Toronto Blue Jays sign former Diamondbacks All-Star left-handed pitcher
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According to the Toronto Blue Jays transaction log, they have signed free agent former Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed relief pitcher Joe Mantiply.
The Blue Jays have signed left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply to a minor-league contract and he is headed to the FCL, according to the transaction log. An All-Star with the Diamondbacks in 2022, he was released earlier this season after allowing 17 runs in 9.2 MLB innings.
Mantiply, 34, has been a frequent presence in Arizona's bullpen dating back to 2021. From '21-'24, he pitched 198 1/3 innings with a 3.63 ERA, a 22% strikeout rate, a 6.1% walk rate, a 51.9% grounder rate, 50 holds and three saves.
In 2022, specifically, he was one of the team's most frequently used relievers in high-leverage spots.
The 2025 season has been an abject disaster for Mantiply, however. He fired a perfect inning in his first appearance of the season and immediately tanked thereafter.
By the time Arizona optioned Mantiply to Triple-A Reno on April 19, he'd been tagged for a calamitous 13 runs in just 7 1/3 innings across eight relief outings.
He got another look in mid-May and was quickly optioned again after surrendering four runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Even Mantiply's time in Triple-A was generally a struggle. He allowed four runs in his first appearance with Reno and five in his final one.
Those ugly outings bookended a strong run of 9 2/3 shutout innings, but the overall results were grim. In 9 2/3 MLB frames this year, Mantiply has a 15.83 ERA. He's posted a 5.56 mark in 11 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Mantiply has always been a soft-tosser, but his fastball has bottomed out in 2025, averaging a career-low 88.2 mph.
He sat 91.3 mph with the pitch back in 2021-22, when he was at his best, and was at 89.5 mph last year. He's still filling up the strike zone, but doing so with diminished stuff has yielded diminished returns.
Hopefully the Blue Jays can help Mantiply resurrect his career, they could use another good lefty out of the pen.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 14 | 124 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays sign former Diamondbacks All-Star left-handed pitcher Do you think the Toronto Blue Jays can help Joe Mantiply return to his previous All-Star form? | ||
| Yes | 43 | 34.7 % |
| No | 50 | 40.3 % |
| Too early to tell | 31 | 25 % |
| List of polls | ||
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