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

The Toronto Blue Jays enter the 2021/2022 offseason with some needs to address but also some housekeeping business to take care of.

For starters, they need to decide whether they are going to spend the capital and convince pending free agents Marcus Semien and Robbie Ray to return to the Blue Jays roster while also keeping in mind other players destined for free agency like Steven Matz and Corey Dickerson (among others) and whether or not to retain those players or replace them, either through outside sources or internally.

One need that will most likely arise is within the bullpen, as the Blue Jays front office will most likely look for some help on the open market to give a cushion to the current relief corps that already boasts the likes of Trevor Richards, Tim Mayza, Adam Cimber, and Jordan Romano. There are a few other pitchers who are on the bubble like Ryan Borucki, Trent Thornton, and Anthony Castro who could crack the bullpen to start the year while there are also a few prospects who could also fill in like Tayler Saucedo, Bryan Baker, and Kirby Snead, all of whom got a taste of the big leagues this season.

That being said, this year’s free-agent class is pretty stacked when it comes to infield talent, with the likes of Semien, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, and a boatload of talented players all looking to cash in. The relief market is also pretty potent as well, with a few players that could be potential difference-makers in the bullpen if the front office can convince them to take their talents North of the border.

Here are four right-handed free-agent relief pitchers the Blue Jays should consider signing this offseason.

Raisel Iglesias

One of the top AL relievers this past season, right-hander Raisel Iglesias is going to be a very hot commodity when free agency opens up this Winter. The Cuban product was a force for the Los Angeles Angels this year, pitching to a 2.57 ERA through 65 appearances, earning 34 saves through 39 opportunities while striking out 103 batters compared to 12 walks in 70.0 innings pitched.

While he began his career as a starter for the Cincinnati Reds back in 2015, a move to the bullpen the following year showed his true potential, as the 6’2″ righty has thrown a sub 3.00 ERA in five out of the six seasons since turning into a bullpen arm and boasts a career 10.87 strikeouts through nine innings and owns an ERA of 3.06 through 339 games.

Iglesias will be one of the top arms on the free-agent market this offseason and will command a hefty price tag, with Spotrac assigning him a market value of $15.5 million per season. If the Blue Jays are looking for an effective shutdown reliever, then Iglesias is an option for the club but the price tag is something to consider, especially if they are trying to retain Semien and/or Ray while also looking ahead to the future extension of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.

It should be noted that if the Blue Jays are successful in signing the closer, Jordan Romano will most likely get bumped into a set-up man role, which could draw the ire of some fans as I highly doubt Iglesias would not come in as the team’s closer.

This is probably the biggest fish in the relief pitcher pond this year and if the Blue Jays aren’t looking to spend that much money on a closer, there are other options out there.

Kendall Graveman

A name that Blue Jays fans may remember from back in 2014 (or this past season if you follow the trade rumours).

A former Blue Jays draft pick back in 2013, Kendall Graveman was a prospect within the organization before he was part of the package deal in the 2014/2015 offseason in exchange for third baseman Josh Donaldson with the Oakland Athletics. Before his departure, Graveman would make five appearances in the Jays bullpen, pitching in 4.2 innings of relief work and earning a 3.86 ERA with four strikeouts.

The Toronto Blue Jays should look to the free agent market to improve their bullpen, with these four right-handed bullpen arms being available this Winter.

The right-hander was a starter for most of his time in both the Jays minor league system and with the Athletics but would miss the entire 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, eventually joining the Mariners the following year. This past campaign saw Graveman move into the bullpen full time for Seattle and he would post ridiculous numbers, a 0.82 ERA with 10 saves through 30 outings, before being traded to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline.

It appears that the bullpen may be his calling moving forward as the Alabama product has posted his best numbers as a member of the relief corps. While the Blue Jays were not officially tied to Graveman this past trade deadline, there is a chance for a potential reunion this coming offseason if the club is looking for an upgrade in the bullpen.

He should not command the $15 million range that Iglesias will be looking for but I don’t think he will be a bargain bin deal either, as the Jays will most likely not be the only team interested in his services if they see a fit.

Collin McHugh

After beginning his career as a starter with the New York Mets organization, Collin McHugh would struggle in the majors until he was claimed off of waivers by the Houston Astros prior to the 2014 offseason.

He would spend the next four seasons in the Astros starting rotation before transitioning into a bullpen role with some spot starts mixed in, where the right-hander would fashion a 3.63 ERA with 743 strikeouts and 219 walks through 195 outings, 110 of which were starts.

He would sign with the Boston Red Sox for the 2020 season but would opt out due to COVID-19 concerns, evnetually signing with the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2021 campaign. This season, McHugh has been used in a spot start capacity and out of the bullpen, usually pitching 2.0 innings per outing and finishing the regular season with a 1.55 ERA through 64.0 innings with 74 strikeouts and 0.94 WHIP.

McHugh is once again a free agent this upcoming offseason and is coming off one of his best seasons in recent history. He did get roughed up in 2019 but also posted insane numbers in 2018, 1.99 ERA through 72.1 innings, and comes with veteran experience that could bode well for the Blue Jays in their bullpen.

He will most likely be looking for an upgrade from his $1.8 million dollar salary he signed with the Rays this year but could be an under the radar free agent given the other relief pitchers on the market this Winter.

Given his ability to start games and also pitch effectively out of the bullpen, McHugh is a potential option to upgrade the Jays bullpen if the price is right.