Over the last couple of weeks, the Toronto Blue Jays have been making moves to improve their pitching staff heading into the 2026 season.

By bringing in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to help solidify the rotation, adding arms such as Tyler Rogers to the bullpen, and acquiring depth pieces like Chase Lee via a minor-league trade and Spencer Miles through the Rule 5 Draft, the front office has been busy reshaping the pitching group.

With Yariel Rodríguez now off the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster and with Justin Bruihl the latest DFA to make room for Rogers, many have suggested that the team is far from finished making moves, mainly with the position player side of things. As of now, the club remains in on big-name free agents such as Kyle Tucker and a potential reunion with Bo Bichette. Meanwhile, the bullpen still has more questions than answers surrounding several roster spots.

As of today, here are some likely bullpen options for 2026, as shared by Mitch Bannon (before the recent DFA news):

There are plenty of possibilities entering the season when it comes to who can earn a spot. Younger arms like Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty still have minor-league options available going into 2026 and beyond. Other depth options, such as Paxton Schultz and Justin Bruihl, also have options remaining, allowing the team to keep them in Triple-A Buffalo if needed. Meanwhile, pitchers like Tommy Nance have no options left and could be at risk of being designated for assignment.

If there is one thing fans have been clamouring for this offseason, it is a reliever with velocity who can generate whiffs. Among the relievers already in the system, Louis Varland can routinely reach 98 mph with his fastball and has even touched 100 mph. Jeff Hoffman can also reach 95–96 mph, and the same can be said for Yimi García if he is fully healthy heading into spring training.

Both left-handed relievers, Eric Lauer and Brendon Little, rely more on their stuff to generate ground balls and chase swings outside of the strike zone, though Little struggled with consistency in the second half. The team’s designated ground-ball role now likely falls to Tyler Rogers, who could be used in a sixth- or seventh-inning setup role to bridge to García in the eighth inning and then Hoffman, who—at least for now—remains the closer.

There is a chance that Tyler Rogers is the only reliever the team planned to add for 2026, but that may not necessarily be the case. With big names such as Robert Suárez and Edwin Díaz coming off the board at the Winter Meetings, the reliever market is beginning to thin out, but there are still some strong names in the mix.

That said, we have seen this organization take chances in the past by adding arms such as Chad Green, rehabbing them from injury or looking for new opportunities, and eventually using them down the stretch in future seasons. One name that fits that mould is Hunter Harvey, another hard-throwing right-hander who could fill a middle-relief role.

Despite injuries last season, Harvey posted a 25.3% strikeout rate, which is comparable to Varland’s. He also generated more whiffs on his fastball than Varland, something the team may be looking to add with Yariel Rodríguez no longer on the 40-man roster.

Another intriguing option is Brad Keller.

Keller recorded a 27.2% strikeout rate this past season and has experience as both a starter and a reliever, similar to Varland and Hoffman. In 68 games last season, he posted a 2.07 ERA and struck out 75 batters, which would have ranked fourth among Blue Jays relievers.

This front office has shown the fanbase that it understands the urgency to win now. With the team likely to exceed $300 million in payroll this season, nearly everything remains on the table. If there is one thing Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have consistently shown, it is their willingness to be creative during the offseason.

We have also seen this team make significant moves later in the winter. Jeff Hoffman was not signed until January 10, 2025, and just ten days later, on January 20, the club signed Anthony Santander. The Daulton Varsho trade occurred just two days before Christmas in 2022. To suggest that the Blue Jays are finished tinkering with the roster would be writing them off entirely.