Blue Jays: Three free agent relievers the team could pursue this offseason

Trevor May – RHP

Trevor May is another example of a pitcher whose best years came in the Twin Cities and who is looking for a resurgent year in a new uniform.

Between 2018 and 2021, May had an average ERA of 3.39 although staying on the field has been an ongoing issue. He underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the 2017 season and missed the entire season. Before that, his 2016 season ended with a back injury that turned out to be a stress fracture.  Since 2020, the right-hander has dealt with back and elbow ailments, although he had a solid 2021 campaign with a 3.59 ERA over 62.2 innings.

When healthy, May can be dominant. He’s averaged over 12 K’s per nine innings since becoming a full-time reliever in 2016 and he’s just the type of strikeout artist the Blue Jays bullpen has lacked in recent years.

The Toronto Blue Jays fell short of the significant expectations put on them this season and will look to upgrade their team this offseason.

May pitched just 25 innings last year and had a 5.04 ERA so there may not exactly be a bidding war for his services. That could help the Jays to sign him to a reasonably team-friendly deal, quite possibly less than the two-year, $15.5 million contract he received from the Mets and mega-millionaire Steve Cohen before the 2021 season. His four-seam fastball can generate a lot of swings and misses. During the truncated 2020 season, his four-seamer resulted in a whiff rate of 46.9, the highest in the majors.

Trevor May would arrive in The Big Smoke with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove after an injury-plagued and ineffective year in New York. If he can turn things around, he may be the missing piece to unlocking the bullpen’s full potential.