Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins hopes bullpen moves will help
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
The Toronto Blue Jays were touted as the baseball team with one of the worst bullpens in Major League Baseball last season where the team was ranked 29th, to which general manager Ross Atkins made several acquisitions in hopes for a big payoff this season.
Atkins has been criticized throughout the winter off season for not getting enough talented players to sign with the Blue Jays especially in their offensive ranks. But it was important to note that he had made several improvements in their bullpen which was a major concern going into this season.
Blue Jays bullpen should be more competitive this year
The first part of completing a bullpen re-tooling is to dismantle parts that were harmful to the team's performance in 2024. The Blue Jays moved on from Nate Pearson, Tim Mayza, Mitch White, Trevor Richards, and longtime closer Jordan Romano over the course of the regular season and ensuing offseason. - Ethan Hyatt
It became clear that their bullpen was completely ineffective as their ERA was ballooning over 4.50 and not giving the relief at the starting pitchers needed. The old bullpen also derailed good starts by their starting pitching which included Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt.
Atkins decided to bring in at least three improved players who will give his bullpen a better look and will give the team the relief that's required.
Akins brought in three notable names to help bullpen
The Blue Jays decided to bring back their former 2014 draft pick Jeff Hoffman and signed him to a three-year deal worth $33 million. He was originally traded from the organization along with Jose Reyes, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco for Troy Tulowitzki.
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Sporting an ERA of just 2.17 across 66.1 innings of work last season, it seems as though Toronto has found its closer for the next few seasons - a title that was held by a revolving door of players in 2024. Hoffman played more of a set-up role in Philadelphia as he only notched 10 saves in his All-Star campaign, but nonetheless could certainly be the anchor in Toronto. - Ethan Hyatt
Yimi Garcia and Nick Sandlin were the other two names that Will help the Blue Jays this season. Garcia signed a contract that was two years and $15 million as the Blue Jays felt confident in re signing him After he was traded away to the Seattle Mariners at the deadline.
In the two and a half seasons that Garcia pitched out of the Blue Jays' bullpen, he racked up 179 strikeouts in 157 innings of work with a strong 3.44 ERA. In 2024, hitters mustered a mere .148 batting average on his four-seam fastball, his primary pitch. Ethan Hyatt
Atkins also brought in Nick Sandlin Who will give the Blue Jays 8 different look
when it comes to his pitching style.
His 12� arm slot gives hitters a much different look as opposed to the rest of their pitching staff, and his 33.7% whiff rate in 2024 reflects this difference as Baseball Savant ranked him in the 95th percentile. Ethan Hyatt
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The team will need to wait and see if these changes will bear fruit but it's safe to say that their bullpen will look far better than it did over the past couple of years and give the team a better chance to win more baseball games and potentially be notable in the American League East.
Source: Just Baseball
How the Blue Jays Rebuilt Their Bullpen
How the Blue Jays Rebuilt Their Bullpen
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