BURSTDALLAS — In the aftermath of Juan Soto’s record setting contract with the Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays continued engaging with some top free agents at baseball’s Winter Meetings on Monday, but alongside those pursuits, they’ve been exploring bullpen upgrades and some details are now emerging on their search.
True to form, the Blue Jays have shown some level of interest in a wide array of relievers ranging from established closers to potential set-up types. The group, according to sources, includes right-handers Carlos Estevez, Paul Sewald, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Andrew Kittredge and Phil Maton as well as left-hander A.J. Minter.
Additionally, the Blue Jays had some interest in Clay Holmes before he signed with the Mets and are believed to be exploring a wide range of trades. With offence and starting pitching also on the Blue Jays’ shopping list, it’s unclear how much they’ll spend on the bullpen, but it’s a clear area of need following a season in which their relievers ranked 29th among the 30 MLB teams in ERA.
History suggests the Blue Jays will spend modestly on the bullpen, prioritizing offence and rotation help instead. In nine years under Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, the Blue Jays have never guaranteed a reliever more than two years or $21 million, which is why some observers predict they’re unlikely to spend big on someone like Jeff Hoffman, the one-time Blue Jays prospect who’s now seemingly poised to land a three- or four-year deal.
By that logic, a deal with Estevez would be something of a surprise as he’s believed to be seeking a three-year contract after posting a 2.45 ERA with 26 saves for the Angels and Phillies. But the Blue Jays are nothing if not thorough so they continue gauging prices in all areas of the pitching market.
The way the Blue Jays have blanketed both the trade and free-agent markets, as described by rival executives and agents, so far this off-season suggests they’re trying to line-up a series of moves, using money to fill some holes and organizational redundancies to plug others.
Two clubs with the depth to move some pitching are the Mariners and Twins and the Blue Jays could perhaps match-up on that front. Another possibility is the Guardians, who according to one source are fond of some players in the Blue Jays system. Along those lines, one observer wondered if the Blue Jays might pursue Mississauga, Ont. native Josh Naylor, who’s believed to be available in trade talks.
SHORT HOPS
• On Nov. 23, the Blue Jays non-tendered Jordan Romano and while GM Ross Atkins last week said the club was “heavily pursuing his return,” the right-hander from Markham, Ont., reached agreement with the Phillies on a one-year deal that will pay him $8.5 million with another $500,000 available through incentives.
That salary beats the $7.75 million MLB Trade Rumors projected Romano to earn in his final turn through arbitration — an indication he had multiple suitors — and is well above what the Blue Jays were willing to offer him. Atkins last week hinted at the maximum 20-per-cent cut for arbitration-eligible players when asked why they didn’t reach a pre-tender agreement with him, an indication they valued him at less than $6.2 million.
As a result, “based on the dialogue that we had, felt like the pursuit after he’s a free agent was best for both parties.” That pursuit appears to be ending with Romano set to join the defending NL East champions, who are down Estevez and Hoffman to free agency.
• Is this the year the Blue Jays finally end up with Joc Pederson? The Blue Jays explored signing the free-agent first baseman/DH last off-season, as they had during his previous forays into the open market, but a deal didn’t materialize and he ended up in Arizona. Now the left-handed hitter is available again after posting a .908 OPS for the Diamondbacks a year ago while the Blue Jays are interested in better balancing out their batting order.
• A couple of quick assessments of the Blue Jays’ farm system, after all the additions at last summer’s trade deadline, from rival executives:
“A lot more solid than sexy,” said one.
“A lot of solid platoon-pieces, not a lot of exciting,” said the other.
• While John Schneider was happy to see Danny Jansen land a contract with the Rays, he joked that the longtime Blue Jays catcher might have a tough summer ahead in the Florida heat. “I’m thrilled for him to get an opportunity to stay in the AL East so we can try to hit him with a few pitches this year,” Schneider said. “Wish him nothing but the best, and I hope he sweats a ton behind the plate down at Steinbrenner Field next summer.”
• David Howell, the Blue Jays’ assistant pitching coach for the past two seasons, is expected to land a job with the Phillies, according to an industry source. Howell was reassigned from the Blue Jays’ big-league staff after the season, but was invited back to the organization in a front-office role.
