Toronto Blue Jays designate right-handed reliever for assignment

The Blue Jays officially announced the Kazuma Okamoto signing on Sunday, with the corresponding move being the designation of right-hander Paxton Schultz for assignment.

A 14th-round pick for the Brewers in the 2019 draft, Schultz was traded to the Blue Jays in 2021 and he has posted a 4.47 ERA over 203 1/3 innings of Triple-A ball.

A move to the pen saw Schultz cut back on his walks and increase his strikeouts, as the Jays saw first-hand when Schultz made his MLB debut this past season.

The righty had a 4.38 ERA, 25.5% strikeout rate, and 7.3% walk rate over his first 24 2/3 innings in the Show, working mostly as a multi-inning reliever and making a pair of pseudo-starts during bullpen games.

His 3.43 SIERA was markedly better than his 4.38 ERA, as Schultz was hampered by a .333 BABIP and four homers allowed during his small sample size of big league action.

Despite his solid performance, the Blue Jays have enough other right-handed relief options that Schultz may have been a little expendable.

Designating Schultz does run the risk for the Jays that another team could claim Schultz away on waivers, which is a distinct possibility given that Schultz has two minor league option years remaining and plenty of clubs are in need of bullpen help.

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