Blue Jays trade talk: Difficult factors in adding a bullpen arm

Any addition to the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen would necessitate a corresponding roster move, but it wouldn’t be an easy one

With the MLB non-waiver trade deadline looming tomorrow afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays are shifting their focus to pitching.

Whether an addition comes directly to the bullpen, or to the rotation in a move that eventually pushes Aaron Sanchez back into a relief role, the Blue Jays will then be faced with a complicated situation immediately after.

Who would be bumped from the Blue Jays bullpen to make room for an addition?

There are clear untouchables, of course, in Roberto Osuna and Jason Grilli who now work in tandem as set-up man and closer. Joe Biagini owns a 2.43 ERA and is still impacted by his Rule 5 selection status until that clears next season, so he won’t be going anywhere.

Brett Cecil has done little in 2016 to clamp down a roster spot, but his past performance and track record with the Blue Jays shows that he is capable of being one of the top left-handed relievers in baseball.

Beyond those four, the Blue Jays currently have Joaquin Benoit, Jesse Chavez, and Franklin Morales rostered. Without the typical soft seventh spot in the bullpen, typically occupied by a Ryan Tepera, Pat Venditte, Bo Schultz, or other similar arm, Toronto is facing a set of options that are, well, out of options.

Left-handed Relievers

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The Blue Jays were recently linked to Colorado Rockies’ lefty Boone Logan among other southpaws. The Minnesota Twins are said to be shopping Fernando Abad, who would come at a low acquisition cost. For Toronto, the question becomes whether these players are upgrades over Morales.

Complicating the matter is that the Blue Jays have seen just 3.2 MLB innings from Morales after he missed the majority of this season with shoulder fatigue and a lengthy recovery. Just like Cecil, a healthy Morales is a legitimate left-on-left reliever for a playoff team. Last season with the Kansas City Royals, he made 67 appearances with a 3.18 ERA while holding left-handed hitters to a .192 average and .558 OPS.

Financially, Morales is earning a now-guaranteed $2 million this season, the remainder of which would not be crippling to eat (if necessary) should the Blue Jays add a clear upgrade.

Right-handed Relievers

Whether it be another buy-low candidate like Jim Johnson or a starting pitcher that eventually pushes Sanchez to the’ pen, the arrival of a right-hander creates a similar issue.

Jesse Chavez provides some nice length, but with a 4.43 ERA, has not met expectations. Benoit came to Toronto with a 5.18 ERA and despite throwing two scoreless innings, has walked three batters. There’s a lengthy track record of success to draw on, however, similar to Grilli, and given his recent acquisition it seems unlikely that Toronto would move on so quickly.

Where it all ends up

Excluding the possibility of a “disabled list” stint aligning with the timing of a trade, an eight-man bullpen, or even the possibility that the Blue Jays acquire an upgrade and flip a lesser piece, then this conversation will be inevitable.

This is a good problem disguised as a bad one. A bullpen with an obvious candidate for demotion signals a bullpen with a weak link, and under Shapiro and Atkins, the Blue Jays have been dedicated to improving the bottom of the roster. This has shown in the moves involving Grilli, Benoit, and the trade for Melvin Upton Jr.

Next: Blue Jays trade notes: Hill, De La Rosa, Johnson

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