Blue Jays Swipe Paul Sewald Off DFA Wire, Gambling on Late-Inning Redemption

Toronto just added a bullpen arm with a closing track record — and a whole lot of recent baggage.

The Blue Jays claimed veteran reliever Paul Sewald off waivers Wednesday after the Arizona Diamondbacks designated the 36-year-old right-hander for assignment. This isn't a depth move. It's a high-stakes bounce-back bet.

Sewald spent most of the season as Arizona's closer, collecting 24 saves. But the late-inning magic didn't last. His ERA was a sharp 3.18 on June 19 — then the bottom fell out. It now sits at an ugly 6.23 over 45 appearances, with a 24.55 ERA across his past six outings. Ouch.

He still has stuff: 44 strikeouts in 39 innings. But the D-backs pulled the plug on July 28 after he blew a save against the Pirates. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo made it clear this wasn't a happy goodbye: "It was a brutal decision. He's meant so much to this organization. He's closed our 24 games, he solidified things for our '23 run, he had a number of saves in '24 before he got banged up. ... To say goodbye to him, was not easy. It's agonizing."

The New Look in Toronto

Sewald gives the Blue Jays another late-inning weapon to deploy behind current closer Louis Varland, who has been dealing since taking over from Jeff Hoffman. Varland owns 25 saves and a 1.31 ERA in the role. Sewald doesn't need to close in Toronto. He just needs to be effective.

The timing matters. Toronto entered Wednesday at 58-63, sitting 3.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for the final American League wild-card spot. If Sewald can rediscover his form, this could be a steal. If not, it's a low-risk swing in a season that needs a spark.

To make room on the active roster, the Blue Jays recalled right-hander Jake Bloss and placed him on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from a shoulder injury. The bullpen carousel keeps spinning.