It’s no secret that the Toronto Blue Jays have one of the league’s worst bullpens. They rank 28th in terms of ERA (4.78) and sport a 1.34 WHIP and a .245 opponent average – both of which slot in at the 22nd spot as the season enters the twilight moments of the season. The stats across the board don’t get any better as a collective group and no lead seems safe once a starter leaves the game.

The group is a shade of their former selves – a majority of the relief pitchers returned from last season outside of Jordan Hicks (signed with the Giants) and right from the get-go, they were dealt some major curveballs.

Both Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano started the campaign on the IL and before the end of April, Bowden Francis (who was moved to the relief corps early) and Chad Green also missed time with various ailments. This was further compounded by Swanson and southpaw Tim Mayza struggling out of the gate, leading to the right-hander being optioned to Buffalo. Mayza would later be designated for assignment and Romano struggled upon his return to only land on the IL once again and being shut down for most of the campaign.

This season, the Jays have used 27 different pitchers and two position players to eat up innings – credit to Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ernie Clement. The front office moved three relievers at the deadline – Yimi García, Nate Pearson, and Trevor Richards – and almost all season long, the Jays have been cycling through a host of different pitchers to get outs in the later part of the game.

For most of the year, the front office has been taking fliers on relievers to supplement depth in the minors and also in the big leagues when needed, a tactic used by teams across the league but a movement that is gaining steam late in the season for the Blue Jays. This comes in the form of MiLB deals and trading or claiming designated hurlers from rival squads.

Players in this equation include:

For a Blue Jays squad looking for relief help, they continue to find players looking for a new home and sticking them either in triple-A or in the big leagues to see what they have – finding varying degrees of success.

Right-hander Tommy Nance has been a positive acquisition for Toronto, pitching to a 3.06 ERA through 17 2/3 innings. He has allowed just 11 hits and six earned runs while holding opposing hitters to a .180 average while boasting a 1.02 WHIP. Another solid acquisition has been Ryan Burr, who has struggled at times but continues to answer the call in whatever situation manager John Schneider needs him in. He has made two spot starts for the club and has appeared in 28 games and pitched to a 3.95 ERA with 36 strikeouts. Yarbrough, the veteran acquisition of the group, has been fantastic out of the Jays bullpen for his ability to eat up multiple innings. The left-hander sports a 2.25 ERA through 20 innings with just five earned runs allowed.

The Jays are also finding some success stories from within the organization, although they are few and far between.

Brendon Little, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in a cash deal this past winter, has been a go-to option in the Jays relief corps. The southpaw has pitched to a 3.51 ERA through 44 outings (41 IP) and owns a 1.29 WHIP to go with a 1.83 K/BB rate as another left-handed option out of the bullpen – essentially replacing Mayza.

On the flip side, fireball-throwing right-hander Zach Pop, a product of Brampton, Ontario, has struggled to find any form of consistency this season and sports a 5.76 ERA through 54 outings while riding the options bus between Buffalo and Toronto this season. Pop isn’t the only one to struggle with the Blue Jays, which makes sense considering they are statistically one of the worst in the league, and the Jays have been going through these types like a high school romance love triangle in short order. This includes the likes of Wes Parsons and Mitch White to begin the year and pitchers acquired this season like Cuas or Rodríguez, who have been disposed of already on the DFA front.

This all seems to be in conjunction with the 2025 contention idea, as the Jays continue to acquire controllable arms that they can bring to Spring Training and see what shakes from the tree. Nance is the only arm entering next year without a minor-league option to work with.

The front office still needs to prioritize acquiring reliever arms this winter, which my colleague Ian Hunter recently pointed out, but they can also fill some gaps with the likes of Nance, Burr, and Little to help create some balance from a financial standpoint to round out the rotation or provide some depth when needed down in triple-A.  The main point remains on the table – the Jays need to revamp this bullpen this offseason if they want to contend next season – but finding some internal options to fill in the stop gaps whether it be due to injury or just to round out a few spots in the bullpen fits the mould of the how this season is ending.

The likes of Nance, Burr, Pop, Little, and Frías are auditioning for time in the big leagues next season similar to the numerous infielders and rookie players being given some leeway in the big leagues and could be a part of the team in some fashion next season. Considering the Blue Jays are waiving the white flag and turning towards next season, it makes sense to see what they have to work with – even if it means some troubling times are ahead with just two weeks left to go.