The Toronto Blue Jays made a move to their 40-man roster on Sunday.
Toronto made their four-year, $60 million signing of Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto official. With the Blue Jays signing Okamoto, the team had to make room on its 40-man roster, and the team designated reliever Paxton Schultz for assignment.
Schultz was a rookie last season and appeared in 13 games for the Blue Jays, including 2 starts. In his debut as a reliever in the Big Leagues, he tied the record for the most strikeouts in a debut by a reliever, with eight.
Schultz finished the year with a 4.38 ERA over 24.2 innings. He wasn’t on the Blue Jays’ playoff roster, and the right-hander is now DFA’d.
By being DFA’d, the Blue Jays have seven days to either trade, release, or put Schultz on waivers to get to Triple-A. However, given that he had some success in his rookie season, Toronto could likely trade him for cash or some asset.
The Blue Jays acquired Schultz in 2021 from the Milwaukee Brewers as the Player to be Named Later for Derek Fisher. The 27-year-old was selected in the 14th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Schultz on Tying MLB Record
In his first MLB appearance, Schultz had plenty of success in his debut as he tied an MLB record.
Schultz said after his debut that everything had happened so quickly. With that, he didn’t even realize he tied an MLB record for most strikeouts from a reliever in their debut.
“It happened so fast,” Schultz said. “I didn’t have time to think about it. The nerves went away after the first pitch.”
Schultz was handed the lineup card postgame, and the reliever said it’s something he’ll get the players to sign to commemorate his debut.
“This was something you work for,” said Schultz. “That’s cool. I’ll get some players to sign (the card).”
Meanwhile, Blue Jays manager John Schneider was pleased with Schultz’s debut and had plenty of praise for him.
“He really picked us up,” Schneider said. “But I think all of his pitches were working. He was kind of sneaky with everything. That’s a day he’s going to remember for a long time. It was pretty impressive.”
Despite his record-setting debut, Schultz could very well be with the Blue Jays for one season after being DFA’d.
Blue Jays Remain in on Other Bats
Despite Toronto signing Okamoto, the Blue Jays remain interested in other hitters.
Blue Jays insider Keegan Matheson of MLB.com said the team is still connected to the likes of Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette.
“Tucker is still as clean a fit as ever, though, as an outfielder,” Matheson wrote. “The Blue Jays have long been considered one of the likeliest teams to land Tucker, and for good reason given the obvious fit and their ability to spend.
“The loss of Bichette’s bat from the lineup is significant, and while potential rebound candidates like Anthony Santander could help to some extent, there’s still room for another upgrade and the Blue Jays — fresh off that World Series heartbreak and with as much financial flexibility as we’ve ever seen in this market — should continue to push the pedal down.”
Whether or not the Blue Jays will be able to land any of them is to be seen.
Blue Jays DFA Record-Setting Reliever After Signing Kazuma Okamoto