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Former Blue Jays who are free agents this offseason: Part 1
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Photo credit: © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tyson Shushkewich
Nov 24, 2025, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 24, 2025, 08:20 EST
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The offseason is off to a slow start as December starts to come into focus, which isn’t a new phenomenon by any means. Only a handful of notable players are off the board – Josh Naylor to Seattle, Raisel Iglesias to Atlanta – and the market is still waiting for some of the bigger names to find a new home this winter.
While going through the transaction logs, especially after the recent non-tender deadline, there are a handful of former Blue Jays who are available this offseason. Some are free agents for the first time in their careers, such as Bo Bichette, while others are experiencing the process for the first time. The Jays saw Bichette, Ty France, Seranthony Dominguez, Chris Bassitt, and Max Scherzer all head to the open market this winter from this most recent campaign.
Here are some notable former Blue Jays players and prospects who did not play for the organization in 2025 and are free agents this offseason (so you won’t see the likes of Bichette, France, Dominguez, etc.). There are quite a few names out there who used to play for the Jays, so it will be a two-part series.

Nick Frasso – RHP

Once a top prospect in the Jays system, Frasso was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 as part of the Mitch White trade deadline deal. From there, the right-hander has been climbing the minor league ladder, reaching Triple-A in 2023.
Injuries have been the biggest hurdle for the fireballer, who missed all of the 2024 season due to injury and moved into the bullpen for the majority of the 2025 season while spending the year in Oklahoma City. Across 43 outings (seven starts) with the Coments, he compiled a 5.49 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP through 77 innings.
Frasso is a free agent after being non-tendered by the Dodgers.

Sem Robberse – RHP

Robberse was an interesting prospect in the Jays’ system, and the organization ended up trading him to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of the trade package for Jordan Hicks in 2023.
Similar to Frasso, Robberse never appeared in the big leagues for the Cards, making just four starts in 2025 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in May. Across 14 2/3 innings, he struck out 19 batters and allowed 12 earned runs off 23 hits and eight walks.
The Dutchman will be sidelined to start the new campaign as he looks for a new deal.

Trent Thornton – RHP

Right-hander Trent Thornton made a name for himself in Toronto when he led the team in 2019 with his 154 2/3 innings. He established himself more as a reliever as the years went on, and the Jays ended up trading him to Seattle in the summer of 2023.
Since then, he has compiled a 3.65 ERA and a 4.08 FIP through 140 2/3 innings, making 126 relief appearances with one start. The 2025 season was a tough one for Thornton, as he landed on the IL early in the campaign due to appendicitis, and he later tore his achilles in August, putting him on the shelf for the Mariners’ postseason run and likely the start of the 2026 season.

Alek Manoah – RHP

The former first-round pick is back on the market.
The Toronto Blue Jays starter was surprisingly DFA’d by the Jays following the trade deadline, as he was still rehabbing from his Tommy John surgery in the minor leagues, and the Atlanta Braves picked him up late in the campaign (although he did not make an appearance).
Manoah’s time with the Jays ended with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.164 WHIP across 420 outings and 75 starts, appearing in one All-Star Game and earning AL Cy Young finalist votes in 2022, finishing in third place.

Mark Leiter Jr. – RHP

A familiar face for Jays fans, reliever Mark Leiter Jr. was non-tendered by the Yankees after spending one and a half seasons in the Bronx. He struggled to replicate the success that he found in Chicago, posting a 4.89 ERA through 80 relief outings, finishing with a 1.586 WHIP and a 4.07 FIP.
Leiter was a part of the 2018 Jays squad, making eight appearances en route to a 13.50 ERA, allowing 10 earned runs through 6 2/3 innings of work.

Reese McGuire – C

Backup catcher Reese McGuire is looking for a new home after his lone season with the Chicago Cubs. Across 44 games, he amassed a .226/.245/.444 slash line with nine home runs, 24 RBIs, and a .688 OPS.
McGuire made his big league debut with the Jays back in 2018, spending parts of four years on the active roster before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2022. He compiled a .687 OPS with 91 hits, 25 doubles, and nine home runs through 367 at-bats, working as the backup catcher on the depth charts.

Josh Winckowski – RHP

Drafted by the Blue Jays in 2016, Winckowski was climbing up the minor league ladder before he was traded to the New York Mets in early 2021 as part of the trade package for Steven Matz. He would be traded just weeks later to the Boston Red Sox as part of a three-team deal with the Royals, highlighted by Andrew Benintendi heading to the Royals.
The right-hander struggled to find a regular roster spot in Boston, posting a 4.20 ERA through 121 outings (21 starts) while he rode the options train. He spent most of the 2025 campaign on the IL, making just six appearances for the Red Sox in 2025.

Tayler Saucedo – LHP

Drafted by the Blue Jays in 2015, left-hander Tayler Saucedo spent two seasons trying to find to crack the Jays bullpen before being placed on waivers following the 2022 season.
Since 2023, Saucedo has been with the Seattle Mariners, finding success as a regular in the Mariners bullpen. Through 115 outings, he compiled a 4.06 ERA and a 3.94 FIP through 99 2/3 innings, making 50+ appearances in 2023 and 2024.
Saucedo spent most of the 2025 season in Triple-A and on the IL, appearing in just 10 games for the Mariners this past season. He was designated for assignment earlier this winter and became a free agent for the first time in his career.

Danny Jansen – C

One of the toughest trades from the 2024 season was Danny Jansen being sent to the Boston Red Sox, solidifying Alejandro Kirk as the go-to man behind the plate for the Jays.
In 2025, Jansen split the campaign between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, compiling a .215/.321/.399 slash line with 14 home runs, 36 RBIs, and a .721 OPS. He put up a 2.8 bWAR, just 0.1 off from his career high in 2022, and he also put up a career high 42 walks between both teams.

Justin Turner – 1B

A veteran player in the clubhouse in 2024, Justin Turner spent half the campaign with the Blue Jays before being moved to the Seattle Mariners as part of the firesale once Toronto was out of the playoff picture.
Turner would depart for the Chicago Cubs on a one-year deal and heads back to the free agent market this winter after posting a .602 OPS on 169 at-bats coming off the Cubs bench. Turner has noted that he wants to retire as a Dodger but hasn’t made any comments regarding retiring at this time.

Cavan Biggio – 2B

Former utility player Cavan Biggio spent the 2025 campaign split between the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Angels, but spent most of the year in Triple-A. In the big leagues, he appeared in just 37 games (all with the Royals), collecting 12 hits (.174) with two doubles and one home run while striking out 21 times compared to 11 walks.
Fans will remember Biggio as one of the up-and-coming core members alongside Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before being DFA’d and later traded to the Dodgers in 2024. With the Jays, Biggio authored a .227/.343/.382 slash line with 48 home runs and 176 RBIs across six seasons, posting a .74 bWAR.

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