Pirates sign 2 former Blue Jays lefties looking for redemption in late-night spree

With spring training now just two weeks away, teams are looking to get their rosters finalized. There's an abundance of free agents still kicking around the market looking for new homes, and a pair of former Toronto Blue Jays left-handers who struggled in 2024 have landed contracts for the 2025 season.

Both former Toronto bullpen stalwart Tim Mayza and one-time top-10 prospect Ryan Borucki reportedly signed one-year deals with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Per MLB.com's sources, Mayza's contract is a major-league deal for $1.15 million, while Borucki's is a minor-league contract.

Former Blue Jays lefties Tim Mayza, Ryan Borucki looking for redemption in 2025 with Pirates

Mayza, a Blue Jays 2013 draft pick, was a force in the Toronto bullpen for a number of years, including his impeccable 2023 performance. Unfortunately, he fell apart in 2024. He put up an 8.03 ERA in 24 2/3 innings out of the Toronto bullpen, and the front office was forced to release the 33-year-old in July. He signed with the division rival New York Yankees a week later — a move that turned into a trip to the World Series.

Mayza has a 3.88 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 301 2/3 career innings since making his debut in 2017. His best season came in that unforgettable 2023 campaign when he posted a 1.52 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 53 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings. He joins the Pirates bullpen as one of three left-handers, as the roster stands now.

Borucki, 30, will be looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2024 season in what will be his third year in the Pirates organization. He was sidelined for most of last season with forearm issues, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) over 11 innings with the Pirates. Like Mayza, he'll want to recapture his 2023 form, when he posted a 2.45 ERA and 0.74 WHIP over 40 1/3 innings with the Bucs.

In parts of five seasons in Toronto, Borucki had a 4.47 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over 151 innings. A 15th-round Toronto draft pick in 2012, he climbed the Blue Jays farm system into the team's top prospects, ranking as high as No. 8 in 2018 before making his MLB debut.

After a hopeful first season in 2018, in which he posted a 3.87 ERA in 17 starts, injuries piled up in 2019 and continued to hamper him until he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2022. He now has a career 4.23 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 221 1/3 innings over 148 games (21 starts).