5 pitchers the Blue Jays can look to bring in for middle relief
Photo credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2025, 17:30 ESTUpdated: Dec 29, 2025, 16:50 EST
There will be a ton of health competition in the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen this season.
Barring any injuries or unforeseen trades, the Blue Jays bullpen is almost set in stone. Jeff Hoffman, Yimi García, Tyler Rogers, and Louis Varland make up the relievers who’ll pitch in high-leverage, while Brendon Little and Braydon Fisher have surely earned a spot in the bullpen. That leaves two spots available, with Eric Lauer and José Berríos likely filling those spots.
That doesn’t even mention relievers who’ll need to be in the bullpen or the Jays’ will lose them, such as Rule 5 picks Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles. Tommy Nance is another example, as he’s out of option years.
However, a team can never have enough pitching, and here are five relievers the Jays could bring in.
Andrew Chafin
Brendon Little as the team’s top left-handed pitcher out of the bullpen may not be ideal, given his second half of last season and his playoff performance. If the Jays wish to bring in a more experienced left-handed reliever to pitch in high-leverage, Andrew Chafin could be an option.
The 35-year-old made his debut all the way back in 2014, and has bounced around the league since 2020. Beginning that season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team that drafted him, Chafin was traded to the Chicago Cubs. The following season, he split his time between the Cubs and Oakland Athletics, while spending all of the 2022 season with the Detroit Tigers.
Since 2023, he’s pitched with the Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Tigers, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Angels. Last season was spent with the latter two, where he posted a 2.41 ERA and 3.46 FIP in 33.2 innings pitched.
Chafin has always struggled with command, as he has a career BB% of 10.2%, but that jumped to 13.3% in 2025. That said, he kept the ball in the yard and struck out 25.2% of the batters he faced while pitching in middle relief.
Danny Coulombe
Another lefty who could be of interest for the Blue Jays is Danny Coulombe. Despite averaging a fastball in the low-90s, that hasn’t stopped the 36-year-old from finding success in the big leagues throughout his career.
Last season was split between the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers, where he posted a 2.30 ERA and 3.30 FIP in 43 innings pitched, with a 24.4 K% and 10.2 BB%. It’s worth noting that his numbers spiked once he was traded to the Rangers, as Coulombe had a 1.16 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 31 innings pitched with the Twins.
Since 2022, Coulombe has finished with an ERA below 2 in each of the four seasons. One question about the lefty is durability, as he’s only pitched 50 or more innings twice in his career.
Jalen Beeks
Hey look, another lefty. Jalen Beeks is an interesting option for the Blue Jays. The 32-year-old’s fastball sits in the mid-90s, but his best pitch is his changeup. Last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the former Tampa Bay Ray had a 3.77 ERA and 4.01 FIP in 57.1 innings pitched, with a 20.3 K% and an 8.7 BB%.
His best season came with those Rays back in 2022, as Beek posted a 2.80 ERA and 3.49 FIP in 61 innings pitched, with a 28 K% and 8.8 BB%. Funnily enough, his HR/9 of 1.03 that season was the worst in his last five seasons.
Beeks hasn’t had the same type of seasons as Coulombe or Chafin, but he’s been durable throughout his career and there could be another level for the 32-year-old.
David Robertson
Here’s a fun fact for you. David Robertson made his big league debut in 2008 with the New York Yankees. Players born in 2008 will be eligible for the 2026 draft.
Despite being 40 years old, Robertson has continued to pitch at a high level. Well, not so much in 2025, as he had a 4.08 ERA and 4.95 FIP in 17.2 innings pitched. But the season before, the right-handed pitcher threw 72 innings pitched, finishing the year with a 3 ERA and 2.65 FIP, along with a 33.4 K% and 9.1 BB%.
Robertson relies on a 93 mph cutter which generates a ton of whiffs, paired with a curveball. There’s some walks in his game, but if he can return to the form he had before 2025, Robertson would give the Blue Jays a potential high-leverage reliever.
Seranthony Domínguez
It’s a bit surprising to me that Seranthony Domínguez remains unsigned heading into the New Year. Last season was one of his best seasons, as the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher posted a 3.16 ERA and 3.47 FIP in 62.2 innings pitched.
He only had a better ERA in two seasons, his rookie campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 (2.95 ERA and 2.85 FIP), as well as his 2022 with the Phillies, where he had a 3 ERA and 3.09 FIP in 51 innings pitched.
Obviously, there’s familiarity between Domínguez and the Blue Jays, as they sent Juaron Watts-Brown to the Baltimore Orioles to acquire his services ahead of the 2025 deadline. Last season with the Blue Jays, Domínguez posted a 3 ERA and 3.37 FIP in 21 innings pitched. The 31-year-old had an alright postseason, posting a 3.18 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched, but walking more batters (22 BB%) than he struck out (20 K%), giving him a 6.84 FIP.
Domínguez’s postseason may be why teams are hesitant to sign him, but bringing the righty back would give the Blue Jays some more swing and miss out of the pen.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.