Blue Jays make surprising move, release two pitchers from 26-man roster

Both pitchers cleared waivers after being designated for assignment and elected free agency, which closes the book on 2 quick bullpen bets that never got settled in Toronto.

From a Blue Jays angle, this is less about surprise and more about churn. Toronto designated Voth on April 6, then designated Fleming on April 7, and now both arms are off the board.

That matters because these were not old spring names hanging around in the background. The Blue Jays selected Voth's contract on April 5, then brought Fleming up on April 6 as the pitching staff kept shifting.

Voth barely had time to unpack. He made 1 appearance for Toronto and gave the club 2.2 innings against the White Sox, allowing 1 run on 3 hits with 1 walk and 1 strikeout before the roster math turned against him.

Fleming's stay was not much longer. Toronto signed him to a minor-league deal on February 7, selected his contract on April 6, and designated him for assignment the very next day. 

This is the bigger story for Schneider's club. The Blue Jays are not just making one-off tweaks. They are running through relievers because the pitching picture has been unstable almost from the jump.

Cody Ponce is already on the 60-day injured list with a right knee ACL sprain, and Alejandro Kirk's thumb fracture forced another roster adjustment the same week. That kind of traffic keeps squeezing every last bullpen spot.

Toronto also moved Brendon Little and Lazaro Estrada to Buffalo on April 5, then added Joe Mantiply and Voth, then swapped again a day later with Fleming. That is not a settled relief plan. That is a front office chasing coverage inning by inning.

For Voth and Fleming, free agency at least opens a cleaner path. Both now get to look for a club with a little more runway instead of waiting on the next Toronto transaction line. That last point is an inference based on their waiver clearance and free-agent election.

For the Blue Jays, the takeaway is sharper. They took quick looks at 2 veteran arms, moved off both almost immediately, and showed again that the last spots in this pitching staff are far from secure.

That is the real roster signal here. Toronto did not just lose Josh Fleming and Austin Voth. It showed how little margin exists at the back of this staff while Schneider keeps searching for arms he can actually trust.