Blue Jays Make Roster Move After Trade With Astros By Jake Elman Athlon Sports
Veteran reliever and Canada native Zach Pop’s time in the Great White North has officially ended. The Toronto Blue Jays released Pop, a mainstay in their bullpen the last few seasons, on Wednesday. Toronto designated the 28-year-old last week when finalizing its Opening Day roster. Pop’s release came after Toronto traded reliever Nick Robertson to the Houston Astros for pitching prospect Edinson Batista.
Pop totaled a 4.89 ERA and -1.2 bWAR across 90 games with the Blue Jays over the last three seasons. Toronto acquired him and Anthony Bass from the Miami Marlins in an August 2022 trade. The Blue Jays cut Bass in June 2023 amid a slow start and a controversial Instagram post. Pop, to his credit, stuck around slightly longer. At first, it looked like the Blue Jays found a hidden gem when Pop posted a 1.89 ERA in 17 games to close out 2022. However, reality soon set in.
Pop pitched to a 6.59 ERA over 15 outings in 2023 and spent most of the season’s final months in Triple-A. Pop recorded a 5.59 ERA and -1.4 bWAR in 48.1 innings last year. Pop doesn’t turn 29 until September, and he’s young enough to still catch on somewhere as minor-league depth. However, it might be some time before the 2017 seventh-round pick throws off a big-league mound again. Selfishly, we hope the Blue Jays bring Pop back on a minor-league deal at some point. It’s always fun seeing a Canadian player suiting up for the Blue Jays.
