How are members of the 2023 Blue Jays doing on their new teams? (May update)

Hyun Jin Ryu

Despite eliciting both exciting and disappointing moments during his four-year tenure with the Jays, we will always remember the valiant effort Hyun Jin Ryu gave the club down the stretch in 2023 after coming off Tommy John surgery. He provided the team with solid innings in each of his 11 starts following his activation off the IL, posting a 3.46 ERA and getting some crucial wins to get the Jays into the playoffs.

With Ryu no longer in the Jays' immediate plans, he returned to South Korea this past offseason, likely to finish off his professional baseball career. That's because he signed a huge record-breaking eight-year deal (the longest in league history) with the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO league. So far in 2024, he has struggled to a 2-4 record with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP, giving up 57 hits with 47 strikeouts in 49 total innings in nine starts.

Trent Thornton

Trent Thornton had always shown some flashes of brilliance during his time with the Jays. However, he failed in maintaining the level of consistency needed to keep a full-time gig in the major leagues, perhaps until now. After spending five seasons with the Jays and posting a disappointing 4.77 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over 108 games, Thornton has become a totally different pitcher since joining the Seattle Mariners in the latter parts of 2023.

This year, Thornton has pitched to a 2.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, has yet to yield a home run while striking out a batter per inning in his 18 relief appearances to date. Not too shabby to follow up his 2.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP performance during the final two months last season with the Mariners. In the hearts of the Jays’ faithful, they must be shaking their heads and wondering where this version of Thornton was when he was played for them.

Mitch White

What can we say about Mitch White and his adventures with the Jays? After several failed attempts to impress the club as both a starter and reliever, he was finally designated for assignment last season at the trade deadline. However, by remaining with the organization after clearing waivers, he appeared to have earned himself a second life, putting together a strong stretch with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons to end 2023. Following a solid training camp this spring, White actually made the team’s 26-man roster to begin the 2024 season.

However, his shortcomings would arise once again as he ended up getting designated for assignment for a second time by the Jays. This time though, there was no third life for White as he was traded to the Giants in exchange for cash considerations. White would appear in three games with his new team and promptly gave up 7 runs on 8 hits over just 5.1 innings of work. And lo and behold, the Giants would also DFA White and trade him, this time to the Milwaukee Brewers. Now with his third team in under two months, he has made two appearances for the Brewers and has given up 2 runs in just 3.2 innings pitched.