The Toronto Blue Jays 2026 season hasn’t quite gone according to plan yet, and while many expected them to be aggressive sellers at the trade deadline, they managed to make some quietly impressive additions for the future of the organization.
The standouts among that group are Spencer Arrighetti and Jose Soriano, and while they did sell key pieces like Jeff Hoffman, Daulton Varsho and Kevin Gausman, the team is set up for success in 2027 and beyond. However, the team haven’t stopped adding pieces, and on Wednesday, they added another very intriguing name by way of waivers as they continue building for the future.
Matt Waldron Claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays
GettyMatt Waldron of the San Diego Padres.
That pitcher would be Matt Waldron, who has spent the past four years with the San Diego Padres, and while he’s shown immense potential, to this point he’s failed to find consistent success, with the National League West club seemingly giving up on him recently.
The Blue Jays showed no signs of fear as they quickly swooped in to add the 29-year-old on waivers, and it’s safe to say that the last time the Blue Jays acquired a knuckle-ball pitcher, things worked out well, but this time, the circumstances are quite different.
Patrick Corbin to the 60-day IL.
Obviously, R.A. Dickey was coming into his Blue Jays tenure on the back of a Cy Young Award win, so the circumstances are quite different, but after Waldron posted a 4.91 ERA across his first full season in the big leagues, he’s shown that there may be something there.
In the corresponding move to acquiring Waldron, the Blue Jays have placed Patrick Corbin on the 60-day IL, effectively ending his 2026 campaign after showing so much promise throughout the season.
Can Waldron Become a Full-Time MLB Starter?
Unfortunately for him, the past two seasons have been an absolute train wreck, as Waldron posted a 7.71 ERA in one start in 2025 and followed it up with a 7.16 ERA across 10 appearances in 2026, with three of those outings coming as a starter. Clearly, Waldron hasn’t been able to graduate from intriguing stuff as a knuckle-ball pitcher to dominant starter that can give a team some innings, but if he can find his effectiveness at the major league level, there may be room for another player like that.
Already this year, we’ve seen the Blue Jays help Dylan Cease find his best stuff, and with other starters like Soriano, Trey Yesavage and Louis Varland all blossoming in Toronto, there’s optimism that this team can somehow help the 29-year-old find his best on a consistent basis.
Only time will tell if Waldron even gets a true shot in Toronto, with the team suddenly having a surplus of players that can give them innings after making some moves at the trade deadline, but given how unique a knuckle-ball pitcher is in the modern era, if they can find his confidence and get him going, there’s a chance that Toronto may have found a solid depth piece in Waldron on waivers.
Blue Jays Claim Four-Year MLB Pitcher From the National League