TORONTO — The Blue Jays have added left-hander Ricky Tiedemann to their 40-man roster, protecting the talented 23-year-old from this December’s Rule 5 Draft.
Tiedemann, the Blue Jays’ No. 4 prospect and former No. 1, was the lone player added ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Other potential candidates included outfielder Yohendrick Pinango (No. 7), infielder Josh Kasevich (No. 12), catcher Edward Duran (No. 13) and right-hander T.J. Brock.
Tiedemann is incredibly talented, but is coming off Tommy John surgery in late July 2024 and hasn’t pitched in games since. He’d been targeting a return to the mound by the end of this past season, but didn’t quite get there, so the Blue Jays are working with a young pitcher who has thrown just 17 1/3 innings in the past two years. The upside is worth it, though.
Tiedemann skyrocketed to the top of the Blue Jays’ system in 2022-23, which coincided with a massive uptick in velocity for the left-hander who was suddenly living in the upper 90s. His changeup has been his best secondary offering on top of a slider, but it will be interesting to see how Tiedemann has developed as a pitcher in the nearly two years since we last saw him pitch.
Coming into camp a year ago, Tiedemann looked like a linebacker after packing on significant muscle in the offseason, but elbow issues soon began, followed by all of the classic warning signs in his control and velocity. Reports on Tiedemann through his rehab have been encouraging, though, even if it’s landed on the longer end of potential timelines, and he’ll enter camp in 2026 as one of the most interesting players in this organization. A forgotten man in some ways, Tiedemann should have a fresh start and could perhaps even benefit from operating at 95 percent of the maxed-out pitcher he once was, given his natural gifts.
Expect Tiedemann’s role to be fluid as camp opens. He’ll be built back up, but the path to starting again would still be a long one. There will be immediate potential in the bullpen, where he could star as a lefty, but getting Tiedemann back to “normal” will be priority No. 1.
The Blue Jays now have 38 players on their 40-man roster and the next deadline approaching lands on Nov. 21, when clubs must finalize all tender decisions.
The Blue Jays are expected to be extremely aggressive this offseason, so they’ll surely need to continue trimming away their current 40-man players. Some of Toronto’s pitching depth could eventually land on that bubble, including Justin Bruihl, Paxton Schultz or Easton Lucas, while Angel Bastardo, Toronto’s Rule 5 pick from a year ago who was rehabbing from Tommy John, remains a fascinating case of roster management.
This now feels like a Rule 5 Draft that could be a nervous one for the Blue Jays. Kasevich has long been an organizational favorite, and while a back issue cost him time in a difficult 2025, he’s polished and a rock-solid defender. Duran is viewed by some as a potential catcher of the future, but has not played above High-A yet, and while Victor Arias (No. 9) is one of this system’s top outfielders, he just reached Double-A late last season.
Tiedemann would have surely been selected, though, and for those exact same reasons, he’ll arrive for Spring Training in February as one of the most interesting players in camp, capable of adding some exciting upside to this roster.
