Right-hander Dillon Tate has returned.
The 30-year-old reliever rejoined the Toronto Blue Jays organization on Monday, reportedly signing a major-league contract, per Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling. Once official, the club will need to make room on its 40-man roster, which is currently full.
Blue Jays have agreed to a major-league deal with right-handed reliever Dillon Tate, per sources. Deal is pending a physical.
The Jays claimed Tate off waivers from the Orioles last Sept and called him up later that month. He made four appearances and was non-tendered in Nov.
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) March 10, 2025
However, the franchise can create space by adding an injured player to the 60-day injured list, which they could do with either Alek Manoah, Angel Bastardo or Adam Macko — all of whom will miss considerable time due to injury.
Tate appeared in four games with Toronto after being claimed off waivers last September, allowing two runs (both earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out four across 3.1 innings. He also logged five relief outings at triple-A Buffalo, posting a 1.80 ERA and 2.77 FIP with five punchouts in five innings.
The Blue Jays non-tendered the sinkerballer last November, making him a free agent. In doing so, they saved a projected $1.9 million at the time, per MLB Trade Rumors’ salary arbitration projections.
The news of Tate’s return comes on the same day as the announcement that Erik Swanson is scheduled to visit Dr. Keith Meister regarding his elbow injury, adding concern to his status moving forward.
Bringing back Tate provides Toronto’s bullpen with an extra layer of depth in camp, where he’ll likely compete for one of the two open spots. However, his arrival will not address the situation of losing a critical high-leverage reliever at the back end of the ‘pen.
But it’ll add another healthy arm to the fold, especially important with Ryan Burr also sidelined with a shoulder injury this spring.
