While the Toronto Blue Jays are still being heavily linked to bats like Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Cody Bellinger, among others, the team is always looking for ways to improve itself. Minor league deals are something this team is no stranger to, as Eric Lauer, who signed a minor league deal last winter, proved to be one of the most surprisingly important additions to the team in 2025.

Now, this does not mean that all minor league signings will be successful; some will miss, while others will be used to shore up the depth in the AAA system with the Buffalo Bisons.

So the question becomes: who is out there to sign?

You can never have too much pitching depth, and while Erick Fedde is not the sexiest name of the bunch, it’s a minor league contract; it isn’t supposed to be an appealing name. Fedde is only 32 but has pitched in over 165 games in the majors. He’s logged 772 and 2/3 innings and struck out 589 batters over his career.

Fedde spent last season with the St Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Atlanta Braves ahead of the trade deadline. He was released shortly after, before ending up with the Milwaukee Brewers. His ERA was fluctuating as he had a 5.22 ERA with the Cardinals, before it soared to an 8.10 ERA with the Braves, prompting them to release him. He then signed with the Brewers, where he had a respectable 3.38 ERA across seven games in relief.

What Fedde brings to the table is nothing super special, as he throws a 92 mph sinker, a cutter, a changeup and a very effective sweeper. What he’s designed to do is generate a lot of ground balls, but he has struggled with that and his command over the years. Batters hit .310 off his sinking fastball, which was the pitch he used the most, but his sweeper was only holding batters to a .191 average. His sweeper generated a whiff rate of 26% making it his best pitch. If signed, he would likely be low in the depth chart of starters, but that would only be if he’s needed.

Eli Morgan is a fascinating name to say the least. He was first a starter with the Cleveland Guardians back in 2021 before being moved to the bullpen the following season. In 2024 with the Guardians, he put up a solid ERA of 1.93 in 32 games with the team. Once traded to the Chicago Cubs last season, Morgan struggled, and after just seven games, he suffered an elbow injury that kept him out until near the end of the season.

Upon being optioned to the Iowa Cubs in AAA, Morgan put up a 5.91 ERA across nine games and was released this past winter. On paper, a soft-throwing right-hander is not exactly needed, given how the Blue Jays just signed Trevor Rogers for their bullpen and would ideally want more velocity than stuff. With a fastball that only reaches 92 mph at most, he relies mostly on his changeup and his slider to get batters to chase. Judging by his 2024 season, that was the case as batters whiffed on 43.8% of his slider and 25% on his changeup.

Given how much competition the bullpen has already led into 2026 and the Blue Jays already prying a pitcher from the Guardians recently in 2025 with Nick Sandlin, one wonders if they do want to get another piece of a team that went all the way to game six of the ALCS that year. Injuries aside, the front office has shown they’re willing to give those recovering from injuries a chance, one example being Shane Bieber from last year, and Morgan could be one name that fits this bill.

A veteran major league journeyman who could potentially play for this fifth team in 10 years is an interesting one. Vargas has spent most of his 1219 career games primarily in the National League, but did spend 10 of those with the Minnesota Twins in 2020.

In short, Vargas is nothing more than a potential depth utility man the team can add to their bench. He’s not flashy, hosting a career .646 OPS and only 20 career home runs, but Vargas can help by adding his veteran presence in the minor leagues.

Vargas is a contact-first hitter who would be hitting near the bottom of most teams’ lineups. He can play shortstop, third base and also second base while also providing solid speed on the base paths. With the likelihood of Andres Gimenez playing shortstop as of right now for the Blue Jays in 2026, Vargas can provide a little bit more of what Isiah-Kiner Falefa offered near the end of last season.

Another case of a reliever with high upside but even higher risk of injuries. It wasn’t all that long ago that Lou Trivino was a strikeout-heavy pitcher who could breeze by batters on route to closing out games for teams. He had some solid success for the Oakland Athletics before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2022.

After a strong showing with the Yankees, he went through Tommy John Surgery in 2023, causing him to miss the season. Despite re-signing in New York, he then struggled in the minor leagues, where he became a free agent after the end of the season in 2024.

Trivino is no stranger to signing minor league contracts: he’s signed three times last season with the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. Trivino put up a 3.97 ERA across 47 games with all three clubs, even starting a pair of games for the Dodgers.

Trivino is the epitome of a hard-throwing right-hander, showcasing a hard cutter in addition to his fastball and sinker. He also throws a changeup, which has provided him success in the past and also has a sweeper he has used a lot more over the years. With the desire of the organization to get more velocity out of the bullpen with arms like Louis Varland acquired last trade deadline, having another one as a possibility can be useful for a team that’s looking to generate more whiffs and strikeouts, as they have shown with getting players like Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce for the rotation.

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