What the Blue Jays are getting in Chad Green

In January 2023, the Toronto Blue Jays played a bold game of free agent roulette, signing a pitcher who was not at all active, healthy or certain to pitch within the first five months of the season. At this present moment, this arm is now active and a part of the Blue Jays bullpen. 

Right-handed pitcher Chad Green was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and is active with the team as they battle the struggling Colorado Rockies in a postseason chase. In early 2022, Green suffered an injury that was season-ending and led to mandatory Tommy John surgery. Now 15 months later, Green returns to the yard in a big-league uniform; a uniform that resides north of the border. 

 There could not be a better time for Green to join the squad, as the Blue Jays enter the month of September at the doorsteps of the postseason peaking in. Toronto’s bullpen could appreciate the depth Green would bring as the fall-ball season heats up. What profile and makeup did Greene display?

The former New York Yankee reliever was a silent gem in the bullpen, eating tough innings and sweeping up tight jams. His dependency was evident throughout his career. Green has seven seasons in the show and had tallied a 33-22 record with 494 strikeouts, 96 walks, and a 3.17 ERA in over 383 innings.  His last full season of work was in 2021 with the Yankees where he appeared in 67 games, pitched 83.2 innings striking out 99 hitters and only walking 17. He put up a 3.12 ERA with a 0.884 WHIP. 

Green works four options; fastball, curveball, changeup, and sinker. He locates his fastball extremely well with the pitch sitting 95mph max, a 20.3% put-away rate and a 25.5% WHIFF. His fastball has bite with a semi-upward rise and good tail. Hitters only hit .286 batting average against the heater. 

His curveball is his most used off-speed option, spinning at 2474 RPM and a 14.8 put-away rate. He also mixes a change-up and a sinker in his repertoire. Green’s fastball command is excellent, he’s able to locate and work the corners below the knees with a simple repeated delivery. 

Green will fit in as a long-haul reliever as well as an early or late set-up to the closer, Romano. He is also capable and dependable to shut down innings to secure the win. He will platoon his Jordan Hicks and the mix of options will complement the bullpen well. The Blue Jays and Jays nation do hope that the right-hander returns in improved health and performance. 

Green struggled in his return from the Injured List, allowing four earned runs in the ninth inning of a blowout win over the Colorado Rockies. But that came after over one year after his last pitch at the Major League level, so it’s fair to expect some rust. Green was a trusted member of a very good New Your bullpen for years and he’ll be a big addition in Toronto.