Ex-Toronto Blue Jays off-season tracker – 2024-25 edition

December 19, 2024

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

It has been a fairly quiet off-season for the Toronto Blue Jays’ front office so far.

Too quiet, most fans will tell you.

But while you wait for the Blue Jays to make another big splash, I have assembled my annual ex-Blue Jays off-season transaction tracker.

My goal is to try to capture all of the transactions involving former Blue Jays – from big name free agent departures to ex-Jays that quietly sign minor league deals or contracts to play in the foreign ranks.

This tracker is a work in progress, but here’s my list so far:

INF/OF Franklin Barreto signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on November 25. Barreto was an infield prospect for the Blue Jays who was traded to the Oakland A’s as part of the package for Josh Donaldson on November 28, 2014.

RHP Phil Bickford, who was selected in the first round (10th overall) by the Blue Jays in 2013 but did not sign with them, inked a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs on November 22.

RHP Dave Bush was named assistant pitching coach of the Texas Rangers on November 25.

LHP Matthew Boyd signed a two-year, $29-million contract with the Chicago Cubs on December 1. The contract includes $1 million in performance bonuses.

LHP Genesis Cabrera signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on November 27. The deal includes an invite to spring training.

C Travis d’Arnaud signed a two-year, $12-million contract with the Los Angeles Angels on November 12. D’Arnaud spent three seasons in the Blue Jays’ organization from 2010 to 2012 after being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies as part of the package for Roy Halladay.

INF Luis De Los Santos was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets on November 4.

C Sal Fasano was named assistant pitching coach of the Los Angeles Angels on November 12.

Former assistant hitting coach Matt Hague was officially named the hitting coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 21.

RHP Thomas Hatch signed with the Korea Baseball Organziation’s (KBO) Doosan Bears on November 18. It is reportedly a one-year, $1-million contract. The Bears later voided his contract due to concerns about his physical.

INF Spencer Horwitz was traded to the Cleveland Guardians as part of the package for infielder Andres Gimenez on December 10. The Guardians then flipped him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-hander Luis Ortiz and two minor league prospects.

C Danny Jansen signed a one-year, $8.5-million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on December 6.

LHP Yusei Kikuchi signed a three-year, $63-million contract with the Los Angeles Angels on November 25.

LHP Zach Logue, who was a ninth round pick of the Blue Jays in 2017, signed a one-year, $800,000 with the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on December 18.

Former Vancouver Canadians and Dunedin Blue Jays manager Clayton McCullough was named manager of the Miami Marlins on November 11.

First-base coach Dave McKay (Vancouver, B.C.) will return to the Arizona Diamondbacks for his 12th season with the club. It will be his 55th season in pro baseball as a player or coach.

RHP Patrick Murphy, who made a combined 12 relief appearances for the Blue Jays in 2020 and 2021, signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on December 23.

LHP Thomas Pannone signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers on November 25.

RHP Jordan Romano signed a one-year, $8.5-million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on December 9.

OF Anthony Sanders will return as the Baltimore Orioles’ first base coach in 2025. The Orioles announced their 2025 staff on November 25.

Former hitting coach Kevin Seitzer was named the hitting coach of the Seattle Mariners on November 25.

OF Garrett Spain, who was taken in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Blue Jays and had spent four seasons in the organization, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the Rule 5 draft on December 11.

3B Gio Urshela signed a one-year contract with the A’s on December 19. Financial details were not disclosed, but it’s believed to be a major league deal.

RHP Jacob Waguespack re-signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on November 4. He signed a one-year, $1.3-million contract that includes a $1.5-million club option for 2026.

RHP Mitch White signed with the KBO’s SSG Landers on November 15. It is reportedly a one-year, $1-million contract.

INF Chris Woodward was named the Los Angeles Dodgers’ first base coach on November 22.