Blue Jays claim LHP Zac Rosscup from Seattle; DFA Cordero

The revolving door in the Blue Jays’ bullpen continued on Thursday, as the team announced they had claimed Zac Rosscup from the Mariners.

The Blue Jays have claimed left-handed reliever Zac Rosscup off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and designate Jimmy Cordero for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster, the club announced Thursday afternoon.

30-year-old Rosscup has bounced around between Triple-A and the majors since his debut in 2013 with the Chicago Cubs. He has played parts of six seasons in the MLB, also having brief stints with the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers before joining the Mariners this season.

He has posted a 3.21 ERA in 19 appearances so far in 2019 and has struck out 20 batters through 14 innings. Despite those two impressive numbers, Rosscup has also walked 14 batters in as many innings.

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The addition of Rosscup was much needed as he will provide another left-handed option out of the bullpen for Toronto to go along with Tim Mayza.

Manager Charlie Montoyo says they hope to have Rosscup with the club tomorrow which means they will need to open up a spot on the major league roster. Sportsnet reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith speculates it could be fellow lefty Ryan Feierabend who is optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.

The corresponding move on the 40-man roster saw Cordero DFA’d less than 24 hours after making his Blue Jays debut, taking the loss in the extra-inning affair against Boston when Michael Chavis hit a go-ahead home run in the 13th.

In a two week stretch, Cordero has pitched in Triple-A Fresno with the Washington Nationals organization, and then with the Buffalo Bisons before last night’s debut in Toronto. Cordero will now be traded or put on waivers and if he is not claimed, can be either released or sent to back to the minors.

Cordero was originally signed by the Blue Jays out of the Dominican Republic in 2012 before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in a deal for Ben Revere, who was released by the Blue Jays yesterday in his second stint with the organization.

With injuries in the starting rotation and a lot of question marks on the back end, it appears moves like this are something fans should come to expect throughout the course of the season.

The Blue Jays are in the midst of playing 16 straight games and with the 13-inning game on Wednesday night, fresh arms that can pitch at the major league level will be needed and the club hopes Rosscup can be one of those answers from the left side.