 2025 by Cot's Baseball Contracts. With the Canadian closer coming off a year marred by elbow injuries resulting in arthroscopic surgery, the Blue Jays chose to non-tender him. It's still possible that Romano returns on a lower deal, which Blue Jays fans would surely welcome after his run of success with his hometown team, but the health of his elbow going forward is clearly a factor here.
The Blue Jays liked what they saw from Tate down the stretch in 2024, making him another possibility to return in another capacity, depending on his market. Read more >>
Nov. 4: LHP Génesis Cabrera, RHP Luis Friasclear waivers and elect free agency; INF Luis De Los Santosclaimed off waivers by the Mets; RHP Michael Petersen claimed off waivers from the Marlins
The flurry of moves announced by the Blue Jays late Monday to set their 40-man roster were headlined by Cabrera, who is now a free agent. Cabrera still had arbitration control left, meaning the Blue Jays could have kept Cabrera and tendered him a contract, but he's now free to sign with any team. Cabrera posted a 3.59 ERA for the Blue Jays in 2024, though many of his underlying metrics weren't as strong.
Joining the Blue Jays' depth picture is Peterson, the big right-hander who had some success with the Dodgers earlier in 2024 and was eventually promoted to their big league bullpen before being claimed by the Marlins. Toronto's bullpen depth will continue to churn all offseason as multiple additions are needed.
INJURY UPDATES
SS Bo Bichette (right middle finger fracture)
Expected return: Spring Training 2025
Bichette took a ground ball off the tip of his middle finger pregame on Sept. 18, and X-rays revealed a fracture, ending his season. He underwent surgery on Sept. 25 to insert a pin in that finger, which will help the bone set properly, and the Blue Jays expect him to be fully healthy for the beginning of Spring Training. (Last updated: Sept. 25)
OF Daulton Varsho (right rotator cuff surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Varsho underwent surgery on Sept. 23 and will rejoin the Blue Jays for the final week of the season. This rehab process will start slowly and stretch across the entire offseason at a minimum. All parties involved hope that Varsho is ready to roll for Day 1 of Spring Training next February, but the Blue Jays should have a better feel for that later in the offseason as Varsho begins to ramp up activities again. (Last updated: Sept. 24)
INF Will Wagner (left knee surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Wagner, who dealt with this nagging issue for much of the season, underwent a left knee scope to clean it up on Sept. 19 in Cleveland. The Blue Jays don't expect this to have any impact on his 2025 season, though, and manager John Schneider is optimistic that a healthy knee could help Wagner tap into some more power and play more easily in the field next season. (Last updated: Sept. 20)
RHP Alek Manoah (right UCL surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Manoah underwent successful right UCL reconstructive surgery with an internal brace on June 17. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Aug. 19 strictly for 40-man roster purposes. Manoah left his start on May 29 after feeling a "pinchy" sensation in his right elbow. He was "guarding" his elbow earlier in that start, but the discomfort arose when he began to fully extend his elbow through pitches. (Last updated: Aug. 19)
LHP Ricky Tiedemann (Tommy John surgery, *No. 4 on Blue Jays' Top 30 prospects list*)
Expected return: Potentially late 2025
Tiedemann underwent successful Tommy John surgery on July 30. He will miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season. The 21-year-old left-hander had worked his way back from ulnar nerve inflammation in his left elbow, but in his first start back with Triple-A Buffalo, Tiedemann left with what was described at the time as left forearm tightness. After getting opinions from Dr. Keith Meister and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, Tiedemann opted for surgery. (Last updated: Aug. 2)
LHP Brandon Barriera (Tommy John surgery, *No. 16 on Blue Jays' Top 30 prospects list*)
Expected return: 2025
Barriera's agent announced in late April that the 20-year-old lefty had undergone Tommy John surgery with an internal brace to repair a Grade 2 UCL tear and was placed on the Minor League season-ending injured list. The Blue Jays' No. 16 prospect will miss the rest of the 2024 season and likely part of the 2025 season, though that timeline should be clearer early next year.
This is another difficult setback for the Blue Jays' first-round pick from 2022. Barriera was shut down after the Draft that year, dealt with injuries in 2023 and is now done for '24, leaving him with just 21 2/3 pro innings under his belt. Barriera had impressed in camp and was touching 97 mph regularly, but for now, he'll focus on the rehab process and attempt to come back strong in his age-21 season. (Last updated: May 17)