The Toronto Blue Jays bullpen is one of the weakest groups fans have seen in some time, with the statistical background to back up the claims. With the Blue Jays in ‘win now’ mode heading into 2025 with core members slated for free agency, the team will need to upgrade some areas on the roster if they want the contention idea to come to fruition next year.

This would include the bullpen, which without a doubt requires the most help when compared to other areas of the roster. If the club wants to contend in the AL East next season, they need to find some outside veteran relievers that will supplement the carousel of arms the front office has been picking up as of late.

With this in mind, here are three free-agent relievers the Blue Jays should target this offseason to bolster the bullpen corps.

If a big overhaul is needed, why not go fishing for the biggest fish in the pond?

Left-hander Tanner Scott is slated to be one of the top free-agent relievers on the open market this winter and is in line for a big payday. After toying with the Baltimore Orioles relief corps for five years, Scott found a rhythm with the Miami Marlins last season and hasn’t looked back – posting a 1.98 ERA through 142 games over the past two campaigns.

The Miami Marlins shipped him off to San Diego at the trade deadline, so he isn’t eligible for the qualifying offer either – a bonus for any team looking to hold onto their draft picks.

Since 2023, Scott has allowed just 32 earned runs and 58 walks across 145 2/3 innings while posting a 1.030 WHIP and a 232 ERA+. Scott doesn’t get as many opportunities to close with Robert Suarez being the Padres closer but he has the experience to do so, converting 33 of 39 opportunities over the past two seasons with 20 more added in from 2022.

With Jordan Romano returning from an elbow injury next season and also being free agent eligible next winter, adding a closer like Scott is a good plan should the Canadian reliever leave the team or struggle to return to form in the back end of the Blue Jays bullpen. It will cost a pretty penny to sign Scott but the recent stats show that it will be money well spent.

After six seasons in the mile-high city, right-hander Carlos Estévez took his talents to Los Angeles and became the go-to pitcher for the Angels in their bullpen starting in 2023. Estévez continued to pitch well and found an even higher level this year, one of the reasons the Angels shipped off their closer to the Philadelphia Phillies for two prospects.

This season, the Dominican product has found success regardless of where he is pitching. Between the Angels and Phillies, he sports a 2.38 ERA across 52 outings and has 26 saves to go with his work out of the pen. Estévez also owns a 1.9 BB/9 through 53 innings of work and a 0.887 WHIP – a single-season-best mark for the veteran reliever.

The 31-year-old is a bit more of a riskier signing given his track record doesn’t compare as well to Scott but there is also a fair argument to be made that playing in Colorado all those years elevated his stats – he owns a 5.57 ERA through 163 outings at the hitter-friendly park.

With a market value at ~$14 million per Spotrac, Estévez could be a solid addition to the bullpen that provides a go-to arm late in the game alongside Erik Swanson, Chad Green, and Jordan Romano.

Paul Sewald is a name Blue Jays fans likely remember from his time with the Seattle Mariners.

The reliever struggled against the Jays in the 2022 postseason (but got the last laugh) and was also outspoken of the Mariners for hosting Blue Jays merchandise in their team store when Toronto made their trip out to the West Coast.

Making his big league debut for the Mets in 2017, it took a few seasons for Sewald to find a groove and found success with the Mariners starting in 2021, where he made 62 appearances en route to a 3.06 ERA. Throughout two and a half seasons with Seattle, Sewald became the club’s closer and authored a 2.88 ERA through 172 outings, amassing 52 saves to the tune of a 0.926 WHIP.

In a surprising move, the Mariner dealt Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks during the summer of 2023 and after finding success in the desert last year, the right-hander has struggled to replicate that success again. This year, the Nevada product owns a 4.31 ERA across 42 outings and 16 saves but lost his closer position in early August to give him a break from the role. Sewald is currently on the IL with neck discomfort.

While his 2024 campaign has been a step back, Sewald is one reliever who could provide a significant boost to the back end of the bullpen if he can regain his 2021 to 2023 form. It’s a risky move as his market value per Spotrac sits at around $11.6 million after a struggling season but could pay dividends if he becomes the type of arm Jays fans are used to seeing from his Mariners days.