When the Toronto Blue Jays lucked into right-handed pitcher Sean Reid-Foley in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft, it looked like a steal. He never quite caught on with the Blue Jays as he made his way through the system, though, and was eventually traded to the New York Mets organization. Now, however, the 29-year-old is out of baseball, at least for the time being, in an honestly heartbreaking turn of events after injuries derailed his career in recent years.
On Friday, the Mets released Reid-Foley, who was playing for the organization in Triple-A Syracuse most recently. As mentioned, injuries played a huge role in that as well, which also led to underperformance.
Reid-Foley was traded to New York as part of the Blue Jays' package to acquire Steven Matz in 2021 but, just over a year after the deal, he suffered a UCL tear that forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery. That surgery kept him out of the majors until 2023 when he showed some promise once again, but shoulder injuries then took their toll the following season and seemingly lingered into the 2025 campaign, even in the minor leagues.
Former Blue Jays top prospect Sean Reid-Foley struggled mightily in Triple-A
Coming off the shoulder injury last year, Reid-Foley simply didn't look the same and didn't have any of the stuff he once did. Through 15 appearances and 14.0 innings in Syracuse this year, the right-hander had an 8.36 ERA with an abysmal 2.43 WHIP. At 29 years old, the Mets were probably right to cut bait.
At the same time, it's hard to ignore how precipitous a drop-off the stock of Reid-Foley has experienced. After all, in 2017, the year before he was called up to the majors, he was the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Blue Jays organization behind only some guy named Vladimir Guerrero Jr., according to MLB Pipeline.
Whether in Toronto or in New York, he even showed some promise, especially after moving to the bullpen after being projected first as a starter. In his first season full-time in the bullpen, he posted a 1.35 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over five appearances and 6.2 innings in the 2020 season with the Blue Jays. While he struggled with the Mets thereafter as the elbow injury loomed, he made 31 appearances for New York in 2023 and 2024 with a 2.15 ERA and 1.26 WHIP before the shoulder injuries.
Now, he doesn't have a job in baseball as the injuries to his right arm, both the elbow and shoulder, feel as if they leave him having to prove he can still be an effective pitcher.
What's next for Sean Reid-Foley?
Given that there is always a need for bullpen arms and depth, the best guess is that Reid-Foley will get another chance somewhere to go down to Triple-A and try to reclaim some sort of form.
Make no mistake about it, though, it will be a reclamation project and nothing more than a chance for the veteran to prove himself. The numbers in the minors this season with the Mets organization are downright ugly. He's going to have to show a new team that does give him an opportunity that the most recent shoulder injuries have just set his career off-track, not completely ruined it.
Even still, Blue Jays fans won't forget the promise that Reid-Foley once held in Toronto and seeing where he's at now is a shock to the system in that regard. While one could argue that he never lived up to his billing as a prospect, the simple truth of the matter is that he still looked like he could have value for just about any MLB bullpen and that most clubs would've loved to have him in the mix. Now, he's hoping that just one club feels he's worth a shot.