Hey, remember Anthony Kay? Probably not as the left-hander pitched a total of 11.1 innings with the team in 2023, and his last handful of appearances were certainly forgettable, but now the 30-year-old looks like a decent free agent target heading into 2026 following his dominant stint in Japan.
Kay ended the 2023 season with the New York Mets after he was claimed off waivers in September. The lefty reliever was eventually scooped up by the Athletics in October, but elected free agency once the 2023-24 offseason began. Kay ended up in Japan, signing with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
In 2024, Kay recorded a 3.42 ERA in 136.2 innings. Not exactly Earth-shattering numbers as Kay returned to a starter's role, but then his results drastically improved this past season as Kay posted a 1.74 ERA in 24 starts with a 21.5 K% and 57.8 GB%.
There's obviously some familiarity between the Cubs and Kay, so we'll keep an eye on any reports that may indicate interest in a reunion. Ultimately, Kay could end up being completely off the Cubs' radar if he's looking for another shot at being a starting pitcher in MLB.
Kay was a former top prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays, but he was never able to establish himself in the majors. The left-hander pitched in 28 games with the Blue Jays from 2019-22, including seven starts. Overall with Toronto, Kay posted a 5.48 ERA in 70.2 innings before the Cubs claimed him off waivers.
We'll see if there's any interest from the Cubs this offseason.
Anthony Kay's 2023 Season with Cubs
The Chicago Cubs designated Anthony Kay for assignment to make room for Pete Crow-Armstrong late in the 20223 season, which officially ended the left-handed pitcher's time in the organization. The New York Mets picked up Kay off waivers and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate.
Kay, 28, made 13 appearances with the Cubs in 2023. The lefty was claimed him off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays last offseason by the Cubs. Now, Kay is back with the Mets, the team who drafted him in the first round back in 2016 out of Connecticut.
The lefty competed for a bullpen spot in spring training and ultimately began the regular season in Triple-A. Kay was called up in June and made 13 relief appearances before he was optioned back down to the Iowa Cubs in August. He was fine in his first 10 appearances, posting a 1.13 ERA in 8 innings of work, but then 7 earned runs in his next 3.1 innings made his ERA balloon up to 6.35. Kay was briefly back up with the Cubs at the end of August, when right-hander reliever José Cuas went on the bereavement list.
In 30 games at Triple-A this season, Kay posted a 4.10 ERA in 37.1 innings.
Anthony Kay Career Summary
Kay, has pitched in parts of four seasons with the Blue Jays, getting his first shot in the big leagues back in 2019. Overall, the left-handed pitcher has appeared in 28 games at the major league level, making seven starts for Toronto. Kay has not been able to gain much traction in the show, posting a 5.48 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 70.2 innings. In 2022, Kay only made one relief outing for the Blue Jays, allowing one run in two innings, against the New York Yankees early in April.
The lefty is a former first-round pick of the New York Mets, taken with the 31st overall (compensatory pick) in 2016. Kay did not pitch in the minors that year and in October 2016, he underwent Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss the entire 2017 minor league season. Kay finally pitched in the Mets organization in 2018, when he recorded a 4.26 ERA in 122.2 innings, making 23 starts in A-Ball.
In 2019, Kay had a breakout season, getting off to a strong start at Double-A. He had a 1.49 ERA in 12 starts before getting promoted up to Triple-A. Kay was named to the 2019 All-Star Futures Game in mid-July and then a couple weeks later he was traded from the Mets along with Simeon Woods Richardson to the Blue Jays for starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.
Kay finished the 2019 season making seven more starts at Triple-A in the Blue Jays system, posting a 2.50 ERA in 36 innings. Kay made his MLB debut on Sept. 7, 2019, starting against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing two runs in 5.2 innings. He made a second start against the Yankees and had one final appearance out of the bullpen against the Baltimore Orioles.
In 2020, Kay had 13 relief outings, but struggled with a 5.14 ERA in 21 innings. He made five starts and six relief appearances for the Blue Jays in 2021, but once again had below average results with a 5.61 ERA in 33.2 innings. During the 2022 season, Kay tossed 21.1 innings in the minors, missing most of the year because of an injury.
