Blue Jays need to add a top-tier arm at any cost

If the Toronto Blue Jays are going to contend in 2018 they must add a top of the rotation arm to compliment the hurlers that are already in place for next season and beyond.

The Blue Jays can ill afford to bandage the final spot in the rotation with a mediocre, bottom of the rotation pitcher. The lack of depth was exposed in 2017 when the Jays were forced to utilize 14 different starters over the course of the campaign with many of those options being fringe major leaguers at best.

If healthy, the current rotation of Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada unquestionably could be a force to be reckoned with a significant addition this offseason. The potential free agent options that would catapult the staff into contenders are Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb.

Some other available options that fall into that second-tier of free agent pitchers but still could be an upgrade are Chris Tillman and Tyler Chatwood, with the Jays having already checked in on the former Rockies hurler.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Blue Jays: Snapping cold streaks at the right time
• Who Should the Blue Jays Extend First: Guerrero, Bichette or Manoah?
• Blue Jays now hold the top Wild Card spot, and yes that’s a good thing
• Blue Jays may have the tools to use a Bullpen Day
• Blue Jays win important first game after Bichette’s late inning heroics

The caveat with Darvish is that he would not cost the Jays a draft pick due to his mid-season trade to Los Angeles. The Dodgers are not eligible to receive compensation for the Japanese pitcher should he elect to sign elsewhere.

The Blue Jays were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, however, the brain trust could also look to the trade route in an attempt to shore up the final spot in the rotation. The likes of Jake Odorizzi and Raisel Iglesias have been rumoured to be available if the price is right.

The Blue Jays can look at bringing back free agent Brett Anderson and keeping Joe Biagini stretched out but neither of these hurlers is going to put the Jays over the top and would be best served as insurance in the event Sanchez has blister issues once again or someone else falls victim to an injury.

This is not the time to be penny-pinching especially seeing both Happ and Estrada will be free agents at the conclusion of the season and the Ryan Borucki‘s of the world are realistically a better fit in 2019 for the roatation.

Next: Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman should be embraced not chastised

General Manager Ross Atkins expressed his desire to add an impact arm this offseason however he did not expand on whether that arm would be a starter or a reliever. If management is serious about contending they have no choice but to add a top-tier arm regardless of the cost.