TORONTO, CANADA – AUGUST 26: Paul Sewald #43 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on August 26, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) Getty
The Toronto Blue Jays are set to be a fascinating team to follow this offseason.
After not living up to expectations this year, the Blue Jays will likely be looking to shake things up with their roster. Their main focus should be adding at least one strong power hitter and another impactful pitcher.
Now that Toronto’s season has concluded, one of their upcoming free agents is drawing interest from another team.
Paul Sewald Emerges as Top Target for Phillies
Getty TORONTO, CANADA – AUGUST 26: Paul Sewald #43 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on August 26, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
A recent article from Sports Illustrated by Nick Ziegler identified Sewald as a key free agent target for the Phillies.
“As the Phillies start to prepare for the offseason, one player that makes a ton of sense for them to pursue in free agency is veteran right-hander Paul Sewald,” Ziegler wrote. “With a need to improve the bullpen and find a way to get the ball to Jhoan Duran to close out games, the veteran right-hander makes sense.”
The Phillies clearly need some help in their bullpen; it’s easy to see why they might consider going after Sewald. He would be a great addition if they managed to sign him. Still, given how well he performed with Toronto this past season, they should do everything they can to keep him on their roster.
A Closer Look at Sewald
Getty TORONTO, CANADA – AUGUST 16: Paul Sewald #43 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the eighth inning of an MLB game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre on August 16, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Sewald had a tough time earlier this season with the Arizona Diamondbacks; he finished with a record of 2-5 and a 6.23 ERA over 45 games. However, after being picked up off waivers by the Blue Jays, he really turned things around.
In his time with Toronto this season-17 appearances-Sewald boasted an impressive 0.63 ERA. He was fantastic for them during this period and could become quite popular among teams looking for pitchers if he isn’t re-signed by Toronto. Therefore it makes perfect sense if Philadelphia targets him this offseason.
Sewald’s extensive MLB experience also adds value; across ten seasons and 443 career games he has recorded a record of 23-31 along with a 4.19 ERA and racked up an impressive total of strikeouts at 523.
This offseason will definitely be intriguing when it comes to Sewald’s future. It would seem wise for the Blue Jays to make every effort possible to retain him; however if they don’t manage that then look out for Philly as they could make a serious push for him.
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