7 players you already forgot were Blue Jays last year

SP Wes Parsons

The Jays had signed Wes Parsons to a minor-league deal back in early May to add starting pitching depth to their minor league system. Playing for the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons for the most part, he had a solid year in which he pitched to a 9-4 winning record with a 4.52 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, with 98 strikeouts in just 81.2 innings of work in 17 starts. There was even an impressive stretch near the end of the season where he only gave up a grand total of 13 hits and 4 earned runs over five games. That performance likely earned him the cameo appearance he made with the big league club when the Jays needed a spot starter for the final game of the season.

However, Parsons picked the worst possible time to have his worst start of the year as he gave up 10 hits and 9 earned runs in just 4 innings pitched. The Jays made a valiant rallying effort, but their comeback fell just short as they ended up losing 12-8. The loss ultimately didn’t affect the Jays’ playoff seeding, but for Parsons, he failed to impress in his only chance to showcase himself at the major league level.

RP Hagen Danner

For someone who worked hard to get to where he was at, Jays’ pitching prospect Hagen Danner finally got his chance to shine on the biggest stage when he was promoted to the big leagues in August following the demotion of Alek Manoah to end the six-man rotation experiment. Drafted by the Jays in the second round back in the 2017 MLB Draft, Danner rapidly progressed in his development as he went from High-A in 2021 all the way to Triple-A by 2023, while cracking the Jays’ top 20 prospects rankings in the process.

His MLB debut on Aug. 11 certainly turned out to be a memorable one, but certainly not in the way he had envisioned it. After recording the out for the first batter he faced, Danner had to leave the game due to a left oblique strain. Unfortunately, it ended up being a season-ending injury as he was subsequently transferred to the 60-day IL by the beginning of September. With the departures of key bullpen arms Jordan Hicks and Adam Cimber to free agency this offseason, Danner could earn his opportunity again in spring training to crack the Jays’ bullpen for 2024 and put his mishaps from 2023 firmly behind him.