With free agents allowed to sign with other teams as of 5:00 pm EST yesterday, the Toronto Blue Jays and numerous other teams across the league have started to make moves to clear up space on their 40-man rosters. The Jays made numerous subtractions from this group but added one player amidst the moves, picking up right-hander Michael Petersen off of waivers from the Miami Marlins.

Born in Middlesex, England, Petersen and his family moved to California when he was young and grew up in the San Jose area. The pitcher was drafted four times throughout his career, starting in 2012 when he was a high school senior through 2015, as the right-hander went the JUCO route with stops at West Valley College and Riverside City College. He would eventually sign with the Milwaukee Brewers as a 17th-round pick of the 2015 MLB Draft.

From his draft year through 2019, Petersen toiled away in the Brewers farm system, spending most of his time in Rookie Ball. He made his way to high-A in 2019 where he put forward his best season, making 41 appearances out of the Carolina Mudcats bullpen to the tune of a 3.00 ERA across 54 innings. Following the 2019 campaign, he was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies and did not pitch again until late 2022 due to the cancelled minor league season in 2020 and undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of 2021.

In 2023, Petersen started the year in double-A and made it to triple-A Albuquerque, sporting a combined 3.46 ERA while making 41 appearances out of the bullpen. His command was a bit shaky (5.4 BB/9) but he was able to strike out opponents at a 10.6 K/9 clip when his pitches were working.

A free agent last winter, Petersen signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and began the campaign in triple-A again. He would be promoted to the big league squad in mid-June and rode the options bus for the Dodgers over the next few months, posting a 6.43 ERA and a 1.571 WHIP through 14 innings of work (fun fact, Petersen is eligible for a World Series ring after the Dodgers championship run this year).

Armed with a fastball that sits in the upper 90s, Petersen was finding success in Oklahoma City (1.64 ERA through 35 outings and 10 saves) but was struggling to translate that success at the Major League level, with L.A. designating him for assignment in early September. Petersen would be claimed off waivers shortly after by the Marlins and finished the year in Miami’s bullpen, allowing seven hits and three runs through five outings.

Outside of the big leagues, Petersen has represented Great Britain on the international stage and most recently pitched for the squad at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, their first appearance at the tournament. Petersen pitched against Team USA to close out the game and notched a scoreless inning, walking Kyle Schwarber while striking out Nolan Arenado on three pitches.

Petersen works mainly with his four-seamer and his cutter as a two-pitch reliever and can hit triple digits with his fastball at times. The right-hander also has a changeup and a slider in his arsenal but he put both of those on the backburner last season when he was in the Majors, so it will be interesting to see if the Jays try and get him to go back to using those pitches.

The addition of the 30-year-old is the first of likely many moves that lie ahead for the Blue Jays this offseason in terms of retooling their bullpen.