Blue Jays Free Agent Pitching Target: Jake Odorizzi

The Blue Jays are certainly in the market for starting pitching. However, if they fail to sign one of the big-name free-agent pitchers, Jake Odorizzi could be a viable option.

The Blue Jays management has made it well known that they are going to make some big moves this off-season whether it is through free agency or via trade. This does not necessarily mean that they are going to add the biggest free agent on the market. If we are to take a look at last year’s team, there is no doubt that the team is in desperate need of starting pitching. If the Jays are to miss out on the top guys that they have reported interest in, they can very well improve their pitching with another name. Enter Jake Odorizzi.

Jake Odorizzi is a 30-year-old right-handed pitcher who has spent the last three seasons with the Minnesota Twins. It truly is hard to believe that he is only 30 years of age when it feels like he has been around for so long. Odorizzi is one of the more underrated pitchers on the free-agent market, as just two seasons ago awarded an All-Star appearance. Odorizzi started 30 games in the 2019 season, recording a 15-7 record with a 3.51 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 159 innings pitched. The first half of his season was nothing short of spectacular as he was one of the front runners for Cy Young heading into the All-Star break.

However, this past season was cut short as he suffered from mild upper back soreness which turned out to be more severe than they expected as he missed the majority of the shortened 2020 season.

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In terms of the Blue Jays rotation, Odorizzi would currently fit into the #2 or #3 slot in the rotation depending on where they plan to put young stud Nate Pearson. If I were building the current rotation, I would throw him into the #3 slot for one specific reason. Blue Jays ace, Hyun-Jin Ryu is not a flame thrower by any means. Odorizzi is much of the same, therefore throwing him into the #2 slot would make it significantly easier for teams to prepare for the two pitchers on back-to-back days. Sliding the hard-throwing righty Nate Pearson into the #2 slot would provide a much more difficult game plan for other teams to prepare for.

In conclusion, Jake Odorizzi is most definitely not one of the bigger names that the Blue Jays have been targeting. Nonetheless, adding a starting pitcher with the caliber of Jake Odorizzi would provide a veteran presence who has had a substantial amount of success throughout his MLB career. If the 30-year-old righty is able to consistently remain healthy, he could be an impactful pitcher that the Blue Jays can sign at a reasonable price.