Five starters Jays could be targeting
Zimmermann and Samardzija both had down years in 2015, but have been durable arms
After bringing back Marco Estrada on a two-year deal, the Blue Jays say they are still looking to add starting pitching to fill the void expected to be left by David Price. Here’s a look at five free-agent starters they may be inclined to target.
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN
Assuming Price walks and Zack Greinke isn’t interested in coming to Toronto, Jordan Zimmermann represents the next best starting pitcher on the market. He could probably be had for about two-thirds the cost of Price. Still just 29, the Jays may feel comfortable going beyond five years for the durable righty, who has averaged 200 innings over the last four seasons following 2010’s Tommy John surgery and subsequent innings cap in 2011. The career Washington National is coming off something of a down season — posting a good-but-not-great 3.66 ERA after back-to-back all-star campaigns — but his body of work remains impressive. Since Zimmermann rejected the Nationals’ qualifying offer, the Jays would have to forfeit their firstround draft pick (26th overall) to sign him. Projected cost: $20 million per season on a five- or six-year deal.
JEFF SAMARDZIJA
A notch below Zimmermann is Jeff Samardzija, the 30-year-old former Cubs’ righty who would have been due a much bigger payday if he hadn’t endured such a miserable 2015 season with the White Sox. “Shark” had the third-highest ERA among qualified starters and was particularly brutal in the second half. The Jays have long been linked to Samardzija, going back to the 2014 season when he was dealt from the Cubs to Oakland at the deadline. Like Zimmerman, Samardzija turned down a qualifying offer, so any team that signs him will have to give up a pick. Projected cost: Four- or five-year deal in the $60-$75 million range.
MIKE LEAKE
Before talks for David Price heated up at this year’s deadline, the Jays discussed a trade with Cincinnati for Mike Leake, a reliable if unremarkable mid-rotation arm. So they have been interested in the 28-year-old right-hander in the past. The San Francisco Giants ended up landing him and are the front-runners to bring him back, but the Jays will likely be in the bidding. Since he was traded midway through last season he was ineligible to receive a qualifying offer, so the Jays wouldn’t have to give up a draft pick to sign him, but chances are they will be scared off by the long-term nature of deals reportedly being offered to the contact pitcher — in the five-year range — who has had an ERA below 3.70 just once in his six-year career. Projected cost: Four or five years in the $60-$75 million range.
DOUG FISTER
This would be a buy-low, reclamation project for the Jays, who pursued Fister back in the 2013-14 offseason before he was dealt by Detroit to the Nationals. The 31-year-old right-hander is coming off a terrible season in which he put up career-low numbers and was shunted to the bullpen. But in five seasons prior to this year, he had a 3.29 ERA while averaging 180 innings. The Jays may feel that body of work deserves a one-year flyer, in the hopes Fister finds what he lost. But with his strikeouts and walks trending in the wrong direction, and his once-stellar groundball rate shrunk considerably, it would be a risky proposition. Projected cost: One-year deal in $8$12 million range, hoping to rebuild his value for another run at free agency.
MIKE PELFREY
It wouldn’t make many headlines or spark a ticket-buying rush, but a lowcost veteran like Mike Pelfrey could be attractive to the Jays, especially if they see Marcus Stroman as capable of leading the staff. Pelfrey’s no ace, to be sure, but some of his peripheral stats suggest he was better than his 4.26 ERA and could be a decent fourth or fifth starter. He had the lowest home-run rate among AL starters, for example, which might catch the Jays’ eye given the Rogers Centre’s home-run hospitality. It’s not inconceivable to think Pelfrey could be to the Jays in 2016 what Marco Estrada was this year. Projected cost: One or two-year deal for less than $10 million per.