DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JULY 24: A detail of the Toronto Blue Jays logo on a hat during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 24, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Getty Images
After a Cinderella run all the way to Game 7 of the World Series this past season, the Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to return next year with an even better roster. But at least one veteran member of the team won’t be back.
On Thursday, the team got word that a three-year reliever has retired.
“This game took me to places I don’t think I could have ever guessed I’d be,” pitcher Erik Swanson wrote in a retirement post on Instagram, as relayed on X by reporter Lindsay Dunn. “From lifelong friends up in Toronto and Winnipeg, to friends in big cities like Seattle and small towns like Hickory, NC, and all the other little stops in between. It’s pretty amazing how a simple game can bring so many amazing people into your world.”
Swanson was a member of the Blue Jays in each of the last three seasons after joining the team following four years with the Seattle Mariners. He was a key member of the bullpen in 2023, when he maintained a 2.97 ERA across more than 66 innings, but his contributions began to decline after that.
Last year, he saw his ERA rise to 5.03 after he appeared in just over 39 innings. And then in this past season, Swanson endured a harsh step back as his ERA ballooned to 15.19 and he appeared in just over five innings.
That step back spurred the Blue Jays to release Swanson this past summer as he looked to bounce back from some injury issues.
“Swanson missed the first two months battling a nerve issue in his throwing arm,” Anthony Franco noted for MLB Trade Rumors at the time of the release. “His average fastball speed has dropped a tick to 92.9 MPH and he has given up nine runs with five walks and three strikeouts over 5 ⅓ innings.”
Swanson might have been able to find a minor league deal for next season given the highlights of his career, but it seems he would rather hang up his spikes for good and move on.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays will be looking to fortify their bullpen with some significant additions this winter. The team was reportedly in the final running to acquire star closer Raisel Iglesias before he opted for a return to the Atlanta Braves.
Though Swanson won’t be returning to the big leagues as a pitcher, perhaps he could one day find himself in an off-field role with the Blue Jays.
