Jack Nedrow gives John Schneider another arm after the Blue Jays cut Eric Lauer and watched injuries keep carving into the staff.
Toronto signed Nedrow to a minor league contract on May 10, then assigned the 23-year-old right-hander to Single-A Dunedin on May 11.
That is a lower-level move on paper, but the timing makes the point. The Blue Jays are still hunting for pitching depth anywhere they can find it.
Lauer was designated for assignment on May 11, the same day Toronto placed Addison Barger on the 10-day injured list and selected Yariel Rodriguez back to the roster.
So while Nedrow is not walking straight into Rogers Centre, this is still part of the same pitching scramble. Toronto needed another live arm in the system, and it moved fast.
Nedrow's path also tells you what kind of bet this is. He was pitching for the York Revolution before the Blue Jays bought his contract, giving him his first shot with an MLB organization.
Last season, he went 3-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 12 starts for the Chicago Dogs, and York said his work there is what got him noticed.
Toronto is adding arms wherever it can
This is where the bigger Blue Jays picture matters. Cody Ponce is already out for the season, while Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer are still sidelined, leaving Toronto to keep patching the staff around Kevin Gausman, Patrick Corbin, and Dylan Cease.
The club's recent moves show the stress clearly. Toronto recalled Yohendrick Piñango, selected Rodriguez, DFA'd Lauer, and kept searching for fresh pitching in the background.
Nedrow is not a headline grabber yet. He is a depth play, and that is fine. Teams with pitching trouble often need these quieter moves before they need the louder ones.
There is also some upside in the profile. USF said Nedrow threw 72 innings with a 3.75 ERA in college ball there, and his jump from independent baseball into affiliated ball came quickly.
For Schneider, the real value is simple. A thin organization cannot afford to pass on young arms with momentum, especially when the major-league staff keeps shifting by the week.
That is why this signing matters. Jack Nedrow is not fixing Toronto's rotation today, but after Eric Lauer's DFA and another wave of injuries, the Blue Jays are in no position to ignore any arm that might help later.
Should the Blue Jays keep adding minor-league pitching depth after Eric Lauer's DFA?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Alejandro Kirk update gives Blue Jays important clarity on his return
