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

The Blue Jays have already spent big this offseason, signing Kevin Gausman to a 5-year, $110 million dollar contract, and giving Jose Berrios a 7-year, 131 million dollar extension. Their roster still isn’t complete though. Holes still exist at multiple positions, including third base and in the rotation, as well as a need for some depth pieces. Although superstars like Freddie Freeman, Carlos Correa, and Clayton Kershaw are still on the market, the odds of the Jays landing any more big fish seems unlikely.

The Jays aren’t short on star power, with players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette, and George Springer leading what could be the best offense in baseball. To build a more complete team though, they should be looking into some under-the-radar free agents to fill out the roster. This past offseason, signings of players like Jake McGee, Carlos Rodon, Aaron Loup, and Hunter Renfroe proved to be huge for some of the league’s best teams, and hitting on the cheaper free agents is integral to building a championship-contending team.

While the Blue Jays may have what seems like a solid starting lineup, they’re still in need of some infield and bullpen depth, not to mention their lack of a true fifth starter. We should expect Ross Atkins to go out and sign some players to compete for these jobs. These could range from young players who never broke out to vets who are looking to bounce back. At this moment, the team should be prioritizing bringing in players to the infield and bullpen who could step in at a moment’s notice should the players they already have get hurt or struggle. They should also look to bring in a player to compete for the fourth outfield spot given Randal Grichuk’s less than stellar play.

Here I’ve compiled a list of five under-the-radar free agents who I think the Blue Jays should keep an eye on once the lockout finally ends.

Jed Lowrie

The 37-year-old, switch-hitting infielder, Jed Lowrie, has been in the league since 2008 but is coming off his first full season of baseball since 2018. Lowrie posted fantastic numbers as the A’s second baseman in both 2017 and 2018, even finishing 20th in AL MVP voting in the latter. Following that career year, he left to sign with the Mets but had only 7 at-bats in 2019 before missing all of the shortened 2020 season due to injury. He returned to Oakland this past year and put up solid numbers, posting a 101 OPS+ over 139 games, splitting time between second base and DH.

Lowrie could fill the Jays’ fifth infielder role, as he’s played second, third, and short throughout his career. At this point in his career though, he isn’t the best fielder, finishing 2021 in the 22nd percentile for defensive outs above average (per baseball savant). His other statcast metrics were fantastic though, finishing in the red (above the 50th percentile) for every stat aside from sprint speed.

Despite his age (he turns 38 in April), these metrics show that his above-average 2021 at the plate wasn’t a fluke, and could be expected to put up another solid offensive season in 2022, particularly in depth role. His switch-hitting ability would also provide some much-needed diversity to the Blue Jays lineup, given how right-handed heavy it currently is. Lowrie shouldn’t command too much money on the open market, and at worst would provide some good competition in spring training, which makes the Blue Jays at least looking into him a no-brainer.

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.

Tim Locastro

Probably best known from the Foolish Baseball video about him “being able to steal first”, outfielder Tim Locastro is without a doubt, one of baseball’s most unique players. Since his rookie season in 2019, Locastro has been in the 100th percentile for sprint speed per baseball savant which does, in fact, mean that he is the fastest man in baseball. He also excels on the base paths, because like the aforementioned video highlights, not only can he steal second, but he can pretty much steal first.

Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool UsedGenerated 2/25/2022.

Most HBP in MLB history amongst hitter with less than 600 career plate appearances.

He holds the MLB record for most successful consecutive stolen base attempts to start a career with 29, finally getting caught for the first time this past season. As for stealing first, in 2019, Locastro reached base on 17 of his 70 infield ground balls, giving him a .243 batting average on balls that are usually a guaranteed out. He also gets on base via the hit by pitch an unusual amount, having been hit 35 times in the last three seasons over just 488 plate appearances.

Locastro was actually originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the 13th round of the 2013 draft but was traded to the Dodgers along with Chase De Jong in 2015 for two international signing slots. The Jays ended up signing international free agent Vladimir Guerrero Jr that offseason, so I doubt they regret that trade, but now that he’s on the open market, they should absolutely be looking into him.

He could fill the Blue Jays late-game defensive sub role that Jarrod Dyson filled last season, but could also pose a serious threat as a pinch-runner. He could likely be signed to a relatively cheap deal, and could even go down to the minor leagues if he doesn’t make the team, so he’d be worth an invite to spring training at the least.

Jake Diekman

The Oakland A’s seem to be the number one place to sign free agent relievers from, given how many good ones have been taken from there in recent years. Liam Hendricks, Sean Doolittle, and Blake Treinen all proven themselves as top relievers in Oakland, and then either cashed out in free agency or got traded. While these types of pitchers don’t always work, I think that lefty Jake Diekman could be a nice addition to any bullpen.

Even though stars like Freeman and Correa are still are the market, here are a few under-the-radar free agents the Blue Jays should look into.

Unlike the other players I mentioned, Diekman had some very solid seasons with the Rangers and the Phillies prior to coming to the Bay Area at the 2019 trade deadline. Unlike the last reliever covered in Alex Colomé, Diekman has never been an elite reliever, and at age 35, shouldn’t be expected to help carry the bullpen. What Diekman can do though, is provide a reliable arm in the middle of the pen that can be trusted to keep games from getting out of hand, or to keep the team in the lead, something the Blue Jays were sorely lacking this past season.

Over the past two years, Diekman pitched 82 innings and posted a very solid 2.96 ERA, along with a well above average 12.5 K/9. To go along with that, per baseball savant, he’s in the 92nd and 96th percentiles for K and whiff percentage, so he’s clearly one of baseball’s premier strikeout guys. The Blue Jays could use another lefty in the bullpen that they can trust, and Diekman could fill that role perfectly.