Blue Jays bullpen almost complete with one spot left to claim before Opening Day

Tommy Nance is in and Yariel Rodriguez is out as the Toronto Blue Jays have just one more spot available in their bullpen to open up the 2026 season. The team announced the roster moves a few days ago and while it rewards Nance for his outstanding 2025 campaign, it continues Rodriguez down a path of uncertainty after beginning the season so well last year.

Blue Jays bullpen almost complete with one spot left to claim before Opening Day

Nance was originally purchased by the Blue Jays from the San Diego Padres in August of 2024. He finished the year in the Blue Jays bullpen, pitching 22 innings with a 4.09 ERA. He started 2025 with Triple-A Buffalo, but the 35-year-old right hander was called up to the Blue Jays in July and stuck around right through to the end of the season. He threw 31.2 innings with a 1.99 ERA, racking up 32 strikeouts and allowing only seven earned runs.

He didn't have the strongest spring, allowing four earned runs in 5.1 innings, but struck out six hitters along the way. Nance could end up being a valuable one or two inning pitcher for the Blue Jays all season, but especially in the early part of the year when starters aren't going to be going very deep into games, as they hit their internal pitch counts relatively early on.

While it's a cause for celebration for Nance, Rodriguez on the other hand will have to work his way back up to the big leagues. He was taken off the 40-man roster during the offseason, but cleared waivers and was invited to Spring Training. Rodriguez showed some great stuff off his pitches, but also gave up nine hits and allowed seven runs in three innings.

However, he struck out five batters in spring, and another 10 in six innings pitched with Cuba during the World Baseball Classic. At that tournament, Rodriguez got into three games, and allowed one earned run, while giving up four hits. If Rodriguez can replicate that form over the first few weeks in the minors, it will be hard to keep him down there for very long.

But the Blue Jays still have a spot open in their bullpen and according to Blue Jays reporter Arden Zwelling, that spot will be up for grabs between offseason trade piece Chase Lee and Rule 5 Draft pick Spencer Miles. Both players have travelled to Toronto and a final decision is expected to be made on Wednesday afternoon.

No matter who that spot goes to, the bullpen could be a revolving door all year long and so whether it's Nance who is currently on the team, or Lee, Miles and Rodriguez who, at the moment, are not, there will be opportunities later on this season where the Blue Jays could very well ask them to help out.