The Blue Jays already have a real weapon at the back end of the bullpen in Louis Varland. The bigger offseason question is whether they want to spend big enough to give him a partner and turn those final innings into a true strength.
San Diego left-hander Adrian Morejon fits that idea. In a recent FanSided report, Pat Ragazzo said a rival executive thinks Morejon could command four years and $60 million in free agency, a deal that would carry a $15 million average annual value. That would put him in the same neighborhood as Robert Suarez’s three-year, $45 million agreement with Atlanta and just behind Devin Williams’ three-year, $51 million deal with the Mets.
That kind of money puts Morejon squarely in top-tier reliever territory, which is why the Blue Jays have to decide how far they want to go.
Morejon is only 27, but he has already put together three straight seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA. The stuff is what makes him so attractive.
His sinker has averaged 99.5 mph, and his four-seamer has sat around 99.3 mph. That kind of velocity from the left side is exactly what clubs hunt for when they’re trying to build a bullpen that can slam the door in October.
For Toronto, the fit is easy to picture. Varland has settled in as a shutdown closer, and Morejon would give the Blue Jays a rare right-left combination at the end of games. In the best-case version, that setup could make late innings feel a lot shorter for opposing lineups.
Morejon also wouldn’t be walking into this role cold. The Padres have used him ahead of Mason Miller, so he’s already been working in high-leverage setup spots. Toronto could plug him into that same job, or it could lean into a closer-by-committee approach and use the matchups to squeeze every advantage out of the ninth inning.
The question is cost. Four years and $60 million is a heavy lift for any reliever, especially one with just eight career saves in 19 chances.
The Blue Jays’ biggest free-agent bullpen deal to date is the three-year, $37 million contract they gave Tyler Rogers this past offseason. On total dollars, B.J.
Ryan’s five-year, $47 million deal in 2005 was larger.
Toronto’s bullpen payroll is relatively light right now. Rogers is the only reliever set to make major money next season, with $12.3 million on the books.
The rest are either in arbitration or headed for free agency. Varland and others are expected to get raises, but at the moment Rogers is the only pitcher in the group making more than a million dollars.
There’s also the qualifying offer angle. If the Padres attach one to Morejon, that could make the signing more complicated, though the new CBA could also change how that part of free agency plays out.
Still, if the Blue Jays think Varland is already one half of an elite late-game duo, Morejon is the type of arm that could finish the picture.
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Cubs May Face A Costly Fight To Keep Their Rotation Together
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Even with a higher ERA this season, Gausman is still expected to draw multiple suitors, which means the Cubs will not be negotiating in a vacuum. They can try to bring him back, but other teams are likely to see the same appeal Chicago does, making his future one of the bigger personnel questions hanging over the winter. [Read more 🡒]