Chase Lee to Toronto: Blue Jays add depth to their pitching staff

Félix Forget
Chase Lee to Toronto: Blue Jays add depth to their pitching staff
Credit: Credit: The Detroit News

Among the Blue Jays' needs this winter, we knew that the bullpen was one of them. Last year, the club was repeatedly sunk by its bullpen, and they wanted to bring in reinforcements.

Obviously, this resulted in the big names on the market being linked to the Jays. But many of them signed elsewhere… and beyond the big names, the club also needed depth.

Because last year, there was a lack of trusted relievers in Toronto. And it showed in the playoffs.

And tonight, the Blue Jays decided to start addressing that problem: the club completed a transaction to get their hands on Chase Lee. We're talking about a 27-year-old reliever who used to play for the Tigers.

In return, prospect Johan Simon heads to Michigan.

Last year, Lee appeared in 32 MLB games as a rookie, maintaining a 4.10 ERA. We're talking about a guy who throws the ball unorthodoxly, making life difficult for hitters and allowing him to get strikeouts at bat.

He doesn't have a big fastball, but he's got good curveballs. That makes him an interesting project.

It's also worth remembering that Lee still has two options from the minors, which gives the Jays flexibility. So we shouldn't rule out a world in which he starts the year in AAA, even though he'll be fighting for a bullpen spot at club camp.

It's also worth noting that, with Lee's arrival, the Blue Jays' 40-man roster is now complete. Obviously, this won't stop the club from trying its luck with Kyle Tucker and/or Bo Bichette, but there are some guys who could bail out.

But that's a problem for later: in Lee, the club has acquired depth to fill one of its needs. Let's see if it pays off now.

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