THE RELIEVERS: BULLPEN DEEP IN THE BACK END
Veteran closer Drew Storen and other new arrivals should greatly improve pen
Projected relievers for the Blue Jays’ bullpen:
DREW STOREN
Has the most experience of any Blue Jays reliever, with 95 saves over the past six seasons. Storen’s a proven closer from Washington and he competed for the Jays job with incumbent Roberto Osuna in spring training. Storen suffered a seasonending hand injury after punching his locker and ended the year with 29 saves and a 3.44 ERA. He is in the last year of a contract that pays him $8.38 million (U.S.) this season.
ROBERTO OSUNA
The 21-year-old native of Mexico exploded onto the scene in 2015, becoming the team’s closer and finishing fourth in the race for rookie of the year, with 75 strikeouts and just 16 walks over 69.2 innings. Osuna was “stretched out” in spring training for a potential setup role but he said his focus is on the closer’s role only.
BRETT CECIL (LH)
He has one of the most devastating curve balls of any reliever in the AL, and is in his contract year after establishing himself as a premier, lateinning reliever in 2015. Set a franchise record by not allowing an earned run after June 24. Jays suffered a huge loss when he tore a calf muscle during a rundown in Game 2 of the ALDS.
GAVIN FLOYD
The tall, personable 33-year-old will cover long-relief duties out of the bullpen, unless he’s called on to bail out the rotation due to injury or poor performance. Had an outstanding spring after broken bones in his elbow limited his innings over the past two seasons.
JESSE CHAVEZ
The Jays signed Chavez as the classic “swingman,” a role they have not filled successfully since Carlos Villanueva in the 2011-12 seasons. Chavez is adept at starting and filling a long relief role on short notice. Last year with the A’s, he started 26 games (7-15, 4.18 ERA).
AARON LOUP (LH)
Loup starts off the season on the disabled list. He got off to a rough start in spring training, suffering a strain in the tendon below his left elbow.
He only started short toss three weeks into the camp.
JOE BIAGINI
The beefy right-hander — he stands six-foot-four and weighs 240 pounds — was selected by the Jays (at a cost of $50,000) from the San Francisco Giants in this year’s Rule 5 draft, meaning he has to make the team and stay on the active roster for the entire season or be offered back to the Giants for $25,000. The Jays would like to keep the 26-year-old righty, who put up a 2.42 ERA in 22 Double-A starts, but he is on the bubble.
ARNOLD LEON
Jays fans may remember Leon as the man at the centre of the CanadaMexico brawl in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, but now the 27year-old is fighting for a job on the fringes of the Blue Jays’ bullpen. He Clockwise from top left: Drew Storen, Brett Cecil, Jesse Chavez, Joe Biagini, Ryan Tepera, Arnold Leon, Aaron Loup and Gavin Floyd. hasn’t allowed a run in seven spring innings and is out of minor-league options.
RYAN TEPERA
The minor-league journeyman made his big-league debut with the Jays last season, putting up a 3.27 ERA in 33 low-leverage innings. Despite being right-handed, he is actually tougher against left-handed batters and could make the team as a pseudo lefty specialist with Loup starting the season on the DL.