Welcome to the neighbourhood, Mr. Rogers 😃
Blue Jays stood out from Day 1 in free-agent recruitment of Tyler Rogers
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
By Thomas Hall
Dec 20, 2025, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 20, 2025, 13:56 EST
Upon reaching free agency for the first time in his career, submarine right-hander Tyler Rogers didn’t know exactly what to expect once the process began. It was all a new learning experience, both for him, his wife, and their two children — who’ll be one and four years old when next season rolls around.
Over a month passed before Rogers ultimately made his decision, agreeing to a three-year, $37 million contract that includes a vesting option for 2029 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He received interest from multiple suitors before signing on the dotted line. But there was one club that stood out from the rest from the very beginning.
“The Blue Jays were the first team to reach out on the first day of free agency,” Rogers said via Zoom on Friday. “I had a Zoom meeting with [manager] John Schneider and [general manager] Ross Atkins and the whole crew pretty early on. People say it leaves an impression when the first team contacts you.“They seemed pretty aggressive, more aggressive than anybody.”
Coming out of high school, Rogers attended a junior college in Garden City, Kansas, before joining Austin Peay State University for two seasons, leading up to being taken in the 10th round by the Giants organization in 2013. Six years later, he made his major league debut and spent the next six-plus seasons in the Bay Area before being shipped off to Queens prior to last season’s trade deadline.
In all his years around this game, the 35-year-old has rarely experienced the feeling of being wanted by another franchise. So, when the Blue Jays came knocking at his door at the start of free agency, he said it “felt good to be recruited” for a change.
Part of the Blue Jays’ appeal, of course, is that they’re coming off their first World Series appearance in 32 years. But, through the aggressive signings of Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and now Rogers, the organization’s off-season spending has also reassured everyone that their window to compete for a championship is now.
“When the American League champs give you a phone call, you kind of perk up and get excited about that,” Rogers said. “[They were] a team that was really close to winning the World Series, so that right there is a great start.”
Another factor that led to Rogers choosing the Blue Jays is the reputation they’ve garnered in recent years for how well they treat players and their families. It’s a growing narrative that has been echoed by current and past players — with Cease and Ponce each mentioning it as a key element of their decision-making.
In many respects, that reputation has become more substantial in transforming Toronto into a prime free-agent destination than the club’s magical World Series run. Winning often holds the most power in that regard. When you can combine both elements, though, it becomes a game-changer — and that’s precisely what’s transpired north of the border this winter.
“Everybody that I’ve talked to that has played for the [Blue] Jays, they don’t say, ‘You’re going to like it there, it’s going to be good there.’ They say, ‘You’re going to love being in Toronto.’ Every one of them says that,” said Rogers, who reached out to former Giants and current Blue Jays teammate Kevin Gausman earlier this winter.
The Blue Jays were already on Rogers’ radar even before the off-season began, as the longtime Giants reliever noted Friday in speaking to reporters. He watched them attempt to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers in their pursuit of back-to-back World Series trophies last fall. But also remembered facing a pesky, resilient lineup coming out of the All-Star break at Rogers Centre back in July.
San Francisco had its top three starters — Justin Verlander, Logan Webb and former Blue Jay Robbie Ray — take the ball in that three-game series, all of whom fell victim to Toronto’s low swing-and-miss, high on-base offence en route to a series sweep. Rogers only made one appearance during that post-ASG matchup, retiring just one of his two batters faced, but took note of the club’s impressive ability to work deep counts, foul off tough pitches and take advantage of count leverage.
Suffice to say, he’s looking forward to having one of baseball’s toughest lineups competing on his side this time around, starting in 2026.