Connor Seabold back into the fold as Blue Jays continue their bullpen shuffle

As part of a series of roster moves including the promotion of prospect Charles McAdoo, the Toronto Blue Jays announced they acquired reliever Connor Seabold from the Detroit Tigers this week. He'll take the place of Chase Lee in John Schneider's bullpen.

Astute fans will remember that Seabold was actually a Blue Jay during spring training, though he failed to make the team out of camp thanks to his 6.75 ERA. That choice was actually more controversial than it appeared at first glance, primarily thanks to the right-hander's 39.4% strikeout rate during the exhibition slate.

He wound up latching onto the Tigers and was rather impressive, pitching to a 3.45 ERA (2.40 xERA) across 15.2 innings. Now back in Toronto, Seabold should have every chance to earn a permanent spot in the Blue Jays' bullpen.

Connor Seabold should have a defined role in Blue Jays' bullpen from the jump

Much like his ouster from Blue Jays camp, it was surprising when the Tigers designated Seabold for assignment. He did miss nearly a month with an ankle injury, but he was largley effective for his new team when healthy. Alas, he is out of minor-league options, and Detroit needed to clear space for the return of Troy Melton.

The Blue Jays did have to surrender a prospect, Juanmi Vasquez, in order to acquire the 30-year-old, but Vasquez is a 22-year-old with a 5.87 ERA in High-A this year. His absence will hardly be felt in the organization.

In return, Seabold will try and hold down the fort in the middle innings for an injury-plagued pitching staff. He had his fair share of ugly outings in Detroit, but his overall results are worth buying into; he's been excellent at limiting hard contact and barrels this year, and his 34.0% chase rate supports a microscopic 5.9% walk rate.

With Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Braydon Fisher, and even Jeff Hoffman entrenched in the late innings, Seabold's job will be to bridge the gap between the rotation and high-leverage group. Schneider would be wise to keep him away from left-handed hitters, who are batting .345/.382/.517 against Seabold this year. Thankfully, he's held righties to a .641 OPS, which could make him a perfect partner for Mason Fluharty (who is dominating lefties but struggling against righties).

The pitching staff has somehow survived (and, at times, even excelled) the endless injury parade in Toronto this year. Reacquiring Seabold is merely an exercise in caution, as the Blue Jays prepare for an intense summer push in the American League East.

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