The Toronto Blue Jays have made pitching a priority this offseason. Shane Bieber shocked MLB executives by staying with Toronto instead of exploring more lucrative deals elsewhere. They followed that up by making a big splash by signing free agent aces Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. As far as relievers are concerned, Edwin Diaz, Pete Fairbanks, Robert Suarez, Tyler Rogers, and Brad Keller have all been linked to the Blue Jays.
Of course, all of these moves come independent of what happens with Bo Bichette. The Blue Jays are the favorites to land Kyle Tucker, while other insiders believe there is a big possibility that Toronto can secure both big bats.
Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, the reliever free agent market is drying up fast. They must act now to add an impact arm to their bullpen. However, they can go in a new direction after striking out on the top closers on the market.
Toronto Blue Jays Swing-and-Miss on Edwin Diaz & Robert Suarez
At one point, the Blue Jays were predicted to come out of free agency with either Diaz or Suarez. Now, they have neither.
On December 11, Jeff Passan broke the news of Suarez’s new deal with the Atlanta Braves.
“BREAKING: Closer Robert Suarez and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a three-year, $45 million contract, sources tell ESPN,” Passan wrote on X.
This comes just a few days after the Los Angeles Dodgers locked up Diaz for the next three seasons. Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that, “the Blue Jays talked with Robert Suarez before he ultimately signed with the Braves.”
Now, the Blue Jays must pivot and find a suitable option to bolster their bullpen.
Tyler Rogers Presents a Unique Option
In early October, Joel Reuters of Bleacher Report made predictions on players who would help each MLB team. For the Blue Jays, their bullpen presented the most prominent place for improvement.
According to Reuters, “The Blue Jays ranked 16th in the majors with a 3.98 ERA from their relief corps and got a lackluster season from new closer Jeff Hoffman (71 G, 33/40 SV, 4.37 ERA), so upgrading the bullpen this winter will be a top priority.”
He goes on to explain why bringing in a 34-year-old reliever would be in the team’s best interest.
“Young arms such as Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Brendon Little and Yariel Rodríguez give them depth, but another experienced late-inning veteran should be atop their wish list,” continues Reuters.
Another insider has Rogers on the Blue Jays shortlist of reliever targets.
“They’ve checked on most top relievers in free agency, as they do for most markets of need, and many have now signed,” Bannon wrote. “I look to Pete Fairbanks, Tyler Rogers and Luke Weaver as the best fits left.”
How Does Tyler Rogers Improve the Blue Jays Bullpen?
Rogers had a stellar ERA of 1.98 in 2025. More impressive than that is his 2.65 expected ERA (xERA), ranked 14th among all pitchers.
The 34-year-old throws a submarine-style release, which is extremely rare nowadays. This makes him a significantly difficult pitcher to read. That allows him to throw pitches at a much lower velocity than league average and still be effective.
His sinker comes in at 83.5 MPH, nine MPH below average. Additionally, his slider clocks in at 74.1 MPH compared to the 86.6 MPH that is average for RHP.
The biggest advantage that Rogers would give Toronto’s bullpen comes in the home run department. He has only given up 28 home runs over his entire seven-year career.
This feat should not be undervalued. In 2025, Jeff Hoffman and Chad Green surrendered a combined 29 home runs – more than Rogers has allowed in his career.
As far as potential role goes, Rogers would be the ideal setup arm. In four of the past five seasons he has recorded at least 30 holds. In 2025, Rogers’ 32 Holds were the fourth-most among all MLB relievers.
Rogers won’t break the bank either. Spotrac has his market value at $11.3 million per year. Meanwhile, MLBTradeRumors predicts he will earn a two-year, $18 million deal.
Missing out on Diaz and Suarez isn’t a great feeling. However, adding someone with Rogers talents will help ease the pain.
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