The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Paxton Schultz has been designated for assignment. The transaction clears a 40-man roster spot for Kazuma Okamoto, whose four-year, $60MM deal with Toronto has now been officially announced.
A 14th-round pick for the Brewers in the 2019 draft, Schultz was traded to the Jays in 2021 and he has posted a 4.47 ERA over 203 1/3 innings of Triple-A ball. A good deal of that damage came when Schultz was being primarily used as a starter in 2023, but his numbers have improved since moving to more or less a full-time relief role.