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Toronto Blue Jays cut ties with reliever they traded for after just one season

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Nov 17 2025, 4:50 pm
Toronto Blue Jays cut ties with reliever they traded for after just one season
Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are moving on from Nick Sandlin less than one year after acquiring him in a trade.

The Blue Jays acquired Sandlin and Andres Gimenez from the Cleveland Guardians in a deal that saw Spencer Horowitz and Nick Mitchell go the other way. While Gimenez was a big part of the Jays in 2025, Sandlin was not.

Sandlin missed the vast majority of 2025 due to injuries and wound up being shut down due to elbow inflammation. He was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo and moved off the 40-man roster last week. Now, the 28-year-old has cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Sandlin, who pitched four seasons with the Guardians, appeared in only 16.1 innings with the Blue Jays in 2025. He was solid in the very short stint, posting a 2.20 ERA with 16 strikeouts. The brief stint was enough to see his career ERA drop to 3.19.

The Blue Jays are expected to add to their bullpen this offseason, with the potential of signing a closer remaining a possibility. GM Ross Atkins made it clear he was open to bringing in a closer, which would see Jeff Hoffman move into a set-up role.

The Jays have a number of free agents themselves, most notably Bo Bichette, who they are hoping to sign to a long-term deal. MLB free agency officially kicked off on Nov. 6, though all of the big names who were on the market continue to be up for grabs. That includes four-time All-Star Kyle Tucker, who the Jays have also been linked to.

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