Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher still rooting for them despite being released
Erik Swanson seemingly has no ill will towards the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
The 32-year-old relief pitcher was traded to the Blue Jays ahead of the 2023 season, and remained part of the organization early on in 2025. A combination of injuries and poor performance led to him being released by the Jays in June, and he failed to latch on anywhere else afterward.
Despite the disappointing ending to his tenure with the Jays, however, Swanson admitted that he’s cheering for them in the ALCS. Interestingly enough, he was acquired by the Jays from the Seattle Mariners, with whom he spent parts of four seasons.
“I’ve gotten this question a few times,” Swanson said when asked who he was rooting for in an appearance on First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo. “I would say my loyalty is in Toronto right now. I’m cheering for them, for sure.
“Obviously, I was rooting for my former teammates in Seattle in the ALDS to get to this series and wish them nothing but the best. But no, I’ve got to cheer for my fellas north of the border.”
Swanson, who posted a 2.97 ERA through 66.2 innings with the Blue Jays during the 2023 season, explained that he’s not at all surprised to see his former team having success due in large part to how close everybody is in the clubhouse.
“You’ve got guys that are going out every day on the road and having dinner together,” Swanson said. “You’ve got guys inviting younger guys out, doing the things you should be doing as a ball club. The vets do things the right way and pass it down to the younger guys coming up. I don’t think you can ask for much more than that in a clubhouse.”
Wednesday night’s outing helped explain just how special this Blue Jays team is. After entering Game 3 trailing 2-0 in the series, they found themselves in a 2-0 deficit after the first inning and appeared to be dead in the water. Instead of rolling over, however, they were able to score five runs in the third inning and went on to win by a 13-4 final.
Thanks to their offensive outbreak on Wednesday, the Blue Jays now enter Game 4 on Thursday with a chance to even this series up at two apiece.