The Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching depth has faced a series of rapid changes this week, culminating in the departure of two veteran arms. Left-hander Josh Fleming and right-hander Austin Voth have both cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to reports from MLB Trade Rumors.
The moves follow a volatile stretch for the Toronto roster, where a string of injuries and performance shifts forced the club to cycle through its bullpen depth. Both pitchers had been designated for assignment (DFA) earlier in the week to make room for other roster adjustments, and both chose to test the open market rather than accept an outright assignment to the minor leagues.
The decision for Josh Fleming and Austin Voth to elect free agency comes as the Blue Jays continue to shuffle their pitching staff to cover gaps left by injuries to key players, including Cody Ponce, who required knee surgery. Although both players are now free agents, there remains a possibility they could re-sign with the organization to return to Triple-A Buffalo.
LHP Josh Fleming and RHP Austin Voth have both cleared waivers and elected free agency, the #BlueJays announce. This doesn’t mean they can’t still re-sign deals to return to AAA Buffalo and Toronto’s org, though. We saw multiple players do that last year
&mdash. Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) April 9, 2026
The Roster Carousel: Why Voth and Fleming Were DFA’d
The departures of Voth and Fleming were not isolated incidents but rather the result of a “churning” of the pitching staff. The instability began when Cody Ponce suffered a knee injury that eventually required surgery, forcing the Blue Jays to recall Lazaro Estrada from the minors. Estrada made one appearance in a bullpen game on Saturday, logging four innings, before being optioned back to the minors.
Austin Voth was brought up to provide relief when Estrada departed. However, the roster remained in flux. On Sunday, Eric Lauer started but managed only two innings due to the flu, leading Voth to toss 2 2/3 innings in relief. Despite this, Voth was designated for assignment the following day to create a roster spot for Josh Fleming.
Fleming’s tenure was equally brief. On Monday, veteran Max Scherzer was pulled after two innings due to right forearm tendinitis, which prompted Fleming to enter the game and pitch three frames. However, Fleming was designated for assignment shortly thereafter when the Blue Jays recalled Patrick Corbin to start the following game on April 10, 2026.
Understanding the Free Agency Election
In Major League Baseball, a player has the right to reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues and elect free agency if they meet specific criteria. Specifically, a player can do this if they have a previous career outright or at least three years of service time. According to reports, both Voth and Fleming qualified on both accounts, allowing them to bypass a minor league assignment and seek new contracts as of April 9, 2026.
This mechanism allows veteran players to maintain control over their career path when they are no longer viewed as part of a team’s 40-man roster. For the Blue Jays, it means losing the rights to these players entirely unless they can negotiate a new minor league deal with them.
Player Profiles and Career Statistics
Both pitchers enter the open market with established histories in “swing roles,” meaning they can contribute as both starters and relievers. Their career numbers provide a snapshot of the depth Toronto was attempting to utilize:
- Austin Voth: The 33-year-old has pitched 363 big league innings across 208 games, including 39 starts. He carries a 4.69 earned run average (ERA), a 22% strikeout rate, an 8.3% walk rate, and a 34.4% ground ball rate . During his lone appearance with the Blue Jays, he allowed one earned run in 2.2 innings.
- Josh Fleming: The left-hander has recorded 257 2/3 innings over 81 games, with 25 starts. His career stats include a 4.86 ERA, a 14.4% strikeout rate, a 7.6% walk rate, and a high ground ball rate of 58.5% .
Impact on the Toronto Blue Jays’ Pitching Depth
The loss of Voth and Fleming further thins a pitching staff already struggling with health. With Max Scherzer dealing with forearm tendinitis and Cody Ponce sidelined for surgery, the Blue Jays are relying heavily on the recall of Patrick Corbin to stabilize the rotation. The constant movement of players like Lazaro Estrada and the optioning of others to Triple-A Buffalo highlights a period of instability in the bullpen.
For Voth, who had previously signed a non-roster invitation (NRI) deal with the Chicago White Sox in February 2026 before being released, this move marks another transition in a season of frequent team changes . Given his 3.69 ERA over 61 innings during his most recent full major league season in 2024, analysts suggest he is likely to secure at least another minor-league contract.
| Event | Player(s) Affected | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | Cody Ponce | Placed on IL (Knee surgery) |
| Recall | Lazaro Estrada | Recalled to fill Ponce’s spot |
| DFA | Austin Voth | Designated for assignment for Josh Fleming |
| DFA | Josh Fleming | Designated for assignment for Patrick Corbin |
| Free Agency | Voth & Fleming | Cleared waivers and elected free agency |
The next confirmed checkpoint for the Blue Jays’ rotation is the scheduled start of Patrick Corbin on April 10, 2026, as the team looks to move past this period of roster volatility.
What do you think about the Blue Jays’ current strategy for managing their pitching depth? Share your thoughts in the comments below.