Toronto Blue Jays outright reliever off 40-man roster
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With the off-season now in full swing, the Toronto Blue Jays will be forced to make some tough roster decisions.
It looks like they have started.
According to the team's transaction log, relief pitcher Nick Sandlin has been outrighted off the 40 man roster.
Given his service time, he has the right to reject the outright assignment and declare free agency, something that feels likely in this scenario.
Sandlin was initially acquired by the Blue Jays last offseason in the trade that sent infielder Spencer Horwitz to the Cleveland Guardians for 2nd baseman Andres Gimenez.
The Blue Jays outrighted Nick Sandlin off their 40-man roster yesterday in what amounts to an early non-tender. The move opens up a 40-man spot (Jays now at 37) & clears a projected $2 million (via @mlbtraderumors) from the Jays' arb class. Sandlin likely to become a free agent.
The Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Nick Sandlin outright to AAA Buffalo
While he had some success early on, he ultimately appeared in only 19 games as he most of the season on the injured list while dealing with an elbow injury. His ERA was a respectable 2.20 and he had one save, but struggled with too many walks.
The Blue Jays primary motivation for the move is to clear a spot on the 40 man roster, which now stands at 37 players.
With the Rule 5 draft on the horizon, Toronto will likely use the open spots for players such as Ricky Tiedemann and Josh Kasevich, to protect them from being taken by another team.
Blue Jays will likely overhaul their bullpen
Sandlin was eligible for arbitration, as he was projected to earn $2 million this off-season. Because Sandlin has more than three years of service time, he can reject the outright and become a free agent.
With the emergence of some rookie relievers such as Braydon Fisher, and the anticipated return of some others, such as the injured Yimi Garcia, it wouldn't be shocking to see Sandlin pursue free agency.
Previously on Blue Jays Central
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