Blue Jays lose another reliever to Mariners in latest waiver claim

On Wednesday (Jan. 8), the Seattle Mariners announced on social media that they had claimed reliever Hagen Danner off of waivers and that he was added to their 40-man roster. The Toronto Blue Jays had designated Danner for assignment in late December to make room on the 40-man roster for fellow reliever Josh Walker.

Danner, who is 26 years old, made one career appearance with the Blue Jays in 2023, recording one out in relief before exiting with an oblique injury. He did not go back to the big-league Blue Jays and remained in Triple-A in 2024, a level where Danner went 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 34.1 innings.

For comparison, Walker, who the Blue Jays opted to keep around instead of Danner, is 30 years old and has posted a 6.45 ERA with 23 strikeouts through 22.1 innings pitched in his MLB career. Last season with the Mets, Walker posted a 5.11 ERA through 12.1 innings pitched with 11 strikeouts.

Blue Jays Lose Another Valuable Pitcher to Seattle Mariners

The Blue Jays have had a pretty brutal offseason in terms of improving pitching. Other than acquiring Nick Sandlin in the massive deal with the Cleveland Guardians that involved Andres Giménez as well, their bullpen depth has been weakened overall, which is a major concern, considering it was their biggest issue last season.

Earlier on this offseason, the Blue Jays decided to let Jordan Romano enter free agency, and fans were under the impression he was going to sign a team-friendly deal after a rocky year. Romano instead chose to sign a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the team was left looking for other options. Unfortunately, they haven't done much to try and find replacements.

The Blue Jays did add Yimi Garcia on a two-year deal in the middle of December, and they also drafted Angel Bastardo in the Rule 5 Draft. While they both could be strong additions to the bullpen, they won't make up for the losses the team has already suffered.

The Blue Jays also decided to allow Genesis Cabrera to become a free agent, who has since joined the New York Mets organization, and also didn't re-sign Ryan Yarbrough, Dillon Tate, or Paolo Espino, who all remain free agents.

Despite making a couple of strong additions, it is a growing concern that the Blue Jays have failed to add depth to their bullpen as the 2025 season rapidly approaches. They still have some options, but losing Danner is a tough one. Hopefully, they can make another splash, or two, before the new season gets underway. Meanwhile, Danner will join other former Jays like Tayler Saucedo and Trent Thornton, potentially reborn in Seattle's pitching lab.