NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The relief market could be considered a necessary evil for the Toronto Blue Jays this winter.
They do have bigger issues to address, starting with the outfield, but while pursuing top targets such as Dexter Fowler they’re also faced with a bullpen that lost key contributors to free agency. Increasingly, the sport demands more production from more relievers, so the Blue Jays know they must add meaningfully to their bullpen before opening day.
Prices, however, are uncomfortably high here at the Winter Meetings. Mark Melancon’s record $62-million deal will soon be broken twice, with Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen both poised to cash in. The trade market has been similarly costly, with controllable young position players changing hands in deals for Tyler Thornburg and Wade Davis.
Even the lower-tier options remain expensive—at least for now. Joaquin Benoit, one of the relievers the Blue Jays must replace, obtained $7.5 million for his age-40 season in a deal that surprised many industry observers. In this market, it’s no wonder that GM Ross Atkins points to internal options like Bo Schultz, Ryan Tepera, Danny Barnes and Chris Smith as potential contributors.
“Any one of those guys could make huge strides and that’s what you have to have happen,” Atkins said. “You have to have several alternatives. When it’s four and five you feel better about it.”
The Blue Jays added left-hander Brett Oberholtzer to that mix Wednesday, signing him to a minor-league deal in the hopes that he will compete for a bullpen job in spring training. The 27-year-old was an early off-season target for the Blue Jays, who would stretch him out in the minor leagues if he doesn’t make the opening day roster.
That’s not enough, though, and the Blue Jays know as much. The front office would be putting manager John Gibbons in an exceptionally difficult position if they don’t add a high-quality, left-handed relief option. Otherwise, Gibbons would be forced to turn to Aaron Loup or Matt Dermody the next time Chris Davis steps in with the bases loaded, and that’s asking for trouble.
“I think it’s important to have an established left-handed reliever that gets left-handed hitters out,” Atkins said. “At the same time, there are a lot of right-handed relievers that can do that. If we can have both, we will. We would ideally like to have both.”
The Blue Jays are monitoring the proven left-handed relievers out there with Jerry Blevins and Mike Dunn believed to be among the options they’re considering. Both should obtain multi-year deals, but perhaps the Blue Jays could convince Blevins to take two years, as opposed to three. On the trade market, Detroit Tigers left-hander Justin Wilson warrants a closer look, though it’s unclear if the Blue Jays have shown interest.
If the prices for proven relievers are uncomfortably high, or if the Blue Jays spend most of their available cash on other needs, Atkins could get creative.
“It could also be someone that’s a creative transition or change, someone who was more of a starter,” he said.
On paper, Jorge de la Rosa and Jon Niese fit the description of converted starters, yet it appears Niese will seek work as a starter. As for Francisco Liriano, he’ll return to the rotation in 2017 after pitching out of the bullpen in the playoffs.
This is where a front office can distinguish itself, as evidenced by Andrew Miller’s evolution from failed starter to baseball’s best reliever. On a more modest scale, the Blue Jays appear to be considering conversion candidates of their own.
As if the challenge of bolstering a bullpen affordably weren’t complex enough already, changes to the disabled list rules could also impact reliever usage. A disabled list stint lasts 10 days, instead of 15, allowing teams to use the DL for players who might previously have played through nagging injuries. That could lead to more DL stints and more roster shuffling, putting even more of a premium on an already coveted group: relievers with remaining minor league options.
Chances are we see more teams operate like the Los Angeles Dodgers, who use the disabled list constantly while churning through all kinds of pitchers.
“You have to create your pen in a way that you have multiple inning guys out there, guys that bounce back, have some flexibility with options,” Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday. “You can [then] replenish your bullpen through the course of the season.”
All told, the Blue Jays would make up for the losses of Brett Cecil and Benoit by adding a quality left-hander and an intriguing right-hander or two. The way teams now churn through relievers, there’s no reason to stop there.