After not making the Blue Jays Opening Day roster, left-hander Ryan Yarbrough has already found a new home. The veteran southpaw was rumoured to be joining the New York Yankees on a Major League deal and the club confirmed it hours later, announcing the signing. Yarbrough receives a base $2 million salary and some additional incentives, the same deal he would have had with the Blue Jays had he been named to the roster.

The former Blue Jay posted a 4.05 ERA through four spring outings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs through 6 2/3 innings. He walked one batter while striking out eight. Yarbrough spent the latter half of the 2024 campaign with Toronto and became a free agent this offseason before returning to the Jays on a MiLB deal, earning more money if he made the Opening Day roster.

As an Article XX(b) free agent, since he has accused at least six years of service time, he could opt out of his MiLB deal and then the Jays have to decide whether to keep him on the roster or set him to the market. After doing so on Friday, the Jays let him walk and he left the Player Development Complex shortly after.

After being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline last summer, Yarbrough worked as the long-man for the Jays and put together an impressive 2.01 ERA through 31 1/3 innings, allowing just 18 hits and seven earned runs. He also earned a 3.49 FIP and a 0.798 WHIP down the stretch while striking out batters at a 7.5 K/9 clip, a high mark for the veteran.

Instead of keeping Yarbrough, the Jays opted to keep Jacob Barnes arouund, who was also in camp under a MiLB contract.

The former Nationals reliever authored a 6.75 ERA through six spring training outings (one start) and allowed four earned runs through 5 1/3 innings, racking up six strikeouts in the process. With the Nats in 2024, Barnes compiled a 4.36 ERA through 66 innings.

Toronto also named Richard Lovelady to the Opening Day roster, subsequently being the second southpaw in the relief corps alongside Brendon Little. The southpaw posted a 6.48 ERA through eight outings this spring, allowing six earned and nine hits through eight innings of work. Lovelady was named to the 40-man roster earlier this month, with Alek Manoah being posted on the 60-day IL to free-open the spot. These two arms round out the bullpen to start the season, with Erik Swanson, Zach Pop, and Ryan Burr slated to start the season on the IL.

Letting Yarbrough go was already a questionable move, especially with who was kept over him. Compounded by the fact that he has signed with a division rival, the Jays may regret letting the long-man specialist go this spring.