Article: Should the Blue Jays Be in the Market for a Reliever?

[Owen Hill]

We’re just over a month away from the trade deadline, and the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves in sole possession of a Wild Card spot and within striking distance of the New York Yankees for the top spot in the American League East.

In the time between now and the July 31 deadline, the Blue Jays will almost certainly make some moves to supplement the big league roster in hopes of widening the gap between them and the teams below them, and closing the gap between them and the Yankees. The Jays are expected to try to get their hands on a starting pitcher, and there are conversations to be had about opportunities to upgrade the lineup. Yet, typically the easiest and cheapest moves to make are for bullpen help.

It’s not the most obvious area of need; Blue Jays relievers rank 12th in ERA at 3.66, 10th in fWAR at 2.1, and have the second best K-BB% in baseball at 17.6%. Still, there are definitely some question marks that need answers if the Jays are to be taken seriously down the stretch.

There have been a few really positive stories to come out of the Blue Jays' bullpen this season. Names like Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty (despite his recent struggles) have seemingly come out of nowhere to step up in a big way and solidify the middle innings, acting as a perfect bridge to the back-end guys. Brendon Little and Yariel Rodríguez have both stepped into big roles, getting some of the biggest outs of the season so far. Little leads Blue Jays relievers with 0.8 fWAR and is rocking an ERA in the low-2.00s, while Rodríguez has solidified himself as the guy John Schneider goes to against the opposing team’s best hitters before the ninth inning, especially in Yimi García’s absence.

But for all of the positive stories, the volatility of relievers has reared its ugly head at times this season. Chad Green, owed $10.5 million in 2025, appears to be on the verge of a DFA, as his HR/9 has ballooned to 2.73, and his ERA is comfortably above four. García was solid when healthy, but he’s spent the last month on the IL. Jeff Hoffman, the closer and the same guy who had a 1.17 ERA through the end of April, has a 9.00 ERA in 21 games since May 1.

It’s reasonable to be concerned about the Blue Jays' ability to continue to outrun negative production from Green and Hoffman, and to have questions about what García will look like upon his return. That’s why I expect the Jays to be shopping at the top of the reliever market, looking for a guy they think they can trust when the lights are brightest.

The Jays are in a good position to add to the bullpen because they’re not in desperate need of any specific archetype. Lefty Blue Jays relievers, headlined by Little and Fluharty, have combined for a 3.27 ERA, which is 11th in baseball, and a 30.3% strikeout percentage, which ranks fourth. Righties coming out of Toronto’s bullpen also have the 11th best ERA in MLB at 3.85, and they have the third best strikeout percentage at 25.4%.

If I had to point to the most glaring issue the ‘pen has faced, I’d draw attention to the number of homers it has given up. Jays relievers have allowed 32 bombs, which is the 16th most in baseball, putting them right in the middle of the pack.

Naming potential trade targets more than a month before the deadline is always a dangerous game to play, but David Bednar of the Pirates is a name on an uncompetitive team that should be available. He would help address the home run problem and has experience pitching in high-leverage moments.

The other way the Jays could potentially address the bullpen is by adding more of a long man. Their issues in the rotation have been well documented, as they’ve essentially run a four-man squad since the outset of the season, relying on bullpen days once every turn. Adding a long man would make this slightly more sustainable if Max Scherzer falters, Spencer Turnbull cannot return to last year's form, Alek Manoah is unable to contribute coming off of UCL surgery, or the Blue Jays don’t end up trading for a traditional starter. 

Deadline bullpen adds aren’t the sexiest moves teams can make, but they can make a huge difference in a playoff race and are often the deciding factor in a postseason series. The Jays have a solid bullpen, but is there a name or two on the market that could take it from good to great?

Stats updated prior to games on June 25.

View full article

[John_Havok]

Can answer based on the title alone...of course they should be.

[Jesse Burrill]

If the Rockies would move Seth Halvorson he's the guy. 

The Jays could absolutely use another bullpen arm or two, but the question is assuming everyone is healthy, who is the odd man out?
 

[Owen Hill]

2 hours ago, Jesse Burrill said:

If the Rockies would move Seth Halvorson he's the guy. 

The Jays could absolutely use another bullpen arm or two, but the question is assuming everyone is healthy, who is the odd man out?
 

It's not my money... But they should absolutely be eating Chad Green's 5 or so million

[John_Havok]

6 hours ago, Jesse Burrill said:

If the Rockies would move Seth Halvorson he's the guy. 

The Jays could absolutely use another bullpen arm or two, but the question is assuming everyone is healthy, who is the odd man out?
 

Halvorson could definitely benefit from a good defense behind him given his GB tendencies, and the fact that he throws 100 mph avg heat.... that's kinda cool. Doubt he's available, but it is Colorado after all....

As for the odd man out if everyone is healthy... it would have to be someone with options... or Burr. 

If you assume Green gets turfed (not a guarantee of course...) all of the RPs have options with the exception of Hoffman, Yimi, Burr and Yariel. 

So your 8 guys in the pen would be Hoff, Yimi, Burr, Yariel, Little, Fluharty, Sandlin, Fischer right now.  Schultz and Bruihl would be the odd men out. 

If Burr comes up and stinks, PUNT, and bring up Schultz again. If Fluharty keeps struggling, Bruihl steps in and Fluharty goes down. 

If Green isn't turfed... it would likely be Sandlin sent down. I think they're keeping Fischer up since he's shown so well. 

This becomes even more complicated when Manoah comes back since Lauer would likely lose his spot if Scherzer's thumb is still functioning. Lauer is out of options so he'd have to stay in the pen and become the defacto long man, forcing someone else down. 

Luckily, these things tend to work themselves out because... name one pitching group in MLB that's ever fully healthy?

[John_Havok]

Another reliever that could be targeted:

David Bednar from Pittsburgh. One more arb season after this one before he hits FA for 2027. He's back to throwing smoke, K rate virtually identical to Little but walks half as many guys and still suppressing HRs. would be on the hook for about 2.5 million remaining at the deadline, give or take a bit.