Twins DFA ex-Blue Jays prospect amid Toronto’s own pitching woes

The Minnesota Twins have run out of patience, it appears, with pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson. The 25-year-old right-hander was designated for assignment by the AL Central club on Saturday (May 30). The Sugar Land, Texas native was in his fifth season with the Twins and wasn't showing any signs of improving from his last two seasons in which he was worth a combined 4.1 bWAR while pitching in 51 games (50 starts) and sporting a 4.11 ERA.

A former second round draft pick (2018) of the New York Mets, Woods Richardson was a highly touted prospect that was traded twice before reaching the majors leagues. The Toronto Blue Jays acquired Woods Richardson and Anthony Kay at the 2019 trade deadline in exchange for Marcus Stroman.

Woods Richardson went on to be a top-100 prospect and was the No. 3 ranked prospect in Toronto's system in 2020, No. 4 in 2021. Later that year he was packaged with No. 2 prospect Austin Martin and shipped to the Twins in exchange for José Berrios.

It looked like the trade was going to be one that worked out for both sides long-term. Berrios had been one of the most reliable and durable starters in the American League through his tenure with the Blue Jays. He was never the ace the Blue Jays had hoped he would be, but up until September of 2025 - Berrios had been very reliable, if not spectacular. The Twins got two budding prospects that looked like they were turning a corner over the past two years.

As mentioned, Woods Richardson's last two years were also effective, if not spectacular. He pitched 245 innings and struck out 224 batters, while pitching to a 4.30 FIP, 1.28 WHIP and had a 2.38 SO/BB rate. Meanwhile, Martin hit .282 with a .740 OPS and a 113 wRC+ in 50 games in 2025.

But 2026 has been a completely different story for almost everyone involved in that trade. Berrios has undergone Tommy John Surgery and will miss the entire season. Martin is having a decent season, but seems like he may be destined for a "super utility" type of role with his .269/.375/.365 slash line with two home runs.

That brings us back to Woods Richardson who's ERA balloned to 7.74 in 12 games (10 starts) this season. In 47.2 innings he has allowed a league worst 41 earned runs and only managed 26 strikeouts with 25 walks.

A reunion is probably not in the cards regardless of Blue Jays' current pitching situation

As soon as the move to DFA Woods Richardson was announced, it perked up the ears and raised the eyebrows of Blue Jays fans. Maybe a reunion with a former top prospect could be in the cards? The Blue Jays pitching situation is crumbling around the edges but hasn't yet collapsed.

Despite Jeff Hoffman's meltdown against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday (May 30) the Blue Jays have some how cobbled together a record of 15-13 in May (going into May 31) despite pitching most of the month with only four starters and more recently having to utilize a bullpen day more than once in a week.

But bringing Woods Richardson into the fold probably won't solve all their issues. There are things to like - he's pitched over 110 innings each of the last two season's and Toronto, right now, needs someone who can do that, although the Blue Jays are in need of those innings to be quality instead of just quantity. They are fighting to stay around the .500 mark and with Woods Richardson's inability to limit the walks, that could be just a disaster waiting to happen.

Woods Richardson doesn't have a single apperance this year in which he hasn't walked at least one batter. The final straw for the Twins seemed to be his last outing in which he lasted just 2.2 innings while giving up five runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Maybe there is something the Blue Jays' scouting staff takes a look at and things they can find in his game that the Twins haven't been able to correct. After all, they took in Dylan Cease who was notorious for the amount of walks he allowed and how many pitches he used early in games and have turned him into a Cy Young award contender with his walk rate down and his innings per start rate up.

Woods Richardson and Cease are clearly two very different calibre of pitchers - but at some point for the Blue Jays it also becomes a scenario of "beggars can't be choosers."

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