Blue Jays: Three free agent pitchers to stay away from this offseason

This offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays head in with a few question marks in regards to how their lineup is going to shape up for the 2022 campaign.

Key players in Marcus Semien, Robbie Ray, and Steven Matz are heading to the open market and there is no indication if the Blue Jays are going to be able to bring any of them back for next season and beyond. There have been contract discussions with Semien and Ray and some theories as to whether Matz will receive a qualifying offer from the club but because the World Series is still going on, the rumour mill hasn’t really kicked into high gear at this time.

That being said, if all three players were to leave or a mix of one/two players was to return, the Blue Jays should still be looking to improve the roster for next season after missing out on playoff/tie-breaker contention this past year by just one win.

They definitely need a few more arms in the bullpen with experience and potentially another starter if Ray or Matz does leave, as the internal options are a bit of a toss-up when it comes to carrying the torch these two players left behind.

The front office could also look to improve third base, a theory they explored at the trade deadline with Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez but were unsuccessful. The club does have Santiago Espinal and Kevin Smith who could fill in the position but there is no question that Ramirez would be an upgrade that could provide some more pop in the lineup that could bode well if Semien decides to head back out West.

While there are still a few questions that most likely won’t be answered for a least a few months, there are some pitchers heading to free agency that the club should avoid this offseason, whether it be due to performance or injury history.