On Friday, the Toronto Blue Jays outrighted outfielder Rudy Martin Jr. to Triple-A Buffalo, as noted by MLBTradeRumors.

This means that he is off the 40-man roster for Toronto. He has the ability to reject the assignment and accept free agency if he wants, though it's unclear what he'll do.

MLBTR says it was previously unknown that Martin had been designated for assignment.

Here's what you need to know.

Well, the Jays have until Monday to get into compliance with their 40-man roster. This move leaves them at 38 players, so they didn't necessarily have to make it. But, evidently, they wanted the flexibility to make additional moves to really jumpstart the offseason. As of now, they have the freedom to sign or trade for two players.

An outfielder from Memphis, Tenn., Martin is now 30 years old. A career minor leaguer until this year, he's a lifetime .252 hitter with 50 homers and 239 stolen bases. He missed the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and didn't play affiliated ball in 2023 or 2024, but he made his way back in 2025 with the Royals again. 

This past season, he played with three separate minor league teams: Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Royals), Triple-A Omaha (Royals) and Triple-A Buffalo (Blue Jays).

In 91 total games this year, he hit .274 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and 45 stolen bases. 

He was drafted in the 25th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. That round no longer exists. 

The Blue Jays eventually called him up in September of this year for his first major league action. He drew a walk, playing in two games.

Well, it really depends on what he chooses to do. If he wants to stay in the organization, he can stay at Triple-A. If he wants to see what else is out there, then he can head to free agency.

It's important to note this: Players who are off the 40-man roster are eligible to play in Minor League Baseball in 2027, even if the major leagues miss games because of a lockout. So, if Martin wants to play baseball and collect a paycheck, being off the 40-man roster might not be the worst thing in the world.

That said, he undoubtedly wants to continue to chase his major league dream as he turns 31 in January.