Jordan Romano's 2Ks. 99mph Fastball and 89mph Slider.
Position by Position: Fixing the bullpen will be a huge task for the Blue Jays this winter
Photo credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2024, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 29, 2024, 21:09 EDT
You can expect a serious overhaul of the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen this season.
Throughout the season, the Blue Jays used a total of 28 pitchers out of their bullpen who pitched at least an inning. In some cases, it was a position player pitching, getting four innings from Tyler Heineman, Ernie Clement, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Of course, we won’t be looking at the players who are no longer with the organization either, even if they count toward the Jays’ relief pitching stats in 2024. The departed players are Isiah Kiner-Falefa, José Cuas, Paolo Espino, Yerry Rodríguez, Mitch White, Tim Mayza, Yimi García, Nate Pearson, Trevor Richards, and potentially Ryan Yarbrough
Some stats
The Blue Jays bullpen in 2023 was one of its strengths, posting a 3.68 ERA and a 3.91 FIP in 557 innings pitched. Toronto’s ERA ranked eighth in the league, while their FIP was the sixth-best.
Looking deeper into the stats, their 26 K% was tied for the second-highest in the league, slightly behind the Houston Astros’ reliever’s 26.3 K%. They also walked only 8.4% of batters, tied for the fourth-best in the league. The Jays bullpen in 2023 didn’t do a great job of keeping the ball in the park, as the 1.15 HR/9 was tied for the 20th-best in the league, but all things considered, it was solid.
Collectively, the playoff-bound team only used 18 relievers as they had good health and a steady bullpen throughout the season, featuring a core of Jordan Romano, Tim Mayza, Erik Swanson, and Trevor Richards. Late-season additions such as Génesis Cabrera, Chad Green, and Jordan Hicks helped the Jays push for a postseason spot.
It was the complete opposite for the 2024 bullpen. The respectable 3.68 ERA was replaced with a 4.82 ERA, the second-worst in the league. Moreover, Toronto’s FIP went from the sixth-best in the league, to the worst in the league as they had a 4.84 FIP this past season.
A big reason for that is because they couldn’t keep the ball in the damn park. Their 2023 HR/9 of 1.15 wasn’t great, but their 1.46 HR/9 in 2024 was by far the worst in the league, with the Rockies’ 1.20 HR/9 being the second closest. The HR/9 was the worst since the Baltimore Orioles had a 1.47 HR/9 in 2021.
Moreover, the Jays had the second-lowest strikeout rate at 20.7%, not helping their FIP or the productivity of the bullpen. As you can imagine, they walked quite a few batters as well, as their 9.4 BB% ranked ninth-worst in the league.
So yeah, as you can imagine, the Blue Jays need a serious overhaul of the bullpen this off-season.
Relievers on the 40-man roster
As it stands, the Blue Jays currently have 16 Blue Jays on the 40-man roster or the 60-day Injured List. There’s a good chance quite a few of these players will be designated for assignment as the off-season begins.
We’ll sort from the regulars to players who could end up being DFA’ed.
Jordan Romano
Jordan Romano dealt with injuries all season, eventually being shut down for the season in early June due to an elbow injury.
When healthy, Romano had a 6.59 ERA and a 6.17 FIP in 13.2 innings pitched, along with a 21 K% and a 6.5 BB%. it wasn’t a bad start to his season, but over his final five appearances, he gave up six earned runs in 3 innings pitched.
Erik Swanson
Like Romano, Erik Swanson started the season on the Injured List and had a tough start to the season. Overall, he finished with a 5.03 ERA and a 6.06 FIP in 39.1 innings pitched, along with a 22 K% and an 8.3 BB%.
Upon returning to the Blue Jays in late July, Swanson finished the season with a 2.55 ERA and a 4.95 FIP (3.54 xFIP) in 24.2 innings pitched. Moreover, the 31-year-old had a 27.6 K% and a 10.2 BB% in that span.
Génesis Cabrera
Before the 2023 trade deadline, the Blue Jays traded prospect catcher Sammy Hernandez to the St. Louis Cardinals for the recently DFA’ed Génesis Cabrera.
He’s been nothing but good for the Jays, as he finished the 2024 season with a 3.59 ERA and a 5.13 FIP in 62.2 innings pitched in 69 outings. His 18.5 K% was on the low side, while he walked 10.7% of batters, but he became their key left-handed pitcher in the bullpen.
Chad Green
After Jordan Romano’s injury and Yimi García’s trade, Chad Green became the de facto closer in the Jays bullpen.
Top of the order? No problem for Chad Green 👊
Last season, Green finished with a 3.21 ERA and a 4.29 FIP in 53.1 innings pitched, along with a 21.9 K% and a 6.7 BB% with 17 saves in 20 opportunities. Before the injuries and trades, Green also picked up seven holds.
Ryan Burr
The Blue Jays traded cash to the Philadelphia Phillies for reliever Ryan Burr at the end of May. In July, he became a regular for the Blue Jays.
Burr had a sneakily good season, posting a 4.13 ERA and a 3.07 FIP in 32.2 innings pitched. His 33.6 K% was the second-highest for any Blue Jay reliever besides Yimi García, while his 8.6 BB% was respectable.
The 100th career strikeout for Ryan Burr 👏
While he may not be a lock for the bullpen next season, Burr will surely be at worst an AAAA player as he has an additional option year remaining in 2025.
Brendon Little
Brendon Little is in the same boat as Burr. While not one of the four core relievers (Romano, Green, Cabrera, Swanson), Little spent most of the season with the Blue Jays in 2024.
Congratulations to Brendon Little on his first career @MLB save! #TOTHECORE
Overall, the lefty had a 3.74 ERA and a 4.90 FIP in 45.2 innings pitched. Moreover, the 28-year-old had an 18.7 K% and a 9.8 K%. Like Burr, Little could be optioned next season, as he has two option years remaining.
Hagen Danner
Hagen Danner, 26, has only pitched a third of an inning in the big leagues but pitched the majority of the season in Triple-A last season. With the Bisons, the former catcher had a 3.15 ERA and a 4.24 FIP in 34.1 innings pitched, along with a 23.3 K% and an 8.9 BB%.
The Blue Jays added Hagen Danner to the 40-man roster after the 2021 season, meaning that he has no more option years remaining. He’ll have to make the Blue Jays roster out of Spring Training or risk being claimed off waivers.
Brandon Eisert
Brandon Eisert is also a prospect reliever like Danner. Unlike Danner, Eisert pitched a bit in the big leagues this season, posting a 4.05 ERA and a 4.37 FIP in 6.2 innings pitched, with a 7.7 K% and a 15.4 BB%.
From an 18th-Round Pick to 2 scoreless innings in his @MLB debut! Welcome to The Show, Brandon Eisert 👏
With the Buffalo Bisons, Eisert finished the year with a 3.86 ERA and a 4.09 FIP in 53.2 innings pitched, with a 29.1 K% and a 9.3 BB%. Removing the first game where he gave up a ton of runs, Eisert finished the year with a 2.72 ERA and a 3.59 FIP in 53 innings pitched, with a 29.8 K% and a 9.2 BB%.
Nick Robertson
Toward the end of the season, the Blue Jays claimed Nick Robertson off waivers, eventually calling him up in the final series of the season.
Robertson only pitched a scoreless inning with the Jays but had a 4.05 ERA and a 4.44 FIP in 13.1 innings, most of which came with the St. Louis Blues. In the big leagues last season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, the 26-year-old finished with a 6.04 ERA and a 3.88 FIP in 22.1 innings pitched.
Robertson has an additional option year remaining and could remain on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster.
Dillon Tate
Like Robertson, and the majority of the rest of the relievers we’ll look at, Tate was claimed after the trade deadline by the Blue Jays.
The 30-year-old only pitched 3.1 innings with Toronto, posting a 5.40 ERA and a 3.47 FIP. For the season, he pitched 36.2 innings with a 4.66 ERA and a 3.71 FIP, along with a 16.5 K% and a 7.3 BB%.
Tate has an option year remaining for 2025 but is expected to make $1.9 million in arbitration according to MLB Trade Rumors. He could be a non-tender candidate or remain, who knows.
Tommy Nance
The Blue Jays traded for Tommy Nance in August, and the 33-year-old righty had a solid season with Toronto.
He finished the season with a 4.09 ERA and a 3.98 FIP in 22 innings pitched, along with a 20.4 K% and a 9.7 BB%. Unlike most pitchers the Jays acquired after the trade deadline, Nance has no option seasons remaining, meaning he needs to make the 2025 Blue Jays out of Spring Training or be exposed to waivers.
It’s possible that despite his success in 2024, Nance will be waived to open up a 40-man roster spot.
Easton Lucas
The Blue Jays claimed left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas off waivers from the Detroit Tigers in August. Lucas pitched well with the Bisons, posting a 1.37 ERA and a 2.50 FIP in 19.2 innings pitched, three of his appearances being starts.
However, Lucas failed to translate that to the big leagues, allowing six earned runs in 4.2 innings with Toronto. As a whole, Lucas pitched 11.2 innings in the big leagues, posting a 10.80 ERA and a 5.14 FIP between the Blue Jays, Tigers, and Oakland Athletics.
Emmanuel Ramírez
Of the 18 relievers on the Blue Jays 40-man roster, only Hagen Danner and Emmanuel Ramírez didn’t pitch with the big league team in 2024.
Ramírez was claimed in September and headed to the Buffalo Bisons, where he pitched 4.1 innings while giving up five runs (four earned) for an 8.31 ERA and a 7.95 FIP. The 30-year-old also pitched in the big league for the Miami Marlins, posting a 6.97 ERA and a 4.62 FIP in 20.2 innings pitched, with a 22.8 K% and an 8.7 BB%.
Ramírez has two option years remaining, meaning he could be a useful depth piece for the Jays next season.
Zach Pop
Zach Pop was acquired by the Blue Jays before the 2022 trade deadline, as the team moved Jordan Groshans to the Miami Marlins for Pop, Anthony Bass, and Edward Duran. The latter may be the only one remaining in the organization after the conclusion of the off-season.
Pop didn’t have a great year with the Jays, posting a 5.59 ERA and a 4.42 FIP in 48.1 innings pitched, along with a 15.8 K% and a 9.1 BB%. He’s always been a ground ball pitcher and had a 54.6 GB%.
However, Pop is out of option years and is expected to make $1 million in arbitration according to MLB Trade Rumors. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s non-tendered.
Luis Frías
Luis Frías was claimed by the Blue Jays in August and had a rough few outings with the Blue Jays, allowing eight earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched for a 21.60 ERA and a 6.77 FIP. As a whole, Frías had 9.2 innings pitched with a 13.97 ERA and a 5.55 FIP.
Although he had success with the National League pennant-winning Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023, Frías has no option years remaining and he’ll likely be designated for assignment at some point this off-season.
Brett de Geus
You know the story by now, the Blue Jays claimed Brett de Geus off waivers in September and the results weren’t great, giving up four earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched for a 15.43 ERA. For the season, de Geus finished with a 7.15 ERA and a 3.78 FIP in 11.1 innings pitched.
de Geus has two option years remaining, and the FIP was solid, so maybe he’ll survive the roster cuts.
Depth
There are a few intriguing relievers in the minor league system who could make their debut during the 2025 season.
Eric Pardinho
Eric Pardinho was once ranked as the 96th-best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline in 2019. It took a while, but the 23-year-old Brazilian is living up to the hype.
Between Double-A and Triple-A, Pardinho had a 3.25 ERA and a 3.60 FIP in 55.1 innings pitched, with a 28.1 K% and an 11.9 BB%. Throughout the season, Paridnho had two different streaks of a month or longer of scoreless baseball.
Here's Eric Pardinho's stats since August 17: 9 games 10.2 innings pitched 35.9 K% 2.6 BB% 0 ERA 1.23 FIP It's not even his best stretch of the season. From April 24 to June 19: 18 games 23 IP 38.1 K% 11.9 BB% 0 ERA 1.91 FIP He has to be added to the 40-man, right?
Paridnho is Rule 5 eligible this off-season, and he’s the only real lock the Blue Jays have in the system.
Connor Cooke
Another reliever who is Rule 5 eligible this off-season is Connor Cooke. The 24-year-old righty made a name for himself in 2023 as he posted a 4.06 ERA and 2.71 FIP in 44.1 innings pitched, with a 40.6 K% and a 9.6 BB% between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A.
Cooke’s first full season in Triple-A didn’t go nearly as well, finishing the year with a 4.55 ERA and a 5.56 FIP in 32.1 innings pitched, with a 20.3 K% and an 18.9 BB%. The Jays will likely get away with leaving him exposed in the Rule 5 draft, but he’ll need to have a good start to the 2025 season.
Mason Fluharty
Mason Fluharty could be the Jays’ next great left-handed pitcher, as the 2022 fifth-round draft pick had a good season with the Buffalo Bisons.
In 67 innings pitched, the 23-year-old lefty had a 3.63 ERA and a 4.15 FIP, with a 27.4 K% and a 9 BB%. Fluharty held left-handed batters to a slash line of .200/.292/.365 with a K% of 33.3%.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.