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Blue Jays Add Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer To ALCS Roster; Bo Bichette Not Included

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The Blue Jays have announced the 26 players who will be part of their American League Championship Series roster against the Mariners.  As in the ALDS, the Jays will be using 13 pitchers and 13 position players, though a couple of new arms will be joining the pitching staff.  The full list…

Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
Infielders: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
Left-handed pitchers: Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Chris Bassitt, Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodriguez, Max Scherzer, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage

Beginning with the most notable omission from the roster, Bo Bichette remains unavailable, as the shortstop has yet to fully recover from a left knee sprain that has kept him out of action since September 6.  Bichette didn’t start any running work until this past Wednesday, but a move to a bit more high-intensity running on the bases yesterday didn’t yield much progress.  Bichette clearly looked to be in discomfort following even this brief session, which created doubt that he would indeed be healthy enough to be activated.

Since Bichette has been able to take batting practice and face live hitting, there had been some speculation that the Jays might use Bichette just in a DH role or even as a pinch-hitting specialist.  Even that limited capacity would involve Bichette having to run in some form if he ended up getting hits, of course, and yesterday’s footage implies that Bichette’s knee is still far from 100 percent.

Technically, the Jays could still activate Bichette at some point during the ALCS if another injury arose.  But the far likelier scenario is that Bichette won’t see any action until the World Series should Toronto advance, and it remains unclear if even 12 more days of rest and rehab will be enough for Bichette to return at all during the Jays’ postseason run.

By this point the Blue Jays have gotten used to playing without Bichette to some extent.  Gimenez has settled in as the glove-first option at shortstop, and the Jays were will able to both win the AL East and defeat the Yankees in the ALDS without Bichette available.  That said, obviously Toronto’s roster is better with Bichette than without, and the Jays figure to miss his bat against the Mariners’ deep pitching staff.

Speaking of rotations, Bassitt and Scherzer return after being left out of the ALCS picture.  Scherzer was omitted since manager John Schneider felt the veteran didn’t match up well against the Yankees in particular, while Bassitt wasn’t fully recovered from a bout of back tightness that sent him to the 15-day injured list on September 19.  The Jays felt they could navigate the five-game ALDS with only three starters (Gausman, Yesavage, Bieber) on the roster, and that proved to be the case, as the relief corps stepped up with a big bullpen-game performance in the clinching Game 4.

Gausman is set to start Game 1, and in all likelihood rookie sensation Yesavage will start Game 2 and Bieber will go in Game 3.  Still, Gausman is the only announced starter to date, so the Blue Jays might still yet creative with their exact deployment of their starters.  Not all five starters will actually start, of course, leaving some question with how Bassitt or Scherzer will be used.  Bassitt has a little more career experience as a reliever, yet Scherzer struggled so much down the stretch that that recent form is a bigger factor for the Jays than Scherzer’s distinguished postseason track record.

Bassitt and Scherzer will be taking the places of relievers Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl.  Nance was inching his way into higher-leverage work after delivering a 1.99 ERA over 30 1/3 innings in the regular season, but he didn’t look sharp in posting a 13.50 ERA over 1 1/3 innings in the ALDS.  Bruihl was charged for two earned runs in his lone one-third of an inning of ALDS work, and the southpaw was something of a 26th man for much of Toronto’s season, as he logged 13 2/3 innings with a 5.27 ERA.

Poll: Who Will Win The League Championship Series?

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The postseason field has been narrowed down to four teams, in mostly chalk fashion.  Each member of the final four is a division winner, and three of the clubs received first-round byes.  The Dodgers were the only club who had to advance through the wild card round, and the reigning World Series champs aren’t exactly underdogs.  In fact, all of the Brewers, Mariners, and Blue Jays had a lot more questions to answer about their playoff readiness given a recent lack of postseason success, yet all three teams were up to the task in winning their League Championship Series matchups.

Only the Yankees have reached the World Series more times than the Dodgers, who are vying for the franchise’s 23rd trip to the Fall Classic.  Los Angeles is the defending champion aiming for its third ring in six seasons, against three teams with much less of a postseason resume.  The Blue Jays are a perfect 2-0 in the club’s only two World Series appearances, but they last reached the Series in 1993.  The Brewers’ lone Series appearance was so long ago (in 1982) that the club was still in the American League, and Milwaukee fell to the Cardinals in a seven-game nail-biter.  The Mariners can get a big albatross off their backs just by winning the AL pennant, as Seattle is the only team in Major League Baseball to have never reached a World Series.

The ALCS between the Mariners and Blue Jays carries some added historical import since the two teams both joined MLB in 1977.  The only previous playoff series between the two expansion cousins took place in 2022, when Seattle swept Toronto in two games in the best-of-three wild card series, and made an epic comeback from an 8-1 run deficit to capture a 10-9 win in Game 2.  That crushing loss was part of the 0-6 playoff record the Jays carried during the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era, before Toronto broke out with a dominant win over the Yankees in this year’s ALDS.

Blue Jays hitters erupted for 34 runs and a collective .338/.373/.601 slash line over the four games against New York.  While that level of an explosion came as a surprise, Toronto led the league in both batting average and OBP this season, while also finishing near the top of the table in runs and OPS.  Seattle’s season-long numbers weren’t quite as impressive, yet the club has been one of baseball’s best offensive teams since Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez were acquired at the trade deadline.  Led by these two big bats, Julio Rodriguez, Jorge Polanco, and the all-around brilliance of MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, the Mariners’ powerful lineup will provide the Jays’ pitching staff with a huge challenge.

In terms of run prevention, the Blue Jays have a significant edge on defense.  Toronto had a collective +51 Defensive Runs Saves and +14 Outs Above Average in the regular season, in comparison to Seattle’s +9 DRS and -30 OAA.  This could potentially help the Jays counter the Mariners’ deeper rotation, as with Bryan Woo expected to return from injury in the ALCS, all five of the M’s regular starters will be available in some capacity.  How exactly those starters will be deployed is still a matter of debate, as George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Luis Castillo all had to pitch during Seattle’s 15-inning marathon with the Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS.

The Blue Jays held a 4-2 edge in the season series with the Mariners this year, and have the homefield advantage as the AL’s top seed.  That is a significant point for a Jays team that is 56-27 at Rogers Centre during the regular season and playoffs, plus the Mariners’ road record is only 40-43.  Turning to the National League, the Brewers and Dodgers each had identical 52-29 home records in the regular season, and Milwaukee was an impressive 45-36 away from home, while the Dodgers were only 41-40 on the road.

The other eye-opening statistic is Milwaukee’s perfect 6-0 record in head-to-head play against Los Angeles this season.  As daunting as the Dodgers’ star-studded roster may be, the Brewers have had their number in 2025, and will now have to try and do it again in the postseason.  L.A. has won the only two prior postseason series between the two franchises, including a seven-game win in the 2018 NLCS.

That 2018 season marked the last time the Brew Crew won a playoff series until their five-game win over the Cubs in this year’s NLDS.  The series as a whole was a demonstration of the kind of quality pitching and timely hitting that the Brewers have enjoyed all season.  A relative lack of power is basically the only flaw for a lineup that posted tremendous numbers, but Andrew Vaughn’s career turn-around since being acquired by the Brewers in June has added a new dimension to the offense.

A pair of shaky starts from Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester at Wrigley Field could be red flags for the Brewers against L.A.  Peralta pitched well enough in Game 1 that his Game 4 performance might just be a hiccup, yet if Priester can’t get on track, the Brewers will have to lean even harder on a bullpen that has already logged a lot of innings in the NLDS.  Milwaukee is as creative as any team in getting the most out of its pitching staff, so expect plenty of unconventional pitcher usage as the Brewers will try to keep the Dodgers at bay.

After a somewhat underwhelming regular season by their high standards, the Dodgers may have flipped the switch for October, sweeping the Reds in the wild card series and then dispatching the Phillies in a four-game NLDS.  Even with several stars (Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and an injury-diminished Will Smith) yet to get rolling at the plate, the Dodgers have been aided by a red-hot Mookie Betts and contributions from up and down their seasoned lineup.

Roki Sasaki’s emergence as the club’s seeming first choice at closer has been huge for Los Angeles, and perhaps addresses the team’s biggest weakness.  If Sasaki is now a high-leverage option late in games and the excellent L.A. starting rotation remains in form, the Brewers have a pretty narrow window to strike against the rest of the struggling Dodger bullpen.

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Bassitt

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The Blue Jays put together an impressive win in four games over the Yankees in the ALDS this past week, and it’s all the more impressive when one considers that they managed to pull it off without one of their star players. Shortstop Bo Bichette has been on the injured list since early September due to a left knee sprain, and did not participate in the Division Series as a result. With the ALCS against the Mariners scheduled to start tomorrow, it seems a decision on Bichette’s status has not yet been made.

Earlier this afternoon, Ben Nicholson Smith of Sportsnet relayed that, per Jays manager John Schneider, Bichette hit against live pitching yesterday and ran the bases today. Schneider added that how Bichette responds to that uptick in activity will help to determine whether or not he’s rostered for the ALCS. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com expanded on that, noting that Schneider suggested the decision on Bichette would be one of the last ones they would make before rosters are announced tomorrow morning. Per Matheson, Bichette still appeared to be experiencing discomfort when he ran the bases today, and he suggested that Bichette might be confined to a DH-only role if he does return to action.

As Matheson notes, a DH role for Bichette would push George Springer into the outfield and force a fellow outfielder like Nathan Lukes or Anthony Santander out of the lineup. That’s surely only something they would do if they were confident that Bichette was healthy enough to contribute substantially at the plate. On the other hand, if Bichette isn’t quite ready to return but making enough progress, Toronto could opt to roster him even if he wouldn’t be available for Game 1. That would come with substantial risk, however, as if he was placed back on the injured list at some point in the ALCS he would not be eligible for the World Series if the Jays advance.

Moving on to the rotation, Toronto made the somewhat bold decision to leave both Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer off their ALDS roster. Both veteran starters were left off for understandable reasons; Scherzer struggled badly late in the year, while Bassitt wasn’t fully stretched out after being placed on the injured list in late September. That was fine for a five-game set where the team could lean heavily on Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber to handle starting duties, but Schneider acknowledged to reporters (including Nicholson-Smith) that both Bassitt and Scherzer will be in the mix for the club’s roster given the need for “more length” in a seven-game series. All of those roster decisions will be made by 9am CT tomorrow morning, when rosters are due for both clubs.

Bo Bichette Resumes Light Jogging

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Bo Bichette took a small step forward on Wednesday in his recovery from a left PCL sprain. The star shortstop was seen jogging in the outfield at Yankee Stadium prior to Game 4 of the ALDS, reported Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. It’s the first we’ve heard of on-field running work for Bichette since he went down with the knee injury on September 6. Bannon added that Bichette jogged three times in the outfield for about 50 yards, but still had a noticeable limp when he walked back.

Bichette has been out for just over a month since injuring his knee on a slide against the Yankees. He’d been able to hit in the batting cage, but hadn’t progressed to any sort of running drills until today. Bichette was unsurprisingly left off of Toronto’s ALDS roster. Andres Gimenez has picked up the majority of the starts at shortstop in Bichette’s stead. He’s played short in each of the Blue Jays’ playoff games so far. Ernie Clement also picked up a couple of starts at shortstop in September.

While the progress is encouraging for Bichette, he still has multiple hurdles to clear before making his 2025 postseason debut. He’ll certainly need to shake off the limp before moving to more intense drills. Toronto will likely want to see him field ground balls at shortstop before considering adding him to the playoff roster. The ALCS starts on Sunday, so there isn’t much time for Bichette to get back into playing shape before the next round. The World Series, if the Blue Jays were to advance that far, might be a more reasonable goal for Bichette at this point.

Toronto’s DH situation is somewhat crowded, so the best route for Bichette to make an impact in the playoffs might be off the bench, similar to how the Dodgers used catcher Will Smith as he recovered from a hand fracture. Smith didn’t make an appearance against Cincinnati, but has been able to contribute as a sub in the NLDS against Philadelphia. He scored on Teoscar Hernandez’s go-ahead home run in Game 1, then knocked in a couple of runs with a single in Game 2. Smith will draw his first start of the postseason in Game 3 on Wednesday.

The knee injury cut short Bichette’s best full season at the plate. He posted a healthy 134 wRC+, his best mark since his brief 46-game stint as a rookie in 2019. Bichette’s .311 batting average ranked second in the league behind only Aaron Judge. The shortstop finished the regular season with 628 plate appearances, his most since 2022. While the power and speed tailed off, Bichette showed the best plate discipline of his career in 2025. He cut his strikeout rate to 14.5%, the first time he’d been below 19% in the big leagues. Bichette’s 6.4% walk rate, while still not great, was his best mark since 2019.

Toronto’s offense hasn’t felt the loss of Bichette so far in the postseason, piling up 29 runs against the Yankees. They lead the league with nine playoff home runs, which is especially impressive considering they’ve only played three games. On an individual level, the results haven’t been as inspiring. Gimenez has been fine, going 3-for-11 with a couple of runs batted in. Glove-first veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa has seen time at second base with Gimenez sliding over to shortstop, but has gone hitless in six at-bats and made an error in Game 3. Addison Barger then had his own defensive miscue after replacing Kiner-Falefa in the eventual loss.

A return in the postseason might ease some concerns for potential Bichette suitors this offseason. He’ll be one of the top free agents on the market heading into 2026, but persistent injury issues might affect the length and dollar amount of his next contract. Calf and finger injuries wrecked Bichette’s 2024 season. He missed time with knee and quad issues in 2023. Getting back to action during this playoff run could be a boost to his value as he looks for a new deal.

 

Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Bo Bichette Left Off Blue Jays’ ALDS Roster

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12:30PM: Manager John Schneider provided Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling (multiple links) and other media with some context on the roster decisions.  Beyond the lack of running, Bichette has yet to face higher-velocity or pitches with movement in his cage work.  Bassitt wasn’t quite stretched out enough to be ready, whereas Scherzer was omitted because Schneider didn’t like how he matched up with New York specifically; Scherzer would likely have been included had the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in the wild card series.

9:20AM: The Blue Jays announced their official 26-man roster for their AL Division Series matchup with the Yankees that begins today.  Toronto will take 13 pitchers and 13 position players into action against New York, with the following breakdown…

Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
Infielders: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
Left-handed pitchers: Justin Bruihl, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Tommy Nance, Yariel Rodriguez, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage

The roster notably doesn’t include three players battling injuries (Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, Ty France) and one prominent name in Max Scherzer.  Omitting Scherzer and Bassitt from the roster means that the Blue Jays seem to be locking into rookie Yesavage to start one game of the series, and then perhaps turning to a bullpen game in Game Four.

It wasn’t long ago that the Jays seemed to have almost a surplus of postseason rotation candidates, between Gausman, Bieber, Scherzer, Bassitt, Lauer, Jose Berrios, and Yesavage waiting in the wings at Triple-A.  Toronto moved Lauer into a relief role at the start of September and also tapped Berrios for bullpen work late in the month, though a case of elbow inflammation sidelined Berrios and left his postseason availability up in the air.

Bassitt also hit the 15-day injured list on September 19 due to lower back tightness, but seemed to be on pace to be part of the ALDS roster.  It isn’t yet known if Bassitt might’ve had some sort of setback in his ramp-up work, or if perhaps he or the Jays had enough uncertainty over his health that the team didn’t want to take the risk of issuing Bassitt a roster spot.  If a player has to be removed from a postseason roster due to injury, the player is ineligible to play in the following series, so it could be that the Blue Jays didn’t want to take the chance of losing Bassitt for the ALCS if the Jays defeat New York.

For Scherzer, his two World Series and 143 career playoff innings didn’t carry as much weight to the Jays as the veteran’s recent form.  The right-hander posted a 9.00 ERA over his final six starts and 25 innings in the regular season, and Scherzer only completed six innings in one of those outings.  One of those tough starts came against the Yankees on September 7, when Scherzer allowed four runs on three hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings in a 4-3 New York victory.

Scherzer ended up with a 5.19 ERA over 85 innings in 2025, as he missed most of the first half dealing with injuries.  Just prior to his rough final six starts, it seemed like Scherzer was locking into form with a string of five consecutive quality starts and a 2.25 ERA over 32 innings.  The Jays signed Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5MM contract last winter in the hopes that he could turn back the clock and provide veteran depth and experience to the rotation, particularly if Toronto happened to advance into the playoffs.  While it is possible he could return for the ALCS, Scherzer will be limited to spectator duty for at least the first leg of the Blue Jays’ postseason run.

It isn’t surprising that Bichette isn’t participating, since as of Wednesday, Bichette had yet to start running drills as part of his rehab from a left PCL sprain.  Bichette hurt his knee almost exactly a month ago, on an awkward slide into home plate on September 6 in another game against the Yankees.  Bichette has been able to take swings in the batting cage, but until he is able to run whatsoever, his status for the rest of the playoffs remains unclear if the Jays manage to advance deeper into October.

Ty France is another noteworthy player left off the roster, as France may still be bothered by the oblique inflammation that has kept him sidelined since September 21.  France’s absence will leave the Jays without some right-handed hitting bench depth, and Guerrero is now the only true first baseman on the roster, though naturally Guerrero isn’t expected to leave the lineup at any point in the series.

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Bassitt, France, Berrios

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Winning the AL East allowed the Blue Jays to bypass the wild card round, and get some needed time off before the ALDS begins on Saturday.  The longer break created some hope that Bo Bichette (who hasn’t played since September 6 due to a left PCL sprain) could get healthy enough to be part of Toronto’s first postseason roster, yet at the moment it looks like the shortstop won’t be ready.

Jays manager John Schneider told The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon and other reporters that Bichette has yet to start running as part of his recovery process.  Schneider and GM Ross Atkins were both, as Bannon put it, ” vague and cautiously optimistic” about Bichette’s availability, yet it is hard to imagine Bichette being included on the roster if he isn’t yet able to run.  Such a lack of mobility would naturally rule out a return to shortstop duty, and even a DH-only or pinch-hitting role seems like a long shot.  Despite the importance of Bichette’s bat to Toronto’s lineup, it hurts the Jays’ overall flexibility by devoting a roster spot to someone playing under what would seemingly be severe limitations.

Schneider said that a decision on Bichette’s status won’t be made until tomorrow, and the Blue Jays don’t have to officially announce their ALDS roster until Saturday morning.  Some gamesmanship could be at play here just to not tip the Jays’ hand about Bichette to the Red Sox and Yankees’ advance scouts, but for now, the question might be if Bichette will even be available for the ALCS should the Jays advance.

Bichette’s bounce-back season was a huge part of the Blue Jays’ run to the division crown.  After an injury-marred down year in 2024, Bichette rebounded to hit .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs over 628 plate appearances this year, with a 134 wRC+ that ranked 20th among all qualified hitters in baseball.  Getting Bichette back even in a bat-only capacity as a DH would be welcome news for the Jays, but all this uncertainty over one of their top players is a cloud hanging over the club’s postseason chances.

In a more positive injury update, Chris Bassitt is slated to pitch multiple innings during an intrasquad game today, which will be the final checkpoint towards the right-hander’s availability for the ALDS roster.  Bassitt last pitched on September 18, and was then (retroactively) placed on the 15-day injured list the next day due to lower back inflammation.  The timing has worked out well enough that the 15-day minimum will expire just prior to Game 1 of the ALDS, and Bassitt is expected to be part of Toronto’s pitching mix.

How the Jays’ pitching plans will shake out is anyone’s guess, beyond the expectation of Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber acting in traditional starting roles.  A healthy Bassitt might be viewed as a favorite for another rotation spot, and the Blue Jays are also weighing both ends of the experience spectrum in future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer and rookie Trey Yesavage.

One pitcher who won’t be involved in at least the ALDS roster is Jose Berrios, who went on the 15-day IL on September 25 due to inflammation in his throwing elbow.  Initial scans didn’t indicate any structural damage, and Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes that this diagnosis was supported once Berrios got a second opinion.  Since Berrios hasn’t started throwing, it is hard to project whether or not he could be available if the Blue Jays make it deeper into October.  The Jays had already made the decision to move the longtime starter into a bullpen role a couple of weeks ago, and Berrios likely would’ve continued to work as a reliever during the postseason.

Atkins also had an update on first baseman Ty France, who is “feeling better” and “progressing at a level that he could be a factor for us” in the aftermath of an IL placement due to oblique inflammation.  France last played on September 21 and is expected to try and face some live pitching soon, but it remains to be seen if this will come in time for France to be included on the ALDS roster.  Acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline, France has hit .277/.320/.372 over 103 PA in a Jays uniform, and his right-handed bat could be a counter to Boston and New York’s left-handed pitchers.

MLBTR Podcast: Mike Elias On The State Of The Orioles

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias to discuss…

  • Elias’s promotion from general manager to president of baseball operations (1:45)
  • Why the Orioles underperformed in 2025 (3:30)
  • The club’s lack of investment in free agent pitching (5:25)
  • The decision making about playing time for prospects when they don’t find immediate big league success (9:20)
  • How Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo can co-exist on the roster (12:35)
  • Getting six prospects from the Padres in the Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano trade (14:50)
  • Trading Bryan Baker to the Rays for a draft pick (16:55)
  • Seeing the potential in O’Hearn before his breakout (18:45)

Plus, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors joins the show to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Tim Heitman, Imagn Images

Braves Claim Alek Manoah

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The Braves have claimed right-hander Alek Manoah off waivers from the Blue Jays, according to announcements from both clubs. Toronto designated him for assignment earlier this week. To open a 40-man spot for Manoah, Atlanta transferred infielder Ozzie Albies to the 60-day injured list.

Manoah, 27, has been trending down for a few years but is a former Cy Young contender. In 2022, he made 31 starts for the Blue Jays, tossing 196 2/3 innings with a 2.24 earned run average. That ERA was probably a bit misleading. Manoah’s 6.5% walk rate was good but his 22.9% strikeout rate was only about average and his 37.5% ground ball rate was subpar. He benefited from a .244 batting average on balls in play and 82.6% strand rate. Adjusted metrics like his 3.35 FIP and his 3.85 SIERA thought he was more good than great. Regardless, Manoah finished third in American League Cy Young voting, behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease.

A major correction came in the following season. Manoah was optioned to the minors in early June of 2023 after posting a 6.36 ERA in his first 13 starts. His strikeout rate had dropped to 17% while his walked rate had climbed to 14.9%. He came back up to make a few more starts in the second half but finished the year with a 5.87 ERA over 19 starts.

Going into 2024, there were some trade rumors surrounding Manoah but he ended up staying with the Jays. He missed the start of the season due to some shoulder soreness. He was able to come off the IL in May and made five decent starts, with a 3.70 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. However, he then required Tommy John surgery, putting him out of action for the rest of the year.

Here in 2025, Manoah has been working to get back on track but it hasn’t been an encouraging return. He has thrown 38 2/3 innings in the minors this year, mostly on rehab but the Jays also eventually reinstated him from the IL and optioned him. His 3.96 ERA in those minor league innings isn’t bad but his 19.6% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate are both poor. He has only been averaging 91 miles per hour on his fastball, whereas he was around 94 mph in that great 2022 season.

This was Manoah’s first of three arbitration seasons and he is making $2.2MM. Since he hasn’t pitched in the big leagues this year, he should be in line to make the same salary next year. The Jays recently needed a 40-man spot to reinstate Anthony Santander from the 60-day IL and they bumped Manoah off. That seems to suggest they weren’t planning to tender Manoah a contract and keep him around for next year.

He’s a sensible flier for another club to take. A salary between $2MM and $3MM is tiny by modern starting pitching standards. Soft-tossing veterans like Kyle Hendricks and Wade Miley each signed for $2.5MM last offseason. If Manoah can regain some of his lost velocity next year, there would be the added upside of him being controllable in 2027 as well. He also still has options, meaning he could be stashed in Triple-A as depth if he still isn’t back on track by March of next year.

That makes it somewhat surprising that a few clubs passed on Manoah. Waivers go in reverse order of the standings and are not league specific. With Atlanta winning the claim, it can be concluded that the Rockies, White Sox, Nationals, Twins, Pirates and Angels all passed. Some of those clubs have decent pitching, despite their poor records. But a few of those teams are desperate for arms, particularly the Rockies, who have a 6.02 ERA this season. Given their difficulties in convincing free agents to pitch at Coors Field, it’s a bit startling to see them shrug here.

Atlanta came into 2025 with championship aspirations but it turned into a Murphy’s law season. A mountain of injuries, some poor performances and a PED suspension for Jurickson Profar all combined to produce a dreadful campaign. As they have been playing out the string, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has been trying to take advantage of any opportunity to grab players who might help the club bounce back next year.

In the past two months, Atlanta has claimed Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Fraley, Joey Wentz, Vidal Bruján, Brett Wisely, Joel Payamps, Chuckie Robinson, Alexis Díaz and now Manoah off waivers. Presumably, the club is comfortable tendering Manoah a contract for next year, though they don’t have to decide on that today. Perhaps they will have Manoah report to one of their facilities to throw some bullpens as they take a close-up look at him. If they want to, they could always walk away before the deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players, which is usually in late November.

Going into 2026, Atlanta’s rotation projects to potentially include Chris Sale, Hurston Waldrep, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder and others. That’s a lot of names but there are lots of question marks in there. Sale has had plenty of injuries over the years and turns 37 in March. Waldrep may be having a nice breakout but still has less than 70 big league innings pitched. Strider returned from his own surgery absence this year and hasn’t been his usual self. López missed almost this entire season due to a shoulder injury. Schwellenbach has been out almost three months due to an elbow fracture. Holmes probably needs UCL surgery but is trying non-surgical rehab for now. Elder has an unimpressive 5.30 ERA this year.

Assuming Manoah is tendered a contract, he cheaply adds another name into that mix and gives the club some more rotation depth. As mentioned, he has options and can be sent to Triple-A Gwinnett if he doesn’t earn a rotation job out of camp. If he is able to return to form, Atlanta could control him for the 2027 season as well.

It’s also possible they tender him a contract and then try to pass him through waivers later. Manoah will finish this year between four and five years of major league service time. That means he has the right to reject outright assignments but has to walk away from his remaining salary commitments in exercising that right. Players in that spot sometimes find themselves making a few million, which decreases the chances of them being claimed, allowing the club to stash them as non-roster depth.

As for Albies, he suffered a hamate fracture a few days ago and was going to miss the remainder of the season. He’ll spend the rest of the campaign on the 60-day IL but will need to be reinstated for the offseason, as the IL goes away five days after the World Series and doesn’t come back until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images

Blue Jays Place José Berríos On IL With Elbow Inflammation

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September 26th: Manager John Schneider provided reporters, including Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, with an update on Berríos today. The righty has no structural damage but will get a second opinion with Dr. Keith Meister just to be sure.

September 25th: The Blue Jays are going to place right-hander José Berríos on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. Manager John Schneider relayed the news to reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. It’s something he has been “dealing with for a while,” per Schneider, and is getting an MRI. Righty Paxton Schultz is on his way to join the club and will be recalled in a corresponding move.

Berríos, 31, has been a fairly steady presence in the Toronto rotation this year. He has given the club 166 innings with a 4.17 earned run average. However, he has been worse of late. He had a 3.75 ERA in the first half but a 5.15 ERA in the second. That recently got him bumped to the Toronto bullpen.

It’s possible this elbow issue has been impacting his results, as Schneider alluded to. He was averaging in the 93-95 mile per hour range with his fastball earlier in the season but has been more in the 91-93 mph band lately. Durability has been a hallmark of the righty’s career. This is actually his first ever trip to the major league IL.

Given his recent downturn in results and move to the bullpen, he had become less important to Toronto’s pitching staff. Once the playoffs arrive, all teams will rely more on their top arms, making the length a bit less important. The Jays have already clinched a spot but are still trying to lock down the division and a first-round bye or home-field advantage in the Wild Card round.

Still, it’s the latest in a series of recent cuts to Toronto’s depth. Chris Bassitt also went on the IL recently, in his case due to a back injury. That leaves the Jays with a rotation mix consisting of Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer and Trey Yesavage. Gausman and Bieber give the Jays a strong one-two punch for the playoffs but Scherzer has been awful of late, with 25 earned runs allowed in his past 25 innings. Yesavage was just promoted and has just two major league starts under his belt. Eric Lauer had a good run in the rotation earlier this year but was moved to the bullpen after Bieber got up to speed. All of Lauer’s appearances in the past three weeks have been less than two innings.

That’s a less than ideal situation for the club in the short term. If this ends up being a long-term injury, that would also be notable for the Blue Jays. They are about to lose Bassitt and Scherzer to free agency. Bieber has a $16MM player option but will surely go for the $4MM buyout if he finishes the year healthy.

Though Berríos has been limping through the second half, the Jays were surely planning on installing him back into the rotation next year alongside Gausman, Yesavage and perhaps Lauer. The Jays were presumably already planning to pursue starting pitching this winter and that desire should only increase if Berríos ends up slated to miss part of next season.

Down the line, that could also impact him personally. Berríos can opt out of his deal after 2026. He is slated to make $24MM in both 2027 and 2028, so he would be deciding to walk away from two years and $48MM. That’s not a ton of money for a starting pitcher these days. The Padres just gave Nick Pivetta $55MM last winter. Michael Wacha got $51MM from the Royals the prior offseason. Jon Gray got $56MM from the Rangers a few years back.

There’s a path for Berríos to have a strong season in 2026 and make the opt-out a real consideration. Though a poor season, or a lengthy injury absence, would naturally reduce the chances of that being a factor.

For now, the Jays will trudge through the final days of the season. Scherzer started last night. Today is going to be a bullpen game with Louis Varland technically the starter. Schultz may end up covering multiple innings of relief. Bieber and Yesavage are scheduled to take the ball in the two subsequent contests. Gausman could start the final game if it’s important or if they have secured a bye, though the Jays could also hold him for the first game of the Wild Card round, if necessary. Bassitt and Berríos could re-enter the equation later in October if they get healthy as the Jays stay alive.

Photo courtesy of Rhona Wise, Imagn Images

Nationals, Orelvis Martinez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Nationals and former top prospect Orelvis Martinez have agreed to a minor league deal that’ll carry into the 2026 season, reports Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. Martinez was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays and subsequently released earlier in the month.

Still just 23 years old (24 in November), Martinez ranked among the sport’s top-100 prospects at Baseball America for four years from 2021-24. The slugging infielder posted huge numbers, belting a combined 86 home runs in 1481 plate appearances from 2021-23. His defensive home was always something of a question mark — he’s spent time at shortstop, third base and second base — but Martinez’s plus power and consistent production seemed to be setting the stage for a possible long-term role in the Toronto infield.

Things changed dramatically early in 2024, however, when Martinez received an 80-game ban for PED usage. He hit well down the stretch in a small sample after returning late last season in Triple-A (.304/.360/.522 in 50 plate appearances), but the 2025 season has been a disaster.

Martinez spent the entire season in Triple-A this year and looked like a shell of his former self. In 99 games, he took 394 plate appearances and mustered only a .176/.288/.348 batting line (73 wRC+). His 28.4% strikeout rate tied the highest mark of his career, and he averaged just 86.8 mph off the bat with a tepid 36.8% hard-hit rate. Though the Jays had given him plenty of run at shortstop and third base earlier in his career, he slid further down the defensive spectrum in ’25 and spent the vast majority of his time at second base (79 games) and designated hitter (14) with only a handful of appearances at the hot corner.

The Nats will provide Martinez with a fresh start next season. He’s a lottery ticket for Washington, but there’s no harm in bringing him aboard on a non-guaranteed deal to see what he looks like next spring. The Nats have Luis Garcia Jr. at second base, but he’s a non-tender candidate this offseason. Former first-rounder Brady House made his big league debut at the hot corner in 2025 but has yet to establish himself as a firm option there. Martinez’s shortstop days are seemingly behind him, but the Nats have CJ Abrams entrenched there anyhow. Martinez will compete for an opportunity next spring, and if he doesn’t break camp with the club he’ll head to Triple-A Rochester and give Washington some additional infield depth.

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