The Blue Jays are definitely looking for some help on the mound in the starter rotation and in the bullpen. They’re not looking for anyone to win the Cy Young, but reliable support staff.
And according to Scott Mitchell’s sources, the name of Tyler Mahle (Cincinnati Reds pitcher) is worth remembering since the Blue Jays tried to acquire him before the work stoppage.
Infield spots, No. 5 starter top Jays’ to-do list – TSN.ca
There’s going to be a frenzied roster-building window once baseball’s new CBA is agreed to. Scott Mitchell looks at the four most pressing items on the to-do list for Toronto’s front office.
Mahle, for those who don’t know him, is a Reds starting pitcher who had a great 2021 season: 180 innings pitched in 33 starts, 127 ERA+, 3.75 GAA, 13-6 record, 210 strikeouts and 64 walks.
Following a great 2020 season, he is therefore on a roll.
In 2021, he was in his first year of arbitration and he won $2.2 million. Looking to 2022, he should earn (projected) around $5.5 million by virtue of his great season in Cincinnati.
He will become a free agent in two years, after the 2023 campaign. In Cincinnati, many fans do not want to see him go and want the Reds to sign him long term.
And that’s kind of the problem: we don’t know if he’s really available. It’s known that the Reds are ready to swap some guys, but it’s unclear if Mahle is really one of them.
That’s why, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays have also done their homework on Luis Castillo (availability unknown, again) and Sonny Gray, who is possibly in the showcase.
Interesting stuff via @ScottyMitchTSN here. Mahle had a great year in ’21. Have heard Jays liked all three veteran Reds SP: Mahle, Castillo & Gray. They were active on SP before lockout https://t.co/eopdNY4FsN
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) February 17, 2022
But back to Mahle.
It’s clear that with a guy like him in the rotation, the Blue Jays would be driving. After all, to support Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alek Manoah, a pitcher of that caliber would help the next generation go out as little as possible in games.
The Jays’ plan would therefore be to limit the innings of Nate Pearson (who is often injured) and Ross Stripling by giving him a role like in 2021: sometimes in the bullpen, sometimes in the rotation. This would be done on a needs basis.
Tell yourself one thing: whether it was Mahle, whether it was a gunner for the Marlins or the A’s, whether it was through another team or through the free agent route, the Blue Jays were watching and will still be watching for reinforcements on the mound. .
