The Toronto Blue Jays were a few outs away from a World Series title, and it’s no secret that some additional arms in the bullpen could have been a real difference maker for the Jays.

Louis Varland and Seranthony Dominguez were heavily leaned on by manager John Schneider down the stretch, and while Varland remains heading into this season, there are some uncertainties heading into the new campaign when it comes to the Jays’ relief corps.

Yimi Garcia returns to the fold, but there’s no guarantee he finds the same form from his early 2025 days. The Jays are also banking on Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher avoiding a sophomore slump and Brendon Little finding his early 2025 form, while the club appears to be leaning towards Jeff Hoffman as their closer after an up-and-down 2025 campaign. Eric Lauer likely slots back into his role as the long man, and it will be interesting to see where Cody Ponce ends up as well, given the Jays’ logjam up in the rotation.

The addition of Tyler Rogers raises the floor of this group, and some wildcards in Tommy Nance, Spencer Miles, Angel Bastardo, Chase Lee, and Jesse Hahn, amongst other NRI’s, could turn into something greater this spring, but Jays fans likely wouldn’t be upset with some more established names in the group.

Understandably, this late into February, there are no top names like Edwin Diaz or Robert Suarez kicking around on the free agent boards. But there are a few names that could raise the floor for the Jays’ bullpen or at least be worth enough for a minor league deal for a low-risk shot in the depth charts.

The best of the rest is Danny Coulombe, and it’s not even close.

The left-hander split last season between the Twins and Rangers, and he posted a 2.30 ERA and a 3.30 FIP for the season. It’s no secret that his numbers with Minnesota were a step above – Coulombe did not find a groove in Texas, struggling to a 5.25 ERA and a 1.667 WHIP through 15 outings – but his numbers with the Twins should not be ignored in the overall factor.

Across 40 outings, he posted a 1.16 ERA and a 2.01 FIP and limited opposing bats to an impressive .188/.246/.214 slash line while striking out batters at a 9.0 K/9 clip with a 2.6 BB/9.

Coulombe is one of the last remaining relievers on the free agent market that is likely getting above a minor league deal, and the Jays would be wise to consider a short-term contract to put another left-hander in the mix alongside Lauer, Little, and Fluharty.

The veteran who is looking for a bounce-back campaign – it’s a yearly story in the big leagues. This time around, right-hander Tommy Kahnle fits the bill, a relief pitcher with over 11 years in the big leagues who is looking for another kick at the can.

2025 was not Kahnle’s best year. In a solo lap with the Detroit Tigers, he struggled to a 4.72 FIP and a 4.43 ERA across 66 outings and 63 innings of work, amassing a 94 ERA+. Kahnle saw a dramatic dip in his K/9 to 7.1 (he used to be a consistent arm over 9.0 K/9) while struggling with his command to the tune of 31 walks and a 4.4 BB/9. The walk issues result in an eighth percentile BB% while he wasn’t getting many opposing bats to chase, ranking in the 17th percentile with his 25.5 percent mark.

While last season was rough, Kahnle fits the mould that the Jays have crafted over the years in targeting pitchers that rely on the changeup/splitter to get outs, something the right-hander has experience with, considering he threw 85.6% changeups last year. He’s also one year removed from tossing a 2.11 ERA across 50 outings with the Yankees and boasts a career 3.78 FIP through 436 2/3 innings in the bullpen, as well as 31 1/3 innings in the postseason.

A short-term deal to see if Kahnle can still hang in the pros makes sense for the Jays, especially since he is a familiar face to the franchise after spending six seasons with the Bronx Bombers.

Michael Kopech is an interesting free agent.

The former top prospect was once the future for the Chicago White Sox rotation, but injuries early in his career and struggles with his command led to him moving to the bullpen and eventually heading to the NL West in 2024, where he tried to carve out a role in the Dodgers’ bullpen.

Kopech impressed early for the Dodgers, posting a 1.13 ERA and a 0.792 WHIP across 24 outings to finish the regular season, but the injury bug found Kopech again in 2025, limiting him to just 11 innings. The right-hander found his wild side again during the small sample size, walking 13 batters to the tune of a 10.6 BB/9, but still showed that he can sling the fastball towards triple digits while mixing in his cutter to keep hitters off balance.

Fast forward to now, and Kopech is still looking for a home this season. The 29-year-old fits the mould of a ‘reliever looking for a new opportunity’ to see if he can shake off the rust that is his command problems, and working under Pete Walker might be just what the doctor ordered.

There’s no guarantee that Kopech figures it out and his fastball continues to miss the zone, but a MiLB deal to see if he can create some pressure in the Blue Jays bullpen this spring doesn’t seem like a far-fetched idea.

Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.