<p>The Blue Jays made a significant trade yesterday, acquiring defensive stalwart Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians. Fan favourite Spencer Horwitz was sent to Cleveland (and then to Pittsburgh), leading to some <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/the-andres-gimenez-trade-doesnt-make-much-sense-for-the-blue-jays">mixed reviews on the deal</a>.</p>
<p>Along with the middle infielder, the Jays received reliever Nick Sandlin, a right-handed reliever that should immediately factor into their bullpen plans.</p>
<p>The club&#8217;s bullpen woes have been well documented and the organization has slowly been overhauling the staff this past winter. The Jays ranked 29th out of 30 teams in bullpen ERA last year, and don&#8217;t appear to have a wealth of relief prospects in their system ready to contribute. Yimi García was <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/the-blue-jays-reportedly-sign-yimi-garcia-to-a-two-year-deal">brought back to Toronto</a> with a two-year contract worth $15 million earlier that day, six months after being traded to Seattle at the deadline. Garcia and Sandlin are a good start to providing some consistency later in games.</p>
<h3>What Sandlin brings to the table</h3>
<p>The 27-year-old debuted for the Guardians in 2021, immediately proving to be a solid piece in their bullpen. He managed a 2.94 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings, providing a nice stopgap between the team&#8217;s starter and high-leverage relievers. The Evans, Georgia native followed that up with a 2.25 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 2022 through 44 innings, showing that his rookie season was no fluke. His strikeout numbers did regress however, going from 12.8 K/9 to just 8.4 &#8211; a 4.4-point difference.</p>
<p>Sandlin&#8217;s last two seasons saw an uptick in workload, eclipsing 60 games pitched in both seasons. He finished each campaign with an identical 3.75 ERA, with his strikeout rate climbing back up to 9.9 and 10.6, respectively. His walk rate was somewhat lower in these two seasons as well, but he started to get hit out of the ballpark more often. After posting 0.5 and 0.4 HR/9 in his first two seasons, he saw those tallies tick up to 1.8 in 2023 and 1.9 last season. He also allowed 7.2 H/9 in 2024 after posting sub-6.0 value numbers in his first three seasons.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that Sandlin&#8217;s FIP numbers have declined in each of his four seasons, starting at 2.96 and most recently posting a 5.23 mark. Limiting the home run numbers and limiting the walks while maintaining his strikeout rate will be important for him moving forward.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Newest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> RP Nick Sandlin (FA after &#39;27) has a unique arm angle &amp; misses plenty of bats (95th percentile whiff%) but has struggled with command in the past. </p>
<p>27 y/o has all 3 MiLB options heading into 2025. <a href="https://t.co/bG3xjB5by2">pic.twitter.com/bG3xjB5by2</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hall_Thomas_/status/1866631514223735009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h3>Sandlin&#8217;s arsenal</h3>
<p>The former second-round pick does not have overpowering stuff, instead relying on a mix of pitches that keep hitters off balance. His fastball sits in the low 90&#8217;s while also throwing a slider, sinker, and splitter. He threw his slider more than any other pitch in 2024, 35% of the time. The fastball (30%) and split (27%) had similar usage, while his sinker was a distant fourth offering (9%). He operates from a lower arm slot delivery that adds deception to his pitches.</p>
<p>Sandlin&#8217;s <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-sandlin-680704?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb">Baseball Savant</a> page paints a picture of what kind of pitcher he is. His fastball run value was in the 4th percentile, while his off-speed run value was in the 97th percentile and one of the best in the league.</p>
<p>Since he has below-average velocity, the importance of throwing his off-speed pitches for strikes is important for his success. He was in the 1st percentile in hard-hit rate, as hitters routinely teed off on his fastball when it was thrown over the plate. This puts added emphasis on him throwing strikes and remaining ahead of the count, where he then becomes less predictable.</p>
<p>One of the more exciting things for the Jays should be the fact that he was in the 95th percentile in whiff rate last year, despite struggling in some other areas. Unless he can add a tick or two onto his fastball, we might see the former Guardian rely even more on his off-speed pitches moving forward.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nick Sandlin, Bohemian Rhapsody Splitter. ☠️⚰️ <a href="https://t.co/LMGXMm2W0Q">pic.twitter.com/LMGXMm2W0Q</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1699522120118571365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h3>What role will he have in 2025?</h3>
<p>The Blue Jays are just getting started on their offseason, leaving their bullpen construction (and team in general) up in the air at the present moment. It would be surprising if the team acquired Sandlin with plans to insert him into a high-leverage role, but there&#8217;s a chance that they can unlock more potential for him going forward.</p>
<p>With the volatility of relief pitching, it&#8217;s pretty remarkable that the five-foot-eleven right-hander has completed four straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00 while avoiding much attention. Since the Guardians bullpen was loaded last season, Sandlin was simply a part of the mix and not relied on in high-leverage spots.</p>
<p>Acquiring several more arms like Sandlin will be important for the Jays to rebuild their bullpen after the disaster that was 2024. Even if he settles into a middle relief role with the Jays, his consistency will be a welcome sight for this team.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Blue Jays made a significant trade yesterday, acquiring defensive stalwart Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians. Fan favourite Spencer Horwitz was sent to Cleveland (and then to Pittsburgh), leading to some <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/the-andres-gimenez-trade-doesnt-make-much-sense-for-the-blue-jays">mixed reviews on the deal</a>.

Along with the middle infielder, the Jays received reliever Nick Sandlin, a right-handed reliever that should immediately factor into their bullpen plans.

The club's bullpen woes have been well documented and the organization has slowly been overhauling the staff this past winter. The Jays ranked 29th out of 30 teams in bullpen ERA last year, and don't appear to have a wealth of relief prospects in their system ready to contribute. Yimi García was <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/the-blue-jays-reportedly-sign-yimi-garcia-to-a-two-year-deal">brought back to Toronto</a> with a two-year contract worth $15 million earlier that day, six months after being traded to Seattle at the deadline. Garcia and Sandlin are a good start to providing some consistency later in games.
<h3>What Sandlin brings to the table</h3>
The 27-year-old debuted for the Guardians in 2021, immediately proving to be a solid piece in their bullpen. He managed a 2.94 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings, providing a nice stopgap between the team's starter and high-leverage relievers. The Evans, Georgia native followed that up with a 2.25 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 2022 through 44 innings, showing that his rookie season was no fluke. His strikeout numbers did regress however, going from 12.8 K/9 to just 8.4 - a 4.4-point difference.

Sandlin's last two seasons saw an uptick in workload, eclipsing 60 games pitched in both seasons. He finished each campaign with an identical 3.75 ERA, with his strikeout rate climbing back up to 9.9 and 10.6, respectively. His walk rate was somewhat lower in these two seasons as well, but he started to get hit out of the ballpark more often. After posting 0.5 and 0.4 HR/9 in his first two seasons, he saw those tallies tick up to 1.8 in 2023 and 1.9 last season. He also allowed 7.2 H/9 in 2024 after posting sub-6.0 value numbers in his first three seasons.

It's worth noting that Sandlin's FIP numbers have declined in each of his four seasons, starting at 2.96 and most recently posting a 5.23 mark. Limiting the home run numbers and limiting the walks while maintaining his strikeout rate will be important for him moving forward.

https://twitter.com/Hall_Thomas_/status/1866631514223735009
<h3>Sandlin's arsenal</h3>
The former second-round pick does not have overpowering stuff, instead relying on a mix of pitches that keep hitters off balance. His fastball sits in the low 90's while also throwing a slider, sinker, and splitter. He threw his slider more than any other pitch in 2024, 35% of the time. The fastball (30%) and split (27%) had similar usage, while his sinker was a distant fourth offering (9%). He operates from a lower arm slot delivery that adds deception to his pitches.

Sandlin's <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-sandlin-680704?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb">Baseball Savant</a> page paints a picture of what kind of pitcher he is. His fastball run value was in the 4th percentile, while his off-speed run value was in the 97th percentile and one of the best in the league.

Since he has below-average velocity, the importance of throwing his off-speed pitches for strikes is important for his success. He was in the 1st percentile in hard-hit rate, as hitters routinely teed off on his fastball when it was thrown over the plate. This puts added emphasis on him throwing strikes and remaining ahead of the count, where he then becomes less predictable.

One of the more exciting things for the Jays should be the fact that he was in the 95th percentile in whiff rate last year, despite struggling in some other areas. Unless he can add a tick or two onto his fastball, we might see the former Guardian rely even more on his off-speed pitches moving forward.

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1699522120118571365
<h3>What role will he have in 2025?</h3>
The Blue Jays are just getting started on their offseason, leaving their bullpen construction (and team in general) up in the air at the present moment. It would be surprising if the team acquired Sandlin with plans to insert him into a high-leverage role, but there's a chance that they can unlock more potential for him going forward.

With the volatility of relief pitching, it's pretty remarkable that the five-foot-eleven right-hander has completed four straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00 while avoiding much attention. Since the Guardians bullpen was loaded last season, Sandlin was simply a part of the mix and not relied on in high-leverage spots.

Acquiring several more arms like Sandlin will be important for the Jays to rebuild their bullpen after the disaster that was 2024. Even if he settles into a middle relief role with the Jays, his consistency will be a welcome sight for this team.

&nbsp;

Recently acquired reliever Nick Sandlin brings whiffs to the Blue Jays bullpen

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