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Blue Jays: 15 minor league players head to free agency
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Photo credit: © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Tyson Shushkewich
Nov 8, 2025, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 8, 2025, 07:17 EST
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Thanks to the fine folks at Baseball America, a total of 574 minor league players were declared free agents on November 6th, five days after the World Series. It’s the same timeframe for Major League players as well, in terms of being able to speak with other organizations, and minor league players have the same right for free agency as well (if eligible).
Many of these players reach free agency once their sixth full season in the minors is complete and they haven’t been added to a 40-man roster – many of these players were drafted/signed around 2019. Others are heading back to the open market after signing MiLB deals, which run only for the course of that year. These players have already been released from other organizations or their original deals. The Jays already had two players declare free agency (Ryan Borucki and Michael Stefanic) who were on MiLB deals.
For the Blue Jays, 15 players are heading to free agency:
  • RHP Andrew Bash (AAA)-
  • RHP Edinson Batista (A+)
  • RHP Elieser Hernandez (AAA)
  • RHP Adam Kloffenstein (AAA)
  • RHP Bobby Milacki (AA)
  • RHP Robinson Pina (AAA)
  • LHP Joe Mantiply (AAA)
  • C Phil Clarke (AAA)
  • C Rene Pinto (AAA)
  • 3B Alex De Jesus (AA)
  • 3B Buddy Kennedy (AAA)
  • 3B Eddinson Paulino (AA)
  • OF Dasan Brown (AAA)
  • OF Eloy Jimenez (AAA)
  • OF Gabriel Martinez (AA)
Of the group, only a handful of players are heading to free agency who have been with the organization their entire careers. The name that sticks out from the group is Canadian Dasan Brown, who was drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2019 draft. A speedster on the base paths and a defensive-minded player overall, Brown spent most of the year in Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A towards the end of the campaign. RHP Andrew Bash, C Phile Clarke, and OF Gabriel Martinez join Brown in this category.
Four free agents were acquired via trade by the Jays during their climb up the farm system, starting their journeys in other organizations:
  • Batista was acquired from the Houston Astros in exchange for RHP Nick Robertson (2025)
  • De Jesus was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers alongside RHP Mitch White in exchange for RHP Nick Frasso and LHP Moises Brito (2022)
  • Paulino was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the trade package for Danny Jansen (2024)
  • Pina was acquired from the Miami Marlins in exchange for RHP Colby Martin (2025)
Rounding out the group are mostly free agents who were signed to contracts this year, whether it was during the offseason or when the player was DFA’d/released by another team, and are now heading back to the open market:
  • Hernandez (signed August 15, 2025)
  • Kloffenstein (signed January 29, 2025)
  • Milacki (signed December 16, 2024)
  • Mantiply (signed July 13, 2025)
  • Pinto (signed September 01, 2025)
  • Kennedy (signed twice: July 09, 2025 and September 01, 2025)
  • Jimenez (signed September 01, 2025)
For the Blue Jays, only Pina and Kennedy saw time with the big league roster in 2025. Kennedy appeared in two games, collecting one hit through five at-bats. Pina appeared in one relief outing, allowing four hits and one earned run in 1 1/3 innings of work.
Kennedy gained notoriety in October because, after spending time on the Jays and Dodgers MLB rosters this year, he was eligible for a World Series ring, regardless of who won.

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