Blue Jays Gamble on Cole Carlon Amid Draft Restrictions
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Toronto uses its first pick on a raw Arizona State lefty while facing a depleted bonus pool and lost selections.
The Toronto Blue Jays selected Arizona State left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon with the 39th overall pick in the MLB Draft, according to Sportsnet and CBC Toronto. The 21-year-old, who stands six-foot-five and weighs 230 pounds, is viewed as a high-upside arm with a mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider. While Carlon served as a reliever for his first two years at Arizona State, he transitioned to a starter this season, logging 83 2/3 innings with 133 strikeouts and a 3.87 ERA, per CBC Toronto.
Toronto's selection comes amid significant draft-board constraints. Sportsnet reports that the Blue Jays are working with the second-smallest signing bonus pool in the draft, totaling $5,543,100. Their flexibility was further hampered by the loss of two selections resulting from the signing of free agent Dylan Cease, who received a qualifying offer from the San Diego Padres. Additionally, the team's first-rounder fell from No. 29 to No. 39 after its 2025 payroll surpassed the second Competitive Balance Tax threshold. Their position in the draft order was also affected by their previous World Series run, which placed them second-to-last.
Amateur scouting director Marc Tramuta told Sportsnet that the team has "limited bullets" regarding their bonus pool. The assigned values for the No. 39 pick ($2,571,700), No. 103 ($762,900), and No. 131 ($581,100) account for 71 percent of Toronto's total pool. Following Carlon, the Blue Jays selected Oregon infielder Ryan Cooney at No. 103 and high-school catcher Will Brick at No. 131, per Sportsnet.