Blue Jays add another former Twin in questionable move to aid pitching depth

The Toronto Blue Jays have had some luck go their way when dealing with the Minnesota Twins. Five years ago at the MLB trade deadline they shipped off a couple of prospects to land José Berrios. Berrios was dominant down the stretch for the Blue Jays that year, coming up one game shy of qualifying for the playoffs that year. He then signed a seven-year contract extension and while things haven't gone great lately for Berrios, the Blue Jays have been mostly happy with what they have gotten from him.

Last year, it was another move with the Twins at the deadline that is paying off huge for the Blue Jays. They dealt a pair of prospects to land Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France. Varland was relied upon heavily in the Blue Jays 2025 postseason run to the World Series as he set an MLB playoff record with 15 appearances in 18 of the Blue Jays' games.

He's also become one of the best relievers in baseball this season, even if he didn't win reliever of the month in May, but it's a trade the Blue Jays have to be happy with no matter how prospects Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden turn out.

But this latest trade is a bit of a head scratcher. Simeon Woods Richardson was acquired on Wednesday (Jun. 3) in exchange for cash considerations. Ironically, he's one of the two prospects the Blue Jays moved to get Berrios. As a former player within Toronto's system, the Blue Jays are hoping to tap into what made Woods Richardson a top prospect (No. 3 overall in 2020). Unfortunately, it seems like the 25-year-old Woods Richardson is a long ways away from being that player. In fact he's been one of the worst players in the league when it comes to helping his team actually win games.

Blue Jays add a pitcher that ranks at the very bottom of the WPA charts

After two very competent years with the Twins in 2024 and 2025, the 2026 season has not gone Woods Richardson's way and he was DFA'd by Minnesota last week. He is 0-7 with a 7.74 ERA in 48 innings pitched and has been worth -2.29 WPA. That is the worst mark in the league in that stat and what's scary is that the Blue jays already have one player on this list that has cost them a few wins.

Jeff Hoffman, the Blue Jays Opening Day closer, has been worth -2.03 WPA as he is also struggling through various points of the 2026 campaign. Hoffman has had some stretches where he has looked really good, and others where he just completely melts down and has cost Toronto some wins.

For the team to be adding another arm who hasn't been able to come through for his team may be risky at this point - especially as they try to keep pace with the AL Wild Card race. They would also love to be in the hunt for the AL East title, but that is slipping further and further away the longer the Blue Jays stay below .500.

But the Blue Jays have also been able to get unexpected surprises out of some arms that looked like they were going to be tough fits within this group. Nobody thought Patrick Corbin was going to be anything special, but he's managed to be a completely effective middle of the rotation arm for the Blue Jays with a 3.98 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 54.1 innings pitched in 11 starts for Toronto.

Woods Richardson could be asked to start, he could go into a bulk role, or just become a low leverage bullpen arm. Whatever the plan is for Woods Richardson, this trade shows how desperate the Blue Jays are right now just to find someone that can eat up some innings and provide some relief to their main reliever corps.

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