Blue Jays activate Yimi García and others in a flurry of roster moves

The Jays also added Brandon Valenzuela to the 40-man roster, while Ryan Burr and Dillon Tate elected free agency. Robinson Piña was also designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A. That’s a lot to take in.

Starting with Bichette, the infielder was always going to receive a qualifying offer, given what he’s done throughout his career. Last season, the 27-year-old slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs in 628 plate appearances for a 134 wRC+. He’ll surely decline his qualifying offer to become a free agent. If he signs elsewhere, the Blue Jays will receive a draft pick after the fourth round.

Adding Valenzuela to the 40-man roster is likely because his contract was coming to an end. The 25-year-old was acquired from the San Diego Padres before the 2025 trade deadline, and he hit a career-high 15 home runs last season. There’s a chance he’s the Blue Jays’ backup catcher of the future.

Burr had an unfortunate 2025 season. The year before, the right-handed pitcher finished with a 4.13 ERA and 3.07 FIP in 32.2 innings pitched, striking out 33.6% of the batters he faced. Unfortunately, Burr pitched in just two games this season before a season-ending shoulder injury.

As for the players activated from the Injured List, Bastardo is the most interesting of the bunch. He was selected in the 2024 Rule 5 draft, but didn’t pitch for the Blue Jays in 2025. That means he’ll have to spend the entirety of the 2026 season on the Blue Jays’ 26-man roster, or he’ll have to be offered back to the Boston Red Sox.

It’ll be nice to see what García and Sandlin have to offer after both spent a significant chunk of the 2025 season on the Injured List. Also, who knows what is next for Bowden Francis, as he had a rough season when healthy.

There’ll surely be more moves coming soon as the off-season is just getting started.