Blue Jays: Former pitchers that are currently on the MLB Free Agent market

Since 2015, the Blue Jays have seen their fair share of ups and downs. From the playoff highs of 15′ and 16′ to a complete rebuild/teardown that saw veteran players and fan favourites departing The Six, the Jays organization and its fanbase have been through a rollercoaster of emotions over the past few seasons.

From posting a 67-95 record in 2019 to a playoff berth in 2020 that saw the Jays play all of their games South of the border, the franchise turned in a pretty solid 2021 season that was unfortunately just one win shy of a playoff tiebreaker that would have seen the club play meaningful October baseball.

Even though the CBA talks have put a damper on the 2022 campaign, once a new agreement is in place, you can bet that there will be an absolute frenzy across the league, with teams trading and attempting to sign free agents to bolster their squads in a quick turnaround to get Spring Training and the season underway. It’s no secret the Blue Jays have a few areas that could use some shoring up, such as adding a fifth member to the rotation, one or two more bullpen arms, and maybe adding a superstar third baseman via trade.

While those actions may or may not happen before Opening Day rolls around, one thing that did pique my interest was the amount of former Blue Jays that are currently free agents following the 2021 season. Some have signed on with new clubs like Marcus Stroman but some fan favourites and players from back in the mid-2010s are seeking new homes and weren’t able to secure a contract before the lockout. They may not fit with the Blue Jays’ current plans moving forward, but let’s take a look at some former pitchers who fans may remember from the ‘good old days’ and how they found themselves as free agents following the 2021 campaign.

For this article, I am going to focus more on pitchers that did not spend last season with the club as well as players who made at least ten appearances for the Jays (for example, Matt Boyd and his two games on the active roster will not be featured).

All pitchers featured on this list are found via the MLB Trade Rumours tracker website at the link found here.

A position player edition will be produced in the near future.

Chase Anderson

Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2020 campaign, right-hander Chase Anderson spent one season in Toronto, pitching to a 7.22 ERA through 10 appearances (seven starts) while missing time on the IL with an oblique injury during the shortened season.

A free agent last offseason, Anderson signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year deal but would be released in late August, earning a 6.75 ERA while appearing in just 14 games split between the rotation and bullpen while also missing time on the IL. He finished the season in the Texas Rangers organization.

John Axford

Born in Simcoe, Ontario, right-hander John Axford made 45 appearances for the Blue Jays back in 2018, posting a 4.41 ERA with 50 strikeouts before being traded at the deadline to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Axford rejoined the Jays for the 2019 campaign but spent all year in the minor leagues.

After a brief hiatus, Axford pitched with Team Canada last year in an effort to make the Olympics and signed with the Jays following a strong showing in the tournament (as Canada fell short of an Olympic berth). He would be traded to the Brewers at the deadline for cash considerations and would be removed due to injury in his first appearance with the Brew Crew. He would miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury.

Jesse Chavez

Right-hander Jesse Chavez spent two seasons with the Blue Jays through two different stints, most recently back in 2016. As a member of the Jays, he appeared in 48 games while allowing 41 earned runs in 62.2 innings of work mostly out of the bullpen.

With the rebuild and veteran players now in the rearview mirror, quite a few former Blue Jays currently find themselves as free agents this offseason.

Chavez rejoined the Atlanta Braves last season and became a prominent member of their bullpen, earning a 2.14 ERA through 30 appearances. He also failed to give up an earned run through 6.1 innings of work with the Braves on their quest to win the World Series.

Tyler Clippard

Joining the club for one season back in 2018, Clippard was one of the most relied upon relievers for the Jays during a year that saw a lot of veterans leave the organization and the club knees deep in a rebuild. He made 73 appearances and threw 68.2 innings, finishing the year with a 1.165 WHIP and a 3.67 ERA.

Clippard has bounced around since leaving the Jays and most recently spent last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, limited to just 26 outings after starting the season on the 60-day IL. He would finish with a 3.20 ERA and six saves.

A.J. Cole

Cole technically spent last season with the Jays (which is something I was trying to avoid with making this list) but made more of an impact in 2020 through his 24 appearances where he posted a 3.09 ERA. He was limited to just six appearances last year after missing a large portion of the season with an oblique strain, electing free agency at the end of the year

J.A. Happ

Another player that had two separate stints with the Jays, southpaw J.A. Happ is one pitcher featured on this list who ranks high in terms of appearances/innings. Through six seasons with the Jays, Happ has amassed a 3.88 ERA through 745.1 innings with 691 strikeouts, a 1.277 WHIP, and one All-Star appearance.

Happ split the 2021 campaign between the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals as he was traded to St. Louis at the deadline. Combined, the Illinois product earned a 5.79 ERA through 30 starts with 2.8 BB/9 and a 7.2 K/9. He enters the 2021/2022 offseason at 39 years old and has made no indication of hanging up the cleats.

Drew Hutchison

A former 15th round pick of the Blue Jays, Drew Hutchison spent parts of four seasons with the Jays organization from 2012 to 2016.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

His best season with the club came in 2014 when he made a career-high 32 starts and posted a 4.48 ERA. Following the 2015 season, Hutchison struggled to find a spot on the active roster and would eventually be traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Francisco Liriano, Harold Ramirez, and Reese McGuire at the trade deadline.

The right-hander spent last season with the Detroit Tigers and was limited to just nine outings while being optioned back and forth between the Major and Minor Leagues. Hutchison would finish the year with a 4.64 ERA through 9 outings with the Tigers while posting a 4.28 ERA through 19 starts with their AAA affiliate. This appearance in the Major Leagues was his first since 2018.

Daniel Norris

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round of the 2011 MLB Draft, Daniel Norris only pitched in ten games for the club between 2014 and 2015 before being shipped off to Detroit as part of the David Price trade.

A former Jays top prospect, Norris struggled with the Tigers and was never really able to cement himself a spot in the starting rotation, eventually switching to a relief capacity in 2020. The southpaw would be traded at the 2021 deadline to the Milwaukee Brewers and finished the year with a combined 6.16 ERA through 56 relief appearances (career-high) and one save.

Tanner Roark

Brought in to pitch deep into games during the rebuilding years, Tanner Roark struggled with the Blue Jays. He surrendered 17 home runs through 54.2 innings with the organization and the club quickly DFA’d him early into the 2021 campaign and his second season with the team.

He latched on with the Atlanta Braves after his release but spent the rest of the season in the Minor Leagues, finishing with a 2.14 ERA through 24 appearances that were mostly in relief.

Aaron Sanchez

One of the Blue Jays top pitching prospects back in the early 2010s, right-hander Aaron Sanchez is one of the longest-tenured former players on this list. Through 146 appearances stretching from 2014-2019, Sanchez pitched to a 3.96 ERA with 458 strikeouts and a 1.368 WHIP through 571.0 innings of work. His best season would be in 2016 when he earned an All-Star nomination and led the American League with his 3.00 ERA.

Sanchez would be traded to the Houston Astros in 2019 as part of the package deal for outfielder Derek Fisher. Injuries have hampered the California product for most of his professional career and 2021 would be no different. He signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants but was limited to just 35.1 innings due to right bicep tendonitis. The Giants would DFA him in early August and he did not sign with another team to finish the season.

Matt Shoemaker

Joining the Blue Jays prior to the 2019 campaign, Matt Shoemaker is one player who also could not shake the injury bug at the MLB level. After a solid start to the year that saw the right-hander own a 1.57 ERA through five starts, Shoemaker tore his ACL and would miss the rest of the season. In the condensed 2020 campaign, Shoemaker was limited to just six starts due to a shoulder injury and would struggle to a 4.71 ERA through 28.2 innings.

The veteran pitcher signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins following the 2020 campaign but would be designated for assignment on July 1st after pitching to an 8.06 ERA through 16 appearances. He would finish the season in the San Francisco Giants AAA affiliate. He is currently nearing a deal to take his talents overseas to the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan.