Blue Jays keep reshuffling bullpen depth, outright Tanner Andrews to Triple-A after waivers clear

The Toronto Blue Jays are continuing to manage a revolving door of pitching options, and the latest move has kept a promising bullpen path open in Buffalo rather than cutting it off entirely. After Toronto designated right-hander Tanner Andrews for assignment in the aftermath of another roster shuffle, MLB Trade Rumors reported that Andrews cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Buffalo on June 7. The report also indicated Andrews does not have the necessary Major League service time to reject an outright assignment, and he has not previously been outrighted, meaning he will remain in the organization.

What prompted the DFA was a very direct need for fresh pitching leverage. On June 4, ’s roster transaction log shows Andrews being designated for assignment as Toronto simultaneously activated Chad Dallas (a new call-up) and optioned other arms to make room. Dallas, a right-hander, had been selected from Triple-A Buffalo to the major-league roster during that window, an arrangement that reflects how the club has been trying to keep multiple usable arms available for short-term needs.

Dallas’s big-league moment itself came quickly. reported that Dallas made his major-league debut in the Blue Jays’ Thursday matchup with the Atlanta Braves and worked 3 2/3 innings in relief, limiting Atlanta while Toronto avoided a sweep in a 7-2 win. The same story emphasized that Dallas’s debut included a first major-league win and came during an emotional week tied to Lou Gehrig Day, when Major League Baseball highlights ALS awareness.

Less than 48 hours after that debut, Dallas was already headed back to the minors. Sportsnet reported on June 5 that the Blue Jays optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo, framing his first stint as brief and reinforcing that Toronto’s roster activity is driven by volume and timing more than long-term planning for any single arm. This is the kind of short cycle that often follows DFA decisions, because a club has to find a replacement quickly, then determine whether the DFA’d player can safely stay within the organization.

Andrews’s outcome hinges on how outright assignments work in MLB. When a player is placed on outright waivers, other clubs have the opportunity to claim him, and the claiming team assumes the remaining obligation while adding him to its 40-man roster. If the player clears waivers, the original team can assign him outright to the Minor Leagues, but the player’s rights vary based on service time and whether he has previously been outrighted, according to MLB’s transaction glossary. In general terms, players with more than three years of service can reject an outright assignment and head to free agency, while players with less service time typically cannot.

Under that framework, the key sports question becomes whether Andrews can reestablish himself as a bullpen option from the Triple-A side without losing valuable development time. The report that he will stay in Toronto’s system suggests the Blue Jays will continue to view him as internal pitching depth, even as they keep cycling roster spots to respond to day-to-day pitching needs.

For Toronto, the broader implication is simple: even without changing the organization’s long-term outlook, the immediate month-to-month roster management can determine who is available when games pile up. With the Blue Jays’ MLB injury and transactions page showing a steady stream of moves and an active list of pitchers currently dealing with ailments and rehab assignments, these DFA-to-outright pathways can be expected to remain part of how the staff pieces together an operational bullpen.