Alek Manoah among many Toronto Blue Jays castoffs still close with ex-teammates

For the Toronto Blue Jays, 26 players will be named to their final World Series roster.

But there’s 32 players who aren’t on that list that suited up for them throughout the year.

And if you extend to a year beyond that, it’s 91 different players wearing a Jays jersey since the start of the 2024 season.

For Toronto veteran pitcher Chris Bassitt, he was quick to name drop a few former teammates that have been cheering the team on from a distance.

“We’re still friends with a lot of people that aren’t here. Like, I talked to Erik Swanson yesterday.. still friends with Chad Green.  Matt Chapman’s talking to us. So, yeah, there’s a number of guys that are, they’re still all of our really close friends,” Bassitt said Thursday.

Bassitt himself missed out on the Jays’ American League Division Series roster, before making two relief appearances in the American League Championship Series.

Whether it’s been designated for assignment, traded, or simply moved on from in the offseason, several close friends of the current team have moved on from the team in recent years.

“Obviously, baseball is a business, but you’re friends with a lot of the guys too. So like, you want people to do well as well. People in this game that you like and respect… [include] a lot of the guys that aren’t on this team,” Toronto outfielder Davis Schneider added.

Schneider shouted out former childhood teammate Buddy Kennedy, who played just two games for Toronto in 2025 but also spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies this year

Schneider also namedropped Alek Manoah, the former Cy Young candidate who was eventually designated for assignment by Toronto last month. 

“I text him all the time…. He’s gonna get a World Series ring. [Former Jays pitcher] Erik Swanson always texts a lot of the guys. [Alek] Manoah too. It’s like, obviously, baseball is a business, but you know, you’re friends with a lot of the guys too.”

For the 26 guys who did make the World Series roster, it gets underway Friday night at the Rogers Centre.

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