Toronto Blue Jays clear roster space as they DFA right handed pitcher

On Sunday, Toronto designated right-hander Paxton Schultz for assignment, the cleanest way to open a 40-man roster spot. The club also logged the Kazuma Okamoto signing on the transaction wire the same day.

That timing matters because Okamoto's deal is real money and real expectation, four years and $60 million with a $5 million signing bonus. Toronto did not cut a depth reliever for fun, it did it to get its newest bat in the door.

Schultz, 27, gave the Blue Jays something every team burns through, low-cost innings with options and a starter's stamina. In 2025 he worked 24 2/3 innings across 13 appearances, posting a 4.38 ERA with 28 strikeouts.

It stings a bit as a fan, because Paxton Schultz felt like a real find.

A DFA is the front office's reset button, not an automatic goodbye. Schultz is off the 40-man immediately, and Toronto now has seven days to trade him, waive him, or outright him if he clears.

While Schultz was DFA'd to make roster space, they will also still need to clear up room for Okamoto with a position player which means another roster move could be expected.

The résumé is quietly interesting for a guy getting squeezed by roster math. Schultz was a 14th-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019, then came to Toronto in 2021 as the player to be named later in the Derek Fisher trade.

His signature moment is still that first day, April 20, 2025, when he struck out eight in 4 1/3 scoreless innings to tie the MLB record for a reliever's debut. That game showed why multi-inning arms can change a series without ever earning a save.

If Schultz gets claimed, it will be because he can attack the zone and cover the messy middle innings that chew up bullpens by July. If he clears, the Blue Jays likely try to keep him in Buffalo as the first call when the rotation gets wobbly again.

Source: TSN
Blue Jays DFA righty Schultz