Blue Jays have close eye on former notable Yankees starter's son in WBC

Ever since Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins took over the Toronto Blue Jays front office in the fall and winter of 2015, the Blue Jays have had a habit of bringing second generational talent into the fold. From the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Daulton Varsho and more, Toronto has become a place where there are a lot of recognizable last names, thanks to the players who came before.

That trend seems to be continuing as the Blue Jays begin the process of adding more young talent to their organization. Last year, Jake Casey (son of former MLBer Sean Casey) was drafted in the 15th round and has appeared in some Spring Training games this year for Toronto. And as they look ahead to the 2026 draft, they are eyeing another son of a former big leaguer - a notable New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox pitcher - José Contreras.

Blue Jays watching Joseph Contreras, son of José Contreras, who could be drafted in July

José's son Joseph is a 17-year-old right-handed pitcher currently playing in high school in Georgia, and was also selected to play at the World Baseball Classic, suiting up for Team Brazil. Joseph's mother, Isabel, is Brazilian and he previously represented the South American nation at the Pan-American Games. He's the youngest pitcher in the tournament and according to long-time baseball reporter Bob Elliot, he's a player the Blue Jays really have their eyes on.

The elder Contreras pitched for 11 years in the big leagues and he's a notable name not just for what he did on the field but for how he got to MLB altogether. Contreras is from Cuba and his journey to MLB was marred by some controversy at the time, but it also helped opened up a pathway for future players from Cuba to make the jump from the island nation to the big leagues. Contreras had to defect from Cuba and gain residency in Nicaragua in order to sign with a big league team.

Eventually he was able to land a four year $32 million deal with the New York Yankees, the largest deal ever (at the time) for a player who defected. It was especially shocking considering Contreras was held up as a "poster boy" for Cuban sports and had played for the national team for seven years. He only spent a year and a half with the Yankees though before he was traded to the White Sox at the 2004 deadline in a one-for-one deal for former Blue Jay Esteban Loaiza.

Contreras spent the next six seasons with the South Siders compiling a 10.0 bWAR with a 4.66 ERA in 900 innings pitched and 628 strikeouts. He was a part of the 2005 World Series championship team and was named to his only All-Star appearance the following year in 2006.

The younger Contreras has an offer to play at Vanderbilt following his high school career, but could also decline that offer if he gets drafted high enough and his slot bonus is worth it. Scouting reports say he has an upper-90s fastball and offers a four pitch mix that could develop well in the college or the pros. Blue Jays fans who want to get their first look at a potential future prospect can see Contreras and Team Brazil in their WBC opener against Team USA on Friday (Mar. 6) at 8pm.