The 2024 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's 48th season in Major League Baseball, and 33rd full season (35th overall) at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays failed to improve on their record from the previous season and, on September 20, were eliminated from postseason contention.
On November 16, 2023: Signed IF Rafael Lantigua to a minor league contract
On December 1, 2023: Signed IF Andrew Bechtold to a minor league contract
On December 8, 2023: Signed C Payton Henry to a minor league contract
On December 21, 2023: Signed RHP Paolo Espino to a minor league contract
On December 28, 2023: Signed OF Kevin Kiermaier to a one-year $10.5 million deal[1]
On December 29, 2023: Signed IF Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year $15 million deal[2]
On January 15, 2024: Signed C Esmeiquel Arrieche, IF J.T. Bain, OF Wilmer Blanca, IF Rafael Flores, RHP Johandi Medina, RHP Carlos Olivo, RHP Angel Rivero, C Franklin Rojas & C Randy Soto to minor league contracts
On January 16, 2024: Signed OF Pascual Archila, OF Andres Arias, RHP Ismauro Bueno, RHP Alan Carter, RHP Rafael De Jesus, RHP Victor Espiritu, SS Angel Guzman, IF Endry Reyes, IF Juarlin Soto & RHP Pedro Tucent to minor league contracts
On January 18, 2024: Signed RHP Josue Loreto to a minor league contract
On January 21, 2024: Signed RHP Jordan Powell to a minor league contract
On January 30, 2024: Signed IF Justin Turner to a one-year $13 million deal[3]
On February 2, 2024: Signed RHP Johnathan Lavallee to a minor league contract
On February 9, 2024: Signed RHP Yariel Rodríguez to a five-year $32 million deal[4]
The Blue Jays opened the 2024 campaign on the road for a season-long ten-game road trip, due to ongoing renovations to the Rogers Centre, the home stadium.[23] The Jays split their opening series with the Tampa Bay Rays, with each team winning two games. Reliever Génesis Cabrera was suspended for three games due to a physical altercation with Rays shortstop José Caballero during the third game of the series, though the suspension was reduced to two games after appeal.[24] Toronto then began a three-game series with the Houston Astros in Houston, losing the first game after Ronel Blanco threw the first no-hitter of the 2024 MLB season.[25] The Blue Jays would win the second game before being one-hit in the final game, setting a new franchise-low with just 38 hits through their first seven games.[26] The Blue Jays would take their first game against the New York Yankees 3–0, but would lose the following two games to end their road trip with a 4–6 record.[27]
Heading to the newly renovated Rogers Centre for the first time in 2024, the Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 5–2 in their home opener, and would take two of three games to win their first series of the season.[28] The Jays lost the opening game against the Colorado Rockies, but rallied to take the next two and win the series. Newly signed pitcher Yariel Rodríguez made his debut during the series where he struck out six batters and only got one earned run but did not get credited with the win.[29] They carried that success into their final series of the homestand against the Yankees, winning the first two games and nearly taking the third before the bullpen allowed four runs in the ninth inning to lose the game, 6–4.[30] The Blue Jays then travelled to San Diego for the first time since the 2013 season to take on the Padres.[31] Toronto won two of three games to take their fourth consecutive series victory.[32] The Blue Jays then continued to Kansas City to take on the Royals, where they lost 3 of the 4 games, all by one run; the last was called after the top of the fifth due to rain.[33] The Blue Jays then lost a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers at home. The first game was marked by two-way player Shohei Ohtani hitting a home run in the first inning after he was booed by Toronto fans, following an off-season in which he was reported by some journalists to be signing with the team.[34][35]
May
The month began with another series loss to the Royals, this time at home.[36] Next, they lost two of three to the Washington Nationals on the road. Alek Manoah made his return to the rotation in the last game.[37] Afterwards, they split two games with the Philadelphia Phillies with the win in the final game breaking an 11-game win streak at home for the Phillies.[38] They then lost a series against the Twins at home,[39] followed up by a two-game (middle game was rained out and was made up in a doubleheader later in the season) split against the Orioles at Camden Yards.[40] A series loss to the Rays and series win against the White Sox at home followed.[41][42] From May 23 to 26, the Blue Jays lost three of four to the Detroit Tigers on the road, punctuated by a 14–11 loss in the final game after Matt Vierling hit a three-run walk-off home run. The loss brought the Blue Jays to a then-season-low six games under .500.[43][44] However, they followed that series by sweeping the White Sox in a three-game set on the road.[45] On May 31, the Blue Jays debuted their new City Connect Jerseys with the theme entitled "Night Mode" where they played against the Pittsburgh Pirates where they won at the bottom of the 14th inning thanks to a walk-off home run from Davis Schneider.
June
From June 17 to 24, the Blue Jays lost seven games in a row; the streak was snapped by a victory at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. By then, they had fallen to six and a half games back of the final wild card playoff spot with a record of 36–43.[46] On June 23, infielder Orelvis Martínez, who made his MLB debut a few days earlier, was suspended 80 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing substance clomifene, which he claims is being taken for addressing fertility issues.[47]
July
On July 25, the Blue Jays suffered their worst loss of the season when they lost 13–0 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Earlier that day, Kevin Kiermaier announced his retirement after the 2024 season. From July 26 to 28, the Blue Jays rebounded and swept the World Series Champions, the Texas Rangers.[48] Before the week of the 2024 trade deadline, the Blue Jays traded away Cavan Biggio and placed Kevin Kiermaier on waivers where he was cleared. During the week of the 2024 trade deadline, as well as during trade deadline day itself, the Blue Jays traded away Yimi García, Nate Pearson, Danny Jansen, Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi, Trevor Richards, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Kevin Kiermaier.[49] Except for the Kiermaier trade in which the Blue Jays received veteran pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, the Blue Jays received prospects or rookies from all of these trades.
August
The month of August began with a homestand consisting of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles and then a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics. They won the series against Baltimore by winning the first and third games but fell to Oakland in the last two games, after winning the first.[50][51] From August 12 to 14, the Blue Jays began a three-game road series in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels where they won with a three-game sweep. Will Wagner, infielder and son of Billy Wagner and acquired from the Kikuchi trade with the Houston Astros, made his MLB debut in the series and made history by getting three hits during his MLB debut.[52] From August 16 to 18, the Blue Jays played a three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs where they lost the first two games before salvaging the final one; every game in that series was decided by one run.[53][54]
The June 26 game between the Blue Jays and Red Sox at Fenway Park had been suspended due to rain, with catcher Danny Jansen batting for the Blue Jays at the time.[55][56] With the game scheduled to resume on August 26 as part of a doubleheader, Jansen, as a member of the Red Sox active roster, became the first player in major-league history to play for both teams in the same game.[57] The Blue Jays would win that game 4–1.
September
On September 11, in the rubber game of a three-game set against the New York Mets at home, Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis pitched eight innings of no-hit ball before it was broken up in the ninth inning by a Francisco Lindor home run, in a game the Mets wound up winning 6–2. It marked the second time in three weeks that Francis had taken a hitter into the ninth inning; on August 24 against the Los Angeles Angels, his no-hitter was broken up by Taylor Ward who also homered to lead off the ninth inning. He became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1989 to lose two no-hit bids in the ninth inning in the same season.[58]
On March 28, designated Yosver Zulueta for assignment, selected the contract of Daniel Vogelbach and Brian Serven, placed Danny Jansen on the 10-day injured list, and placed Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, and Alek Manoah on the 15-day injured list.[118]
April
On April 5, designated Wes Parsons for assignment and selected the contract of Paolo Espino.[119]
On April 7, sent Alek Manoah and Erik Swanson on a rehab assignment to the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays.[119]
On April 10, traded Wes Parsons to the Cleveland Guardians for cash considerations, and sent Danny Jansen on a rehab assignment to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.[119]
On April 11, sent Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson on a rehab assignment to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.[119]
On April 13, optioned Paolo Espino, recalled Yariel Rodríguez, and sent Alek Manoah on a rehab assignment to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.[119]
On April 15, optioned Brian Serven and activated Danny Jansen.[119]
On April 16, designated Mitch White for assignment, optioned Nate Pearson, and activated Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson.[119]
On April 20, placed Chad Green on the 15-day injured list, recalled Nate Pearson, and traded Mitch White to the San Francisco Giants for cash considerations.[119]
On April 24, placed Kevin Kiermaier on the 10-day injured list and recalled Addison Barger.[119]
