Report: Blue Jays Scouting Free Agent Reliever Trevor Rosenthal
The Blue Jays are reportedly sending a scout to attend free agent reliever Trevor Rosenthal’s showcase Tuesday in Miami Gardens, Florida, a source confirmed to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
Rosenthal, 32, last pitched in 2020 with the Padres, where he went 10 scoreless innings and struck out 17 hitters in the regular season. He also made two appearances in the playoffs for San Diego that year, although he wasn't very effective.
The right-hander has a career 3.36 ERA and an excellent 12.1 K/9, but comes with significant injury baggage. Rosenthal underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 and has pitched just 39 innings since the start of 2019. Before the 2021 season, Rosenthal signed a one-year deal to play with the Athletics, but never threw a pitch for them, as thoracic outlet surgery and then a torn hip labrum ruled him out for the season.
When healthy, Rosenthal is a real weapon. His high-spin, upper-90s fastball is very effective when combined with a sharp slider which he started throwing more often in 2020.
Toronto has also shown a willingness to take risks on oft-injured players like Rosenthal—the Jays’ 2021 signing of Kirby Yates comes to mind. The Blue Jays' bullpen has been steady this season, though it couldn’t hurt to take a flyer on a guy with an upside as high as Rosenthal’s.
Ethan Diamandas is a contributing writer who covers the Toronto Blue Jays for Sports Illustrated. He also writes for Yahoo Sports Canada and MLB.com. Follow Ethan on Twitter @EthanDiamandas