Every Single 2020 Free Agent the Blue Jays could be Interested in

Alex Avila

You might find it crazy that any catchers would interest the Blue Jays. They already have a young trio in Danny Jansen, Reese McGuire and Alejandro Kirk. Not to mention, they have Riley Adams in their minor league system that had an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of 2020, but has yet to make his major league debut.

Simply finding playing time for a catcher with this many in the organization would be extremely hard. My colleague and co-site expert Chris Henderson recently wrote a piece on how you can bank on the Blue Jays trading a catcher this offseason. The Blue Jays very well could as they have tremendous catching depth that they could use to acquire players that play in a position of need for the team.

Even if they trade one, a catcher still isn’t really needed, but could still make sense in the right situation. While they don’t need or should want a guy like Yadier Molina or Wilson Ramos, a veteran catcher on a minor league deal is definitely something the Blue Jays should look into.

Catcher is a very important position in the game that only very few can play at the highest level. If a Jays catcher were to get injured, that depletes their depth. Also, a veteran catcher has experience calling games and working with multiple kinds of pitchers. Experience isn’t something that Jansen, McGuire or Kirk have. While all three can call games and work with different pitchers, there are catchers that can do this better than them at this stage of their careers, and a veteran can help them work on that skill as well.

One option the Blue Jays could look into is Alex Avila. He’s 35 years old and aside from the Detroit Tigers who are in need of holdover player at the catcher position and the fact that Al Avila, Alex’s father, is the general manager of the team, he won’t get a major league deal.

Last season with the Minnesota Twins, he appeared in 23 games. While he hit a paltry .184, he got on base at a clip of .355.

Tyler Flowers

Tyler Flowers has spent the past five years with the Atlanta Braves, but with former Blue Jays top prospect Travis d’Arnaud supplanting himself as the starter and William Contreras ready to play in the big leagues, there may not be room for him there any more.

As his options are likely either play on a major league deal for a terrible, rebuilding team or sign a minor league deal with a contender, why not choose the latter and sign with the Blue Jays? He’ll be 35 for the 2021 season and has never won a World Series ring.

Last season with the Braves, he played in 22 games slashing .217/.325/.348. You can’t ask for too much more from a veteran catcher whose playing days are nearing an end.

In his 12 year major league career, which he’s spent with the Chicago White Sox and Braves, he’s slashed .237/.319/.391.

His offensive numbers may not be great, but it’s his defence that’s his calling card. In his career, he’s never posted a fielding percentage below .990 behind the plate and this year, he made only one error. He has a career fielding percentage of .994.

When it comes to catchers, defence is what really matters as teams value how they can play behind the plate rather than how they can hit. If they can hit, that’s seen as a bonus, especially with a back-up catcher.

If Flowers were to get the call to the big leagues for the Blue Jays, he can just bat 9th in the lineup while providing solid defence.

Sandy Leon

Sandy Leon was once the starting catcher for the division rival Boston Red Sox, so the Jays would be familiar with him. One caveat though is that he’s never played in more than 100 games in a season, as the most contests he’s appeared in in one year is 89 in 2018.

Last season, he served as the backup catcher for the Cleveland Indians where he played in 25 games and slashed .136/.296/.242.

He has a career fielding percentage of .995 behind the dish, and has thrown out 33.5% of would be base stealers.

Austin Romine

Austin Romine shared playing time with Greyson Greiner in Detroit last season as he appeared in 37 game slashing .238/.259/.323 with 31 hits. He holds a career fielding percentage of .996 behind the plate.

Romine may be seeking a major league deal, but at his age of 32 and a with a career batting average of .239, he ultimately may not get one. He could look to join a contender on a minor league contract, which is where the Blue Jays could come in.

Cameron Rupp

Cameron Rupp hasn’t appeared in the major leagues since 2017 but he could be exactly what the Blue Jays would be looking for, a catcher who’s not expecting to make the major leagues but can provide depth in the minors in case of injury.

From 2013-2017 with the Philadelphia Phillies, he slashed .234/.298/.407 with 39 home runs and a fielding percentage of .992. He’s caught 31.3% of runners stealing in the big leagues.

Matt Wieters

When Matt Wieters was with the Baltimore Orioles, he was one of the best catchers in the game as he excelled on both sides of the ball.

With the Orioles, he made four trips to the All-Star game and won two Gold Glove awards, but his career has taken a downfall ever since he left the organization.

He spent two years with the Washington Nationals where he combined to slash .230/.303/.355. He then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he has spent the past two seasons and served as the backup to future hall-of-famer Yadier Molina, and combined to slash .212/.274/.399.

With him now a free agent, he’ll have to decide what’s more important to him in winning or playing time. If winning is what he values more, he could join the Blue Jays on a minor league pact to serve as depth in case of injuries.

Jonathan Lucroy

Jonathan Lucroy was once one of the premier catchers in the game who was in line for a big payday until he struggled in his walk year.

He’s since bounced around multiple organizations hoping to regain his form, but he hasn’t reached that peak again. At the age of 35, he’s now simply a minor league depth player that teams use as a desperation option behind the plate.

He played in just one game for the Boston Red Sox in 2020 without getting a plate appearance.

The former All-Star may actually be a good option for the Blue Jays to sign to a minor league contract where they can stash him in AAA and put on the major league roster in case of injuries to the primary three catchers.

Jeff Mathis

Jeff Mathis served as the backup catcher for the Blue Jays for the 2012 season whenn J.P. Arencibia was the starter. In 70 games with the Blue Jays that season, he slashed .218/.249/.393.

Since his tenure with the Blue Jays, he has played for the Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and most recently, the Texas Rangers which he has spent the past two seasons.

Last year he slashed .161/.221/.355 over 24 games while posting a fielding percentage of .989 and catching 33% of would be base stealers.

Caleb Joseph

Why sign a different catcher when you can just bring back the one who’s most familiar with the organization and team? Caleb Joseph spent the abbreviated 2020 season with the Blue Jays where he played in just three games recording one hit.

While his on-field impact may not be significant at all, it’s off the field where his true value to the organization is shown. When he was travelling with the club, he was seen as a leader in the clubhouse and that was truly shown by his speech he gave the team when they clinched a playoff spot.

Also, I’m sure Jansen, McGuire and Kirk learned a lot about catching from Joseph, who has lots of experience being a catcher in the big leagues. I’m guessing those three would love to have Joseph back to help mentor them some more.

If Joseph enjoyed his time with the Blue Jays organization, coming back on a minor league deal would work out perfect for both sides.

Welington Castillo

Welington Castillo was once among the best offensive catchers in all of baseball. He has four seasons in his major league career where he batted over .260, and in one season (2018) he batted .259.

His best year came in 2017 in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles where he slashed .282/.323/.490 with 20 home runs. That got him a two year, $15 million contract with the Chicago White Sox, but that ultimately ended up being a bad deal for the team as in 2018, he was suspended 80 games for performance enhancement drug use.

This year, he was supposed to play with the Washington Nationals on a minor league deal, but was one of multiple players that opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which he was allowed to do so.

He last played in the major leagues in 2019 with the White Sox slashing .209/.267/.417 with 12 home runs. He also got 48 hits with half of those going for extra bases.

Throughout his whole career, offensively, he’s put up a slash line of .254/.313/.426 with 98 home runs and 339 RBI.

Defensively, he’s not bad either as he has a career fielding percentage of .991 and has caught 32% of runners attempting to steal on him.

As he was only able to land a minor league contract last offseason, he’ll definitely have to take one this time around, especially since he opted out didn’t play at all in 2020.

J.T. Realmuto

J.T. Realmuto is arguably the best catcher in the modern era to hit the open market as a free agent. There was Joe Mauer, but he never became a free agent as he spent his whole career with the Minnesota Twins and agreed to an extension with that organization before his contract was up.

Realmuto is both good behind and at the plate, and since there are very few catchers who are dual threats, he will be in high demand. He is apparently seeking a contract similar to Paul Goldschmidt’s, which he signed for five years and $130 million. He will also look to have the highest annual average value (AAV) ever given out to a catcher, which this title currently belongs to Mauer with an AAV of $23 million a year.

This past season, he slashed .266/.349/.491 with 11 home runs in 47 games. In 2019, he played in 145 games and put up a slash line of .275/.328/.493 with 25 home runs, 83 RBI and 148 hits in 145 games.

In his career, he’s slashed .278/.328./.455 with 95 home runs, 156 doubles and 749 hits in 732 games played. He can also run as he has 44 career stolen bases, which is especially good for a catcher.

Behind the dish, he has a fielding percentage of .993 and catches runners stealing at a rate of 35.8%. He also has experience playing first base where he has yet to make an error at that position.

He has a few career accolades to his name as he’s a two time All-Star, has two Silver Slugger awards, and was a Gold Glove recipient in 2019.

All that said, there are still reasons why signing him may not be the best idea for the Blue Jays.

Daniel Murphy

Daniel Murphy has always had excellent contact hitting abilities with his career batting average being .296. Guys like Murphy are almost non-existent these days, as it seems like most of the league has shifted to all or nothing hitting, which are power hitters that either crush the ball or strikeout.

Of 12 years spent in the big leagues, a quarter of those have seen him hit over .300. The highest he’s ever hit in one year was .347 in 2016 with the Nationals, which saw him get an All-Star appearance, a Silver Slugger award and a second place finish in MVP voting. That season, he also posted an on-base percentage of .390 and a slugging percentage of .595 for an OPS of .985.

Prior to the 2019 season, he signed with the Colorado Rockies, and many thought would elevate his game even more due to the high altitude of Coors Field. Although it didn’t necessarily elevate his game to another level, in two seasons in Colorado, he still slashed a respectable .269/.316/.426 with 151 hits.

In 2020, he played in 40 games slashing .236/.275/.333 with 29 hits. That was his lowest batting average he’s ever posted in a season with his previous career low mark being .266 in 2009. His on base and slugging percentage were also career low marks too.

These days, at the age of 35, in which he’ll be 36 on Opening Day next season, he’s primarily a first baseman but can also play second base and has experience playing third, although he hasn’t appeared at the hot corner since playing one game there in 2016.

His versatility is what could entice the Blue Jays to offer him a contract, but it would likely come as a MiLB deal.

D.J. LeMahieu

When D.J. LeMahieu played for Colorado, he combined to slash .299/.352/.408 over seven seasons while almost strictly playing second base.

When he hit the open market for the first time in 2018, many thought he would struggle to hit away from Coors Field, as he signed with the New York Yankees for two years and $24 million. When the Yankees brought him in, they planned on using him off the bench as a super-utility player despite rarely playing any other position than second base, in which he got two Gold Gloves at that position for his defensive work.

On Opening Day 2019, he wasn’t even in the Yankees starting lineup. Once he got a chance to prove himself in New York, he proved everyone wrong in regards to the idea that he can’t hit away from Coors Field.

He played in 145 games in the 2019 season slashing .327/.375/.518 with career highs in hits (197), doubles (33), home runs (26) and RBI (102).

This year, he played in all but 10 games slashing .364/.421/.590 for an OPS of 1.011 along with 71 hits and going down on strikes just 21 times. This resulted him finishing third in AL MVP voting.

If you look at signings the Jays have done in previous years, they love guys who can play multiple positions on the diamond and LeMahieu can play first, second and third.

MLB Trade Rumors has LeMahieu signing with the Blue Jays for four years and $68 million.

Dee Strange-Gordon

Dee Strange-Gordon is no doubt one of the fastest runners in the major leagues. He may even be the fastest. The only problem is, running is almost all he can do.

In 2015, he posted a batting average of .333 which won him the batting title but he hasn’t been able to come close to that success since. Also the following year, he was given an 80-game suspension for performance enhancement drug use, which came as a surprise as Gordon is by no means a power hitter and the purpose of PEDs is usually reserved for power hitters.

In his career, he’s stolen at least 30 bases in six of 10 seasons with his highest total being 64 in 2014. He has 333 career swiped bags with a success rate of 76.9%.

The 2020 season was a brutal one for him as he slashed .200/.268/.213 with just three stolen bases and getting caught twice over 33 games.

Despite his poor 2020 season, he does hold a career batting average of .286.

While Gordon is no longer the Gold Glove caliber defensive player he used to be, he can still play solid defence at the keystone position, but that would mean bumping Cavan Biggio to a different spot on the field. Gordon also has experience playing centre field with the Seattle Mariners, but that experiment didn’t work out too well.

The Blue Jays could bring him in as a valuable bench piece and have him pinch run often.

Jed Lowrie

Jed Lowrie has had a forgettable tenure with the New York Mets. In the 2018-19 offseason, he signed a two year, $20 million contract that resulted in him getting nine at-bats over the duration of the deal.

In those nine at-bats, which all came in the 2019 season, he failed to record a single hit and reached base just once via a walk. This past season, he sat out the whole year but not because of COVID-19, it was due to a knee injury that prevented him from allowing to play.

In 2018, he played almost a full season’s worth of games (157) where he slashed .267/.353/.448 with 23 home runs, 99 RBI and 37 doubles.

In his career, he has a career slash line of .261/.335/.413 with 104 home runs, 509 RBI and 1,043 hits. He can play both second and third base and made the All-Star game in 2018.

As Lowrie hasn’t played a full season since 2018 where he’s struggled to stay healthy and on the field due to injuries, he’ll have to take a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training to work his way back to a spot on a major league roster.

The Blue Jays could see Lowrie as a potential bounce back candidate where they could sign him to a minor league deal, and if he were to make the big league club they only have to give him the major league minimum salary. He could also serve as depth at the second and third base position while serving as a possible option as a bench bat.

Howie Kendrick

Surprisingly, Howie Kendrick, who is currently 37 years old, has had some productive seasons in the past few years. Since his age 30 season in 2013, he’s finished a season with a batting average of .290 or better six times including the 2017 and 2018 seasons where he batted over .300.

He dealt with a hamstring injury in 2020 that limited him to 27 games, but still batted a good .275 with an on-base percentage of .320 and a slugging percentage of .375.

His hamstring injury likely didn’t allow him to play at 100% but when he is fully healthy, he can really produce, which is shown by his 2019 slash line of .344/.395/.572. That 2019 season, he also hit 17 home runs and 23 doubles.

He had a good 2019 season at the age of 35 and 36, but he also did well in the playoffs that year slashing .286/.328/.444 with 18 hits in 17 postseason games. He became a hero in Washington when he hit a go-ahead two run home run in game seven of the World Series against the Houston Astros on the road.

In all of Kendrick’s career, which he’s been in the major leagues since 2006, he has put up a slash line of .294/.337/.430 with 127 home runs, 724 RBI, 354 doubles and 126 stolen bases although he rarely steals now.

Kendrick can play first, second, third and left field which would make him a very valuable bench piece for the Blue Jays if they were able to bring him, in which they would have to do so on a major league deal.

Jurickson Profar

Jurickson Profar was once a former top, can’t miss prospect in the Rangers organization. He’s never panned out as people expected him to, and has dealt with a fair share of injuries throughout his career, which even forced him to sit out the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

While a shadow of his former top prospect status, Profar has turned into a valuable utility player. In the 2020 season alone with the San Diego Padres, he played all three outfield positions along with second (his primary position) and an inning of first base. He’s appeared at least once at each position except pitcher and catcher at the major league level in his career.

Offensively, he had a good year in 2020 slashing .278/.343/.428 with 50 hits in 56 games. Despite the small sample size of games, that was the best slash line of the 27 year old’s career.

Brock Holt

Brock Holt is arguably the most versatile player in the major leagues as he’s appeared multiple times at all positions throughout the diamond except for catcher (he pitched 1.1 innings this year).

He started off the 2020 season with the Milwaukee Brewers but only lasted 20 games with the team where he slashed below the Mendoza line with a horrendous .100/.222/.100 slash line which led to his release. He then caught on with the Nationals to play 16 games for them where he did better slashing .262/.314/.354.

Last offseason, the Blue Jays expressed interest in Holt but ultimately went in a different direction and pursued other players. They could redirect back to Holt this offseason and he would be a nice addition to the bench.

Kolten Wong

Kolten Wong’s $12.5 million option was just recently declined by the Cardinals, which gives him the opportunity to see who’s interested in him on the free agent market.

Wong is a glove-first player, as he’s more known for his defence rather than what he does at the plate. He’s won back-to-back Gold Glove awards and was named the Defensive Player of the year in the National League for the 2019 season. He posted a .989 fielding percentage at the keystone this season, making just two errors. In his career at second base, he holds a fielding percentage of .981. According to FanGraphs, Wong had a DRS (defensive runs saved) of six in 2020.

Offensively in 2020, he slashed .265/.350/.326 across 53 games leaving the yard just once. He had a solid offensive season in 2019 slashing .285/.361/.423 with 25 doubles and 24 stolen bases.

As the Blue Jays ranked second last as a team on defence, Wong would provide the Blue Jays a huge defensive upgrade. Although if they were to bring him in, that means moving Cavan Biggio to a different position as Wong doesn’t have the arm or size (5’7, 185 pounds) to play a different position.

If he were to sign with the Blue Jays he could be the leadoff hitter, as he has a decent career on-base percentage of .333 and the speed to set the game going for the rest of the lineup.

Blue Jays fans, he’s a player to keep an eye on.

Tommy La Stella

There were days where Tommy La Stella was nothing more than a bench bat with little power. This is evidenced by the fact that in his tenure with the Chicago Cubs, he played in 303 games over four seasons averaging 75 contests a season where he combined for an OPS of .753.

When he found his way to the Los Angeles Angels for the 2019 season, he became a whole different player. 2019 saw him have the best season of his career slashing .295/.346/.486 with 16 home runs. Despite only appearing in 80 games due to an injury, he was selected to the All-Star game, although he didn’t play in the mid summer classic.

In 2020 split between the Angels and Oakland Athletics, who acquired him at the trade deadline, he slashed .281/.370/.449 with 55 hits in exactly 55 games played.

He played at each base throughout the 2020 season, showcasing his versatility where he posted a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 at first and third. At second, which was his primary position playing there in 33 contests, he had a fielding percentage of .963.

If the Blue Jays miss out on LeMahieu, they could turn their attention to La Stella. He’s basically the same version and player as LeMahieu in terms of skill set, although to a lesser extent, but would come at a much cheaper cost.

Logan Forsythe

Throughout Logan Forsythe’s career, he has experienced playing all over the infield. In 2020 with the Miami Marlins, he played in just 12 games appearing at first and second including one appearance on the mound but in 2019 with the Rangers, he played all over the infield.

In his 12 game stint this year, he got 34 at-bats where he recorded only four hits. In 317 at-bats over 101 games in 2019, he slashed .227/.325/.353 with 72 hits.

He could be a fine depth option on a minor league deal.

Asdrubal Cabrera

Playing in the major leagues since 2007, Asdrubal Cabrera can play second, third and short. Just this year, he started playing first base, in which he appeared in 25 games at that position for the Nationals. He’s best suited playing at second, as he holds a .993 fielding percentage in his career at that position.

In 2020, he slashed .242/.305/.447 in 52 games. His career slash line is .268/.330/.426 with 1,692 hits, 380 doubles, 188 home runs and 827 RBI.

Daniel Descalso

Daniel Descalso was expected to provide the Cubs with versatility off the bench, but didn’t do much for the team. He played in 82 games in 2019 slashing a horrendous .173/.271/.250 and was out all of 2020 with an ankle injury.

As the current front office for the Blue Jays loves players that can play multiple positions on the diamond, a minor league deal for Descalso could be a possibility.

Brad Miller

Brad Miller would be able to provide any team that signs him positional flexibility and a left-handed power bat off the bench. Miller can play all over the infield and has 53 games of experience playing in the outfield.

2020 saw him slash .232/.357/.451 with seven home runs. Over his eight year career, he’s combined for a slash line of .240/.316/.421 with 95 home runs.

Charlie Culberson

Charlie Culberson can play a little bit of everything with the exception of pitcher, catcher and centre field. He only got one hit in nine games in the 2020 season and has a career slash line of .249/.293/.391.

Joe Panik

The Blue Jays could just reunite with Joe Panik instead of going after a different depth piece. Panik is familiar with the organization, team and coaching staff, which goes the other way as well.

With the Blue Jays, Panik slashed .225/.340/.300 with 27 hits as well as the same number of strikeouts in 41 games. Striking out more or just as much as the amount of hits he got is rare for Panik, as he’s one of the better players at getting the ball to his bat across the league.

Each season prior to this year, he got a significant amount of hits compared to the times he went down on strikes. In his career, he has 684 hits compared to whiffing just 280 times.

While defence was a problem for the Blue Jays this season, Panik was not part of it as he played quite clean in the field. He had a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 at third base (12 games) and shortstop (14 games) while making one error in 18 games at second base.

Prior to coming to play for the Blue Jays, Panik strictly played second base in the major leagues but expanded his versatility playing for Canada’s team. He did have experience playing shortstop in the minor leagues and the Blue Jays allowed him to showcase his skills up the middle, which he rewarded the team handsomely for doing so.

A reunion between the Blue Jays and Panik shouldn’t remain out of the question.

Chris Owings

Chris Owings can play a lot of positions on the field. He’s primarily a middle infielder, but can also play centre field, right field, and a little bit of third base. Defensively, he’s best suited at the shortstop, where he has a very good career fielding percentage of .993.

He has spent majority of his eight year career (six seasons) with the Arizona Diamondbacks slashing .250/.291/.378 with 70 stolen bases. He then signed with the Kansas City Royals in the 2018-19 offseason, but struggled and ultimately got released. Later that season, he got picked up by the Red Sox but he still struggled. Overall on the 2019 season, he slashed .139/.209/.233 with a lot more strikeouts (78) than hits (25).

2020 was a bounce back season of sorts for Owings as he played in 17 games with the Rockies recording 11 hits with a .268/.318/.439 slash line.

He may use the 2020 season as a pathway to seeking a major league deal. Many teams will most likely not offer him a major league contract as they would see his stats being boosted by playing at the very hitter friendly Coors Field, and would look at his previous seasons showing how that’s not the player he typically is.

As he will likely end up on a minor league deal with a chance to crack the big league roster no matter what team he signs with, the Blue Jays could jump in here and attempt to bring him on their side.

Justin Turner

Even though he’s about to turn 36 years old shortly, Justin Turner can still produce at a really high level. Since 2013 when he was 29 years of age, he’s batted .280 or better in every season and has basically done better in every year since then.

Also going back to 2013, he’s posted an on-base percentage of .370 or better in six seasons while recording good slugging percentages each season.

On the World Series winning Los Angeles Dodgers this past season, he slashed .307/.400/.460 with 46 hits in 42 games. Despite his good offensive numbers, his defence was average at best with a fielding percentage of .952 with four errors.

In his career, he’s slashed .292/.369/.469 with a considerable amount of more hits (1,029) than strikeouts (583). Turner is one of the better players at putting the ball in play as he’s only struck out more than 100 times in a season once all while getting hits at a high rate.

Turner is a third baseman but can shift to the other side of the diamond if required of him too. As he could be declining defensively, he may eventually have to turn to designated hitter duties.

The Blue Jays could bring him in to start off at third base but turn him into a designated hitter if he can’t play adequate defence later on in a contract. Regardless, if the Blue Jays do indeed sign him, they would be bringing him in because of his bat.

The Blue Jays have been seen as a landing spot for Turner by multiple outlets.

Marwin Gonzalez

A few slides back, I mentioned how Brock Holt is arguably the most versatile player in the major leagues. He has some competition for that title with Marwin Gonzlalez, who is also an extremely versatile player.

Except for pitcher and catcher, he’s played at every position on the baseball field. Gonzalez has the most experience at shortstop where he’s appeared at that position 292 times throughout his career and has posted a fielding percentage of .970. Even though he’s played 292 games at shortstop, he’s played in over 100 games at each first, second, third and left field. He plays best defensively at second base with a career fielding percentage of .988.

Gonzalez had one really good year in 2017 but questions will arise by interested teams in how legit that really is as he played on the Houston Astros that season, in which they have been caught and punished for sign stealing. That season saw him breakout with a slash line of .303/.377/.530 with 23 home runs and 90 RBI.

He then left the Houston Astros for the Minnesota Twins in the 2018-19 offseason and in two seasons spent out in the Twin City, he slashed .248/.311/.387.

Last time around in free agency, he landed a contract worth $21 million. While he won’t get that this time around, he can for sure get a major league deal due to his positional versatility.

The Blue Jays could very well be interested in his services if they deem the price for Gonzalez reasonable.

Eduardo Nunez

Eduardo Nunez was once a fantastic piece to have on your bench. He used to be the backup shortstop to Derek Jeter on the New York Yankees while mixing in a bit of time at third and second.

Since his tenure with the Yankees, he was able to carve out a starting role with the Twins, Red Sox and San Francisco Giants where he’s had mixed results.

He signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason and landed on their Opening Day roster, but injured his knee very early into the season. He ended up making just two trips to the plate recording a single and a stolen base.

In 2019 with the Red Sox, he played in 60 games slashing .228/.243/.305. He dealt with injuries that season and was ultimately released by the Red Sox.

In his whole career, he has a slash line of .276/.310/.404 with 776 hits and 142 stolen bases.

The Blue Jays could bring Nunez on a minor league deal and let him battle it out with other players for a spot on the big league team. He can provide infield depth if he were to make it out of Spring Training and if he were to struggle to put up solid numbers, he can easily be replaced and released.

Nunez can be compared to Panik with more speed, although the latter is probably a better hitter.

Jedd Gyorko

Jedd Gyorko is better off playing in a corner infield spot but can also play up the middle as well. With the Brewers in 2020, he slashed .248/.333/.504 with nine home runs.

The Blue Jays could sign him to provide a source of power off the bench as well as infield depth.

Andrelton Simmons

Shortstop is arguably the most important position in baseball and Andrelton Simmons is the best defensive player at that position in the whole game. In fact, he might be the best defensive shortstop since Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith who’s in the Hall of Fame.

For his glove work, he has won multiple awards to prove how good of a defender he is. To his name, he has four Gold Glove awards, was named the Wilson best Defensive Player of the Year in 2015, which is given to the best player on defence in all of baseball. It doesn’t just stop there though as he’s won a variety of other awards for his defensive work.

When it comes to holding a bat, he’s nothing too special. He’s a career .269/.317/.379 hitter but he can really put the ball to the bat, as he doesn’t strikeout often, with the most times he’s went down on strikes in a season being 67 occurrences.

He opted out in the last week of the 2020 season, but in the 30 games he did play he slashed .297/.346/.356 with 35 hits. He also missed time with an injury.

With the Blue Jays being a weak defensive team, they would really benefit from the addition of Simmons to their roster. They have apparently already expressed interest in him as a free agent and were also linked to him at the trade deadline.

If he does come to Toronto, that would likely expel Bo Bichette from the shortstop position.

Jonathan Villar

The Blue Jays acquired Jonathan Villar at the trade deadline with the sole purpose of him replacing Bichette at shortstop as he was out a while with a knee injury.

His tenure with the Blue Jays didn’t necessarily go well as he slashed .178/.278/.203 with 22 strikeouts in 69 at-bats although he did steal seven bases over 22 games without getting caught once. On the 2020 season as a whole with the Blue Jays and Marlins, he slashed .232/.301/.292 with 16 stolen bases over 21 attempts, which was good for second most in the league.

Despite his poor showing in the shortened season, Villar at his best, has one of the best hit/speed combinations in the league. In 2016 with the Brewers, he slashed .285/.369/.457 with 168 hits, 19 home runs and a league leading 62 stolen bases. In 2019 with the Orioles, he put up a slash line of .274/.339/.453 with 176 hits, 33 doubles, 24 home runs and 40 stolen bases.

While not the best defender, Villar can play on either side of second base. Although defence is not his calling card, it’s his hitting when he can put everything together and especially his speed which he has 218 career stolen bases. When stealing bases, he is successful 78.7% of the time.

If the Blue Jays can bring back Villar, he can provide the team with a source of speed off the bench and can be a key pinch hitter if he can turn things around.

George Springer

As Mookie Betts signed an extension with the Dodgers before he even hit free agency, George Springer is now the premier outfielder on the market.

Springer has been to three consecutive All-Star games that have taken place where he’s slashed .270/.361/.491 with 174 home runs.

In 51 games played in 2020, he slashed .265/.359/.540 with 14 home runs and 50 hits. In 2019, he started off the season playing like an MVP candidate, but was put on the shelf with an injury. Over 122 games in the 2019 season, Springer had the best year of his career slashing .292/.383/.591 with 39 home runs and 96 RBI.

Springer may come with concerns. He’ll be 31 years old entering next season and was also a part of the 2017 World Series team that stole signs throughout the year in which he won World Series MVP.

In 2017 though, he did better on the road (.292/.367/.534 with 18 home runs) than he did at home (.273/.366/.509 with 16 home runs).

On a positive note though, his defence remains solid as he posted a DRS of six in centre field while not making a single error for a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 this season.  He has also cut down on the strikeouts each year since he’s been in the big leagues.

While the Blue Jays have a solid offensive outfield currently in place, the team is looking to upgrade defensively in that position. Randal Grichuk was the primary centre fielder this season in which he did well at the plate but posted a DRS of -8.

The Blue Jays have already been linked to Springer and have expressed interest in him.

Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna, who’s also known by his nickname of “The Big Bear”, bet on himself this past season and it paid off handsomely. Despite receiving multi-year offers last offseason, he took a one year deal to prove himself and rebuild his value, which he really did.

Appearing in every single game with the Braves, Ozuna put up a monstrous slash line of .338/.431/.636 with 18 home runs, 56 RBI and 77 hits. For his outstanding season, he got a Silver Slugger award, the second of his career and received down ballot MVP votes finishing sixth in the National League.

Having played in the big leagues back in 2013, in his eight year career, he has put up a slash line of .276/.335/.466 with 166 home runs, 594 RBI, 176 doubles and 1,040 hits. He has been selected to a total of two All-Star games (’16 and ’17), has two Silver Slugger awards (’17 and ’20) and a Gold Glove award which he received in 2017.

Despite winning the Gold Glove award not too long ago, Ozuna isn’t seen as a strong defender anymore. He only appeared in the field in 21 games in the 2020 season, primarily in left field, where he combined to post a DRS of -2.

The Blue Jays have been linked to Ozuna just recently. While his bat would be a boost to the lineup, he’s only limited to left field defensively, which is currently occupied by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He could be the Jays primary designated hitter but that could create logjams further down the road.

Jackie Bradley Jr

Once upon a time in the AL East, there were three top tier defensive centre fielders throughout all of baseball in the division. Kevin Pillar with the Blue Jays, Kevin Kiermaier with the Tampa Bay Rays and Jackie Bradley Jr. with the Red Sox.

Bradley Jr, who’s also called by his initials of JBJ, has been a stud defender in centre field for the Red Sox ever since he stepped foot on a major league diamond. In his career, he’s posted a career DRS of 48. This past season, he posted a DRS of five.

For his defensive work, he was awarded the Gold Glove award for the 2018 season.

At the plate, his results are a mixed bag. In 2016, he got a hit in 29 consecutive games. At the start of his streak, his batting average was .222 but it was raised to .350 in those 29 games. He finished the 2016 season slashing .267/.349/.486 with 149 hits and 26 home runs.

In 2020, he played in 55 games slashing .283/.364/.450 with seven home runs and 54 hits. While this is the best slash line of his career, it’s fair to question whether this should be considered a career-high mark due to the fact the season only consisted of 60 games, which is a big difference of a whole season’s worth of games which consists of 162 contests. To add to this, his 2020 OPS of .814, is not the highest mark of his eight year career.

As the Blue Jays are looking to upgrade defensively in centre field, they have already expressed interest in Bradley Jr and he would really improve the overall defence of the team.

Jarrod Dyson

Jarrod Dyson is known as a light hitting centre fielder that can play solid defence and run really, really fast.

He only played in 32 games this season slashing below the Mendoza line with a slash line of .180/.231/.180 but he did swipe six bags without getting caught once. He can still run as he stole as many as 30 bases in 2019.

In his major league career that dates back to 2010, he has combined to slash .246/.316/.334 with 256 stolen bases and is successful 85.3% of the time.

The Blue Jays could possibly bring him on a minor league deal to have him as a running specialist if he makes the big league team.

Billy Hamilton

The main reason, and it might be the only reason why Billy Hamilton is in the big leagues is because of his speed.

He has stole 305 bases in his career with a success rate of 81.1%. He’s also quite a solid defender with 75 DRS in centre field.

The problem is, he can’t really hit and because of that, he doesn’t get on base often. He has a career slash line of .241/.296/.325 with almost as many strikeouts (648) as hits (684).

When Hamilton does get a hit, he’s the type of player that can beat out routine ground ball which he has done so before.

He can also turn a single into a double, a two bagger into a triple and a three bagger into an inside the park home run, as he’s just that fast.

The Blue Jays could be intrigued by his speed and defence to invite him to Spring Training on a minor league deal.

Yoenis Cespedes

Yoenis Cespedes has tremendous amounts of power in his bat and has one of the strongest arms in the game but injuries have limited him in his ability to play on the field. In the past four years, Cespedes has played in just 127 games and sat out the whole 2019 season because of a heel injury that he suffered and re-aggravated on his ranch.

In 2020, Cespedes played in eight games before controversially opting out of the season without really telling his teammates and the New York Mets organization. He did hit two home runs in those eight games, but posted a poor batting average of .161.

The last time Cespedes played a significant amount of games was 2016 where he appeared in 132 contests. That season, he slashed .280/.354/.530 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI.

In Cespedes’ career, he has a slash line of .273/.327/.497 with 165 home runs, 528 RBI and 173 doubles. He’s played in 834 games which gives Cespedes an average of 104 contests a year.

Cespedes is no longer a capable fielder, as he hasn’t played a defensive inning since 2018 and is strictly a power bat. While his heels could now be healthy, his speed has declined and he’s still at risk to re-aggravate his injury.

If the Blue Jays are interested in Cespedes, they could use him as a designated hitter in which he could platoon with Rowdy Tellez and be a key pinch hitter when he’s not in the starting lineup.

Edwin Encarnacion

Last offseason, the Blue Jays expressed interest in signing a former friend in Edwin Encarnacion and they could be interested this time around as well.

In 2020 with the White Sox, Edwin hit below the Mendoza line slashing .157/.250/.377 with just 25 hits in 45 games with 10 of those being round trippers.

There’s no denying that Edwin still has tons of power in his bat. Prior to the shortened season, he hit at least 30 home runs in eight consecutive seasons while also bringing in at least 100 runs in six of those years. In those eight years, he also had a slugging percentage of at least .500 in all but one season and an on-base percentage of at least .335 each time.

Since joining the Blue Jays in 2009, Edwin has cemented himself with all-time records with the team. He has the third most home runs as a Blue Jay trailing only former teammate Jose Bautista, and Carlos Delgado, and has the sixth most RBI in franchise history.

Despite his down year in 2020 and the fact that he’ll be 38 years old for the 2021 season, Edwin is still intent on playing and even clarified so.

There could be mutual interest in a deal from both sides. The Blue Jays could use Edwin as a platoon bat at the designated hitter slot sharing time Tellez while he could be intrigued in coming back to Toronto to climb up the franchise leaderboards in multiple categories.

Masahiro Tanaka

When Masahiro Tanaka was made available for a posting fee from his former team in the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan, he was in high demand among major league teams. The New York Yankees were the team that ended up getting negotiating rights with him and subsequently signed him to a seven year, $155 million deal.

He won’t be getting a deal anywhere close to that in his first time as an unrestricted free agent, but in an uninspiring pitching market, he could very well get a solid payday for himself.

His first ever major league game was at the Rogers Centre in which he gave up a home run to the first batter he faced in former Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera.

Tanaka made 10 starts in the 2020 season going 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA while only giving up eight walks in 48 innings.

In his career, he’s 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA with only 208 walks in 1,054.1 innings pitched. Tanaka has done really well at limiting free passes in his career with the most amount of walks given up in one season being 41.

The Blue Jays could see Tanaka as someone who could slide behind Ryu in the rotation, but he does come with some concerns including his health and the fact that he has been inconsistent over the past few years.

Jays Journal co-site expert Chris Henderson wrote a piece a while back stating how the Jays should bring Tanaka north of the border.

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels is no longer the pitcher he once was, but is a veteran with experience that can benefit multiple teams.

Last offseason, he signed a one year deal with the Braves but ended up only making one start due to a shoulder injury. That start saw him last just 3.1 innings giving up three earned runs.

The season prior, he made 27 starts for the Cubs posting a 3.81 ERA over 141.2 innings pitched.

In his career, he has a 163-122 record with a 3.43 ERA with an opponent average of .240 in 2,698 innings pitched.

The Blue Jays could give Hamels a one year deal to be their second or third starter.

Rich Hill

Very few people at the age of 40 get the opportunity to pitch in the major leagues, yet Rich Hill, who will be 41 for the 2021 season, is defying the odds.

Even with his age, he’s quite productive on the mound. He has the ability to get strikeouts and to generate swings and misses from opposing batters. He also has one of the best curveballs in the game.

His biggest issue has been staying healthy as he’s missed time with injuries each season since becoming a full time starter in 2016.

In eight starts in 2020, Hill pitched to a 3.03 ERA with an opponent average of .204.

He could be a very good option on a one year deal.

Jake Odorizzi

Last offseason, the Blue Jays expressed interest in signing Jake Odorizzi but he ultimately accepted the Twins qualifying offer which was valued at $17.8 million.

Odorizzi only made four starts in the shortened 2020 season due to various injuries which were a combination of a blister, back strain and a chest contusion after taking a line drive off his body. He posted a 6.59 ERA with an opponent average of .291 in 13.2 innings pitched.

In 2019, he had a great season going 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA with 178 strikeouts in 159 innings pitched, which got him his first career All-Star berth.

Throughout his career, he’s 62-56 with a 3.92 ERA and an opponent average of .237 over 195 games with all but three of those being starts. While not an ace, Odorizzi has quietly been a very solid major league pitcher in his career that has pitched well as a mid-rotation starter.

Despite his injury riddled down year, Odorizzi is expected to be one of the most in demand pitchers on the free agent market and is sure to get a multi-year deal with a solid average annual value. He will be even more attractive to teams with the fact that he’s not attached to draft pick compensation as he wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer since he already accepted one for the 2020 season.

As they did so last offseason, the Blue Jays have expressed interest in him this time around but are competing against other teams for his services.

Trevor Bauer

After a marvelous campaign that saw him win the National League Cy Young award, Trevor Bauer is on the open market free to sign with any team that he would like to.

Bauer, the most outspoken player in the major leagues, has teased multiple cities as potential destinations. On his Twitter account, he posted a plane ticket with Boston as the destination, took a picture outside Minute Maid Park where the Astros play (that was to troll them though) and in regards to Toronto, he said this:

That was in response to MLB Network stating how Toronto “pops out” as a realistic landing spot for the NL Cy Young winner.

In his Cy Young winning season, he went 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA with 100 strikeouts over 41 hits given up in 73 innings pitched.

In his career, he’s 75-64 with a 3.90 ERA over 205 games (195 starts) with 1,279 strikeouts over 1,051 hits given up in 1,190 innings pitched.

He previously stated that he’s only willing to take one year deals as a free agent, but that statement has since been retracted by his agent.

If Bauer were to sign with the Blue Jays, it would do wonders for the franchise. He would make the rotation along with the whole team so much better and would also turn the organization into a potential immediate World Series contender.

Anthony Castrovince of mlb.com has Bauer signing with the Jays and reuniting with former teammate Francisco Lindor as well.

J.A. Happ

The name J.A. Happ is most likely very familiar among Blue Jays fans as he pitched for the franchise in two seperate stints.

His first stint was from mid-season 2012-2014. He combined for a record of 19-20 along with an ERA of 4.39 in his first go-around with 256 strikeouts compared to 286 hits given up over 291 innings pitched.

His second stint in Toronto was much better. It lasted from 2016 to mid-season 2018 in which he was traded away at the deadline to the Yankees. In his second stint, he went 40-21 with 435 strikeouts compared to 412 hits given up in 455 innings pitched. He earned an All-Star berth in a Blue Jays uniform in the 2018 season.

As he was a free agent at the conclusion of 2018, he re-signed with the Yankees on a two-year deal with a vesting option for the 2021 season which since he became an unrestricted free agent, ultimately wasn’t picked up.

In 2019 and 2020 combined, he went 14-10 with a 4.57 ERA over 210.2 innings pitched, struck out 182 batters over 197 hits given up. In that span, he also gave up 42 home runs and 64 free passes.

The Blue Jays have been linked to Happ as they’ve expressed interest in brining him back to Toronto for a third time.

Jays Journal’s other site expert, Clayton Richer, wrote a piece taking about how he really hopes that the thought of signing the lefty a third time isn’t “HAPPening”

James Paxton

If James Paxton were to sign with the Blue Jays, it would consist of a homecoming of sorts, as the lefty is a Canadian who hails from Ladner, British Columbia.

Paxton knows how passionate Blue Jays fans are about their team. When he was on the Mariners from 2013-2018 and the Blue Jays were in town to play them, fans from British Columbia would often flock T-Mobile Park (formerly Safeco Field) and fill the seats to see their beloved team play as Seattle is close.

The Canadian also threw a no-hitter on the Rogers Centre turf in 2018, in which he became the first player from Canada to not give up a hit in a full start since 1945.

He since got traded to the Yankees where he’s spent the past two seasons. His first season in pinstripes went well as in 29 starts, he went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA with 186 strikeouts over 138 hits given up in 150.2 innings.

The shortened 2020 season didn’t go as Paxton would have liked in his contract year. He was limited to only five starts due to a flexor strain posting a 6.64 ERA with an opponent average of .284.

His career numbers how that when he’s healthy, he’s a front of the rotation type starter. He’s 57-33 with a 3.58 ERA with 829 strikeouts and 684 hits given up over 753.1 innings pitched.

If Paxton can put his injuries behind him, he would be a solid addition to the Blue Jays rotation. That is a big if though.

Garrett Richards

Garrett Richards has had an up and down career. When he’s healthy, he’s a solid pitcher that would fit nicely apart of any teams’ rotation. Although he does tend to get injured quite often and hasn’t necessarily bounced back since being shelved.

He’s dealt with a variety of elbow issues in his career, which includes a torn ulnar collateral ligament that at once required Tommy John Surgery. He also suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee at one point, which cut his 2014 season short.

Prior to his injury though, he put up some good numbers. His last full season dates back to 2015 when he went 15-12 with a 3.65 ERA over 32 starts throwing 207.1 innings. The season before that, he did even better going 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA with an opponent average of .201 in 26 starts.

Since the 2015 season though, he’s combined to appear in just 41 games (37 starts).

This season, he pitched in 14 games (10 starts) going 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA with an opponent average of .244 in 51.1 innings pitched.

In his career, he’s 47-41 with a 3.62 ERA over 187 games (128 starts).

The Blue Jays could view Richards as someone who has some stuff left in the tank that he has yet to bring out in him. He has done well in previous seasons although this was before his elbow injuries which can really effect the career of a pitcher and he will also be 33 years old next season.

Corey Kluber

Corey Kluber has dealt with injuries the past two season which has limited his productivity and durability.

In 2020, he threw just one inning as he was pulled from his start with shoulder tightness and was shut down for the remainder of the season. In 2019, he missed majority of the season due to various injuries he suffered throughout the year.

Prior to the past two seasons though, Kluber was among the best pitchers in the major leagues. In 2018 he went 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA with 222 strikeouts with just 34 walks over 33 starts. The season before that, he was 18-4 with a 2.25 ERA with 265 strikeouts over 141 hits given up for an opponent average of .193 and just 36 walks in 203.2 innings pitched in which he was the Cy Young award recipient.

Throughout his career, Kluber has been among the top tier strikeout artists in the league as he generates a lot more swings and misses than hits given up. He is also very accurate, as he often doesn’t allow a lot of free passes.

Even with all his results, the thought of adding Kluber will cause teams to pause due to the fact he’s only appeared in eight games throwing 36.2 innings over the past two seasons.

Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro are very familiar with Kluber as they know him from their time spent in Cleveland. They could aim to bring him to Toronto in hopes that he recaptures his top tier form.

Mike Fiers

In case you didn’t know, Mike Fiers is the one who exposed the Astros sign stealing scheme last offseason. He was a part of the team in 2017 which ended up winning the World Series but not without controversy.

He left the team after the 2017 season and has since played for the Tigers and Athletics. In 2020, he went 6-3 with a 4.58 ERA over 11 starts posting an opponent average of .275.

Fiers is not one to miss bats as he doesn’t possess the repertoire or arsenal and nor does he throw hard enough to do so. From 2018-2020, he has given up 397 hits and has struck out just 302 batters in 415.2 innings pitched. He has also allowed players to reach via base on balls 106 times over the past three seasons while serving 71 home runs.

Even with all that, he can still limit the amount of runs that come in to score. He’s put up a respectable 3.85 ERA in those 415.2 innings. He’s also pretty durable and tends to stay relatively healthy as he’s made at least 28 appearances on the mound since 2015.

In his career, he’s 75-62 with an ERA of 4.04 with 990 strikeouts and 1,104 hits given up in 1,141.2 innings pitched, in which he’s also thrown two no-hitters.

The Blue Jays may view him as a back-end option in the rotation and could bring him in on a short term deal as a holdover until pitching prospects within the system are ready to play in the major leagues.

Mike Foltynewicz

Mike Foltynewicz could be considered a one-hit wonder type pitcher. He had one really good season but fell off after that.

That good season came in 2018 in which he went 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA along with 202 strikeouts compared to 130 hits given up for an opponent average of .195 in 183 innings pitched over 31 starts. He made the All-Star game that season which is his lone mid summer classic appearance in his career to date.

He wasn’t able to carry that momentum into 2019 as in 21 starts, he went 8-6 with an ERA of 4.54 and gave up more hits (109) than strikeouts (105) in 117 innings pitched for an opponent average of .244. He even spent time in the minors during the 2019 season due to struggles but finished off the year strong once he was recalled.

While 2020 has been a horrible year for many people around the world, it was definitely a bad one for Foltynewicz. In his first start of the season, he lasted just 3.1 innings giving up six earned runs with two of those being the result of back-to-back home runs he served.

To surprise, he ended up being designated for assignment after that game as he was out of minor league options. He went unclaimed and was optioned to the Braves alternate site for the remainder of the season.

If the Blue Jays are willing to take the risk, they could bring in Foltynewicz as a reclamation project in hopes that he can go back to his 2018 form.

Anthony DeSclafani

The Blue Jays drafted Anthony DeScalfani out of college in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. In the 2012 offseason, he was shipped to the Marlins as part of the blockbuster trade that saw the Blue Jays get Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle among others.

In the 2020 season, he pitched in nine games (seven starts) posting a 7.22 ERA with an opponent average of .301 over 33.1 innings pitched. He particularly struggled pitching at Great American Ball Park, home of the Reds, where he posted an ugly 15.88 ERA with an opponent average of .418. What’s also concerning is the fact that he gave up six home runs and seven walks along with 23 hits in 11.1 innings. Opposing hitters also got to him early as he typically tended to fall behind in the beginning of the game.

DeSclafani did have a solid 2019 campaign though going 9-9 with a 3.89 ERA in 31 starts with a career best opponent average of .238.

He did miss the entirety of the 2017 season due to a torn UCL which he did not require Tommy John surgery for. With the Reds in 2016 and 2018-2019, he put up respectable numbers combining to go 25-22 with a 4.00 ERA and just nine more hits given up (389) than strikeouts (380) over 72 starts.

DeSclafani could be featured in the middle or backend of the Blue Jays rotation if the front office wants to make him a part of the team.

Chris Archer

Back when Chris Archer was in the AL East with the Rays, he was one of the most feared pitchers in the game. Since his trade to the Pirates, his career took a downturn.

In six and-a-half season with the Rays, Archer combined to go 54-68 with a 3.69 ERA in 179 games (177 starts) with his two relief appearances coming in his rookie year. His losing record can be attributed to the fact that he played on the Rays before they were the dynasty in the making they are today, as the team annually finished in the bottom of the standings early in hi career.

With the Rays, Archer was a strikeout artist as he sat down 1,146 batters over 960 hits given up. He made it to two All-Star games in a Rays jersey and from 2015-2017, was either second or third in strikeouts among American League pitchers.

At the 2018 trade deadline, he was shipped to the Pirates in now what’s remembered as one of the most lopsided deals in recent memory. Archer was headed to the Steel City in return for Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz who were all top prospects at the time. As it is now, Meadows and Glasnow are key parts of the Rays and Baz is the 86th ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

In a year and-a-half with the Pirates, Archer was 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA over 50 starts. Even with a losing record and a poor earned run average, Archer still racked up more strikeouts than hits given up.

As Archer sat out the 2020 season suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome, he will be looking to prove himself that he’s capable of staying in the major leagues.

The Blue Jays could roll the dice and take a chance on him to pitch in the backend of the rotation. Clayton Richer wrote an article exploring the possibility of the Jays taking on Archer as a reclamation project.

Matt Shoemaker

Matt Shoemaker has actually been a solid pitcher in his career, it’s just that he’s been marred by injuries which has effected his ability to stay on the field and pitch.

After making only 21 starts combined over the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the Angels non-tendered him which made him a free agent. The Blue Jays picked him up and he has done more than fine but the injury bug struck him again.

In 2019, he made only five starts as he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). He did really well though going 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA while limiting opposing hitters to bat a measly .163 off him.

In the 2020 season, he dealt with a shoulder injury that limited him to just six starts going 0-1 with a 4.71 ERA with an opponent average of .210.

In both the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he threw an identical 28.2 innings pitched and gave up the same amount of free passes in both campaigns (nine) with his first season with the Blue Jays being better.

He was named the Game 1 starter in the wild card round against the Rays in which he didn’t give up a run over three innings.

In his career, he’s compiled 43-33 record with a 3.86 ERA with an opponent average of .247 over 602.1 frames.

Shoemaker could come back and be in the middle of the Jays rotation, although he is also garnering interest from other teams including the Rangers and the division rival, pitching starved Red Sox.

Alex Wood

In previous seasons, the Blue Jays have shown an affinity for bringing in versatile pitchers that have experience pitching both out of the rotation and bullpen. Alex Wood has that experience.

While he has started majority of his appearances each season, he has came out of the bullpen in a handful of games each year. In fact, he’s only had one season where he started all games he appeared in which was the 2019 season, his lone year with the Reds.

The past two years haven’t been kind to Wood based on his performances. He missed majority of the 2019 season with a back injury but did manage to make seven starts going 1-3 with a 5.80 ERA over 35.2 innings with an opponent average of .291.

In 2020 with the Dodgers, he appeared in nine games with all but two of those being relief appearances posting an ERA of 6.39 with an opponent average of .304 in 12.2 innings. Even with his poor stats, he did get a World Series ring out of it.

Prior to 2019 though, he never posted an ERA above 3.85 with his best season coming in 2016 with a 16-3 record, a 2.72 ERA along with an opponent average of .217 in 27 games (25 starts).

Wood could come to Toronto as a reliever and make spots starts if needed. The Jays do need a lefty in the bullpen and Wood could serve as a valuable piece pitching multiple innings an appearance in relief.

Taijuan Walker

Taijuan Walker was once a former surefire, can’t miss prospect that was expected to be among the best pitchers in the major leagues. Unfortunately, he never lived up to his top prospect potential and has settled into the middle of the pack among major league pitchers.

In 2018, Walker suffered a torn UCL in which he was only healthy enough to make three starts. He missed a big chunk of time as he was only able to return for the final game of the season in 2019 pitching one inning.

He ended up being non-tendered by the Diamondbacks in which he reunited with the Mariners for his second stint for the 2020 season.

With the Mariners in 2020, Walker made five starts going 2-2 with 4.00 ERA over 27 innings pitched. As the Mariners weren’t competing for a playoff spot, he was made available for trade in which the Blue Jays seemingly got him out of nowhere without being linked to him.

In six starts with the Blue Jays, he was magnificent going 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA over 26.1 innings pitched.

On the 2020 season as a whole, he was 4-3 with a 2.70 ERA with an opponent average of .214 over 53.1 innings in 11 starts.

The Blue Jays will probably attempt to bring him back in hopes that he can continue his success with the team. With Walker seemingly healthy and a successful 2020 season behind him, he will be looking for a multi-year contract.

David Robertson

Prior to joining the Phillies on a two year deal for the 2019 season, Robertson was among the best relievers in the game.

He was a staple in the Yankees bullpen for a good chunk of his career pitching in tight games. When he joined the White Sox as a free agent prior to the 2015 season, he became the closer of the team before being re-joining the Yankees again via trade in 2017.

When he became a free agent prior to the 2019 season, he negotiated a two year, $23 million deal on his own without an agent representing him.

Early in the 2019 season, he required Tommy John surgery which put his Phillies tenure to an abrupt end. He didn’t pitch at all in the 2020 season as he recovered from the surgery.

In his career, he’s 53-33 with a 2.90 ERA in 663.2 innings pitched spread out over 661 games. He’s racked up 880 strikeouts compared to 500 hits given up for an opponent average of .206.

In the closer’s role throughout his career, he converted 137 of 172 save opportunities for a conversion rate of 79.7%.

The Blue Jays could bring him in and hope that he goes back to his old form. He’ll be 36 years old next season but could still be able to perform at a high level if healthy. He will likely only be able to land a one-year deal but the Blue Jays could entice him to sign with their organization by adding a team option to the deal. If he does well, it would pay off handsomely.

Blake Treinen

Despite one not so good season in 2019, Blake Treinen has quietly been on of the better relief pitchers in baseball.

Pitching out of the bullpen, Treinen has experience pitching in multiple different roles but has settled into being relied on late into the game when it’s close.

His best season was in 2018 where he went 9-2 with a ridiculous 0.78 ERA with 100 strikeouts over 46 hits given up for an opponent average of .180 in 80.1 innings pitched over 68 appearances. He was 38 for 43 in save chances earning an All-star appearance and finishing sixth place in American League Cy Young voting.

The subsequent season wasn’t as good as he posted a 4.91 ERA in 57 games and 58.2 innings pitched with an opponent average of .257. He ended up losing the closer’s job and was non-tendered by the Athletics who didn’t want to take a chance on him bouncing back due to his arbitration cost.

He latched on with the Dodgers for the 2020 season where he won a World Series and made 27 trips to the mound with a 3.86 ERA in 25.2 innings.

In his career, he’s 29-25 with a 3.02 ERA in 372 games over seven seasons. He has 54 career holds and 72 saves for a conversion rate of 77.4%.

The Blue Jays could bring him in to compete for the closer’s role with Rafael Dolis and Jordan Romano. If he were to lose out on it, he would be a fine option as a set-up man.

Joakim Soria

Joakim Soria is one of the longest tenured relief pitchers left in the game. He’s been pitching out of the bullpen since 2007 with the Royals and has made one career start in 2019 with the Athletics which he was used as the opener.

In 22 games in 2020, he compiled a 2.82 ERA with an opponent average of .217 in 22.1 innings pitched.

Soria has a lot of experience pitching in tight situations as he has 105 career holds and 223 saves.

Despite the fact he’ll be 37 years old next season, he would be a good addition to the back end of the Blue Jays bullpen.

Yusmeiro Petit

Yusmeiro Petit has been in the major leagues for one season longer than Soria as he started in 2006 with the Marlins.

Petit had a magnificent 2020 season posting a 1.66 ERA over 21.2 innings in 26 appearances. He did even better in 2019 leading all major league relief pitchers in appearances with 80 while posting a career best ERA of 2.71 and an opponent average of .194, which was also a career high mark in 83 innings pitched.

As he also had a good 2018 campaign making it three consecutive good seasons for Petit, he may seek a multi-year deal despite being 36 years old.

In his career, he’s 42-41 with a 3.93 ERA with an opponent average of .243 in 437 games.

If the Blue Jays feel like he won’t regress and that father time won’t catch up to him, he would be a good reliever to add to the team.

Liam Hendriks

Liam Hendriks blossomed into the top tier reliever he is today last season when he took over the closer’s role for the Athletics. He would never have been in Oakland if it wasn’t for the Blue Jays who traded him there after the 2015 season.

In his lone season with the Blue Jays, he actually did fairly well going 5-0 in 58 games with a 2.92 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 64.2 innings while only walking 11.

When he first donned an Athletics jersey, he wasn’t a standout releiver, as he was simply a relief pitcher who the A’s could rely on to eat up some innings and play some quality baseball.

Once he was given the closer’s role though in 2019, he became an elite reliever. The 2019 season saw him post a 1.80 ERA over 75 games with 25 saves in 32 opportunities. He struck out a whopping 124 batters compared to 61 hits given up in 85 innings for an opponent average of .201.

In the shortened season, he pitched in 40% of the games (24 of 60) with a 1.78 ERA and converting all but one save (14 for 15). He also posted a very good opponent average of .161 which saw him give up 14 hits with 37 strikeouts over 25.1 innings pitched.

The Blue Jays could aim to seek a reunion with the Australian to add him to the back end of their bullpen to close out games, although for longer than a year in this case.

Justin Wilson

The Blue Jays are rumoured to be looking to add a lefty to their bullpen and Justin Wilson could be a fit. He’s spent the past two seasons with the Mets recording a 2.92 ERA over 68 games.

In his career, he has a 3.27 ERA over 480 appearances with 474 strikeouts over 355 hits given up which brings his opponent average to .223 in 429.1 innings pitched.

Being a durable reliever over his career, he may seek a two-year deal and the Blue Jays could do that if they are keen on adding him to their pen.

Andrew Chafin

Andrew Chafin spent the 2020 season with the Diamondbacks and Cubs where he struggled to the tune of a 6.52 ERA in just 9.2 innings. Prior to the shortened season though, he was a very reliable reliever.

From 2017-2019, he appeared in at least 70 games each season recording 57 holds and a combined 3.46 ERA over those three seasons. His career consists of a 3.67 ERA over 341 games with an opponent average of .238 and 82 holds.

Chafin will be looking to rebuild his value at the age of 31 next season and if the Blue Jays view his 2020 season as an outlier, he could be brought in to pitch out of the bullpen.

Tony Watson

Tony Watson had a good 2020 season with the Giants posting a 2.50 ERA, and opponent average of .191 and 10 holds in 21 games.

He’s better suited as a set-up man, but does have some experience as a closer (32 career saves).

He has a career ERA of 2.80 with a 40-25 record over 627 relief appearances with an opponent average of .226.

There would be absolutely no complaints seeing Watson in a Blue Jays jersey.

Brad Hand

To see how the pandemic has been effecting teams financially, look no further than the situation involving Brad Hand and Cleveland.

Hand had a great 2020 season leading the major leagues in saves with 16 posting a 2.05 ERA and an opponent average of .169 in 21 appearances. He also didn’t blow a single save opportunity. Yet, he got his $10 million option for the 2021 season declined.

While Cleveland is a small market team that typically doesn’t spend lots of money, Hand had a very reasonable price tag of $10 million with his performance in the shortened 2020 season. Declining it shows how teams will be crying poor this offseason due to the pandemic, which resulted in no gate revenue or profits coming in.

Since he signed with the Padres in 2016, Hand has been a dominant reliever which saw him make it to three consecutive All-Star games, recording 104 saves and compiling an ERA of 2.70 over that span.

In his career, he has 105 saves in 128 chances which equates to a conversion rate of 82%.

The Blue Jays are looking for a left-handed reliever to add to their bullpen and Hand fits that description as he is a lefty. The Blue Jays have already been linked to Hand and he would be an amazing addition to the backend of the bullpen. He would become the de facto closer if he were to sign with the Blue Jays.

Sergio Romo

When it comes to relief pitchers, it’s usually only closers that get recognition for their talents and not the set-up men, long relievers or even the middle relievers.

Sergio Romo is one of the best relief pitchers that’s not a closer. While he has experience closing, he’s typically a set-up man that pitches in the eighth inning to keep the game in his team’s favour or to prevent a small deficit from getting bigger.

In the 2020 season with the Twins, he posted a 4.05 ERA with 10 holds, five saves and an opponent average of .211 at the age of 37.

Back in his prime which he spent with the Giants from 2008-2015, he was really good as he compiled a 2.58 ERA with 498 strikeouts over 331 hits given up in 439.2 innings pitched over 515 games. He also recorded 142 holds and 84 saves in 102 chances.

Throughout his whole career, he has a 41-35 record, an ERA of 2.95 with 715 strikeouts over 504 hits given up in 643 innings pitched over 732 appearances. He did make five career starts but they all came as the opener with the Rays in 2018. He has 188 career holds and 135 saves in 165 opportunities for a conversion rate of 81.8%.

Back when Romo was a free agent during the 2018-19 offseason, the Blue Jays made an offer to him to come pitch north of the border, but he ultimately went south to pitch for the Marlins. With him hitting the open market again, they could circle back to him and if they were to sign him, he could compete for the closer’s role or be entrenched as the set-up man.

Pedro Baez

Pedro Baez has spent his whole career so far with the Dodgers where he’s seen it all from being on the losing side of the World Series and on the winning side.

During the shortened 2020 season, he appeared in 18 games posting a 3.18 ERA with an opponent average of .159 in 17 innings pitched. He also got six holds and notched two saves in the same amount of opportunities.

On his path to the World Series, he recorded an ERA of 3.52 with an opponent average of .192 over eight games.

In 2019 over a full season, he had a record of 7-2 with an ERA of 3.10 across 71 games, which consisted of 69.2 innings pitched. He held hitters to an opponent average of .174 while getting 25 holds. He went out in a save situation seven times but only became successful in one of those attempts.

In his career, Baez is 21-15 with a 3.03 ERA, 369 strikeouts compared to 270 hits given up for an opponent average of .206 in 356 innings pitched across 355 games. He has 100 career holds and three saves in 18 chances.

As he’s been on the Dodgers who have won the NL West year after year, Baez has been to the postseason each year in his career since he made his debut in 2014, although he didn’t pitch in the playoffs in 2017 as he was left off the roster.

In 31 career postseason games, he holds a 3.99 ERA with an opponent average of .210 in 29.1 innings.

Baez could be an option for the Blue Jays to pursue for the back end of the bullpen, but it would be in a set-up role. Baez doesn’t have enough closing experience, and nor is he successful in save situations.

Keone Kela

Keone Kela is a name that most baseball fans don’t know as he tends to go unrecognized year by year.

Kela has a bullet of an arm as he routinely clocks in the high 90’s with his fastball and has a curveball to go along with it to throw hitters off balance.

In the 2020 season, he only appeared in three games consisting of two innings pitched, but has done well in previous seasons. In 2019, he posted a 2.12 ERA over 32 games with an opponent average of .178.

In his career, he’s 21-11 with a 3.24 ERA in 211 appearances. He has 266 career strikeouts compared to 160 hits given up for an opponent average of .202 in 216.2 innings pitched. He also has 58 holds and 28 saves in 39 chances.

In each season from 2017-2019, he held batters to an opponent average of less than .200.

Signing Kela does come with some risks and concerns though. In the 2019 season, he was involved in multiple benches clearing incidents which resulted in him getting thrown out of the game. He also received a suspension from the league resulting in the brawl.

He’s also known to be a problem in the clubhouse. As a member of the Pirates, he was known to get into arguments with clubhouse staff and sometimes even the coaches.

There’s no doubt that Kela would be a good addition to the back end of the bullpen with his high 90’s heater, but if the Blue Jays want to bring him in, they’ll have to weigh the risk on the potential negative impact he might have on the team.

Brandon Workman

Brandon Workman and Blake Parker were teammates for a bit with the Phillies this season when the former was traded to the team by the Red Sox.

Workman had a disastrous 2020 season. In 21 games, Workman was 1-4 with a 5.95 ERA and an opponent average of .352. You’d think that would shy a contending team like the Blue Jays away from him but they could roll the dice and take a chance on him to go back to his previous form.

In the closer’s role in 2019, he recorded 16 saves with an ERA of 1.88 with a whopping 124 strikeouts compared to just 29 hits given up for a ridiculous opponent average of .123 in 73 games while also posting a record of 10-1.

The Blue Jays could bring him in on a one-year deal in hopes he gets to his 2019 form.

Blake Parker

Like Workman, Parker has experience closing but is better off as as set-up man.

In the 2020 season, he was 3-0 with an ERA of 2.81 and 25 strikeouts over 12 hits for an opponent average of .203 in 16 innings pitched across 14 games.

In his career which has saw him pitch 352 games, he holds a 3.52 ERA with 346 strikeouts compared to 258 hits given up for an opponent average of .229 in 301.2 innings pitched. Along with that, he has a record of 14-10 with 43 career holds and 34 saves in 42 chances.

The Blue Jays could add him to be a back end piece. If he struggles, they can give him mop up duties.

Brandon Kintzler

Brandon Kintzler is a major league veteran who has been in the big leagues for 11 years already in which he’s spent his whole career as a reliever out of the bullpen.

In 2020, he was the closer of the Marlins where he successfully converted 12 of 14 saves with an ERA of 2.22 and a 2-3 record. He also had the lowest strikeouts per nine (k/9) mark in his career with 5.1.

In 2019 with the Cubs over a full 162 game season, he was3-3 with a 2.68 ERA over 57 innings across 62 appearances. He limited batters to bat .215 off him and also recorded 17 holds.

In his major league career, he has a record of 22-23 with a 3.31 ERA over 454 relief appearances. He has an opponent average of .260 where’s he gotten 313 strikeouts and 440 hits given up in 448.2 innings pitched. He also has 84 career holds and 61 saves in 84 opportunities for a conversion rate of 72.6%.

As you can see from his stats, Kintzler is not good at missing bats. He used his fastball 75.8% of the time in 2020 and averaged just 91.3 MPH with that pitch. Despite not garnering many strikeouts, he has a heavy groundball rate with a career 56.2% of batted balls off him being grounders.

Kintzler has mostly pitched in tight situations in his career as he’s usually seen pitching sometime in the 7th, 8th or 9th inning. The Blue Jays could maybe try and persuade him to come to their team as a middle reliever, but they would also need to improve their infield defence behind him due to his high groundball rate.

Tyler Clippard

Tyler Clippard was a member of the Blue Jays in the 2018 season where he posted a 3.67 ERA over 73 games with one of them coming in a start as an opener. He struck out 85 batters while giving up 57 hits for an opponent average of .223 over 68.2 innings pitched. He also got 15 holds and notched seven saves in 13 chances.

In 2019, he played for Cleveland posting a 2.90 ERA over 53 appearances (three starts as opener), striking out 64 over 38 hits given up for an opponent average of .176 across 62 innings.

In the shortened 2020 season, he was an important part of the Twins bullpen appearing in 26 games and averaging a strikeout an inning with an opponent average of .202 as well as eight holds.

Even at the age of 35, he showed that he can be trusted upon to pitch in tight situations. The Blue Jays could seek a reunion with him in a set-up role.

Aaron Loup

Aaron Loup started his career with the Blue Jays when he first appeared in the majors in 2012 until he was traded at the 2018 trade deadline. He was traded to the Phillies which brought back Jacob Waguespack in return.

In six and-a-half seasons with the Blue Jays, he went 12-20 with a 3.47 ERA over 369 games which consisted 318.2 innings pitched. Loup did quite well at limiting the long ball in a Jays uniform as he allowed just 25 home runs.

In 24 games with the Rays this past season, he recorded a 2.52 ERA with an opponent average of .200 over 25 innings.

The Blue Jays could look to add Loup back to their bullpen as a sidearm lefty.

David Phelps

David Phelps signed a contract with the Blue Jays prior to the 2019 campaign but started the season on the injured list. He still managed to appear in 17 games posting 3.63 ERA.

He was traded to the Cubs at the trade deadline in exchange for Thomas Hatch.

He split the 2020 season with the Brewers and Phillies recording a 6.53 ERA over 22 games. He started off well with the Brewers but faltered when he was traded to the Phillies.

The Blue Jays could look to bring back Phelps as a middle reliever.

Jeremy Jeffress

Jeremy Jeffress pitched in only 13 games over the seasons of 2013 and 2014 for the Blue Jays where he combined to post a 3.29 ERA with 16 strikeouts and hits given up apiece over 13.2 frames.

Pitching for only $850,000 with the Cubs this past season, Jeffress went 4-1 posting a 1.54 ERA over 22 games with an opponent average of .137 in 23.1 innings pitched. He also saved eight games while blowing only two.

The Blue Jays could express interest in Jeffress to pitch in tight situations, but he will surely be looking for a raise of his $850,000 from last season.

Darren O’Day

If Jose Bautista was still on the team, there’s a chance that Darren O’Day would not even consider signing with the Blue Jays. Back when O’Day was on the Orioles, him and Bautista often went at it with constant feuds and chirps.

After spending seven seasons with the Orioles, he was traded to the Braves at the 2018 deadline despite being injured at the time.

In 2020, O’Day was one of the hottest relievers in baseball despite going widely unnoticed across the media. In 19 appearances, he went 4-0 with a 1.10 ERA giving up just two earned runs all season. He also struck out 22 batters compared to only giving up just eight hits for a very good opponent average of .136 in 16.2 innings pitched.

Despite his great season, the Braves surprisingly declined his club option for the 2021 season at just $3.5 million.

In his career, he’s appeared 604 games which have come all out of the bullpen where’s gone 40-19 with 2.51 ERA with 600 strikeouts over 430 hits given up for an opponent average of .206 in 576.2 innings pitched. He also has 156 career holds to his name. In seven of 13 seasons in the big leagues, he’s posted an opponent average below .200 and in five separate seasons, he’s recorded an ERA below 2.00.

O’Day is 38 years old but he’s shown no signs of his age holding him back. The Blue Jays should explore bringing him to Toronto if he’s open to it.

Oliver Perez

Oliver Perez is one of the true veteran players still standing today in the major leagues. He’s 39 years old and has pitched in the major leagues since the 2002 season (although he spent the whole 2011 season in the minors).

A big reason why he’s still good enough to pitch in the majors is because of his performance, but also partly because he’s a lefty.

In 2020, he posted a 2.00 ERA with an opponent average of .210 in 18 innings pitched across 21 trips to the mound.

It wasn’t too long ago that he was absolutely dominant and almost un-hittable. In the 2018 season, he pitched in 51 games posting a 1.39 ERA with 43 strikeouts over 17 hits given up for an opponent average of .155 in 32.1 innings pitched.

Perez started off his career as a starter but transitioned into a bullpen role a while ago. In 691 career appearances, 496 of those games have come as a reliever out of the bullpen. He hasn’t started a game since 2010.

As the Blue Jays are searching for a lefty, signing Perez to a one-year deal is something they could potentially explore.

Tyler Olson

Tyler Olson is a bit of an outlier as he had one fantastic season with his others being mediocre at best.

In 2017 with Cleveland, he didn’t allow a single run to score in 30 games while posting an opponent average of .188. He didn’t have another season anywhere close to that though.

For the 2020 season, he signed a minor league deal with the Cubs but didn’t pitch in a single game. In fact, he wasn’t even included on the 60 man player pool.

In his career, he holds a 3.83 ERA over 124 games while averaging a strikeout and a hit per inning (94).

The Blue Jays could maybe give him a minor league deal to make him compete for a spot in the bullpen out of Spring Training. It doesn’t hurt to have him pitch in Spring Training to see what he can do.

Chaz Roe

Chaz Roe has been pitching in the American League East in a Rays jersey for the past four seasons where he’s quietly been a key piece in Tampa’s always deep bullpen.

He only appeared in 10 games during the 2020 season posting an ERA of 2.89 over 9.1 innings, but that was due to a sore elbow he suffered which didn’t allow him to remain healthy for the duration of the season.

2019 was his best season as he put up career high numbers in appearances (71), innings pitched (51) and strikeouts (65). He also was credited for 25 holds and only gave up three home runs.

Throughout his career which he has spent the entirety as a relief pitcher, he holds a 3.82 ERA across 244 games with 243 strikeouts compared to 188 hits given up in 216.2 innings pitched along with 67 holds.

Roe induces quite a few grounders, as he has a career groundball rate of 49%, although he does have some trouble with command as he averages 4.2 walks per nine innings (BB/9). Also, Roe is known to have a nasty slider that can be used as a strikeout pitch or one to get a groundball to set up a double play. The slider is also his primary pitch according to Baseball Savant.

Maybe pitching coach Pete Walker can work on Roe’s command if he comes to the Blue Jays, which would make it a beneficial addition to the team’s bullpen and the pitcher himself.

Sean Doolittle

The past few seasons, Sean Doolittle has spent most of the time as the Nationals’ closer, but he wasn’t hard to trust when it came to tight situations.

In the 2020 season, he didn’t get a single save nor did he even get an opportunity to do so. He only pitched in 11 games consisting of 7.2 innings pitched with an ugly 5.87 ERA and an opponent average of exactly .300. He missed most of the season with an oblique injury,  and he didn’t pitch in a single game after he suffered it.

He was mediocre in 2019 posting a 4.05 ERA in 60 innings pitched where he struck out 66 batters compared to 63 hits given up across 63 games. He got 29 saves and blew six chances.

He did do well on the Nationals path to the World Series posting a 1.74 ERA and an opponent average of .167 in nine games, which saw him pitch 10.1 innings.

His 2018 season was the best of his career. He recoded a 1.60 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 21 hits in 45 innings for an opponent average of .135 and walking just six while notching 25 saves and blowing one in 43 appearances.

He put up similar numbers in the 2017 season which he split with the Athletics and Nationals.

The Blue Jays could offer him a role in the bullpen as a set-up man but may not be the best idea to rely upon in closing situations.

Chris Devenski

Chris Devenski started off his career really well but has struggled to perform to a high standard in the past few seasons.

In 2016 and 2017, he combined to go 12-9 over 110 games which were all relief appearances except five of them. This resulted in an ERA of 2.47 and 204 strikeouts compared to 129 hits given up in 182 innings pitched. He also gave up only 15 home runs and got 30 holds combined.

Since then, he’s combined to go 4-7 over 115 appearances with an ERA of 4.88 albeit with just a bit more strikeouts (128) than hits given up (118).

The 2020 season saw him struggle horrendously taking a loss in four trips to the mound with an extremely ugly ERA of 14.73 and an opponent average of .389 in just a very small sample size of 3.2 innings pitched. He battled elbow soreness throughout the 2020 season preventing him from being at his healthiest.

In his five year career, he has put up an even record of 16-16 with an ERA of 3.35, 332 strikeouts compared to 247 hits given up for an opponent average of .217 in 309 innings pitched. He also has 55 career holds to his name.

Devenski’s reliance on his three pitches of a fastball, change-up and slider could play out well in the Blue Jays bullpen, in which they could bring him in on a minor league deal with incentives if he cracks the big league roster.

Trevor Rosenthal

It seems like Trevor Rosenthal has been in the major leagues for a long time but surprisingly, he’ll be just 31 years old for the 2021 season and has only played in the big leagues since the year of 2012 (he did spend 2017 recovering from Tommy John surgery).

Rosenthal may be remembered for his disastrous tenure with the Nationals where he had an infinite ERA for a while but other than that and his 2016 season where he struggled and had to undergo Tommy John Surgery, he hasn’t been that bad of a relief pitcher.

With the Royals and Padres in 2020, he posted a 1.90 ERA with 38 strikeouts over 12 hits given up for an opponent average of .148 in 38.2 innings pitched. He also was successful in 12 of 13 times in save opportunities while only giving up two home runs and walking eight batters.

He’s spent a good chunk of his career as a closer with the Cardinals where he’s converted 132 saves in 153 chances which is equivalent to closing a game successfully 86.3% of the time. His career has also seen him post an ERA of 3.36 with 490 strikeouts over 304 hits given up for an opponent average of .225 in 373 games pitched which have all been from coming out of the bullpen.

As Rosenthal rejuvenated himself in the 2020 season, many teams will most likely be interested in his services. The Blue Jays could be one of those interested teams.

Anthony Bass

The Blue Jays plucked Anthony Bass off waivers last offseason as he was released by the Mariners and rewarded them handsomely as he performed quite well and made his former team regret doing so in the process.

With the Blue Jays in 2020 over 26 games, he posted a 3.51 ERA with an opponent average of .189 and allowing just two long balls across 25.2 innings pitched. He got four holds and when he was put into the closer’s role for a bit, he did quite a good job saving seven games in nine opportunities.

It was a surprise that the Mariners let him go after the 2019 season as he did quite well with them. Over 44 appearances, he posted an ERA of 3.56 with an opponent average of .179 while only giving up five home runs in 48 innings pitched.

After seeing him carry over his success to his time with the Blue Jays, there’s no way the Mariners don’t regret letting him walk as they could have used him as a trade chip to further strengthen their rebuild.

Bass was set to make $1.5 million last season but took home the prorated portion of that over a 60 game schedule due to the pandemic. After holding opposing hitters to bat below .200 off of him in back-to-back seasons, Bass will be looking for a raise and potentially a multi-year deal if he can get one.

The Blue Jays could opt to give him a raise from his 2020 salary $1.5 million to bring him back.

Nate Jones

Nate Jones has struggled to stay on the field the past few seasons due to injuries but when he’s healthy and on, he’s a relief pitcher that any team would want in their bullpen.

In 2020 with the Reds, he posted a disastrous 6.27 ERA with an ugly opponent average of .325 across 21 games in 18.2 innings pitched.

He only pitched in 13 games in 2019 due to inflammation in his right shoulder which forced him to shut down for the remainder of the season.

He appeared in 33 games in 2018 posting a 3.00 ERA with an opponent average of .239 in 30 innings pitched.

2017 saw him throw just 11.2 innings but he was healthy for the duration of the 2016 season. He appeared in 71 games striking out 80 over 48 hits given up for an opponent average of .190 and an ERA of 2.29 while only walking 15. He did get credited for 28 holds, but was the league leader in blown saves with a total of nine.

In Jones’ career, he holds a record of 22-14 with a 3.31 ERA across 305 relief appearances while notching 341 strikeouts over 270 hits given up for an opponent average of .238.

The Blue Jays could bring him in on a one year deal with incentives for the amount of games he appears in. If he does well, he’ll be trusted upon to pitch in more games which would be beneficial for both him and the Blue Jays.

Brad Boxberger

Brad Boxberger has experience pitching in all roles out of the bullpen. He has experience closing, pitching in middle and long relief instances as well as setup duties.

In 2020 with the Marlins, he posted a 3.00 ERA over 23 appearances with an opponent average of .246.

There were two separate seasons where he served as the closer of his team. In 2015 with the Rays, he led all closers with 41 saves in 47 chances while posting an ERA of 3.71 and an opponent average of .231 in 63 innings pitched across 69 appearances. He also compiled a record of 3-10.

The following season with the Rays, he didn’t record a single save, although he blew one.

The second time he served as the closer of his team was in 2018 with the Diamondbacks. That season, he converted 32 saves in 40 chances posting a 4.39 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 44 hits given up for an opponent average of .221 in 53.1 innings pitched over 60 games.

He didn’t return to the Diamondbacks in 2019 as he was non-tendered and went on to sign with the Royals where he got one save in four chances.

In his career, he is 22-30 with a 3.56 ERA over 343 relief appearances with 413 strikeouts over 261 hits given up for an opponent average of .218 in a total of 329 innings pitched. He also has 41 holds and 77 career saves in 103 chances, which makes him successful 74.8% of the time.

The Blue Jays could add Boxberger to their bullpen as a multi-purpose reliever.

C.J. Edwards

C.J. Edwards who’s also known as Carl Edwards Jr, was a phenomenal relief pitcher when he was healthy. He formerly played on the Cubs, had one bad season, got released and latched onto the Mariners for the 2020 season.

He only appeared in five games in the 2020 season which consisted of 4.2 innings. Albeit in a very small sample size, he struck out six, allowed two hits, walked one and allowed a runner to score. He also notched a save and a hold.

In 2019, he kind of had a mixed bag in regards to results. Over 22 games, he posted an ERA of 8.47 but held hitters to bat just .190 off of him.

His last full season came in 2018 where in 58 games, he posted a 2.60 ERA with 67 strikeouts compared to 36 hits given up for an opponent average of .190 over 52 innings pitched. He got 23 holds and allowed only two home runs all season.

In his career where he’s taken the mound in a game shy of 200 appearances, he holds a 3.54 ERA with 242 strikeouts compared to just 97 hits given up for a very good  opponent average of .156 in 180.2 innings pitched. He also has 59 career holds.

While he has never had opposing batters bat higher than .190 off of him in a single season, Edwards does have trouble with command as he’s walked 101 which gives him an average of five walker per nine innings.

If the Blue Jays sign Edwards, the signing would go relatively unnoticed, but fans will love him once they see his performance.

Steve Cishek

Steve Cishek has been in the major leagues back when the Marlins were the “Florida Marlins” as he even played for that team under the moniker for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

The shortened campaign didn’t help Cishek at all as he had the worst statistical season of his career. He posted a career-worst ERA of 5.40 over 22 games which saw him pitch in 20 innings striking out 21 batters and giving up the same amount of hits for an opponent average of .269.

Other than 2020, he’s had some solid years in the big leagues. Excluding his rookie year which only saw him pitch in three games, he’s had seven seasons where he’s posted an ERA below 3.00 and the best mark he’s ever put up is 2.01 in 2017. From 2016-2018, he limited opposing batters to bat below .200 against him.

Cishek is one of the few sidearm pitchers left in the big leagues, as he’s thrown like that his whole career and has found relative success doing so. What makes him unique is that he rarely throws a fastball as he typically relies on his slider and sinker to get guys out.

As he throws sidearm, he gets the ball on the ground a lot with a career groundball rate of 48.9%.

In his career, he holds a 2.78 ERA with 605 strikeouts over 450 hits in 576 innings pitched given up for an opponent average of .214 across 594 appearances. He has 82 career holds and 132 saves although he hasn’t been a full time closer since 2016.

The Blue Jays could look at bringing him in as a seventh inning guy.

Hunter Wood

Hunter Wood didn’t pitch at all in 2020 as he spent the whole season at Cleveland’s alternate training site without ever getting called up to the major league roster.

In 2019 split with the Rays and Cleveland, which he was acquired by the latter at the trade deadline, he appeared in 36 games posting an ERA of 2.98 over 45.1 innings pitched.

In 2018 with the Rays, he pitched in 29 games with eight of those being starts compiling a 3.73 ERA, striking out 42 batters and giving up the same amount of hits compared to strikeouts in 41 innings pitched.

Combine those two seasons together and you have a record of 2-2 with a 3.32 ERA over 66 games (10 starts), 81 strikeouts over 88 hits given up with an opponent average of .259 across 86.2 innings pitched from Wood.

There are a few reasons why the Blue Jays could bring in Wood. One, he would come with four years of control and would make the major league minimum in 2020 making him a cheap addition.

Two, he can come to Spring Training to compete for a spot in the bullpen. If he does make the team, he can serve in a similar role to what Sam Gaviglio used to do. He would pitch in multiple innings out of the bullpen which came in handy when a starter struggled early on in the game.

Three, as he has experience starting, he can make a spot start if needed, which could arise at one point during the season.

There’s no downside of bringing in Wood and at least giving him a shot.

Jake McGee

Jake McGee has been quite an inconsistent relief pitcher in his career. One year he’d have a good season, the next year he wouldn’t and it would continue into a pattern where a good season would follow a bad season every other year.

Last season was a good year. After getting released by the Rockies prior to the start of the 2020 season, he signed with the Dodgers where he posted a 2.66 ERA over 24 games with 33 strikeouts compared to 14 hits given up for an opponent average of .187 while allowing only two free passes and the same amount of home runs across 20.1 innings pitched.

He really benefited from his release as not only did he have a good season but also got a World Series ring.

McGee may be overlooked by some because of his tenure with the Rockies which is where pitchers careers go to waste due to the fact that they play half their games at the high altitude of Coors Field.

In four years with the Rockies, he went 4-11 and recorded a 4.78 ERA over 225 games with more hits given up (209) than strikeouts (178). He also gave up more home runs in four years with Colorado (34) than in six years with Tampa Bay (21).

In McGee’s career, he currently holds a 3.59 ERA with 530 strikeouts over 415 hits across 475.2 inning pitched. He also has 132 career holds and 45 saves.

The Blue Jays could bring in McGee as a left-handed option in their bullpen, which they are in need of.

Pedro Strop

A 12 year veteran, Pedro Strop has been through it all as he’s had ups and downs in his career. He started off poorly but then a change of scenery helped him revitalize his career.

In his first two seasons of his career in Texas, he posted an ERA of 9.17 as he gave up 18 earned runs over 17.2 innings pitched.

He then found his way to Baltimore but it wasn’t until he got to Chicago with the Cubs where he came into his own.

In the 2020 season, he only pitched in four games for the Reds which consisted of just 2.1 innings pitched until he got released where he latched on with the Cubs again but didn’t appear in a game with them.

In seven seasons combined on the north side of Chicago, he posted a 2.90 ERA in 411 games pitched with 425 strikeouts compared to 244 hits given up across 373 innings pitched.

In his whole career, he holds an ERA of 3.22 with 551 strikeouts compared to 358 hits given up in 503.2 innings pitched across 559 relief appearances. He’s very good at limiting the long ball as he’s given up just 34 career home runs and has 153 holds.

While he normally does well in the regular season, he truly shines in the postseason. In 22 career playoff games, he holds a 1.86 ERA with an opponent average of .143. Strop could be a great option for the Blue Jays in a setup role.