Where are they now? Tracking down the 2015 Blue Jays
The 2015 Toronto Blue Jays hold a special place in many baseball fans’ hearts.
Though the team never ended up winning the World Series (or even making it), they were the first Blue Jays team in 22 years to qualify for the postseason, which led to some unforgettable memories for anyone who tuned in.
Jose Bautista’s iconic bat flip in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS leads the way as one of the most iconic sports moments of its era, with plenty of other fun moments along the way.
But eight years later, where did everyone else end up?
While 52 players suited up for the Blue Jays in 2015, we decided to pick the 25 guys who featured on their American League Division Series roster as worthy of this “where are they now?” article.
Here’s a look back at what each guy is up to these days (or at least what’s publicly available):
Still playing
Josh Donaldson
The 2015 AL MVP, Josh Donaldson is one of a few of the 2015 Blue Jays still playing pro baseball, but his time in the majors might have come to an end after a series of injuries. Currently a member of the New York Yankees, the 37-year-old is currently out for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Marcus Stroman
Though he played just four games for the 2015 Jays after tearing his ACL, Marcus Stroman has left a lasting legacy in Toronto for how he handled his comeback. The starting pitcher in Toronto’s iconic ALDS Game 5 against the Texas Rangers in 2015, Stroman made the MLB All-Star Game this season as a member of the Chicago Cubs for the first time since 2019, his final year in Toronto.
Kevin Pillar
Kevin Pillar endeared himself to Toronto fans during his seven years with the franchise, leaving Toronto back in 2019 as one of the final members to have played for the 2015 team.
Pillar has played for six different teams since leaving the Blue Jays, and he’s currently a member of the Atlanta Braves.
Aaron Sanchez
Expected to be one of Toronto’s pitchers of the future, Aaron Sanchez dealt with unfortunate lingering blister woes after an electric 2016 campaign.
Leaving Toronto in 2019, Sanchez has bounced around the baseball world in five different organizations in recent years, most recently inking a minor-league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks just last week.
Liam Hendriks
A three-time All-Star in stints with Oakland and the Chicago White Sox since leaving Toronto, Liam Hendriks has become an inspiration for many. This past offseason, Hendriks fought off a bout of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he was diagnosed with in January and declared cancer-free in April before returning to the majors on May 29.
Aaron Loup
Aaron Loup stuck around with the Blue Jays until 2018 and has played for five major league teams since leaving Toronto. Currently, he’s a member of the Los Angeles Angels, having pitched in 42 games so far this season.
Roberto Osuna
In his fourth season with Toronto, Roberto Osuna was traded away from the Blue Jays to the Houston Astros in July 2018 after he was suspended 75 games upon domestic violence allegations. Osuna currently plays for Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan.
Coaching/ working in baseball
Edwin Encarnación
After retiring in 2020, Edwin Encarnacion remains with the Blue Jays organization in a special advisor role, most recently crashing the team’s dugout in full uniform this past weekend.
Troy Tulowitzki
Dealing with several injuries during his time in Toronto after being picked up by the team at the 2015 trade deadline, Tulowitzki’s career came to an unfortunate end in April 2019 while playing for the Yankees and suffering yet another leg injury. These days, Tulowitzki works as the director of player development for the Texas Longhorns NCAA team.
Russell Martin
One of the most popular Canadian players in Jays history, Russell Martin officially announced his retirement back in 2022. He’s been a staple of many Blue Jays events and clinics since his retirement, while also joining Canada’s coaching staff at the World Baseball Classic this past year.
Chris Colabello
Chris Colabello’s major league career came to an end after a positive test in 2016 for a banned substance, which he still disputes to this day. After leaving Toronto, he played in the minor league systems of Cleveland, Milwaukee, and a trio of independent league teams. He appears to be working as an independent coach through the Pelotero coaching platform.
R.A. Dickey
R.A. Dickey appears to be up to a whole lot of things, including coaching his sons’ youth teams. Via his Twitter bio that says “Father, Husband, Christian, Pitcher, Author, Adventurer, Star Wars Nerd, Reader, Ninja in Training & Cyclist,” it seems like he’s remained quite busy since his retirement in 2018 after spending one season in Atlanta upon leaving Toronto.
Cliff Pennington
A journeyman reliever who spent 2015 as his only season in Toronto, Pennington is currently the baseball recruiting coordinator for the Dallas Baptist Patriots college baseball team.
Ben Revere
Ben Revere played for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels after leaving Toronto, playing his last major league game in 2017. These days, he’s working as a coach for the Florida Complex League Braves, affiliated with Atlanta’s major league team.
Dioner Navarro
A journeyman catcher who became a fan favourite during his time in Toronto, Dioner Navarro’s last big league experience came with the Blue Jays in 2016. These days, he’s running his own baseball school, the self-titled Dioner Navarro Academy.
Recently stopped playing
Ezequiel Carrera
Having played for the Blue Jays until 2017, Careera spent time in the minor league systems of the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, LA Dodgers and a few independent ball teams after leaving Toronto, but never cracked the major leagues again. Carrera officially retired in March 2022.
Ryan Goins
Ryan Goins is perhaps best remembered for being the guy greeting Jose Bautista at home plate after his infamous bat flip.
Goins signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals this past offseason, though he’s yet to get in a game this season.
David Price
One of the greatest pitchers of his generation, David Price was electric for Toronto down the stretch in 2015, going 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts after being acquired prior to the trade deadline. But Toronto couldn’t come to terms to keep the five-time All-Star and 2012 Cy Young winner around, as he signed a seven-year deal with Boston the following offseason.
Price won the 2018 World Series with the Red Sox before being traded along with Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2020. He sat out the 2020 season (where the Dodgers won the World Series in a shortened schedule) and played 37 games for the Dodgers in 2021 before playing just one game last year due to lingering injury issues.
Price hasn’t officially announced his retirement, though it seems plausible he may have played his last game as a major leaguer at age 37.
Just hanging around
José Bautista
The most iconic Blue Jay of his era, Jose Bautista joined the Rogers Centre’s Level of Excellence this past weekend. These days, Bautista is retired and lives in Tampa with his four children, where he stays in shape by mountain biking and playing in recreational soccer leagues.
LaTroy Hawkins
The oldest member of the 2015 Blue Jays and the one with the most major league experience, journeyman reliever LaTroy Hawkins celebrated his 50th birthday this year. Having played for 12 MLB teams during his career, Hawkins joined the Minnesota Twins in an advisory role in 2016 following his retirement from the league after leaving the Jays in the winter of 2015.
It’s likely that he’s been to a few good parties over the last few years, though; Hawkins is actually the godfather of NFL star QB Patrick Mahomes, having played with Mahomes’ father during the 1990s with the Twins.
Brett Cecil
Cecil was a part of the Blue Jays in 2016, before hitting free agency and finding a new home. He signed a four-year deal with the Cardinals in 2016, though injuries hampered his ability to play in the final two years of his contract. Cecil retired in 2021 and appears to be off social media.
Marco Estrada
After coming to Toronto in 2015, Estrada became an All-Star for the only time in his career in 2016. He retired in 2019 after a five-game stint with the Oakland A’s and hasn’t popped up much in the news cycle ever since.
Justin Smoak
Justin Smoak actually had his best career season in Toronto after the Blue Jays were no longer a playoff contender, putting up 38 home runs in 2017 in his lone appearance in the MLB All-Star game.
Smoak hasn’t played in the major leagues since 2020 but was back at the ballpark this past weekend to honour Bautista’s inclusion in the Level of Excellence.
Mark Lowe
Another journeyman reliever, Lowe played for four major league teams after leaving Toronto, with his last stint in pro baseball coming with the independent league team Sugar Land Skeeters in 2019. He doesn’t appear to be up to anything too special these days via his Instagram account, although he did recently retrieve a ball caught in an eavestrough.
Working for 911
Dalton Pompey
Dalton Pompey is one of the few players on the roster who have found employment out of baseball. Playing his whole four-year career with the Blue Jays, the Mississauga native recently made headlines for entering the Hamilton Police Service’s ranks.
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