The Toronto Blue Jays claimed veteran reliever Paul Sewald off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, adding bullpen depth as the team fights for an American League wild-card spot while managing a heavily taxed pitching staff and multiple injuries.
The Toronto Blue Jays formally announced the waiver claim on Wednesday, moving quickly to shore up a weary bullpen as the regular season enters its final stretch. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the club recalled right-hander Jake Bloss from Triple-A and immediately placed him on the 60-day injured list.
Bloss is out for the remainder of the year as he continues dealing with lingering fatigue and shoulder issues stemming from his recovery after undergoing UCL surgery in May 2025.
Paul Sewald’s Turbulent Season in Arizona
Sewald arrives in Toronto following a rollercoaster campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 36-year-old right-hander began the year brightly, converting 23 of his first 24 save opportunities and holding a 3.18 ERA through mid-June according to detailed club reporting. His early success kept the Diamondbacks stable at the back end of games, echoing his standout seasons in Seattle and Arizona from 2021 to 2023.
Under the hood, however, warning signs accumulated. Advanced metrics showed Sewald yielding significant hard contact while maintaining a low ground-ball rate, relying heavily on a microscopic batting average on balls in play to navigate traffic. Once that batted-ball fortune evaporated, home runs derailed his outings. He surrendered seven home runs and 17 earned runs over his final 10 2/3 innings with Arizona as noted in roster tracking, pushing his overall ERA on the season to 6.23 across 45 appearances.
“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.”
Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks Manager
Following a blown save against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 28, Arizona demoted Sewald from the closer role as recorded in game recaps, and subsequently designated the veteran for assignment earlier in the week. The Diamondbacks are responsible for the remainder of his one-year, $1.5 million contract, leaving Toronto to absorb the modest remainder of his salary for the rest of the season.
How Toronto Plans to Deploy the Veteran Reliever
Manager John Schneider made it clear that Sewald will not immediately step back into high-leverage closing duties. That territory belongs firmly to bullpen anchor Louis Varland, who has compiled 25 saves and a 1.31 ERA since taking over the ninth-inning role according to team statistics. Instead, Toronto intends to insulate the right-hander by steering him into cleaner matchups.
“When you’re closing, you’re kind of just pitching against whoever, I think we can probably find some better spots for him. There’s some weirdness to a lot of relievers [in performance]. We talked about it with [Jeff] Hoffman the whole time he was here this year. When a guy has pitched the late innings, you feel good about that. It’s just been a weird year for [Sewald] keeping the ball in the park, so we’re going to try to tighten up some matchups for him.”
Jays make SURPRISING signing… Jays Sign Paul Sewald | Toronto Blue Jays News
John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays Manager
The acquisition addresses an exhausted relief corps. Mason Fluharty entered mid-August leading the majors with 62 appearances, while setup arms Tyler Rogers and Braydon Fisher have absorbed heavy workloads following the trade deadline departure of Jeff Hoffman to Minnesota. With rookie starter Trey Yesavage sidelined indefinitely following meniscus surgery on his left knee after leaving his August 4 start against Houston, the pitching staff’s depth faces a severe test.
Schneider acknowledged the frantic pace facing the clubhouse down the stretch in his pre-series comments.
“Sustainable is out the window, It’s about what we have to do tonight. If this was April, it would be a different story when guys were on pace for a historic amount of appearances out of the bullpen. Right now, sustain it for tomorrow night. After tomorrow, sustain it for the next night. It’s a full send right now.”
John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays Manager
American League Wild-Card Race and What Lies Ahead
The team expects Sewald to be active and available for Friday’s series opener against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre as scheduled by the club.
Photo: Yahoo Sports
Whether Sewald can recapture the form that made him a bullpen fixture during Arizona’s 2023 pennant chase remains the central question for Toronto’s front office. If the coaching staff can harness his 44 strikeouts over 39 innings and limit the damage from the long ball, the waiver claim could provide the exact margin needed to push the Blue Jays into October.
Daniel Richardson is the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, where he leads the editorial team and oversees all published content across nine sport verticals. With over 15 years in sports journalism, Daniel has reported from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, NFL Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. He previously served as Senior Sports Editor at Reuters and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Recognized by the Sports Journalists' Association for excellence in reporting, Daniel is a member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). His editorial philosophy centers on accuracy, depth, and fair coverage — ensuring every story published on Archysport meets the highest standards of sports journalism.
