3 Blue Jays reunions that need to be explored this offseason in free agency

Danny Jansen

Danny Jansen was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2013, and after steadily making his way through the minor leagues, made his major league debut late in the 2018 season. The 29-year-old has displayed a strong power swing and sound defensive mechanics throughout his career. 

The tandem he formed with Alejandro Kirk has been a productive one with each receiving ample playing time and being able to serve as an option as a designated hitter occasionally too. Kirk struggled at the onset of this past season while Jansen was on the IL, hitting just .200 with a .513 OPS in his first 15 games last season while playing the lion’s share of the games behind the plate. It was a different story during the final two months as Kirk hit .269 with three homers, 26 RBI, and a .739 OPS following the Jansen trade.

That’s the kind of production expected from the 25-year-old as he has become the unquestioned leader of that position group. Jansen was such a model of consistency during his lengthy  Blue Jays career that it has been hard seeing him in another team’s jersey. It is even harder to imagine that the brain trust is comfortable replacing him with veteran journeyman Tyler Heineman. 

Jansen played nearly 500 games in his Jays’ career and hit .222 with 71 home runs, 214 RBI, and a .733 OPS. His best offensive season was in 2022 when the former 16th-round pick hit .260 with 15 homers, 44 RBI, and a .855 OPS (142 OPS+). Jansen has worked hard on his defense throughout his career, but his catch-stealing rate has decreased to 13.5 % over the last two seasons with the base size increase. It’s nearly impossible to envision Heinenman giving the Blue Jays the kind of production that Jansen has been able to provide, especially when it comes to power and leadership. The Jansen-Kirk combo has worked well, running it back would be a great idea. 

Yimi Garcia

As last year’s disappointing season got closer to the trade deadline, it became abundantly clear that Yimi Garcia would be one of the most desirable trade targets on the market. The 34-year-old was amid the best season of his career and would be expected to yield a decent prospect in return. 

Sure enough, Garcia was dealt to the Seattle Mariners for the young outfielder Jonatan Clase. After going 3-0, with a 2.70 ERA, five saves, and 42 strikeouts with the Jays, Garcia didn’t enjoy the same success on the West Coast in a limited sample size, surrendering three home runs and six earned runs in just nine innings as the M’s fell short of the playoffs. 

The fashion in which the Dominican native finished the season shouldn’t deter the Blue Jays from getting in touch this winter. Upgrading the bullpen is an obvious need this offseason, and Garcia could be part of the late-inning, high-leverage group again, being counted on to get big outs. He’d join a bunch that will likely include closer Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, Brendon Little, and possibly Chad Green and Ryan Yarbrough if they are retained, as the meat of a relief corps that needs a big bounceback season.

Bringing Garcia back would potentially give the Blue Jays a quartet of pitchers who have experience closing out games. The pending free agent struck out batters at a rate we hadn’t seen before last season. He averaged 12.6 K/9IP, which bested his previous career-high (11.4 in 2019) by a wide margin. Bringing back the majority of a bullpen that was a monumental disappointment won’t be a great look, but fans and teammates would welcome the embattled right-hander back with open arms. Returning to the Jays’ staff could be mutually beneficial considering his struggles with Seattle.

Teoscar Hernandez

After the Blue Jays' catastrophic collapse in Game 2 of the Wild-Card Series in 2022, the front office decided to dismantle the outfield and dealt away both Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.. Despite hitting two home runs in that game, Hernández was shipped to the Seattle Mariners and Gurriel was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a deal that brought back Daulton Varsho.

The trades may have improved Toronto’s bullpen and outfield defense, but it hurt their lineup and morale. Varsho has been a stud in both left and centerfield but hasn’t come close to matching the production Hernandez put up between 2018-2022. Swanson was a rock for the bullpen in 2023, then had the ramp-up to his season derailed by a family emergency and wasn’t the same pitcher last season.

Hernandez slumped in his lone season playing in Seattle but signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers and has been a catalyst for a team on the cusp of a championship. The 31-year-old hit .272 with a career-high 33 homers, 99 RBI, and a .840 OPS (137 OPS+) while making his second All-Star team. The former Astros prospect may never be a great outfielder, but possesses huge power, something this team needs desperately. He also has an outgoing, fun-loving personality that should help loosen up a team clubhouse that has appeared stiff in recent years.

In 2023, they won 89 games and returned to the postseason, but suffered through a significant power outage and didn’t seem to be having much fun. They were improved defensively, and the bullpen was solid, but they scored fewer runs and hit fewer home runs, and management seemed to take all the joy from the group, including the beloved home run jacket.

Last season, the jacket returned, but the team wasn’t up to snuff and regressed miserably. Bringing back Teo could go a long way towards turning the ship around.