Who Makes Up the Ideal Arms for the Blue Jays Post-Season Bullpen?

And who will find themselves on the outside looking in?
Jays' reliever Mason Fluharty deals against the Tigers.
Jays' reliever Mason Fluharty deals against the Tigers. | Duane Burleson/GettyImages
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Yes, yes - they need to actually get to the post-season for this list to be relevant. Yet, despite what all the hand-wringing and panicking fans will have you believe - the Blue Jays currently have a 99.9% chance of doing so, along with a 75% chance of winning the division, according to FanGraphs.

Of course, a great deal of that collective panic has come from watching members of the bullpen do their thing - or, more specifically, struggle to. Prior to the start of Friday's game, the Blue Jays bullpen was tied for third overall with five blown 9th inning leads (ironically, tied with the league's best team, the Milwaukee Brewers). However, zooming out, the Jays' total number of blown leads is 25 - tied for third-best (also with the Brewers), while their bullpen ERA of 4.13 sits right around the middle of the pack at 16th.

Yes, there's room to improve - but the sky is not falling. So - which members of this imperfect, but solid group of hurlers should inhabit the Jays' bullpen once the second season begins?

Who Makes Up the Ideal Arms for the Blue Jays Post-Season Bullpen?

Closer: Jeff Hoffman

It's truly been a bizarre season for Jeff Hoffman - whose performances have swung wildly between terrific and horrific for most of the season. His struggles have been no secret - his seven blown saves are tied for fourth in the majors, his 2.12 HR/9 is second-worst among all relievers (second only to Chad Green), and according to FanGraphs, he's been worth just -0.2 wins above replacement. Not great.

On the flip side - his 30 saves rank 4th, his 11.8 K/9 ranks 20th among all relievers, and of the 32 earned runs he's allowed this season, just seven have come against AL East opponents (and five of those were allowed in one disastrous May appearance against the Rays).

There's been more good than bad - but the bad can't be completely discounted. While he should be the team's post season closer, the Jays would probably be wise to keep Hoffman's leash relatively short.

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