Why veteran reliever, who is suddenly a free agent, would be a good fit for the Blue Jays

"When the Toronto Blue Jays sent Brendon Little down to the minors earlier this season due to his ineffectiveness, it essentially left the team with just two lefties in their relief corps mix. One of them was returnee Mason Fluharty, while the other was offseason pickup Joe Mantiply. Mantiply has since given the Blue Jays quality innings, but Fluharty has struggled immensely so far in 2026, leaving Toronto with only one effective lefty coming out of the bullpen."

"The Blue Jays are now presented with the opportunity to upgrade in that area as veteran reliever Andrew Chafin has suddenly been made available by the Cincinnati Reds. Chafin had signed a minor league contract with the Reds back in late March, but has recently opted out of that deal earlier this month to become a free agent, as per Jon Heyman."

"As a proven lefty of 12 years in the major leagues, Chafin has always been tough against left-handed batters, holding them to just a .225 average and .618 OPS for his career. In fact, he has actually been effective overall against any hitters, posting a tidy 3.35 ERA, 1.28 WHIP while averaging greater than a strikeout per inning for his MLB career."

"More importantly, Chafin has given up only 39 home runs in his 542 total innings in the majors, as compared to Jays relievers who managed to collectively give up 69 home runs in 597.1 innings last season. Therefore, he can help provide both the veteran stability and strikeout ability that the Blue Jays desperately crave."

Brendon Little’s demotion left the Blue Jays with limited left-handed bullpen options, and Mason Fluharty has struggled in 2026. Joe Mantiply has provided quality innings, but Toronto has only one effective lefty in relief. Andrew Chafin became available after opting out of a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds, making him a free agent. Chafin has 12 years of major league experience and has held left-handed batters to a .225 average and .618 OPS. He has posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.28 WHIP career mark with more than a strikeout per inning. He has also allowed 39 home runs in 542 innings, compared with 69 home runs allowed by Blue Jays relievers in 597.1 innings last season.

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