A former Blue Jays reliever is heading to the open market. Right-hander Jacob Barnes, who was designated for assignment this past weekend to make room for Paxton Schultz on the 40-man roster, has passed through waivers unclaimed and is heading to free agency. The reliever has enough service time to decline the assignment once going unclaimed, opting for free agency and the open market instead of heading to Buffalo.

Barnes joined the Blue Jays this past winter on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training after spending the 2024 season with the Washington Nationals. Last year, the veteran arm compiled a 4.36 ERA through 63 outings, posting a 1.318 WHIP and a 9.1 H/9 through 66 innings of work, striking out 55 batters compared to 20 walks.

The Florida product made the Opening Day roster for the Blue Jays as one of the last bullpen additions, and his season got off to a rocky start, allowing two earned runs and a walk in his first outing that day against the Baltimore Orioles.

He allowed another two runs two days later against the O’s but was on a three-game hot streak of allowing just two hits and zero runs before getting torched for a Rowdy Tellez grand slam on Saturday in extra innings against the Mariners, earning the loss. Barnes posted a 4.54 FIP through his six outings and allowed 10 hits through eight innings to the tune of an 11.3 H/9 while amassing a 1.625 WHIP in the short sample size with Toronto.

This was his second stint with the Jays, as the reliever appeared in ten games for Toronto back in 2021 after the club acquired him from the Mets in June and he posted a 6.30 ERA through 10 innings, allowing seven earned runs and six walks, before being DFA’d in late July, spending the rest of the year in the triple-A Buffalo.

Barnes is the second reliever to be DFA’d from the Jays roster, as Richard Lovelady’s tenure with the club was short following the opening weekend Orioles series. He recently signed a MiLB deal with the Twins and is currently with their triple-A club in St. Paul.