Blue Jays' 2025 trade deadline bullpen upgrade finds a new home with the White Sox

It was a quick stop north of the border for Seranthony Dominguez. The right handed reliever, who was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline in 2025 has reportedly signed a two-year $20 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Blue Jays acquired Dominguez from the Baltimore Orioles to bolster their bullpen during the stretch run, in the middle of a double header in Baltimore, making for one of the more awkward walks across a diamond for the major leaguer.

The 31-year-old will likely be a part of the backend of the White Sox bullpen and asked to pitch in a lot of high leverage situations, something he did well with the Blue Jays and Orioles last season.

Blue Jays' 2025 trade deadline bullpen upgrade finds a new home with the White Sox

Dominguez pitched to a very nice .230 batting average against in high leverage situations last year, allowing just one home run while racking up 29 strikeouts and eight walks in 83 high leverage plate appearances. He also held hitters to a .186 batting average against with runners in scoring position with 30 strikeouts in 85 plate appearances. However, the frustrations with Dominguez lied in his control.

The strikeouts were great but they also came with his fare share of walks. Hitters got on base at a .314 clip in 2025 thanks in part to his 36 walks. In his seven year career, Dominguez has walked 135 batters in 306 innings pitched for a 4.0 BB/9 rate. While that feels higher than you'd like to see out of a backend bullpen arm, he can make up for it with his 10.6 SO/9 rate.

With the Blue Jays, Dominguez did his job for the most part. In 21 innings he pitched to a 3.00 ERA, with 25 strikeouts, allowing just one home run in the regular season. In the playoffs he was leaned on heavily, getting into 12 games, with 29 innings pitched. He struck out 37 but walked 15 and gave up six earned runs.

There probably was room for Dominguez to return to Toronto if there was a desire from either side, however, the Blue Jays have spent most of this season upgrading their pitching staff and at $10 million per year, Toronto probably feels like they have better value with the current crops of arms.

Meantime, the piece the Blue Jays gave up to get him, Juaron Watts-Brown, has made it up to Double-A in the minors. He finished the year with Chesapeake in Baltimore's system and through 35.1 innings, with a 3.82 ERA and 43 strikeouts, but gave up 10 home runs in the seven games he started. The 23-year-old Watts-Brown was drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft by the Blue Jays and looks like he could develop into a starter at the big league level and is currently the No. 10 ranked prospect in Baltimore's system.

While that feels like it's alot for the Blue Jays to give up for less than half a year for a relief pitcher, those are the prices you need to pay sometimes to try and win it all.