Simeon Woods Richardson is back with John Schneider's Blue Jays after Toronto swung a reunion trade with Minnesota.
Toronto is acquiring the 25-year-old right-hander for cash considerations just days after the Twins designated him for assignment. It is a fast reunion, not a sentimental one.
This is the same arm Toronto sent away with Austin Martin for José Berrios at the 2021 deadline. Now the Blue Jays get another look at a pitcher they once viewed as part of their future.
The timing makes sense. José Berrios is on the 60-day injured list, Dylan Cease is on the 15-day injured list, and Toronto has spent the past week hunting innings instead of cruising through a settled rotation.
Woods Richardson has not earned a clean runway with his 2026 line. He owns a 7.74 ERA through 47.2 innings.
The command trouble made it worse. He walked 25 and struck out 26 before Minnesota ran out of patience.
But Toronto is also buying the older version of him. Across 2024 and 2025, Woods Richardson logged a 4.11 ERA over 245 innings, which is real back-end starter value.
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Toronto is betting on the track record
That is why this move lands as a depth bet with upside, not just a name Toronto remembers. The Blue Jays know this arm better than most clubs ever could.
They also know what he looked like as a prospect. Woods Richardson was MLB Pipeline's No. 3 Blue Jays prospect in 2020 and No. 4 in 2021.
The cost tells the rest of the story. Cash considerations are easy to justify when the return might be a useful starter in Buffalo or a multi-inning arm in Toronto.
And the opening is there. Toronto has already been churning through depth moves, acquiring Connor Seabold and selecting Hayden Juenger while the staff keeps shifting.
None of that wipes away the ugly start in Minnesota. It just means Toronto thinks the collapse is worth separating from the broader track record.
For the Blue Jays, this is a roster move with a real baseball reason behind it. Simeon Woods Richardson is coming back, and this reunion now comes with a chance to turn depth into help.
Can Simeon Woods Richardson help Toronto's rotation again?
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