Under-the-radar free agents the Blue Jays should look into

Alex Colomé

Right-handed reliever Alex Colomé is coming off a rough 2021 campaign in which he posted a career-worst, 4.14 ERA as the Twins primary closer. Prior to this, however, Colomé was one of baseball’s better relievers since 2016. From 2016 through 2021 he posted a 2.62 ERA over 274.2 innings pitched, with three 30 save seasons during that stretch, including an MLB leading 47 in 2017.

Colomé signed with the Twins this past offseason and got off to a horrendous start, blowing three of his first five save attempts. He improved after a rough first month though, posting a 3.39 ERA over his final 58.1 innings to finish off the season. Even though his 4.14 ERA was a career-worst, he still had a 103 ERA+, so by that metric, he was an above-average pitcher.

In the seasons where he’s pitched well, he’s excelled using only a cutter and 4-seam fastball, a similar pitch-mix to players like Robbie Ray and Jordan Romano, who have succeeded under pitching coach Pete Walker. Relievers are also prone to one-season slumps, so while it’s important to look at his performance with the Twins, he still has a history of elite play.

Despite his shaky 2021 numbers, his track record leaves plenty of room for optimism about a return to form for Colomé in 2022. He could bring an established veteran presence to the Blue Jays bullpen that it currently lacks, and could likely be signed to a one-year prove-it deal, so they would have little to lose adding him to their bullpen.