Simeon Woods Richardson just hit the wire, and John Schneider has a real reason to think about bringing the former Blue Jays prospect back.
The Twins designated Woods Richardson for assignment on May 30 after a rough opening stretch that left them out of patience and out of roster room.
That move matters in Toronto because the Blue Jays are still dealing with a battered pitching staff. Dylan Cease is on the injured list, Max Scherzer is still on rehab assignment, Shane Bieber remains in rehab, and José Berrios is out long term after Tommy John surgery.
So this is not just a former prospect story. It is a possible depth move for a club still trying to hold together innings any way it can.
Woods Richardson's 2026 line with Minnesota was ugly. He put up a 7.74 ERA over 47 2/3 innings, with 26 strikeouts, 25 walks, and 9 home runs allowed.
That is why the Twins tried a role change before giving up the roster spot. Minnesota moved him to the bullpen in mid-May after he opened the season with a 7.71 ERA in 9 starts.
Even that did not buy him much time. He threw 3 scoreless innings across 2 relief appearances, but the Twins still did not trust the fit enough to keep him.
-
Why a Blue Jays reunion still makes some sense
Toronto knows exactly who Woods Richardson is. He was one of the organization's best young arms before the Blue Jays sent him and Austin Martin to Minnesota in the July 2021 trade for Berrios.
And this is not a case of a pitcher with no useful track record at all. From 2024 through 2025, Woods Richardson gave the Twins a 4.11 ERA over 245 innings in 51 games, 50 of them starts.
He is only 25, still has 4 more seasons of club control, and his age alone makes him the kind of waiver gamble that injured teams should at least consider.
There is another angle here, too. MLB Trade Rumors noted that a full-time bullpen move may still unlock something because many pitchers gain velocity in shorter outings, and Woods Richardson's slider gave hitters trouble in both 2024 and 2025.
That matters for the Blue Jays. They do not need him to become an ace overnight. They need innings, flexibility, and one more arm with some upside while the staff heals. That is an inference based on Toronto's injury list and Woods Richardson's recent usage.
The catch is simple: Woods Richardson is out of options, so any claiming team would need to keep him on the major-league roster. That makes the decision tougher, but it does not make it a bad idea for Toronto.
For the Blue Jays, this would not be about rewriting the Berrios trade. It would be about grabbing a former prospect at the exact moment their pitching depth still looks too thin to ignore.
Should the Blue Jays try to bring Simeon Woods Richardson back?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Things are going from bad to worse for Davis Schneider in Triple-A - and Toronto paying close attention
