Current and former Blue Jays with upcoming Opt-Out dates, potential free agents
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The following is a list of current and former Toronto Blue Jays who are in camp as non-roster invitees and will be able to opt out this weekend.
Most were free agents, but there are a handful of names who didn't meet that requirement but had outs negotiated into their respective deals nonetheless.
The 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement implemented a new series of uniform opt-out dates for players who qualified as free agents under Article XX(b) of said agreement and sign a minor league deal in free agency.
More specifically, that designation falls on players with six-plus years of MLB service time who finished the preceding season on a major league roster or injured list.
Current Toronto Blue Jays:
RHP Jacob Barnes, LHP Ryan Yarbrough
The 34-year-old Barnes logged a 4.36 ERA in a career-high 66 big league innings last season.
He posted an ERA north of 5.00 in each of the five preceding seasons (a total of 115 1/3 frames). He's been tagged for four runs in 5 1/3 innings this spring.
Yarbrough, 33, had a terrific run with the Jays to close out the 2024 season. Joining Toronto in a deadline swap sending Kevin Kiermaier to the Dodgers, the veteran southpaw posted a 2.01 ERA in 31 1/3 innings.
He's a soft-tosser, sitting just 86.5 mph with his heater, but Yarbrough can pitch multiple innings in relief and has a decent track record even beyond last year's overall 3.19 earned run average (4.21 ERA in 768 MLB innings).
He's allowed three runs with and 8-to-1 K/BB ratio in 6 2/3 innings in camp.
Former Toronto Blue Jays:
Seattle Mariners: 1B Rowdy Tellez
Tellez has an opt-out opportunity in his minor league deal with the Mariners this weekend, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.
He'll be able to ask for his release on March 23 if he hasn't been added to the 40-man roster by that point.
The team would have 24 hours to add Tellez to the 40-man roster or release him upon him triggering the clause.
Tellez, who just turned 30 on Sunday, has had a productive Cactus League stint with the M's, slashing .297/.333/.595 with a trio of homers in 39 trips to the plate.
In doing so, he's put himself into the mix for at-bats at first base or designated hitter.
Tellez has the type of power bat that the Mariners have frequently lacked in recent years, as evidenced by a 35-homer campaign with the Brewers back in 2022.
However, he doesn't walk all that often or run well, leading to perennially middling batting averages and on-base percentages. Even in that 2022 power surge, Tellez hit just .219 with a .306 on-base percentage.
He's also struggled in the two years since, posting a combined .231/.295/.385 line in 772 plate appearances. Overall, Tellez is a career .234/.303/.436 hitter in just over 2300 plate appearances in the majors.
Pittsburg Pirates: LHP Ryan Borucki
Borucki was great for the Pirates in 2023 and struggled through 11 innings during an injury-marred 2024 season.
The 30-year-old southpaw has allowed one run in eight spring innings. His five walks are a bit much, but he's also fanned 11 of his 33 opponents.
Texas Rangers: RHP Jesse Chavez, OF Kevin Pillar
Kevin Pillar has a good to make the team. He's hitting .273/.333/.394 in 39 plate appearances. Outfielders Wyatt Langford and Adolis Garcia have been banged up this spring, so some extra outfield depth could make sense.
Jesse Chavez has been a mainstay in the Atlanta bullpen for much of the past few years, but has not performed well in limited work this spring for the Rangers.
Kansas City Royals: C Luke Maile, RHP Ross Stripling
Maile is a glove-first backup who's had a nice spring at the plate but has done so on a team with a healthy Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin. His path to a roster spot doesn't look great.
Speculatively, his former Reds club, which just lost Tyler Stephenson to begin the year, would make sense if they plan to add an outside catcher. Maile's .214/.294/.329 performance over the past three seasons is light, but he's already familiar with the bulk of Cincinnati's staff. He's a fine backup or No. 3 catcher for any club, Kansas City included.
Stripling notched a 3.01 ERA in 124 innings for the 2022 Blue Jays, but it's been rough waters since. He was rocked for a 5.68 ERA across the past two seasons, spending time with both Bay Area clubs, and has been tagged for 11 runs on 14 hits - four of them homers - with just two strikeouts in six spring frames.
He'll likely need a strong Triple-A showing, be it with the Royals or another club, to pitch his way back to the majors.
Chicago White Sox: INF Brandon Drury
Drury could hardly be doing more to secure a spot with the White Sox. He's decimated Cactus League pitching at a .410/.439/.821 pace, slugging three homers and seven doubles in only 41 plate appearances.
He's coming off a terrible 2024 showing with the Angels but hit .263/.313/.493 from 2021-23. It'd be a surprise if the Sox didn't keep him.
| POLL | ||
MARS 21 | 87 ANSWERS Current and former Blue Jays with upcoming Opt-Out dates, potential free agents Can the Blue Jays use any of these former players if they become free agents? | ||
| Yes | 61 | 70.1 % |
| No | 26 | 29.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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