Michael Lorenzen is officially a Blue Jay, and it took three separate moves to make room.
Toronto optioned Chad Dallas to clear an active roster spot for the new signing.
To free up space on the crowded 40-man roster, the Blue Jays also transferred Jonatan Clase to the 60-day IL.
Three moves in one transaction is a lot of roster math, but that's what it takes when a full 40-man meets a stretch-run signing.
Lorenzen sounded ready to go the moment the ink dried.
"Ready to jump in there," he said, adding that he told manager John Schneider he can be used "however he needs to."
That's the kind of flexibility a bullpen wants from a veteran arriving in late August.
Why the corresponding moves matter just as much
Dallas gets pushed back to Triple-A after his own recent stint on the active roster, the cost of adding outside pitching depth.
Clase's move to the 60-day IL effectively takes him off the active radar for the rest of the season, freeing up permanent 40-man space.
Lorenzen arrives with a rough season behind him in Colorado, a 7.08 ERA over 26 appearances before his release.
But his career numbers as a reliever paint a very different picture, a 3.73 ERA in that specific role over his career.
For a Blue Jays bullpen that's been shuffled constantly during this playoff push, adding a versatile veteran willing to pitch anywhere is exactly the kind of low-cost move that can pay off.
Whether Lorenzen slots into low-leverage innings at first or earns his way into bigger spots depends entirely on how he looks in his first outings.
Toronto now has him in the fold for the stretch run, with the corresponding moves already sorted out behind him.
Do you think Michael Lorenzen becomes a real bullpen weapon for the Blue Jays down the stretch?
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