Blue Jays: Four right-handed relief pitchers to consider this offseason

Archie Bradley

One of the top relief arms on the market last season, right-hander Archie Bradley is hitting the open market once again after his one year contract with the Phillies expires at the end of this season.

A surprising non-tender candidate by the Cincinnati Reds last year, the Phillies wasted no time scooping him up, with the right-hander returning the favour by posting a 3.71 ERA through 53 appearances with 13 holds, 2 saves, and 40 strikeouts compared to 22 walks. While he was not the clubs closer, Bradley pitched well all season before landing on the injured list with a right oblique strain to finish out the year. For his career, Bradley owns a 3.89 ERA through 308 appearances with 30 saves, mostly with the Diamondbacks back in 2019.

While the Blue Jays were not tied to him the last offseason, if they are looking for another veteran reliever with experience in high pressure situations, Bradley is an option that should be affordable. His salary with the Phillies was $6 million and I would expect him to try and reach that same value again, considering his 2020 numbers, albeit a shortened season due to COVID-19, were better than the numbers he put up this year with the Phillies.

There are two things to keep in mind when potentially looking at the Oklahoma product for the Blue Jays:

1. He has never pitched for a team outside of the National League
2. His closing success his not that great at 30 saves compared to 51 opportunties

This means that Jordan Romano could essentially stay as the Jays closer but one does have to wonder if Bradley will consider leaving the NL, something that might not seem like an issue to fans but could mean something to the right-hander. In the end, money does carry a lot of value and if the Blue Jays show up with the biggest offer, he could be persuaded to take his talents up North if the price is right.