The Toronto Blue Jays seem to love their “short-king catchers.” They have Alejandro Kirk as their roster regular, but have added both Isay Veras and Samuel Orellana via international free agency.
While signing one of Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, or Bo Bichette would have been the ideal way to cap off major roster moves, the Blue Jays have had a great winter. They upgraded their pitching with the additions of Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers. Toronto nabbed one of the best Japanese free agents with the signing of Kazuma Okamoto.
Unfortunately for Blue Jays fans, the team might be done making major moves this offseason. However, it’s not for a lack of trying, as a new report reveals they had interest in bringing back one player who recently signed with the Chicago White Sox.
Luckily, there might be more to Orellana than meets the eye.
Toronto Blue Jays Sign Samuel Orellana
Orellana joins a packed international free agency class for the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays confirmed their minor league agreement with Orellana via their transaction log. According to the log, they signed him on January 15, 2026.
They scored the youngster for a modest $10,000 signing bonus, one of nine players they added for that amount.
Orellana fits the short-kind archetype, as the 17-year-old catcher stands 5-foot-8 and 170 lbs.
What Samuel Orellana Does Really Well
There is limited information available on the young Venezuela-born talent. However, Orellana played some games in the Amateur Scouting League.
In six games, he recorded 14 at-bats, three RBIs, four walks, and three doubles on five hits. Orellana also collected four stolen bases in addition to slashing .357/.500/.571.
Orellana played for Black-Centro, where he was one of their best sluggers. He ranked third in hits, second in doubles, second in stolen bases, fourth in slugging percentage, sixth in on-base percentage, and fourth in batting average.
While this is a small sample size, it’s intriguing to note that he isn’t afraid to steal bases, and he can hit for extra bases easily.
Additionally, in 2023, Orellana participated in the Campeonatos Estatales del Estado Lara. In seven games, he recorded eight hits, two doubles, one home run, and 12 RBIs in 25 at-bats. He slashed .320/.370/.520.
While this is another case of a small sample size, a pattern has formed here. Early returns indicate that Orellana has a talent for baserunning, contact hitting, and slugging.
Blue Jays Done With Offseason Moves?
As far as rumors go, there has been chatter surrounding Jose Berrios this offseason. Recently, an MLB insider has dispelled the notion that trading Berrios, just for the sake of trading him, is the right move.
“The Blue Jays still have time on their side here, meaning time to see if Berríos’ right arm bounces back,” Keegan Matheson wrote on January 24, 2026. “They are not at all eager to trade their own prospects to facilitate salary-dump trades, so any deal would need to make baseball sense. Right now, it makes baseball sense to see how Spring Training feels and go from there.”
While it’s very rare for a team to just utilize five starters over an entire season, the Blue Jays have more starters than they have spots on the rotation, and that’s a good problem to have.
Blue Jays Likely Done Adding
Mitch Bannon of The Athletic has recently reported that Toronto is likely done taking big swings this winter.
“Another major move appears unlikely for the Jays,” Bannon wrote on January 20, 2026. “However, they’ve surprised before. Toronto’s pitching staff appears essentially set. The Jays also project to have at least a two-win player (a solid starter or better) at every offensive position except left field.”
At this point in time, adding a left outfielder needs to be an upgrade, not a lateral move. If they want to bring someone in to fill that role, they must be better than Anthony Santander and Nathan Lukes.
Seranthony Dominguez Reunion Not Happening
Recently, (now) former Blue Jays reliever Seranthony Dominguez signed with the White Sox to be their closer. This would be his first season projected to fill that role.
However, before signing his two-year, $20 million contract, there was a rumor that the Blue Jays had interest in a reunion.
MLB analyst for Blue Jays Nation reports what the rumored interest was in Dominguez.
“TOR had interest in a reunion with Domínguez, multiple sources said, but likely only on a 1-year term,” Thomas Hall wrote. “Really good deal for the player here, with a strong opportunity to pitch himself onto another contender by the ’26 trade deadline.”
With Orellana now in tow, and with the moves of Cease, Ponce, Rogers, and Okamoto in the rearview, focus now turns to the upcoming Spring Training.
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