Blue Jays’ latest roster move brings unceremonious end to Padres’ doomed experiment

That’s it for the knuckleball. It has officially left San Diego. The Blue Jays claimed Matt Waldron off waivers on Aug. 5,  putting an ending to one of the strangest and somewhat entertaining Padres pitching experiments in recent memory. 

The Friars DFA’d Waldron while reinstating Jeremiah Estrada from the IL. He was out of minor-league options, Estrada definitely belonged in the Padres’ bullpen and a decision needed to be made. The Blue Jays prevented the organization from stashing him at Triple-A El Paso.

Blue Jays get the next chance to unlock Matt Waldron’s knuckleball

Waldron never became R.A. Dickey, though that would’ve been really cool. He never developed into a frontline starter(probably would’ve been cooler), and we can’t inflate his impact now that he’s gone. It just didn’t work.

But still, he gave the Padres the genuine unpredictability that baseball doesn’t often see anymore. He entered the league as Cleveland’s 18th-round pick in 2019. He arrived in San Diego as the player to be named later in the massive Mike Clevinger trade, making him the afterthought attached to an already busy transaction.

He reached the majors and eventually held down a meaningful spot in the Padres’ rotation. Waldron made 26 starts and covered 146 2/3 innings in 2024. He finished with a rather pedestrian 4.91 ERA. Pretty ordinary. But the experience was far from that.

Every Waldron appearance came with the possibility of chaos. His knuckleball could find its way through the strike zone, dive into the  dirt or even leave the catcher lost on where it was going. He mixed it with a traditional fastball and secondary pitches, creating a repertoire that looked like a medley of different pitchers were actually on the mound. 

We can appreciate the weird stuff. He provided much needed innings in 2024. But it wasn’t really enough to maintain a spot in the rotation. 

Waldron struggled badly in 2026. He leaves San Diego with a 7.16 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP across 32 2/3 innings this season. The rotation has also changed dramatically. The Friars added Robbie Ray and Casey Mize at the trade deadline, further closing Waldron’s route back to regular innings. 

The underlying numbers leave Toronto with quite the gamble. Waldron’s 3.91 xERA was far better than his actual mark, and his barrel suppression actually ranked among baseball’s best. He also posted a 1.33 ERA over 27 Triple-A innings. Not sure if those guys have even seen a knuckler though.

The Blue Jays claimed a pitcher who still has something worth exploring. A different role, heavier commitment to the knuckleball or a few mechanical adjustments could unlock a useful starter or bridge reliever. Let’s just hope they don’t turn him into R.A. Dickey.

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