Rumors: Blue Jays could be targeting pair of veterans to round out pitching depth

While the Toronto Blue Jays have one of the best big league lineups and rotations in the American League, the club has one serious spot that it's lacking in: pitching depth, primarily starters.

The starting rotation for the Jays is largely set, with Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi (in that order) the probable group they're rolling with. Mitch White is also going to break the Opening Day roster but he will serve as the sixth starter/long-relief option.

Behind them, there's a ton of question marks, including Zach Thompson, Thomas Hatch, Casey Lawrence, Drew Hutchison, Bowden Francis and the intriguing but still unproven prospect Yosver Zulueta.

Longtime veteran Hyun Jin Ryu is also going to be a part of the picture, but likely not until around the All-Star break as he works back from Tommy John surgery.

Rumors are beginning to circulate that the Jays could be in the market for at least one more starting pitcher, perhaps one that will agree to be stashed in the minors to start the season.

Fans will surely be intimately familiar with both of these names, as each of the aging hurlers broke into the league with American League squads.

Chris Archer, now 34, spent last season with the Twins and the unforunate stretch of poor performances continued for him. He is no longer the All-Star-level pitcher he once was with the Rays from 2012-2018, and his value only really lies in his durability at this point.

Last year, he made 25 starts in Minnestoa, going 2-8 with a 4.56 ERA, 4.49 FIP and 85 ERA+. He is a 10-year veteran in the big leagues and would be a nice piece to stash in Triple-A, but may not be reliable if he's forced into a long-term role in The Show.

Dylan Bundy, 30, spent the first five years of his career on the Baltimore Orioles, so he's another one that Jays fans will recognize. He also spent last year with the Twins and did not fare much better than Archer did on the bump.

In 29 starts, he went 8-8 with a 4.89 ERA and 79 ERA+. His strikeout numbers were no longer there but he also did well at limiting his walks, which is something he's struggled with over the years. Bundy does not have the All-Star Game selections to his name like Archer does, but he is another arm that is durable and could provide some much-needed depth in the Jays' organization.