Blue Jays part ways with veteran pitcher in surprising DFA decision

Mar 26, 2026 (9:13)

Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Angel Bastardo has been designated for assignment, officially cementing Spencer Miles onto an incredibly dynamic Opening Day roster.

The final days of spring training always force the front office into making brutal roster decisions.

Every single pitch thrown under the Florida sun becomes a massively stressful audition for those coveted bullpen spots.

We all knew the bullpen math was going to be incredibly tight heading into the final week of camp.

Toronto simply could not afford to carry two developing Rule 5 draft picks on a roster built to win immediately.

Angel Bastardo also DFA by Blue Jays, as expected.

Their other Rule 5 pick, Spencer Miles, has officially made the team.

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Bastardo (Age 23, Signed internationally in 2018 by Boston Red Sox) brings an undeniably massive ceiling to the mound.

The young pitcher possesses an electric fastball but visibly struggled with his command returning from serious Tommy John surgery.

It is absolutely thrilling to see the organization prioritize strikeout stuff for the grueling summer marathon ahead.

Fans are breathing a massive sigh of relief knowing we kept the right guy to anchor the middle innings.

Miles (Age 25, Drafted Round 4, 2022 by San Francisco Giants) completely earned this massive opportunity through pure resilience.

The righty battled back from his own severe injury issues to prove his arm genuinely belongs at this level.

He brings an aggressive mindset that fits perfectly into the intense American League East divisional battles.

Bastardo previously flashed immense potential by racking up 357 strikeouts over 327.1 career minor league innings.

He also posted a 4.76 ERA during that exact same developmental span before his major elbow injury derailed him.

Sending him back to his original organization is simply the harsh reality of building a deep playoff contender.

You just cannot hide a struggling arm in a modern bullpen when every single game counts towards October.

Our veteran relievers now have an incredibly hungry young arm in Miles ready to eat up massive innings.

The Blue Jays bullpen will certainly see some changes throughout the year but it looks very solid as of right now.

Previously on Blue Jays Insider

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MARS 26\|169 ANSWERS Blue Jays part ways with veteran pitcher in surprising DFA decision Are you confident Spencer Miles will be a dominant force in the bullpen this season?
Yes	119	70.4 %
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