Kevin Kiermaier Returns to Blue Jays as Special Assistant
TORONTO – Kevin Kiermaier is back, this time in a new role. Just months after ending his 12-year MLB career with a World Series win as a Dodger, the legendary defensive outfielder is joining the Blue Jays as a special assistant.
Kiermaier had been considering this transition for years. Even last July, when he announced that 2024 would be his final season, he hinted at a future in baseball. Though he initially planned to take 2025 off completely, the game still calls to him.
“I always joked with the guys about being a special assistant,” Kiermaier said. “I’d say, ‘You’re going to miss me, but one day I’ll be a special assistant, and you’ll love having me around.’ It’s funny how it all came together. This is the dream job of a lifetime. I can’t wait.”
Kiermaier will be working with outfielders across the Blue Jays organization, starting next week when Spring Training begins in Dunedin, Florida. Aside from a few new faces, he’ll be familiar with nearly everyone at the facility. After signing with Toronto in 2023, he quickly embraced the team, and even following his trade to the Dodgers at the 2024 deadline, he maintained that connection. Kiermaier made it clear to Ross Atkins and the front office that he didn’t just want to be around—he wanted to contribute.
“Please, just trust me,” Kiermaier told the Blue Jays. “Let me be part of this. Let me move around, help out, and share my experience. I want to support the organization at every level and be the outfield whisperer for these guys.”
In recent years, the Blue Jays have increasingly relied on former players, such as last year’s addition of Victor Martinez as a special assistant. Martinez, who had previous ties to Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro from their time in Cleveland, worked with the team’s young hitters during Spring Training and throughout the season, often alongside former Blue Jays star Edwin Encarnación. A similar approach is seen on the pitching side, where 1996 Cy Young winner Pat Hentgen has been a valuable mentor to young players for over a decade.
Former players take on various roles within the organization. Edwin Encarnación, for example, enjoys mentoring young power hitters, guiding them along a path he knows well. Kiermaier, naturally, will focus on outfielders. His four Gold Glove Awards only scratch the surface—by many metrics, he ranks among the greatest defensive outfielders in MLB history.
At the core of this transition is the relationship, much like Martinez’s long-standing connection with Shapiro. For Kiermaier, the Blue Jays hold a special significance.
“I can’t thank them enough,” Kiermaier said. “They’ve treated me so well over the years, which is why I wanted to continue this relationship. I love the people in this organization. There’s so much potential, so much talent—too many great people to be away from for a year. I’m absolutely thrilled.”
Now, it’s time to get to work. Kiermaier will still be out there, chasing down fly balls and making highlight-reel grabs during batting practice—his instinct to track down anything in the air hasn’t faded.
More importantly, he’s ready to connect with players, not just because of his MLB success but because of how he got there. As a 31st-round pick, he was never seen as a future star, yet he carved out a career as one of the game’s elite defenders. Now, dozens of young outfielders in Dunedin are hoping to follow a similar path.
The 34-year-old Kiermaier has a message for them:
“I’m very confident, and I worked my butt off to build a mindset that I was going to be one of the best outfielders ever,” Kiermaier said. “I tried to apply that to my whole game, but I always knew defense would be my calling card. I worked every day to be the best. Now, I want to bring that same mindset to coaching. I have the resume and the stats to back it up, so my message to these guys is simple: ‘If I were you, I’d listen to what I have to say.’”