Sor\u00edano\u2019s primary pitch is a sinker, which leads to one of baseball\u2019s highest ground ball rates (52.3 percent, per Baseball Savant), alongside a curveball, fastball, splitter and slider. The Jays, manager John Schneider said, don\u2019t expect massive arsenal tweaks for Sor\u00edano. They like the stuff, but just want it more in the zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrying to limit the walks,\u201d Schneider said, \u201cand trying to not be on the edges as much.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jays have had recent success harnessing effectively wild arms, such as Cease, Robbie Ray and Yusei Kikuchi. Even if they don\u2019t get Sor\u00edano to throw more strikes, he\u2019s still a top-half rotation arm to build around.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old, who hasn\u2019t pitched since July 26, will make his Jays debut on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/p>\n
Which MLB teams did the most?<\/p>\n
Levi Weaver and Madison Eades<\/p>\n
SP Spencer Arrighetti<\/p>\n
Arrighetti, sitting in the Daikin Field news conference room in his new Jays gear, wasn\u2019t quite ready to say goodbye to the Astros. The right-hander is from Houston and grew up an Astros fan. Playing on the same team as George Springer, he said, will be \u201creally special.\u201d As with Louis Varland in Minnesota, the Jays hope to pluck a local boy in Arrighetti and get the most out of him.<\/p>\n
Arrighetti is similar to Sor\u00edano, with less MLB success. He suppresses hard contact and strikes batters out, but misses his spots and walks batters far too often. In 53 MLB appearances, Arrighetti has a 4.66 ERA with 4.5 walks per nine innings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe zone\u2019s really small now,\u201d Arrighetti said. \u201cI\u2019ve just kind of been working on\u00a0not walking people, and I feel like I\u2019m actually taking some really good strides, leaning into the pitches that I throw in the zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his first bullpen session with the Blue Jays\u2019 pitching coaches, Arrighetti said, they\u2019re already \u201crefining\u201d with a few small tweaks. The righty declined to reveal those adjustments, but said the data on his pitches was \u201cexciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
One thing to note about the 26-year-old starter is that he has three option years remaining, which means he can be sent down to Triple A this season and in the next two. For a team that will need capable rotation depth moving forward, that optionality is particularly valuable.<\/p>\n
Recently recovered from right foot nerve irritation, Arrighetti will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.<\/p>\n
SP Jameson Taillon<\/p>\n
Taillon knew there was a possibility he\u2019d be traded to Toronto this week. The Jays called him when he was a free agent in 2022 and he knew they had called the Cubs when he was designated for assignment on July 27. The 34-year-old, with Canadian parents who met at the University of Toronto, is now finally a Jay.<\/p>\n
After a decade of reliability as a mid-rotation starter, posting ERAs between 3.20 and 4.50 from 2016 through 2025, Taillon was terrible in Chicago this year. He owned a 5.92 ERA and 6.73 FIP, allowing 25 homers in 15 starts. Mentally, Taillon said, he got too timid, thinking about potential homers before they happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t like, by any means, looking for a fresh start,\u201d Taillon said, \u201cbut when it happened, I kind of took a step back and thought it could be for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since his DFA, Taillon has been working at Tread Athletics in North Carolina. He said he\u2019s rebuilding his confidence, and the Jays pitching coaches have already gone over some pitch grip changes and reviewed old delivery footage. Taillon lost about a half mile per hour on his fastball this year, but while he already doesn\u2019t throw that hard (averaging 91.8 mph), it does make a difference. Time will tell if small adjustments and fresh confidence keep the ball in the ballpark.<\/p>\n
With Sor\u00edano and Taillon joining the Jays, Toronto has pivoted to a six-man rotation for now. We\u2019ll see if that sticks after Trey Yesavage lefte Tuesday\u2019s loss with knee soreness after feeling a pinch on the mound. He\u2019s going for an MRI Wednesday morning, Schneider said.<\/p>\n
Taillon, who is a free agent at the end of this season, will make his first start on Wednesday against the Astros.<\/p>\n
![\"Jameson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287117723-scaled-e1785913898316.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Jameson Taillon struggled mightily with the Cubs, but is already seeing positive results in work with Jays\u2019 coaches (Nick Cammett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
UTIL Josh Smith<\/p>\n
After back-to-back solid seasons, Smith is having a disastrous year. The lefty\u2019s average, on-base and slugging all dropped over 30 points compared to his previous two seasons. It\u2019s easy to see why Toronto is betting on a rebound, acquiring him alongside Josh Stephan for lefty reliever Adam Macko.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to get back to a player I know I can be,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
He has played just 45 games this year, going on the injured list with a glute strain in early May, hurting his wrist while on the IL, then getting sick with viral meningitis and being hospitalized for six days. Now, Smith says, he\u2019s healthy and has regained strength from the illness. The 28-year-old said that laundry list of ailments isn\u2019t an excuse for his poor play, but perhaps it\u2019s an explanation.<\/p>\n
Smith is expected to play mainly against right-handed pitchers, Schneider said, and can contribute at second base, third base and left field. These next 48 games are essentially a tryout. He\u2019s entering his second offseason of arbitration eligibility this winter after making $3.225 million this season. If Smith rediscovers his 2025 form, he may be worth tendering a contract in the winter. If not, it could be a brief Toronto tenure.<\/p>\n
Who won and lost the MLB trade deadline?<\/p>\n
Andy McCullough and Johnny Sweet<\/p>\n
SP Dasan Hill<\/p>\n
Hill is the clear top prospect Toronto acquired at the deadline. He was part of the three-player package for Jeff Hoffman<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s never easy to part with some of your better prospects,\u201d Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said after the deadline, referencing Hill.<\/p>\n The 20-year-old lefty starter possesses premium stuff, hitting 100 mph with his fastball alongside a sweeper, slider, changeup and curve. As with a few of Toronto\u2019s big-league pitching adds, though, the challenge is harnessing that fire. In High A this year, Hill walked 37 batters in 45 innings. He did strike out 77, but the free passes led to a 5.80 ERA in 16 starts. Toronto assigned him to High-A Vancouver.<\/p>\n SP John Klein<\/p>\n An undrafted signee by the Twins in 2022, Klein was also part of the Hoffman package. The 24-year-old uses his 6-foot-5 frame and long stride to release his pitches much closer to the plate than most. That helps his mid-90s fastball play up and has aided his rise to the big leagues this year.<\/p>\n \u201cJohn Klein is an incredible development story,\u201d Zoll told reporters in Minnesota. \u201cAnd one of the nicest kids you could be around.\u201d<\/p>\n In 64 innings at Triple A, as both a starter and reliever, Klein posted a 5.91 ERA, striking out 10.4 batters per nine and walking 4.8. In 4 1\/3 MLB innings, he allowed two earned runs. At the very least, Klein adds some upper-minors pitching depth to a team that\u2019s needed plenty of that this year. He was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to begin his Jays tenure.<\/p>\n 2B\/LF Dameury Pena<\/p>\n Pena was the third piece of the Hoffman return and the consensus lowest-ranked prospect of the group. He split time at second base and left field in Minnesota\u2019s lower minors and has one clear strength: contact.<\/p>\n There was a commonality among most of Toronto\u2019s prospect hitter additions, and it was the ability to put the bat on the ball. Pena, across Single A and High A this year, has hit .300 with one homer and 15 total extra-base hits. He\u2019ll join Hill in High A.<\/p>\n OF Brett Bateman<\/p>\n Another contact king, Bateman broke out in 2026 with a massive half-season at Triple A with the Cubs. He became half the return for Gausman at the deadline and could help fill Toronto\u2019s future outfield holes.<\/p>\n One opposing evaluator described Bateman as \u201cstrong to good\u201d in centre field and a \u201cleft-handed pest at the plate who certainly lacks thump.\u201d He\u2019s hit .312 in 82 Triple-A games with three homers. With solid speed (20 stolen bases on 23 attempts this season) and outfield versatility, he may get to Toronto\u2019s MLB roster later this year with Daulton Varsho now gone to Houston<\/a>. The Jays don\u2019t have many obvious options to play centre next year, and Bateman could certainly be a contender. He\u2019s currently assigned to the Triple-A Bisons.<\/p>\n INF Ty Southisene<\/p>\n Coming over from Chicago alongside Bateman, Southisene possesses a very similar profile to the young outfielder. He\u2019s hit .306 with a .425 OBP in 66 games in Single A and High A this year, but hasn\u2019t hit a homer. He also flashes real game speed, stealing 31 bases on 37 attempts.<\/p>\n While Southisene has mostly played shortstop in the low minors, an opposing evaluator suggested he may end up a \u201cpesky utility man\u201d who can play infield and corner outfield in the future. He\u2019s been assigned to High-A Vancouver.<\/p>\n SP Josh Stephan<\/p>\n The other piece of the Smith and Macko deal, Stephan is a 24-year-old Triple-A starter who, like Klein, adds more depth to Toronto\u2019s upper-minors pitching staff.<\/p>\n He threw 101 innings in Triple A this year, but homer issues pushed his ERA up to 5.44. Stephan owns a deep six-pitch arsenal, surviving without high velocity or elite stuff. He\u2019ll start at Triple-A Buffalo, but isn\u2019t too far from his first MLB call-up.<\/p>\n The Athletic\u2018s Dan Hayes contributed to this story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2014 Every few minutes, a new player arrived at the Toronto Blue Jays road clubhouse. 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