Blue Jays: Joel Payamps in; Jacob Waguespack gets DFA’d

Picked up from the Boston Red Sox via waivers (for the second time this off-season/spring training), pitcher Joel Payamps re-joins the Toronto Blue Jays with pitcher Jacob Waguespack being designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Joining the Colorado Rockies organization back in 2011, Payamps has spent parts of eight seasons in the minor leagues and would make his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks back in 2019. He has appeared in four MLB games over the past two seasons, crafting a 3.86 ERA with five strikeouts, six walks, and a 1.714 WHIP over seven innings.

He would be designated for assignment (DFA) by the Diamondbacks this off-season and was picked up by the Red Sox five days later. Payamps has been designated multiple times this off-season, now settling with the Blue Jays. For the spring, Payamps has pitched 1.0 inning and has two strikeouts to his name while with the Red Sox.

With Payamps re-joining the Blue Jays, pitcher Jacob Waguespack has been designated for assignment to make room for him on the 40 man roster. Acquired in 2018 from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for reliever Aaron Loup, Waguespack has played in 27 games with the Blue Jays over the past two seasons, 13 of them being starts.

During that time, the right-hander sports a 5.08 ERA with 79 strikeouts and a 1.463 WHIP over 95.2 innings of work. This spring, Waguespack has struggled to find his rhythm, appearing in two games and giving up two home runs and four earned runs, sporting a 27.00 ERA with one walk and no strikeouts.

Considering this is the second time Payamps has joined the Blue Jays this off-season, the front office appears very interested in the right-hander if they designated Waguespack to bring him back. Now that Waguespack has been DFA’d, the Blue Jays have seven days to either trade him to another organization, place him on waivers, or release him from the team if no other team picks him up on waivers.

There is the possibility another team would pick Waguespack up given his age and service time, but the rough spring could see him slip through waivers and head to the Blue Jays minor league system. I highly doubt the team would release him given the depth he provides both in the rotation and in the bullpen, so if nobody picks him up on the waiver wire, expect the 6’6 right-hander to join the Blue Jays AAA affiliate in Buffalo.