Blue Jays, Royals swap pitchers amid disappointing seasons

Toronto and Kansas City completed a pitching trade on Monday as the Blue Jays sent right-hander Connor Seabold to the Royals in exchange for 21-year-old pitching prospect Denis Samudio and cash considerations.

The move came days after Toronto designated Seabold for assignment to create roster flexibility following Max Scherzer’s return to the major-league roster. The Blue Jays also face upcoming roster decisions with reliever Yimi Garcia and starter Shane Bieber nearing returns.

Seabold’s second run with Toronto was short-lived. After being reacquired from the Detroit Tigers on May 27 in exchange for left-handed prospect Juanmi Vasquez, the veteran right-hander appeared in five games for the Blue Jays. He surrendered three earned runs across 3.1 innings while recording one strikeout and two walks.

His numbers were better earlier in the season with Detroit, where he logged a 3.45 ERA in 11 appearances, covering 15.2 innings. Seabold originally began the year with Toronto but was released during spring training after learning he would not make the Opening Day roster. The 29-year-old owns 56 career MLB appearances, including 19 starts, and has pitched for the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Tigers and the Blue Jays.

In return, Toronto acquired Samudio, a right-handed pitcher from Panama who signed with the Royals as an international free agent before the 2025 season. Samudio impressed during his first professional campaign in the Dominican Summer League, compiling a 1.72 ERA and 0.955 WHIP across 36.2 innings. Over 11 appearances, including nine starts, he struck out 44 batters while issuing 10 walks.

The prospect opened 2026 in the Arizona Complex League, managing a 3.18 ERA in two appearances before earning a promotion to Single-A Columbia. Since joining the Fireflies, he has worked primarily in a bulk-relief role, compiling a 4.50 ERA across 14 innings with 17 strikeouts. Across six games between the two levels this season, Samudio owns a 4.12 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and a .183 opponents’ batting average in 19.2 innings.

The Blue Jays enter their upcoming three-game series against the Red Sox starting Tuesday with a 34-38 record and a two-game losing streak.

The post Blue Jays, Royals swap pitchers amid disappointing seasons appeared first on ClutchPoints.