Blue Jays bolster bullpen, acquire Seranthony Domínguez in doubleheader-day trade

New York Times

30-07-2025

BALTIMORE — Seranthony Domínguez marched by security guards and sprawling chairs in the tunnel under Camden Yards. Flanked by Toronto Blue Jays staff, he ducked under a black curtain between the games of Tuesday's doubleheader, sliding into the road clubhouse.
The short walk signified a big change. Hours before Baltimore and Toronto began the day's second contest, the Orioles traded Domínguez and cash to the Blue Jays in exchange for pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown. Domínguez joined a relief group in need of immediate aid ahead of Thursday's trade deadline and became one piece of the Jays' larger bullpen plan.
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'It's been kind of crazy,' Domínguez said. 'I woke up today and came to play for the Orioles. After the first game, I was just sitting there hanging out with the guys. Then they called me.'
The Jays arrived in Baltimore with MLB's seventh-best bullpen ERA (3.66). The relief group is much improved after a disastrous 2024, with the addition of Jeff Hoffman and breakouts from Brendon Little, Yariel Rodríguez and Braydon Fisher. But after back-to-back shellackings in Baltimore, that mark fell to 17th (3.94). Toronto relievers allowed 17 earned runs across the series' first two contests. In the third contest, Hoffman allowed one more.
The Jays were always going to acquire relief help this deadline. It was the top priority long before the Orioles series and remains a target after the Domínguez acquisition, league sources told The Athletic.
But the holes left by injuries to Yimi García (elbow), Nick Sandlin (elbow) and Ryan Burr (shoulder) began to flare further under the Baltimore sun. So, over walked Domínguez, providing a fresh arm for the night contest and a stable late-inning option for the remainder of Toronto's hopeful playoff push.
The righty strolled out to the Blue Jays bullpen in the third inning. With Baltimore's and the visitors' bullpens uniquely stacked one above the other in left field, Domínguez was forced to walk directly past his former squad. His old teammates laughed and waved as he joined Toronto's relievers. Baltimore's Andrew Kittredge ran over for a hug.
'They were just yelling at me a little bit,' Domínguez said. ''What you doing? Where you going?' Stuff like that. It made me laugh. But I felt sad at the same time too, because you create relationships with the people you are around.'
Seranthony Domínguez had to walk past his former Orioles teammates on his way to the bullpen. 😂
(Via: @MLB)pic.twitter.com/GmcfXDXiVd
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 29, 2025
Four innings later, Domínguez pushed out a familiar bullpen door and dug into a familiar pitching mound. His powder blue jersey, though, was new.
Toronto's introduction to the righty reliever perfectly encapsulated the Domínguez experience. He pounded Baltimore batters with a 98 mph fastball, peppering it around the zone and missing at times. He struck out Colton Cowser, hit Tyler O'Neil with a pitch, gave up a stolen base and then worked out of the jam with a successful pickoff and another strikeout. It was controlled chaos. At his best, that's Domínguez.
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'He's got really, really good stuff,' manager John Schneider said. 'He can miss bats. Great fastball, great splitter and good inside move at second, we found out.'
The 30-year-old will slide into the back of Toronto's bullpen, Schneider said. He has 40 career saves, including two this year. But throughout Domínguez's career, and especially this year, left-handed hitters have flourished against him.
The righty added a splitter this season to calm the drastic platoon splits, but they've persisted. That potential issue makes Domínguez more likely to fill matchup-based situations for Toronto, with heavy usage against righties. There's still an opportunity for another big-time relief trade.
Domínguez's addition certainly helps Toronto's bullpen mix. He's a proven arm with swing-and-miss stuff. But with elite relief options like St. Louis' Ryan Helsley, Minnesota's Jhoan Duran and Pittsburgh's David Bednar still on the market, there's a chance to truly raise the bullpen ceiling. That's what the Blue Jays entered deadline week trying to do. They have two days to execute.