Blue Jays free-agent fits: Which relievers can help rebuild Toronto’s bullpen?

Heading into the offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays have two clear priorities – addressing the offense and rebuilding the bullpen.

Previously, we looked at the players the Blue Jays could target. Now it’s time to look at pitchers.

The emphasis will be on acquiring relievers who can thrive in late-inning situations after the Blue Jays’ bullpen had a 29th-ranked ERA last season. With so much uncertainty about the health and effectiveness of their controllable relievers, the Blue Jays could be in the market for anywhere from two to four relievers.

Meanwhile, starting pitching won’t be as much of a focus because the Blue Jays have five capable starters, but the club could benefit from adding some depth in the area. Or they could choose to make a splash.

With that in mind, let’s look at some potential free-agent passes, broken down by tier.

Unload

Impact player level: Jeff Hoffman, Tanner Scott

Hoffman is a former Blue Jays prospect and has hit his stride as a reliever. The right-hander had a 2.28 ERA over the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and was a first-time All-Star in 2024. He will be one of the best relievers available because he can miss bats in late inning outings.

Scott just finished the best season of his career with a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings split between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. He’ll be one of the best left-handed relievers available because of his strikeout ability when he’s in the zone, but he also had a 12.2 percent walk rate this past season, which could give teams a pause before they offer him a long-term deal.

Complementary players: Yimi García, Carlos Estévez, Kenley Jansen, Tommy Kahnle, José Leclerc

García got off to a great start in 2024 with the Blue Jays, finishing with a 3.46 ERA split between Toronto and the Seattle Mariners, but he threw just 39 innings due to elbow injuries, his lowest total since 2018. Estévez is coming off his best season, with a 2.45 ERA in 55 innings with the Los Angeles Angels and Phillies. He had a career-best 5.7 percent walk rate with a 23.6 percent strikeout rate. He has experience in closing, but as Athletics Keith Law suggests he is best used in set-up roles with lower leverage.

Jansen also has experience in closing. While no longer as dominant as he was during his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jansen had a 3.44 ERA in 99 1/3 innings with the Boston Red Sox over the past two seasons and can still pitch in leverage situations .

Kahnle succeeded in a changeup that held batters to a .264 slugging percentage in 2024. He had a 2.38 ERA in two seasons with the New York Yankees and has been reliable in late innings.

Leclerc was instrumental in the Texas Rangers’ World Series victory in 2023, but after back-to-back seasons (2022 and 2023) in which he had an ERA under three years, he was not as effective in 2024 with a 4.32 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. But he still has good peripheral numbers, such as whiff rate (36 percent) and hard-hit rate (30.7 percent).

Risk-reward level: Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, Kendall Graveman, Paul Sewald, Clay Holmes

Yates’ tenure in Toronto ended before it could begin when he missed the 2021 season following Tommy John surgery, but he returned to his All-Star form in 2024 with the Rangers, posting a 1.17 ERA in 61 2/3 innings, including 33 saves. He will be 38 next season though, so age could make this a risky signing.

Treinen had a 1.93 ERA in 46 2/3 innings with the Dodgers, finishing the year with a strong postseason performance and a World Series ring. But the 36-year-old reliever has dealt with injuries in recent years, missing most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with right arm and shoulder issues. Meanwhile, Graveman missed all of last season after undergoing right shoulder surgery, so there may be concerns about how he will return. When healthy, he’s been excellent — since 2021, the former Blue Jays prospect has a 2.74 ERA with a 24.5 percent strikeout rate.

Between 2021-23, Sewald averaged a 2.95 ERA with a 33.9 percent strikeout rate, but he wasn’t as effective in 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitching to a 4.31 ERA and also missing time with – and neck injuries. Since 2022, Holmes has a 2.85 ERA in 189 2/3 innings for the Yankees, including earning 74 saves. He succeeds with a sinker and shooter, but he struggled halfway through 2024 and lost his closer job to Luke Weaver, so there could be some concern about his reliability.

Starting to pitch

Want-to-make-a-splash tier: Max Fried, Corbin Burnes

The Blue Jays don’t need to go after an advanced starter. They have five experienced starters on their roster: Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodríguez. They could go into the season with those five and feel pretty good — especially after how Francis performed in the final two months of the season.

If the Blue Jays decide to make a splash, however, they could sign a Fried or Burnes and then turn around and trade one of their current starters, such as Bassitt or Gausman — who are in their mid-30s and the final stages of their offering — to meet another roster need.

Fried is one of the game’s best pitchers, and he has had a 2.81 ERA over 112 starts over the past five seasons. He missed time in 2023 with hamstring and forearm injuries and some blister issues, but otherwise has made at least 28 starts in a season four times in his career. Athletics Jim Bowden projects Fried’s contract to be six years, $174 million.

Burnes is the other top starter. After the Baltimore Orioles traded for him, Burnes had a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts in his first season in the American League. He has made more than 30 starts in each of the past three seasons, with a 3.08 ERA. That consistency should make him the most coveted starting pitcher this offseason.

Replace-the-fifth-starting-tier: Andrew Heaney, Nick Pivetta, Matthew Boyd

If the Blue Jays waver in their belief that either Francis or Rodríguez can be trusted to start for a full season, they may choose to invest in a starter who can slide into the back end of their rotation.

Heaney threw 307 1/3 innings and made 59 starts over two years for the Rangers, the most he has hit in two years, as Law pointed out. He had a 4.22 ERA in that span, but he’s a pitcher whose peripherals tend to look better than his actual results. He’s a solid fourth or fifth starter.

Pivetta has a 4.27 ERA over 75 starts and 468 innings in his past three seasons with the Red Sox. He missed a month with a right elbow flexor strain last season, but overall he’s a solid fifth starter who can give a team five innings when it’s his turn to pitch. The Red Sox tendered him a qualifying offer on Monday, so the Blue Jays would lose a draft pick if they sign the right-hander. Fried, Burnes and swingman Nick Martinez (more on him below) also received qualifying offers.

Boyd, a former Blue Jays prospect, has had a winning career marred by injuries. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023, but was effective in limited time with the Cleveland Guardians this season, particularly in the postseason, posting a 0.77 ERA in three starts (11 2/3 innings).

Swing-man tier: Ryan Yarbrough, Nick Martinez, Ross Stripling

Likely, the Blue Jays will be in the market for a swingman — a pitcher who can serve as depth for their rotation while also pitching more innings out of the bullpen.

Yarbrough, the Blue Jays’ only free agent, thrived in a leadoff role after being traded to Toronto in July, pitching to a 2.01 ERA in 31 1/3 innings. The Blue Jays were pleased with Yarbrough’s performance and he could fit into their bullpen plans on a short-term contract.

Martinez thrived in a swingman role with the Cincinnati Reds this season, posting a 3.10 ERA in 142 1/3 innings. He fared better as a reliever (1.86 ERA) but was still a useful starter with a 3.84 ERA in 16 starts.

Stripling parlayed his career-best year with the Blue Jays into 2022 into a two-year, $25 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. But over the last two seasons, he struggled with injuries and consistency with the Giants and then the Oakland A’s, to whom he was traded before the 2024 season, pitching to a 5.68 ERA split between starts and relief. Perhaps a reunion with Toronto could help the right-hander get back on track.

(Top photo of Hoffman: Katie Stratman / USA Today)