Opening Day rapidly approaching means that the Toronto Blue Jays are announcing players who have and have not made the team. On the exciting front, the Blue Jays rewarded Alan Roden, who had a monster spring, with a roster spot. Roden will make his MLB debut when he appears in a game, which will hopefully be on the season's opener.
On the not-so-exciting front, the Blue Jays opted not to carry Ryan Yarbrough in their bullpen. Yarbrough had signed a minor league deal with the Jays over the offseason, so he was far from a lock to make the team, but fellow non-roster invite Jacob Barnes making the team over him felt like a decision that was tough to justify.
Yarbrough, like many veterans, had an opt-out in his contract which he exercised when the Jays did not place him on their active roster. He wound up immediately signing a deal with the New York Yankees, of all teams, and will begin the season in their bullpen.
It goes without saying that these turn of events can wind up backfiring for Ross Atkins and Co.
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Blue Jays could come to regret baffling Ryan Yarbrough decision
Again, I'm still trying to understand why the Blue Jays made this decision. Yarbrough doesn't have great stuff, but that has never mattered throughout his seven-year MLB career. He has always been a solid swingman, and that was even the case in his Blue Jays stint last season. In 12 games he appeared in for Toronto, Yarbrough allowed just seven runs on 18 hits in 31.1 innings of work. He had a 2.01 ERA and a 0.798 WHIP as a Blue Jay, proving to be a valuable long reliever for the team down the stretch.
Why exactly did the Jays get rid of him? I get that they have Yariel Rodriguez penciled in as their long reliever, but it's not as if this Jays team is flush with pitching depth. Yarbrough has a solid MLB track record and offers versatility with his ability to work as a starter and as a reliever.
Now, not only did the Jays pass on keeping a solid pitcher in town, but they wound up losing him to a division rival. A division rival who Yarbrough believes can help get the most out of him.
Ryan Yarbrough on why he signed with the Yankees: "There were other teams, but this was by far the team I was most interested in.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 24, 2025
"I've heard a lot from the pitching side (about) what they've been able to do with guys. That was exciting and intriguing to me."
Yarbrough, a funky left-hander who doesn't throw particularly hard, has reason to feel this way about the Yankees, considering how well Tim Hill, a similar type of arm, performed for them. The Yankees have arguably the best pitching coach in the majors, Matt Blake. It would not be surprising at all to see Yarbrough perform better than he ever has.
Losing Yarbrough isn't the end of the world, but the Blue Jays inexplicably made a shaky bullpen as constructed that much worse and wound up losing that pitcher to a team they're likely going to be chasing in their division. Not great, Ross!