The Toronto Blue Jays signed RHP Aiden Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.) on the FieldHouse Pirates spring trip.

March 22, 2025

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Most Canadian players -- and teams -- go to Florida or Arizona during March break to improve for the summer months. And maybe bring home mom a T-shirt.

Aiden Taggart had an unusual trip with the FieldHouse Pirates. It turned out that he didn’t have to improve that much. He was ready. It turned out that he didn’t even come home, instead taking a two-hour Uber to Dunedin.

The Toronto Blue Jays signed Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.) as a non-drafted free-agent on March 14. While spring training is wrapping up in Dunedin for the Blue Jays, Taggart is getting comfortable arriving at the Player Development Complex, home of the Blue Jays each spring,

“Things moved pretty quickly when it comes to putting pen to paper,” said Taggart, speaking to the Canadian Baseball Network. “One moment I am throwing a bullpen for the FieldHouse Pirates, the next I am down in Dunedin undergoing medical tests.”

It has been a whirlwind of a winter for the right-hander. After graduating from high school the previous spring prior and going undrafted in 2024, Taggart took a gap year before joining the University of Utah Utes. Many believed Taggart would be part of the 2025 draft class, so the 18-year-old headed to Florida with college on his mind,

“I went into the winter wanting to gain some weight and get my body ready for what lies ahead,” said Taggart. “I was delivering groceries part-time but any time I wasn’t working, I was either in the gym or at the field, getting work in. I fully embraced the belief that if I can get my body in the right space, both stronger and faster, I would see benefits on the mound.”

Things started to change rather quickly for Taggart, who had talked with various pro scouts over the years. He was certainly not a secret. He was a well-known figure at the Canadian Futures Showcase and a prominent name on the Junior National Team. One team that kept circling back was the Blue Jays, to check on his progress.

“I was throwing some bullpens for FieldHouse, everything was working well on the mound,” said Taggart. “I had talked with Pat Griffin (Blue Jays Canadian scout) at the showcase before and the Jays always seemed interested. I threw a bullpen for the Jays and they kept wanting to know when I would be pitching again. They wanted to see what I could do in a real-life scenario.”

That moment came earlier this month when FieldHouse faced some JUCO teams in Florida. The Blue Jays contingent came to watch the Canuck in person.

“We traveled down to Florida and the Jays area scout was there,” Taggart said. “I threw three innings against a JUCO program and allowed one run while striking out a few batters, it was a solid outing where my fastball was tracking well and the off-speed pitches were hitting the zone. Everything was working well.

“That is when the contract started to come into play and things started to kick up a notch.”

The Blue Jays’ scout Matt O'Brien was keen to sign Taggart rather than watching him head to the Utah campus.

“It was such a whirlwind at the time, one moment I am pitching for FieldHouse, the next I am negotiating a contract to turn pro,” said Taggart with a laugh. “I ended up taking a two-hour Uber to Dunedin where the Jays put me through a bunch of tests, making sure I was physically fit to pitch.”

After that, he returned to Ontario for “one day to say goodbye to friends and family, then I went to Florida, putting pen to paper.”

“I signed the contract on Friday morning and I was out on the backfields that afternoon,” he said. “I thought the offer from the Blue Jays was fair and in the area that I was looking for to forego my post-secondary commitments.”

He set to work with his new organization, after pitching for FieldHouse since age 12. FieldHouse said Jays scout Pat Griffin was a regular at their Burlington facility.

Taggart was with the 18U team this year with head coach Jordan Stamp and before that Jimmy Richardson with the 17U. He worked mainly with John Mariotti, FieldHouse pitching coordinator and pitching coach Travis Kayler.

“Every day is a bit different, mostly because it depends whether you are pitching in an intra-squad game,” said Taggart. “Every morning starts with your individual preparation, getting loose and following the plan the Jays have set out for you. Then you work on strength and conditioning exercises as well as getting loose in the field with band work and various stretches. Depending upon the day, you will throw from various distances and various intensities, following the program the staff has set out for you.

Taggart earned a gold medal as Team Ontario beat Alberta 11-1 in the championship final of the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer at Welland Stadium.

“Then you finish the day with some defensive drills and shagging batting practice before taking on some conditioning or lifting in the gym, running poles and getting your cardio going as well.”

With Taggart’s eventful month, he at least knows some familiar faces in camp, one being Owen Gregg (Oakville, Ont.) a FieldHouse teammate of his for over six years and Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC) who he had faced in competition.

“Having such a strong Canadian contingent in camp is a huge relief,” said Taggart. “I have known Owen for a long time, so we have that bond from our time at Fieldhouse, and then just being able to work alongside others like Sam helps settle things down off the field when it comes to the adjustments of being a pro ball player.”

The Taggart signings brings back memories of the Blue Jays nabbing free-agent RHP Tyler Renwick (Surrey, BC) minutes before the Baltimore Orioles contingent walked into the hotel.

Looking ahead, Taggart is slated to join the rookie-class Florida Complex League Blue Jays, where he will continue to forge his path. The journey is getting started, but he is happy with the path he chose.

“This situation works out for everyone at the end of the day,” said Taggart. “I am going to keep putting my best foot forward and continue learning and growing as a player and doing everything I can to keep advancing throughout the farm system.”