Blue Jays: Three free agents still worth considering

The Blue Jays may be happy with the collection of players they’ve assembled, but there are still few solid free agents available, and they could come cheap.

Ross Atkins and his front office staff did a lot of heavy lifting this offseason, and as a result the Blue Jays are well set up to take another run at playoff baseball in 2021. They were already returning an exciting core of young players, and then they brought in impact veterans like George Springer, Marcus Semien, Kirby Yates and more.

As of right now the 40-man roster is full, and you could argue that the Blue Jays are done shopping for the winter. That may very well be the case, but Atkins has always been GM with an eye on opportunity, and there could be a few left on the free agent market.

Things were ridiculously slow for free agents this winter, especially after a 60-game 2021 season that didn’t have fans in the stands. While most players have found new homes, there remain a few options on the free agent market that Blue Jays should keep an eye on. This late in the winter there could be some real bargains to be had, and they might even be able to offer a MiLB contract and still sign a useful player or two.

For example, Blue Jay legend Edwin Encarnacion is still looking for a place to play this season, and while that’s unlikely to be Toronto (or Florida, or wherever), I’m sure the veteran can still contribute. He struggled through 159 at-bats last year with a .157/.250/.377 slash line, but he still had 10 home runs for the White Sox, and was a dangerous hitter in 2019.

For the Blue Jays, there are options that don’t fit the DH mold, which is what likely rules out a player like Encarnacion. Let’s see what the market still has to offer.

There are never too many weapons in the bullpen

I’m actually feeling pretty good about the Blue Jays bullpen heading into a new season, but you can always add more talent at the right price.

Speaking of that, Brad Peacock still remains unsigned, and it’s getting to the point where the 33-year-old might have to agree to a very small contract, or even accept a minor league deal. That’s a little strange considering he’s had a pretty lengthy run of success with the Astros, even if last season didn’t go so well and ended with a shoulder surgery.

That said, from 2016-2018 Peacock pitched in 105 games with an ERA of 3.23 for the Astros, and had mixed results in 2019 as he worked as a starter as well. That ability to throw multiple innings is another thing that could appeal to the Blue Jays, especially if they’re looking to get creative with their staff this year.

I’m not sure I’d go over the top to bring in Peacock, especially not knowing for sure how his shoulder will recover from his 2020 troubles, but if he’s available on a minor league deal then the Blue Jays would be silly not to make that call. He’d have to prove himself healthy in order to make the team, but there could be real value to be had if he is.

If he’s willing to accept a minor league deal then it’s possible that several teams would be interested in his services as well, but it’s certainly worth checking into. You can never have too much pitching.

The starter the rotation still needs

At this point I think that most of us have accepted that it isn’t going to happen, but the fact is that Jake Odorizzi is still available on the free agent market.

It’s no secret that the Blue Jays could use another rotation upgrade, even if they have plenty of depth for their rotation. For one reason or another, Atkins elected to forego making an impact addition to the rotation. They did re-sign Robbie Ray and traded for Steven Matz, but the need for a #2 starter behind Hyun Ryu remains.

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It’s entirely possible that Atkins has already spent his offseason budget after handing George Springer 150 million over six years, and Marcus Semien another 18 million for one season, or maybe the front office prefers to save some budget space for the trade deadline. However, Odorizzi might be worth spending it now if the price is right, and the later we get in the spring the more that could happen.

Perhaps the right-hander will ultimately prefer to sign a one-year deal again and hope he can be more healthy and productive than he was last season when he only made four starts and posted a 6.59 ERA. I’m sure the plan was to look for a multi-year pact, but between last season’s struggles and the tepid market this winter, that likely isn’t going to happen at this stage.

If he’s available for 10 million or even less on a one year deal, I think that’s the kind of thing that Atkins and his crew have to consider. Maybe someone will swoop in and offer him a multi-year deal, but until that happens then the Blue Jays should be keeping an eye on the situation, and one hand on the cell phone.