The Toronto Blue Jays have added a decorated reliever to compete for a bullpen spot as the club looks to defend its American League title heading into the 2026 season.
The Blue Jays signed left-hander Joe Mantiply to a minor league deal, the team announced on Tuesday, March 3. The veteran has spent the past six seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mantiply earned an All-Star nomination in 2022.
The 35-year-old will head to camp to challenge fellow lefties Brendon Little, Eric Lauer, and Mason Fluharty for a bullpen spot. The Blue Jays signed Taylor Rogers this offseason, but will be down Yimi Garcia as he recovers from elbow surgery.
Toronto Blue Jays Add Former All-Star Joe Mantiply
Mantiply has been an integral part of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen for the majority of the decade. After a brief stint with the team in the shortened 2020 season, he emerged as a consistent force from the left side in 2021. Mantiply delivered 39.2 innings of a 3.40 ERA that season.
The 2022 campaign was Mantiply’s breakout year. He posted a sub-3.00 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 69 appearances. The veteran chipped in his first two career saves and represented Arizona in the All-Star game. The National League fell 3-2 in the contest, but Mantiply came through with a scoreless inning that included a strikeout of Xander Bogaerts.
A hamstring strain limited Mantiply to 35 games in 2023. He scuffled to a 4.62 ERA with an uninspiring 17.8% strikeout rate. Mantiply bounced back with a career-high 75 appearances in 2024. His ERA pushed 4.00, but he picked up 16 holds and led the Diamondbacks in games pitched. Mantiply was blasted for 17 earned runs over 9.2 innings to begin last season. Arizona ultimately designated him for assignment.
Will Joe Mantiply Make the Blue Jays Roster?
This is Mantiply’s second stint in the organization. Toronto picked him up in July after the Diamondbacks cut ties with him. Mantiply notched a 3.45 ERA with a strong 29.7% strikeout rate at Triple-A after joining the organization. He didn’t reach the big-league club, but the minor league performance was enough for the Blue Jays to re-up with the lefty this offseason.
The Toronto pitching staff has dealt with a litany of injuries this offseason. Right-hander Bowden Francis is done for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Fellow righty Shane Bieber will not be ready for Opening Day as he deals with forearm fatigue. The aforementioned Garcia is struggling to progress after battling multiple injuries last season. Prospect Ricky Tiedemann is struggling to get healthy.
The Blue Jays have addressed the injuries by bringing in a variety of arms to improve the starting rotation and fill out the bullpen. Dylan Cease and his $210 million contract will headline the rotation. Cody Ponce will grab a rotation spot. Max Scherzer is back in the mix. Toronto has a slew of veteran relievers in big-league camp. Jorge Alcala, Josh Fleming, and Jesse Hahn join Mantiply as non-roster invitees with more than three years of big-league experience.
Little is locked in as the primary lefty setup guy, with Lauer likely in a long relief role. There’s an opening for a left-handed middle reliever. The gig went to Fluharty last season, though he scuffled to a 4.44 ERA across 55 appearances. He has a pair of minor league options left, so he doesn’t have to be in the majors.
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