Blue Jays Claim Veteran Reliever Paul Sewald in Latest Roster Shuffle
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The Toronto Blue Jays continued reshaping their pitching staff Wednesday, claiming veteran right-hander Paul Sewald off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks while moving Jake Bloss to the 60-day injured list.
Toronto recalled Bloss to the Major League roster before placing him on the 60-day IL, creating the 40-man roster space needed for Sewald. Bloss had already been sidelined after suffering another shoulder setback while working his way back from UCL surgery performed in May 2025.
The roadblock removes one potential depth option but creates space for a veteran closer to try to help Toronto's playoff push. Sewald has been volatile.
The 36-year-old owns a 6.23 ERA across 45 appearances, but that number does not tell the full story. He converted 23 of his first 24 save opportunities before an utterly disastrous stretch forced Arizona to look elsewhere in the closer role. Over his final six appearances with the Diamondbacks, Sewald posted a 24.55 ERA.
His overall WHIP remains 1.10, and he has struck out 44 batters in 39 innings, suggesting his season has not been uniformly poor despite the ugly ERA.
Even with the recent collapse, there are reasons for Toronto to take a chance. Sewald has 110 career saves and extensive experience pitching in high-leverage situations. He also played a significant role in Arizona's 2023 run to the World Series.
Paul Sewald Gives Toronto Another Late-Inning Option
However, there is a reason Sewald was available in the first place. He has allowed 27 earned runs in 39 innings this season, making this more of a reclamation bet than a straightforward bullpen upgrade.
Louis Varland has been excellent since arriving in Toronto, giving the club a dependable closer while Sewald works to rediscover his form. That gives Toronto some flexibility in how aggressively it deploys Sewald at first. The move makes sense for a team still hanging around the American League playoff race. Toronto entered Wednesday 58–63 and 2.5 games behind Texas for the final Wild Card spot. With little separation between several teams, an extra solid inning here or there could make the difference between competing in the postseason and watching the festivities from home.
Bloss' setback takes one potential contributor out of the picture, but Sewald gives Toronto another chance to find value from an imperfect situation. If he can rediscover the version of himself that made the ninth inning a formality, the Blue Jays may have picked up far more than a waiver claim for their postseason push.
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Wesley Dixon is a sports writer focused on thoughtful analysis, roster-building angles, player development and feature-style storytelling. He has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA, with work centered on breaking down team direction, player fit and the larger stories behind the game. Wesley is a lifelong MLB fan, following multiple teams throughout the league. He is excited to bring that same detail-oriented approach to On SI.