CHICAGO -- Prior to Sunday's finale against the White Sox, Brendon Little was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, where the Blue Jays hope he can reset after a tumultuous start to the 2026 season.
Little had allowed 10 earned runs over just 3 2/3 innings, including a pair of home runs in Saturday’s 6-3 loss in Chicago. Bullpen moves early in the season don’t typically garner this much attention, but that’s the result of Little’s struggles late in the Blue Jays’ 2025 postseason run carrying over and the weight of expectations for this ‘26 team.
Now, Little will have time to exhale, regroup and rebuild. After Saturday’s loss, manager John Schneider kept coming back to the idea that both Little and the Blue Jays needed to “figure it out.”
“There’s way less chase, and that comes with being in the league a little bit,” Schneider said. “Teams are adjusting. The cat-and-mouse game is to try to get in the zone a little bit more, and when you do, you’ve got to make pitches. Both homers today were in the middle of the zone. Whoever you are, no matter what your stuff is, you have to locate. That’s where he is right now.”
This move should be beneficial for Little. He has true talent, which we saw throughout the early parts of 2025, but that talent hasn’t come together to produce big league results lately. There’s a reason the Blue Jays continued to trust Little, though, and for those same reasons, they’ll work with him in Triple-A. Being optioned on April 5 does not chisel into stone the pitcher Little will be in July, September or October.
Little is still in full control of how this season plays out, even if this detour isn’t what anyone wanted. An opening to work on his game without the day-to-day pressures and stakes of the Major Leagues should benefit Little, too. His start to the 2026 season was extremely challenging, but he still has every opportunity to change this story.
The bullpen shuffle:
Along with Little, Lazaro Estrada was optioned to Triple-A Sunday. This is just the harsh reality of an MLB roster, as Estrada gave the Blue Jays four scoreless innings Saturday, but would have been down for a few days while this club needs fresh arms. Estrada has surely earned himself another look down the road, whether that be a week or a month from now.
Taking the places of Little and Estrada are Joe Mantiply and Austin Voth. Remember each year, when we talk about the Opening Day roster being just the first version of many, many rosters? This is what it means.
Mantiply gives the bullpen a second lefty alongside Mason Fluharty. A veteran lefty who’s made 256 big league appearances, Mantiply last pitched in the Majors with the D-backs briefly in 2025, but had a stronger season in ‘24 and was an All-Star in ‘22. Voth, on the other hand, is a right-hander with 207 MLB appearances under his belt as a reliever, but he should have much more length now after working as a starter last season in Japan.
Who’s coming next in the bullpen?
Last season, 26 pitchers made relief appearances for the Blue Jays. Good MLB front offices try to stay five steps ahead of this, which begs the question of who would come next in line if (and when!) the Blue Jays need another reliever.
Right-hander Chase Lee should be next up if a traditional reliever is needed, but Lee threw 32 pitches in Triple-A Saturday and likely wouldn’t have been available Sunday.
For length, the Blue Jays have Canadian lefty Adam Macko off to a strong start in Triple-A. Macko impressed in camp and at the World Baseball Classic for Team Canada, too, so as long as Macko keeps himself on the radar, it feels like his time will surely come in 2026. Veteran starter Patrick Corbin is another length option, the longtime big league starter who just signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Blue Jays and could be used as either a starter or bulk reliever.
Other options from Triple-A Buffalo who could pitch their way into this conversation include Yariel Rodríguez, CJ Van Eyk, Chad Dallas, Jorge Alcala and Josh Fleming.