Aside from the nightmares elicited by the conclusion of the 2025 World Series, Toronto Blue Jays fans occasionally wake up with cold sweats recalling the 2015 Kansas City Royals’ three-headed bullpen monster of Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland.

That Royals club could shorten games like no other team in baseball that year, as they owned the best reliever ERA in the American League. The Royals’ 89 strikeouts during the 2015 postseason stand as the third-highest during a single postseason run. Handing over the game with a lead to that trio of Davis-Herrera-Holland was essentially lights-out for the competition.

MLB is a copycat league, and teams tried and failed to replicate the success of that World Series-winning squad. But like any fashion trend, old styles become en vogue again, and relief pitching was one of the saving graces of the 2026 Blue Jays.

Their 3.58 ERA was seventh-best in MLB, which is one of the few places you’d see “top 10” and “Blue Jays” in the same sentence. So why not lean into that aspect of run prevention in 2027 and build on the area of the team that succeeded in 2026?

There is no shortage of free agent relievers this offseason, but only a few who will command multi-year contracts. One of those names is former New York Yankees closer David Bednar, who could make a solid Blue Jays bullpen even more formidable.

During his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bednar was always a trade target in the minds of sly Blue Jays devotees. At the end of the 2024 season, he was a buy-low candidate after coming off a 5.77 ERA, but the Pirates wisely hung onto their former All-Star closer and traded him at the 2025 deadline to the Yankees.

Since arriving in the Bronx in August 2025, Bednar has come as advertised, converting 45 of 52 save attempts in pinstripes. In 2026 alone, Bednar converted 90 per cent of his save attempts, while posting a 27.1 per cent strikeout rate.

The New York Post hasn’t incorporated Bednar into any punny back-page stories, so he must be doing something right. He’s somehow flown under the radar, playing in one of the highest-pressure environments in professional sports.

One small red flag from Bednar’s 2026 season was that his strikeout rate saw a decrease of 7.2 percentage points, but his out-of-zone swing percentage was sixth-best in the league, behind a who’s who of the game’s best relievers like Tanner Scott, Adrian Morejon and Trevor Megill.

Those numbers were likely thanks to Bednar’s curveball, which had a 39.5 per cent whiff rate this past season. His 38.4 per cent chase rate was the highest of his career and in the 99th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.

If the Blue Jays were toying with the idea of building a super bullpen to contend with the best relief corps in the game, Bednar would be one of the best options to join the cavalry.

Alongside Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers and Spencer Miles, Bednar could anchor a bullpen not seen in Toronto since the late 2000s. B.J. Ryan, Scott Downs, Jesse Carlson, Brian Tallet and others headlined the 2008 Blue Jays bullpen gang, which remains arguably the best in franchise history.

Next to Adrian Morejon, Bednar is expected to be the most coveted free agent reliever on the market. The Blue Jays would essentially be buying back an upgrade on Jeff Hoffman, but at a much higher price in free agency. Hoffman’s deal was $33 million over three years, and that’s merely the baseline for what Bednar will fetch on the open market.

Spotrac figures Bednar’s market value at $47.1 million over three years. In comparison, MLB Trade Rumors posits $68 million over four years, and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN puts Bednar’s next contract at $60 million over three years.

While those are closer-esque figures, that doesn’t necessarily mean Bednar would take over the closer’s role from Varland. I’m sure Varland would be amenable to whichever role benefits the greater good of the team, and if Bednar prefers the ninth inning, then so be it. But there’s a way to add another top-tier reliever to the Blue Jays bullpen and still make it work.

Rogers is the highest-priced reliever in Toronto’s bullpen, earning $12.3 million next year, so the Blue Jays can afford to pay above-market value for a reliever like Bednar.

The rest of the team’s relievers will be paid peanuts as they go through arbitration. Building a bullpen out of high-priced relievers is never a good strategy, but anchoring one or two is feasible for a top-five payroll team like the Blue Jays.

By having Bednar anchor the bullpen, the Blue Jays could then afford to give Miles a shot at being a member of the starting rotation. For a while there, he played a hybrid role on the roster, but adding an established veteran like Bednar to the bullpen would give the Jays a longer leash to experiment with Miles in the rotation.

All the while, the Blue Jays would be building a three-headed (or four-headed) bullpen monster of their own.

Some baseball traditions never get old. The Perfect 9 Collection is our newest limited-edition collaboration with Blue Jays Today, inspired by the viral 9/9/9 challenge that has become a staple of baseball culture. Whether you’re taking on the challenge or just enjoying a day at the ballpark, this collection celebrates the moments that make baseball unforgettable. Featuring premium Levelwear apparel with elevated fabrics and modern fits, it’s designed for fans who live and breathe the game—on game day and beyond. Limited edition. Premium quality. Built for baseball fans. Shop the Perfect 9 Collection while it lasts. Exclusively at nationgear.ca