PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 23: Michael Plassmeyer #49 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on August 23, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-6. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Blue Jays have spent much of the 2026 season searching for pitching depth throughout their organization, shuffling arms between levels while trying to keep pace in a competitive American League playoff race and balance a surprising number of injuries.
And that process has forced the club to make some difficult roster decisions involving players who were performing relatively well.
Toronto Blue Jays Cut Former Philadelphia Phillies Southpaw Despite Success
One of the more surprising moves surfaced last week, when a former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher found himself looking for a new opportunity despite putting together one of the strongest stretches of his professional career.
“The Blue Jays released LHP Michael Plassmeyer (on Monday) in the middle of a career season in AAA,” MLB talent evaluator Andrew Parker noted on X, formerly Twitter.
The move, which was confirmed on the official transaction log, came as part of a broader wave of organizational cuts.
“The Toronto Blue Jays have released a handful of notable players over the past week or so,” Ryan Delayney reported for Blue Jays Nation. “On Tuesday, the team’s transaction page noted that Riley Tirotta, Brennan Orf, Michael Plassmeyer, Jesse Hahn and Hayden Gilliland have been released. Additionally, David Beckles was released on Sunday.”
For Plassmeyer — who was quickly snapped up by the Seattle Mariners organization after his release — the timing is what makes the decision stand out. The left-hander had been enjoying one of the best runs of his career in Triple-A before suddenly becoming available on the open market.
In more than 24 innings, he maintained a 1.82 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP, with 23 strikeouts and opponents batting just .105 against him — arguably the best stretch in his entire professional career.
Former Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Made Debut With Philadelphia Phillies
Plassmeyer is no stranger to moving between organizations. Before joining Toronto, he spent time with the Phillies and briefly reached the major leagues. He appeared in 11 big-league innings with the Phillies across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, though he appeared to be overwhelmed by major league hitters.
“He made two appearances for the Phillies in 2022 and one more the following year,” Darragh McDonald wrote for MLB Trade Rumors when the Blue Jays signed him at the end of last year. “In total, he has 11 innings in the show. Unfortunately, he allowed 12 earned runs in that time, so he currently sports an unsightly 9.82 ERA.”
Still, clubs have continued to view Plassmeyer as an intriguing depth option despite those past struggles in the majors.
“Over the past five years, he has appeared in 125 minor league games, including 89 starts,” McDonald added. “In 489 1/3 innings, he struck out 24.7% of batters faced while only giving out walks 7% of the time, both of those figures being slightly better than average.”
At 29 years old, Plassmeyer still has plenty of professional experience and recent success working in his favor. Though the Mariners have a strong big-league pitching staff, the organization could provide him with his next opportunity for promotion if he can continue the success he enjoyed before his Blue Jays cut.
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