DETROIT, MI – JULY 16: A detailed view of a Toronto Blue Jays baseball hat and glove sitting on the dugout steps during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 16, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Blue Jays 6-5. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Jackson Roberts

By Jackson Roberts

Contributing Sports Writer

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Managing a Major League Baseball organization from a roster perspective never truly stops, and during the offseason, there's always lots of work to do on the farm system.

The Toronto Blue Jays, who have been one of the consensus winners of free agency thus far, have been busy at work this week on paring down the farm system. Most of the names they're letting go are players that haven't played above rookie ball, but one of the cuts had made it all the way to Double-A.

On Monday, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats released right-handed pitcher Justin Kelly, according to the official transactions log on his roster page. Kelly, 27, pitched five seasons in the organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Utah in 2021.

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DETROIT, MI - JULY 16: A detailed view of a Toronto Blue Jays baseball hat and glove sitting on the dugout steps during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 16, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Blue Jays 6-5. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Kelly served as a reliever throughout his Blue Jays tenure, and after a shaky start in 2021 and 2022, he found his groove in 2023. That season, he posted a 1.80 ERA in 45 innings for High-A Vancouver, and he kept up that strong work the following season to earn a promotion to New Hampshire.

In 2024, Kelly started off hot as a Fisher Cat, with a 2.30 ERA in 14 appearances. But this past year, he had a .591 ERA in 32 innings, as hitters torched him to the tune of a .319 batting average.

Kelly also had three stints on the injured list over the past two seasons, including missing the last two months of the 2024 campaign, just as he was beginning to build some momentum after his promotion.

It's rarely beneficial for a minor-leaguer to be released, and Kelly's age means he won't be seen as much of a prospect by the other 29 teams. But he's had some success against players who have since graduated to the majors, so he might find another opportunity in affiliated ball.

More MLB: Braves Lose 27-Year-Old Switch-Hitter to Twins on Waivers

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