Paxton Schultz was let go recently.
Now-former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paxton Schultz has a new home, as he was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals on Friday. He had been designated for assignment when the team signed Kazuma Okamoto the other day.
A 28-year-old native of Utah, Schultz was selected in the 14th round of the 2019 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was traded to Toronto in May of 2021. The righty made his major league debut in 2025, appearing in 13 games (two starts), and pitching to a 4.38 ERA. He struck out 28 batters in 24.2 innings, so he has some stuff that should be intriguing to Washington, but there's really no room for him in Toronto.
The situation for the Jays
After getting to the World Series in 2025, the Blue Jays have pushed all in this offseason in an effort to get back in 2026. They've signed Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers, so there's really no room for fringe roster candidates. We've already seen Yariel Rodriguez get squeezed out, and he was an integral part of the bullpen in 2025. There will be others that get pushed out before Opening Day, especially if Toronto makes additional moves - which they are expected to do.
Currently, the Blue Jays are expected to utilize Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Cease, Trey Yesavage and Ponce in the starting rotation.
Eric Lauer, Jose Berrios, Jeff Hoffman, Rogers, Mason Fluharty, Louis Varland and Yimi Garcia are expected to have spots in the bullpen. That really only leaves one additional spot open for a spring training battle.
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What's next for Toronto
As stated above, the Jays are expected to make at least one more signature signing this offseason. That could be Bo Bichette, or it could be Kyle Tucker, but it likely can't be both. The roster maneuvering would be too tough in that case.
Bichette has spent seven years with the Jays and has made two All-Star teams, but it's unclear how much the Jays actually want him back. He's meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday afternoon and could join that roster, pairing with the likes of Trea Turner and Bryson Stott in the infield.
The Blue Jays will report for spring training in Dunedin, Fla., in just about five weeks, so there is still time to figure things out, but after coming up just short last season, the urgency is there for the organization and the fanbase.
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