4 internal candidates that could fix the Blue Jays bullpen

The Toronto Blue Jays are in a tough place. After just recently snapping a seven-game losing streak, the Jays find themselves in last place in the AL East, with a 36-43 record. There's been plenty of reasons for the teams underperformance, but none may be more unexpected than the struggles of the bullpen. The Jays' 2023 bullpen was one of the their biggest strengths, posting a 3.68 ERA, and 5.1 fWAR, which was tied for 8th in all of MLB.

The Jays had an entire stable of arms to go to late in games, which consistently gave them a chance at winning. Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, and eventually Jordan Hicks were among the best 1-2-3 punches in the league. Tim Mayza was quietly one of the most effective left-handed relievers in all of baseball as well.

So far in 2024, it has been a disaster for the Jays bullpen. they have a 4.55 ERA and -1.1 fWAR, which is ranked 30th in the entire league. The team has dealt with a wide variety of injured players, along with pitchers that simply can't recreate the magic of last year. Yimi Garcia has been the bright spot for Jays relievers, but is now on the injured list with right elbow neuritis, making an already thin staff much more precarious.

The team is waiting to get their injured players back. That includes Romano, Garcia, and Swanson, after his stint in Triple-A is finished. However, with how unpredictable the current affairs of the bullpen have been so far, the team may consider resorting to other internal options to give them some kind of chance at new life. With the trade deadline just over a month away, the Jays will simply have to bide their time, finding solutions with the options they currently have. Whether there is an immediate fix for the team waiting in the minor leagues or not, the Jays should give some serious consideration to these pitchers to help contribute to their bullpen.