Blue Jays: 2017 Free Agent Bullpen Targets To Consider

RH Options

Joaquin Benoit (40 years old)

2017 Salary: 7.5 million dollars

2017 Stats: 4.65 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 50.1 IP

Avg Fastball Velocity: 95.0 mph

Benoit should be a familiar name for Blue Jays fans as he was great for the team in 2016 (0.38 ERA). He is coming off a down year in the NL which may indicate that father time is catching up with him, but he could also be a great bargain buy if he produces similar numbers to his 2014-2016 stats (2.20 ERA, 167.2 IP).

Brandon Kintzler (33 years old)

2017 Salary: 2.9 million dollars

2017 Stats: 3.03 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 71.1 IP

Avg Fastball Velocity: 93.6 mph

Kintzler is one of the strongest right-handed options in free agency this year. He was the Twins’ closer before he got traded to the Nationals and has been in the upper echelon of relievers in the last couple of years. Signing Kintzler will require a lot more money than the 2.9 million dollars he got this year, but he is also an arm that can set up Roberto Osuna, and provide insurance if Osuna struggles or gets injured.

Brandon Morrow (33 years old)

2017 Salary: 1.25 million dollars

2017 Stats: 2.06 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 43.2 IP

Avg Fastball Velocity: 97.8 mph

Another familiar name that could be an option is Brandon Morrow. He was fantastic out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in 2017 and will likely command a lot more money than his 2017 salary. Signing Morrow always brings concern over his health issues, but if he can pitch around 50-60 innings in 2018, he could be extremely valuable as an elite setup man.

Joe Smith (34 years old)

2017 Salary: 3 million dollars

2017 Stats: 3.33 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 54.0 IP

Avg Fastball Velocity: 89.7 mph

Yet another former Blue Jay that the front office should consider is Joe Smith. Before the trade to Cleveland, Smith was arguably the Blue Jays’ most reliable and consistent reliever. Bringing back Smith will cost the Blue Jays a little more than it did a year ago, but having a good reliever with an unorthodox delivery provides new looks for batters late in games and would add a lot of stability before the ninth inning.

Other Options: Matt Albers, Steve Cishek, Luke Gregerson, Tommy Hunter, Pat Neshek, Addison Reed, Bryan Shaw