Blue Jays: Which potential free agents could be of interest next winter?

Relief Pitching

Going back to ESPN’s potential top 30 list, there is actually only one reliever that’s listed and that’s Dellin Betances. Sean Doolittle and Kenley Jansen are both possibilities as well, but each have options that make them highly unlikely to hit the market.

The bullpen is always the greatest area of flux, especially in the last few years in Toronto. The Blue Jays’ front office hasn’t really spent big on a reliever since the ill-fated signing of B.J. Ryan in 2005. They’ve paid a decent salary for relievers, sure, but they haven’t went out and spent big on a shut down closer or anything since.

I don’t expect that to change in the next few years, or really ever under the watch of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins. A lot will depend on the develop of both their starting pitching and their position player core, which could conceivably give them the budget they’d need to spend big on the bullpen in the future.

That said, there are also a lot of talented arms in the Blue Jays system, even if their pitching prospects don’t get the same attention that the hitters do. Many of the biggest names are developing as starters, but it’s entirely possible that several of them could end up as relievers, especially since that isn’t perceived in the same negative way that it used to be. If you’re a good reliever that isn’t a closer then you can still get paid, which wasn’t the case even a decade ago.

https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1068192749105672192

In 2018 we’re going to see a real audition for Ken Giles in Toronto, and whether or not the Blue Jays feel he’s worth investing in for the long term. He’s estimated to make around 6.6 million in arbitration this winter, so he’s not going to be cheap going forward if he has a good year in 2019. Again though, the Blue Jays will have budget room, so if he does bounce back the way it appears he may, then he could be a candidate to stick around.

Beyond that and maybe Ryan Tepera, the future is pretty up in the arm with bullpen arms. Guys like Joe Biagini, Danny Barnes, Tim Mayza, and others will get a real audition next year as well, but don’t be surprised if Atkins brings in several veteran pieces to compete in spring training and put together a patchwork group.

I know I’ve basically said a whole lot of nothing here, but it’s the bullpen. What do you want from me?