The Blue Jays have one of the worst bullpens in baseball in 2024 as injuries and poor performance wreak havoc on a deep reliever group heading into the 2023 season. Toronto’s steps toward reform thus far have been more about subtractions than additions, as the Jayhawks have parted ways with former closers, among others. Jordan Romano, Genesis Cabreraand Dillon Tate.
Although Juan Soto The Chase has dominated the headlines related to the Jays this winter, and the club has been actively connecting with a number of players, which has been standard operating procedure for Ross Atkins during his tenure as Toronto’s general manager. That includes multiple relievers, and as Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi reported, the Jays have “already shown a level of interest.” Carlos Estevez, Kenley Johnson, Andrew Kitteridge, Chris Martin, Phil Marton, AJ Minterand Paul Sewald. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo adds that Toronto is also among the many teams interested in him Jonathan Loaisiga.
Davidi and BNS noted that the Guardians have shown some interest in a number of Toronto minor league prospects, leading some to speculate that the Jays might consider bringing in a local product Josh NaylorHe is known to be available for trade negotiations. Presumably, the Toronto/Cleveland connection could also be related to the Blue Jays’ bullpen search, as the backing corps is very deep in relief pitching.
The sheer number of names under consideration is actually not unusual given the broad sentiment most teams have regarding the changing bullpen market. As Davidi and Nicholson-Smith noted, the Jayhawks rarely invested much money in relievers during Atkins’ tenure, and most of the relievers listed will likely be available on short-term deals. Turning to MLBTR’s offseason top 50 free agent rankings, Estevez (No. 22, projected three years, $27 million), Minter (No. 34, two years/$160,000) and Kittredge (No. 40, two years/$140,000) The only one to make the list.
Signing Estevez outside of their usual comfort zone may reflect the Blue Jays’ greater need for bullpen help, as the non-tendered Romano leaves a big hole in the closer role. Chad Green Looks like the save favorite at the moment, but signing Estevez would push Green back into the starting role and create a clearer bullpen hierarchy.
Of course, Jansen is far and away the most proven closer of the bunch, racking up 447 saves during his outstanding 15-year career. Although Jansen is entering his age-37 season, he posted another strong performance with a 3.29 ERA and 27 saves in 54 2/3 innings for the Red Sox in 2024.
Sewald seemed to have established himself as a solid closer with the Mariners and Diamondbacks and even got off to a good start in 2024, but after dealing with injuries and a very rough stretch, he lost the ninth inning to Arizona role. Better health and a change of scenery will likely prompt a return to form for Sewald, making him potentially an underrated candidate for a team in need of rescue.
