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Blue Jays sign Danny Thompson and Austin Smith to under-slot deals
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Photo credit: © Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jul 16, 2025, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 16, 2025, 05:51 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays have signed two of their drafted players, as well as four additional undrafted free agents.
According to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo, the Blue Jays have signed eight-rounder Danny Thompson Jr. and 10th-rounder Austin Smith. Both have been signed to a bonus of $5,000, well below their slot value of $238,600 and $193,500, respectively.
Thompson Jr., a pitcher, is a five-year collegiate senior who pitched the past two seasons with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Last season, he made two starts in 23 appearances, posting a 3.79 ERA and 2.68 FIP in 61.2 innings pitched, with a 33 K% and 9.1 BB%.
Smith, a collegiate senior, attended the University of San Diego for the past three seasons and was a two-way pitcher for all four collegiate seasons. As a professional, he’ll move to the outfield, where he slashed .353/.412/.528 with six home runs in 250 plate appearances last season for a 134 wRC+.
With both players well below their slot value, the Jays essentially have saved money to over-slot other players. Those players are Canadian Tim Piasentin (fifth-round), Jared Spencer (11th-round), Blaine Bullard (12th-round), and perhaps Jordan Rich (17th-round).
On top of signing these two drafted players, the Blue Jays have also signed four undrafted free agents. The most notable is a senior shortstop, Maddox Latta, who recently attended California State University, Fullerton. Last season, the right-handed hitter slashed .362/.486/.503 with three home runs (15 doubles) in 249 plate appearances for a 154 wRC+. He also had a higher BB% (14.9%) than K% (12.4%).
The Blue Jays made back-to-back picks from Auburn University, selecting Eric Snow in the sixth round and Dylan Watts in the seventh round. They also signed senior pitcher Carson Myers as a UDFA. Last season with Auburn, the right-handed reliever posted a 2.77 ERA and 2.62 FIP in 52 innings pitched with a 31.2 K% and 4.7 BB%.
From the University of New Mexico, the Jays signed left-handed senior Dayne Pengelly. Last season, he had an 8.50 ERA and 4.78 FIP with New Mexico, but has a 3.16 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched in the MLB Draft League. He sits 93-96 mph with the fastball, topping out at 98 mph. The 22-year-old also features a slider and splitter.
The last UDFA the Blue Jays signed (for now) is Reece Wissinger, a right-handed reliever who spent his time at Southeastern University, a NAIA school. Last season, had a 3.20 ERA in 81.2 innings pitched, with a 29.1 K% and 6.2 BB%. His fastball sits in the high-80s to low-90s, with a slider.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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