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19 former Blue Jays still looking for contracts in free agency

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Dec 19 2024, 5:58 pm
19 former Blue Jays still looking for contracts in free agency
Kim Klement/Imagn Images

Plenty of former Toronto Blue Jays remain on the free-agent market and are hoping to find a new home before the 2025 season.

MLB free agency kicked off over a month ago, but many top names still remain on the market. Here is a look at 19 available players who at one point in their career dawned a Blue Jays uniform.

*Ryan Yarbrough and Dillon Tate, who concluded the year with the Jays, are both free agents but exempt from this list.

1. Teoscar Hernandez (LA Dodgers)

  • Position: LF
  • 2024 stats: .272, 33 HR, 99 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2017-2022

Teoscar Hernandez is one of the best free agents remaining on the market. The 32-year-old is in line for a big payday, and many in Toronto are hoping it’s the Blue Jays who give him such.

2. Kevin Pillar (LA Angels)

  • Position: CF
  • 2024 stats: .229, 8 HR, 45 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2013-2019

Former Blue Jays fan-favourite Kevin Pillar had planned to retire after the 2024 season, but has since changed his mind. He doesn’t have the best bat, but his great defensive play in the outfield could garner some interest.

3. Whit Merrifield (Atlanta Braves)

  • Position: 2B/OF
  • 2024 stats: .222, 4 HR, 15 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2022-2023

Whit Merrifield is no longer a great hitter for average like he was in his prime with the Kansas City Royals. That said, the three-time All-Star is still a solid depth piece thanks to his versatility.

4. Justin Turner (Seattle Mariners)

  • Position: 3B/2B/1B
  • 2024 stats: .259, 11 HR, 55 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2024

Justin Turner started red-hot for the Blue Jays after signing a deal with them last offseason. The 40-year-old slowed down immensely before being traded to the Seattle Mariners, but overall proved he still has a relatively solid bat.

5. Randal Grichuk (Arizona Diamondbacks)

  • Position: RF
  • 2024 stats: .291, 12 HR, 46 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2018-2021

Randal Grichuk had a pretty impressive offensive season in 2024 given that he played in just 106 games. He recently declined a player option with the Arizona Diamondbacks to test the free-agent market.

6. Rowdy Tellez (Pittsburgh Pirates)

  • Position: 1B
  • 2024 stats: .243, 13 HR, 56 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2018-2021

Rowdy Tellez has been a negative WAR player over the past two seasons, making him a player many teams may shy away from. He does have some pop in his bat, however, as proven by his career-high 35 dingers in 2022.

7. Daniel Vogelbach (Toronto Blue Jays)

  • Position: 1B
  • 2024 stats: .186, 1 HR, 8 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2020, 2024

Blue Jays fans weren’t too thrilled with the Daniel Vogelbach signing last season, and for good reason. He struggled immensely, lasting just 31 games before being released.

8. Paul DeJong (Kansas City Royals)

  • Position: SS/3B
  • 2024 stats: .227, 24 HR, 56 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2023

Paul DeJong’s short tenure with the Blue Jays in 2023 was a complete disaster, but the veteran rebounded nicely this past season. His 24 home runs were the most he’s hit since his All-Star season in 2019.

9. Brandon Drury (LA Angels)

  • Position: 2B/3B/OF
  • 2024 stats: .169, 4 HR, 15 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2018-2020

Brandon Drury had improved his hitting drastically since departing the Blue Jays, but in 2024 his immense struggles returned. At best, the 32-year-old is a depth piece who can come off the bench when needed.

10. Gio Urshela (Atlanta Braves)

  • Position: 3B/SS/1B
  • 2024 stats: .250, 9 HR, 52 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2018

Throughout his career, Gio Urshela has been about as average of a player as you can find. He’s perfectly adequate both offensively and defensively, which should allow him to find a new home in 2025.

11. Luke Maile (Cincinnati Reds)

  • Position: C
  • 2024 stats: .178, 2 HR, 8 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2017-2019

Luke Maile has been a backup catcher throughout his entire MLB career and is coming off a horrific season offensively. The Cincinnati Reds declined his 2025 player option, and he may be in tough to find a new MLB deal.

12. Yan Gomes (Chicago Cubs)

  • Position: C
  • 2024 stats: .154, 2 HR, 7 RBIs
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2012

Another former Blue Jays catcher coming off an ugly season is Yan Gomes. The 2018 All-Star was released by the Chicago Cubs in June as a result of his offensive struggles.

13. Tim Mayza (New York Yankees)

  • Position: RP
  • 2024 stats: 42.2 IP, 6.33 ERA, 28 SO, 15 BB
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2017-2024

After an incredible 2023 season, Tim Mayza was flat-out awful for the Blue Jays in 2024, leaving them no choice but to cut ties with their then-longest-tenured player. He latched on afterward with the New York Yankees but was non-tenured roughly a month ago.

14. Ross Stripling (Oakland Athletics)

  • Position: SP/RP
  • 2024 stats: 85.1 IP, 6.01 ERA, 49 SO, 22 BB
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2020-2022

Ross Stripling showed plenty of promise early in his career with the Dodgers, but has largely struggled since aside from a solid 2022 season with the Blue Jays. The 35-year-old may be forced to settle for a minor-league deal.

15. Trevor Richards (Minnesota Twins)

  • Position: RP
  • 2024 stats: 65.1 IP, 4.55 ERA, 62 SO, 35 BB
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2021-2024

Trevor Richards was one of many relievers who struggled for the Blue Jays this past season prior to being traded to the Minnesota Twins. The Twins wound up designating him for assignment less than a month later.

16. Ryan Borucki (Pittsburgh Pirates)

  • Position: RP
  • 2024 stats: 11 IP, 7.36 ERA, 13 SO, 4 BB
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2018-2022

After a solid 2023 season, Ryan Borucki was limited to just 14 games in 2024 due to carpal tunnel syndrome. He was able to return in September and, thanks to his strong 2023 performance, should find work this coming season.

17. Jay Jackson (Minnesota Twins)

  • Position: RP
  • 2024 stats: 26.1 IP, 7.52 ERA, 29 SO, 9 BB
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2023

Jay Jackson was hopeful to build off of an impressive showing in 2023 with the Blue Jays but was unable to do so. As has been the case throughout his career, he bounced up and down between the MLB and Triple-A before being released by the Twins in late July.

18. Jesse Chavez (Atlanta Braves)

  • Position: RP
  • 2024 stats: 63.1 IP, 3.13 ERA, 55 SO, 19 BB
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2012, 2016

Jesse Chavez has had a very distinct career, pitching for nine teams throughout his 17 MLB seasons. The 41-year-old has impressed in each of the last two seasons, with some even believing he was robbed of an All-Star opportunity in 2024.

19. Adam Cimber (LA Angels)

  • Position: RP
  • 2024 stats: 24.1 IP, 7.03 ERA, 19 SO, 14 BB
  • Blue Jays tenure: 2021-2023

Adam Cimber had some strong stretches with the Blue Jays but has really struggled over the past two seasons. He may need to settle for a minor-league deal and look to show teams he still has MLB-level talent.

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