Ryan Borucki lost Tony Vitello's roster Sunday, and the former Blue Jays lefty is back in DFA limbo with the Giants.
San Francisco designated Borucki for assignment as part of a bigger set of moves that included calling up center fielder Jonah Cox from Double-A Richmond.
That is a rough turn for Borucki because the Giants only signed him to a 1-year major-league deal in March after a strong spring. San Francisco brought him in to add left-handed depth, not to burn through him before June.
The numbers explain why the club moved on. Borucki had a 4.94 ERA in 21 games, and that is a hard line to carry in a bullpen spot that keeps getting squeezed.
The timing also says plenty. Cox forced the issue in Richmond, hitting .400 with a 1.096 OPS and 27 stolen bases before the Giants skipped Triple-A and brought him straight to Denver.
That kind of promotion does not happen by accident. Once San Francisco decided it needed a jolt, Borucki became one of the easiest roster casualties.
For Blue Jays fans, the name still carries some weight. Borucki was drafted by Toronto in 2012, made his MLB debut with the club in 2018, and even returned for a short second stint late in 2025.
Why Ryan Borucki's DFA still matters
This is not just a former Blue Jay bouncing around the transaction wire. Borucki has managed to hang around the majors as a left-handed bullpen option for years, which is why another DFA still lands as more than a minor note.
His Toronto return last season was brief but effective. MLB Trade Rumors reported he gave the Blue Jays 4.1 scoreless innings across 4 appearances after rejoining the organization in September.
That made this Giants shot feel like one more chance to stick. Instead, the role got tighter, the results got shakier, and San Francisco chose upside in the outfield over a lefty reliever it no longer trusted enough. That last point is an inference from the transaction and the players involved.
Borucki still has value because left-handed relievers do not disappear from the market for long, especially ones with real major-league mileage. But the next few days will decide whether another club claims him or whether this turns into another reset. That is an inference based on the DFA process and Borucki's profile.
For now, the story is simple. Ryan Borucki went from March depth signing to May roster casualty, and the Giants made clear that Jonah Cox's rise mattered more than waiting for the former Blue Jays arm to steady himself.
Will Ryan Borucki land with another MLB team soon?
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