Shushkewich: Blue Jays release Deschamps, Palmegiani

Canadians Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) and Nicolas Deschamps (Quebec, Que.) have been released by the Toronto Blue Jays.

March 19, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays have lost some Canadian flavour in the farm system.

Per the MiLB tracker, the Toronto Blue Jays have released five prospects from the organization, including Canadians Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) and Nicolas Deschamps (Quebec, Que.).

Palmegiani was drafted by the Blue Jays on two different occasions, once out of Vauxhall Academy in 2018 (35th round) and again in 2021, this time jumping to the 14th round after a stellar campaign at the College of Southern Nevada.

The right-handed hitting Palmegiani has spent the last five seasons climbing up the farm system and has been knocking on the big league door dating back to 2023. A power bat by trade, from 2021 through 2025, he ranks third amongst all Jays prospects with 71 home runs and led the entire farm system in 2024 with his 21 round-trippers. Across 456 minor league games, he posted a .230/.340/.426 slash line with a .766 OPS.

Last season was a rough one for Palmegiani. He struggled at the plate to the tune of a .539 OPS with eight doubles, one home run, and 18 RBIs while being limited to 64 games. He split most of his time between the corner infield spots, posting a .914 fielding percentage at the hot corner and a .987 percentage across the diamond. He also made a few spot starts in left field and found himself DHing a few times as well over the years. The B.C. product was named to the 2023 World Baseball Classic roster and took home Baseball Canada’s Stubby Clapp Award for his work on the field in 2023.

The infielder landed on the Development List a few times throughout 2025 as he tried to get back on track, and unfortunately, he fell far enough in the depth charts that the Jays decided to move on from the slugger. Palmegiani will likely land with a team that thinks he can return to his power form that led the organization’s minor league system in 2024.

Also released was backstop Deschamps, who was a Blue Jays’ free agent signing in 2021. A product of Academy Baseball Canada in Quebec, Deschamps got caught up in the COVID-19 pandemic during crucial years in his development during the prep years. This led to the catcher heading to Florida in 2020, first with the Florida Hurricanes and then with the TNXL Academy, where he was scouted by Jasmin Roy.

Deschamps started his pro career in the FCL and had been climbing the minor league ladder, landing in double-A last year. A defensive-minded catcher, Deschamps was stellar behind the plate, amassing a .986 fielding percentage. He also tossed out 17% of base stealers.

At the plate, he amassed a .192/.350/.340 slash line with a .654 OPS. Across five seasons, Deschamps collected 17 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs with 92 RBIs. Similar to Palmegiani, the Quebec native found himself on the Development List a few times in 2025, and the Jays' catching depth was strengthened through the free agent market in the form of Brandon Valenzuela, CJ Stubbs, and Robert Brooks over the past couple of seasons.