Toronto Blue Jays make first trade of offseason, acquiring pitcher from Detroit Tigers

Toronto has acquired right-hander Chase Lee from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor league lefty John Simon.

The Tigers likely made this move in response to their recent signing of Kyle Finnegan, which necessitated clearing a space on the 40-man roster. The Blue Jays meanwhile had one vacancy due to their recent decision to outright Yariel Rodriguez.

Lee was a sixth round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2021. After some success in the lower levels of the minors, he stumbled a bit in Triple-A, but still was the Rangers minor league reliever of the year.

After two more seasons in the rangers organization, he was dealt to the Tigers as part of a package for pitcher Andrew Chafin.

Although he once again began 2025 in the minor leagues, he was to the bigs for the first time in April and ultimately appeared in 32 games for the Tigers, going 4-1 with a 4.10 ERA.

Lee isn't a particularly hard thrower, but he success lies in his great sidearm delivery. His 8% walk rate is very average, but he has a very strong strikeout rate of 30%

Although he appeared in the majors last season, Lee still has minor league options, so it is not a guarantee that he will open 2026 on the Blue Jays' active roster.

Still, with so much focus being placed on the Jays rotation, a move that can solidify their bullpen depth will definitely be considered a winner.