The Toronto Blue Jays are dealing with bullpen problems, and there’s a veteran lefty on the market who could help solve them.
Andrew Chafin opted out of his minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, making him available just as Toronto’s relief pitching depth has taken a hit. The Blue Jays won the American League pennant last year, but injuries have forced them to scramble for solutions.
Here’s the thing – when healthy, this Blue Jays roster has serious potential to compete in the AL again. But that’s been the problem. They can’t seem to get everyone on the field at the same time.
The bullpen situation tells the story. Toronto’s got some bright spots in Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, and Braydon Fisher, but all three throw right-handed. That’s left them heavily tilted to one side.
The lefties they were counting on haven’t delivered. Mason Fluharty and Eric Lauer were supposed to take that next step, but it hasn’t happened. Now Toronto’s looking at a bullpen that’s way too righty-heavy for comfort.
That’s where Chafin comes in.
“As things appear to be headed down a nasty road for the left-handed depth for this unit, a veteran like Chafin — who opted out of his minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds on Monday and has been effective for a long time in the big leagues — could be the perfect addition to jumpstart things,” Michael Brauner of SI wrote.
Chafin’s not going to wow anyone with his stuff, but he’s been getting major league hitters out since 2015. There’s something to be said for a reliever who’s stuck around this long and pitched for multiple contending teams.
He won’t solve all their problems – the Blue Jays need more help than just one veteran reliever can provide. But when you’re dealing with injuries and your bullpen balance is this far off, adding someone who can reliably get left-handed hitters out makes plenty of sense.
The timing works too. Chafin’s available right now, and Toronto needs help right now. Sometimes the best moves aren’t the flashy ones – they’re the ones that fill an obvious hole with a proven commodity.
