By this point in the winter, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Toronto Blue Jays continue being linked to all manner of free agent relievers. They need bullpen help as much as any team in baseball, they have some money to spend and plenty of relievers are still looking for work.
The Blue Jays are known as a team that checks in on all kinds of free agents, however, so by definition most of the players linked to Toronto will end up elsewhere.
The rumours surfaced again Tuesday, when Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported that the Blue Jays have checked in on Burke Badenhop. It’s an intriguing possibility, since Badenhop is coming off of a strong season in which he posted a 2.29 ERA and a 61 percent ground ball rate in 70 games for the Boston Red Sox.
In the right scenario he could help the Blue Jays, as a ground ball-inducing member of a bullpen that presently lacks established right-handed arms. With a career ground ball rate of 56 percent he has value.
That said left-handers hit the right-handed Badenhop really hard. His career numbers against opposite-handed hitters suggest he’s something of a righty specialist.
Burke Badenhop career platoon splits
| Split | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | GB% | xFIP |
| vs. RHB | 268 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 59% | 2.89 |
| vs. LHB | 178 | 4.6 | .4.6 | 52% | 4.81 |
The Blue Jays have also shown some interest in Ronald Belisario, according to Morosi. Nick Ashbourne recently listed Belisario as a potential buy-low relief target for Toronto, explaining that he appears to have been the victim of some bad luck. The 32-year-old looks like a worthwhile relief target for Toronto, especially if he’s willing to accept a minor league deal after posting a 5.56 ERA in 2014.
The Blue Jays are also among the teams considering Johan Santana, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported Tuesday. Santana is a two-time Cy Young Award winner, but he has battled serious shoulder capsule injuries and last pitched at the MLB level with the 2012 New York Mets. If healthy, he’d be positioned to sign an incentive-based minor league deal similar to the one he obtained from the Baltimore Orioles last year. But Santana’s experiencing shoulder discomfort again and until that soreness disappears, teams will have reservations about bringing him aboard.
JAYS-DONALDSON RELATIONSHIP: There’s nothing wrong with the fact that the Blue Jays could not avoid arbitration with Josh Donaldson by Friday’s deadline for exchanging proposals.
Yes, it’s the first major contract negotiation between the Blue Jays and their new star. Yes, it would’ve been preferable to avoid arbitration. But the sides may yet agree to a short-term multi-year deal. If not, they go to an arbitration hearing at which point the sides will make fact-based arguments based on precedent, not orchestrate smear campaigns.
So there’s no sense in worrying that the Blue Jays have poisoned their relationship with Donaldson. By that logic, the Marlins are in trouble with Mat Latos, the Athletics are in trouble with Tyler Clippard and the Red Sox are in trouble with Wade Miley. After all, none of those players reached agreements with their new teams. In reality it’s just business. The teams know it and most players do, too.
