Blue Jays: Non-tendered players the club should consider this offseason

Last night was the deadline for teams across the league to offer contracts to eligible players. For the Blue Jays, they decided to non-tender Raimel Tapia, Bradley Zimmer, and Vinny Capra, with all three players becoming free agents. Tapia and Zimmer were already out the door after being DFA'd earlier this week but the Capra decision kind of came out of the woodwork and took some fans by surprise.

After last night's moves, the Blue Jays roster currently stands at 38 players, which includes the four prospects they protected from the Rule 5 draft earlier this week. With a new crop of players hitting the open market, the Blue Jays front office has some fresh faces to consider in order to help improve the squad for next year and beyond.

Here are some non-tendered players the Blue Jays should consider looking at signing this offseason.

Cody Bellinger - CF

The biggest name of the group heading to free agency is former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. The former 2019 NL MVP has struggled over the past few seasons, authoring a collective .203/.272/.376 slash line with a .648 OPS and a 74 OPS+ through 295 games. With the Dodgers potentially looking at bringing Aaron Judge aboard and Bellinger projected to earn $18.1 million in arbitration, the former Rookie of the Year was let go and hits free agency for the first time in his career.

Three non-tendered players the Blue Jays should look at signing this offseason.

For the Blue Jays, Bellinger checks off quite a few of the boxes that the club is looking for this winter. He can hit from the left side of the plate and is also a natural centre fielder, which the club could utilize to move George Springer to right field to protect him in the long run from injuries.

With Teoscar Hernández now in Seattle and the recent roster moves, the club will head into Spring Training with Springer, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Whit Merrifield, Cavan Biggio, and Nathan Lukes as outfield options. This could be enticing for prospective free agents looking for playing time given the outfield picture with all the departures. Bellinger sat in the 92nd percentile for Outs Above Average last year in centre field and had two assists on the year against three errors, making him a solid defensive option that could really benefit the Jays squad.

The obvious concern with Bellinger is continued regression, as the Arizona product has really struggled over the past couple of seasons. A change of scenery to a hitter-friendly park such as the Rogers Centre could help change that however, and if the Blue Jays can bring him in on a short-term "prove it" deal (which has worked in the past), this has the makings of a solid match if the price isn't too crazy given the numerous suitors and if the Jays strike out on other free agent outfield options like Brandon Nimmo.

Alex Reyes - RHP

If the Blue Jays are still interested in looking for a hard-throwing relief pitcher, then former St. Louis Cardinal Alex Reyes is one player that should draw some interest.

Projected to earn $2.85 million in arbitration this offseason, Reyes was cut loose after not pitching at all in 2022 due to shoulder surgery early into the campaign. The New Jersey product was on track to be a starter at the big league level earlier in his career but injuries derailed those plans, with the right-hander undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2017 season while experiencing other strains and injuries over the last six years.

Overall, Reyes has authored a collective 145.0 innings at the MLB level, sporting a 2.86 ERA with an 11.0 K/9 and 29 saves. His best season came back in 2021, as he was healthy and appeared in 69 contests and allowed just 26 earned runs on the year to the tune of an 11.8 K/9 while also making the All-Star squad.

For Reyes, the biggest concern is with his health, as he missed all last season and doesn't have the best track record. The upside however is a high 90s fastball with swing-and-miss potential on an arm that could come on the cheaper side given his lack of innings and injury past. It might take more than a Minor League deal to get a contract done but the risk is low on Reyes that it might be worth the opportunity.

The downside would be that the risky move comes with a roster spot, meaning he occupies one of the remaining two spots on the 40-man or somebody has to go unless a MiLB deal with a Spring Training invite is done instead.

The Blue Jays could also be out of the relief market given their recent acquisition of Erik Swanson as well as the fact that a similar type of player exists in the Jays system in Nate Pearson, who will likely be moved to the bullpen this year after missing so much of last season.