Washington Nationals acquire right handed pitcher from the Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays DFA'd Schultz last week to make room on their 40 man roster for Kazuma Okamoto.

Toronto confirmed Friday that right-hander Schultz was claimed, ending his short but memorable run on the Jays' 40-man roster. Waiver claims can feel small in January, until you need that exact arm in June.

Schultz was not just a shuttle guy, he was the rare depth pitcher who could cover innings without drama. In 2025 he logged 13 appearances, including two starts, with a 4.38 ERA over 24 2/3 innings, plus 28 strikeouts and a 1.42 WHIP.

The story always starts with that debut, because it was ridiculous. On April 20, 2025, Schultz fired 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief and punched out eight, tying the MLB record for strikeouts by a reliever in his first game.

I get why fans are annoyed, because useful, optionable innings are gold when the schedule gets ugly. Schultz is 28 now, a 2019 Brewers 14th-round pick out of Utah Valley, and he even hits left while throwing right.

Washington is basically doing what smart teams do with bullpen depth, grab the arm first and sort it out later. Schultz has already shown he can bridge games, take a spot start, and miss bats in bursts, which plays anywhere.

For Toronto, this traces back to Sunday's roster crunch when Schultz was designated to clear a spot after the Kazuma Okamoto signing. The Jays originally got Schultz in 2021 as the player to be named later in the Derek Fisher deal, so it's a long development arc that ends with one waiver wire click.

Now Schultz gets a clean shot with the Nationals, and the Blue Jays have to hope their next wave of depth arms is ready when spring innings start piling up.

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