Holiday Wishlist: 4 Free Agent Relievers to Solidify the Blue Jays Bullpen
As things stand, the Toronto Blue Jays have the makings of a capable bullpen for 2022.
Jordan Romano and Tim Mayza proved solid back-end options (and that's perhaps underselling), and the Jays have already worked on raising the arm barn floor this winter. After looking at some bats that fit the Blue Jays' needs, we're moving on to some finishing touches for the bullpen.
I've already mentioned Trevor Rosenthal and Thyago Vieira as potential upside plays for the Toronto pen, and top options like Kenley Jansen remain on the market, but here are four realistic free agent relievers who fit the Blue Jays' bullpen mix:
LHP Andrew Chafin
Projecting out bullpen composition in December is a largely purposeless task, but as things currently stand Toronto’s pen shares a common trait with the lineup: it’s righty heavy.
Ryan Borucki could be in the mix, but Mayza is the only southpaw currently penciled for a leverage role. If the Blue Jays want another weapon to match up against the formidable AL East lefties like Rafael Devers, Joey Gallo, and Brandon Lowe, there have been few relievers better against lefties than Chafin in recent years.
Chafin has allowed just seven homers to lefties in 372 career games and an OBP against below .300. In 2021, lefties hit just .170 off Chafin with an OPS of .473. The 31-year-old isn't just a LOOGY, as his fastball/slider combo drew a .551 OPS from righties last year. The spin rates on his pitches aren't gaudy and his velocity tops out in the mid-90s, but Chafin draws elite chases and misses bats alongside some of the best pitchers in the game. He declined a $5.25 million option with the Athletics in the offseason and could be looking for a higher AAV and/or term.
LHP Jake Diekman
Another veteran fastball/slider southpaw who pitched for the Athletics in 2021 and has a history of success against both sides of the platoon? Keep 'em coming.
Though not quite as effective as his 0.42 ERA in 2020, Diekman posted a 3.86 ERA in 2021 and struck out 12.3 batters per nine. A .360 BABIP and 6.95 BB/9 against lefties inflated his numbers against southpaws, but he still managed to post a 3.58 FIP against the platoon. If he can locate and receive a little more batted ball luck, Diekman has the strikeout rates and pitch weapons (95 MPH fastball, 83 MPH slider) to pitch late innings for Toronto.
RHP Chris Martin
Martin was traded for a name-brand pitching prospect, Kolby Allard, in 2019, posted a 1.00 ERA in 2020, and could be one of the steals of the relief market after a tumultuous 2021.
Martin missed a few months with an elbow injury (yes, scary), and saw his strikeout rate drop from 10 to 6.9 (also scary), but still managed to post a 3.57 FIP and work effective relief in his 43.1 innings of work. It's easy to point to a stick-stuff ban to justify Martin’s declining punchouts, with the righty reliant on a stable of moving pitches—he throws all five of his fastball, cutter, slider, sinker, and changeup over 10% of the time. However, his spin rates actually ticked up in August and September and his strikeout rates did, too.
Even with the drop in strikeouts, Martin's elite 2.8% walk rate allowed him to retain respectable numbers. If the Ks come back, Martin could regain his spot late in games, and if they don't he could still be a worthwhile risk.
RHP Collin McHugh
The Tampa Bay Rays have done it again. Ditching the fastball and throwing his 80 MPH slider and upper-80s cutter, McHugh was one of the best relievers in the AL last year.
His slider was one of 2021's top pitches and a quick look at his Baseball Savant profile indicated his 1.55 ERA and 2.12 FIP were well earned. Jays fans became quickly familiar with McHugh's success last year, as the righty posted a .77 ERA in 11.2 innings of work against Toronto.
Coming off an elite 2021 with previous success for the Astros supporting his performance, McHugh is probably the most expensive option on this list. FanGraphs ranks the 35-year-old as the 33rd-best free agent available this winter, and the average crowdsourced projected contract totals over $8 million. FanGraphs' Ben Clemons projects even higher (two years, $24 million) and it's hard to see him not earning at least double-digit million in guaranteed money.
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon