Toronto Blue Jays: Who Should They Re-Sign This Offseason?
LHP Brett Cecil and RHP Joaquin Benoit
Outside of the club’s big three free agents, there are still some relief pitchers whose deals are expiring at the end of the season. While they may not be as impactful to the team as the likes of Bautista, Saunders and Encarnacion, they still have a big role to play if the Jays will repeat as AL East champions. Joaquin Benoit and Brett Cecil have appeared in critical situations at points this season, and Toronto will have decisions to make on whether they are a good fit for the club in 2017.
Benoit was acquired in a one-for-one swap that sent Drew Storen to the Seattle Mariners. At the time, both pitchers were not meeting expectations and both sides hoped that a change of scenery would give them a fresh start. Unlike Storen, who has continued to struggle in his new uniform, Benoit has not allowed a run in his 17 appearances with the Jays.
While the righty turned 39 years old in July, he has remained effective because his stuff still plays at the major league level. He’s still walking batters at a high clip as a Blue Jay, allowing close to four bases on balls per nine innings. Fortunately for the Blue Jays, those walks didn’t turn into runs, but the team has to have some level of concern. Nonetheless, the veteran reliever has done exactly what the team hoped for when they acquired him.
On the other end of the spectrum, left-hander Brett Cecil has not performed as well out of the pen in 2016. The 30-year-old has been with the Blue Jays organization for his entire career and has been a weapon for the club during his tenure. After pitching to an ERA of under 2.75 the last two years, the lefty has been a liability this season. With an ERA in the mid-4.00s, Toronto probably expected more from one of their better relievers over the past few years.
On a positive note, his K/9 rate of 10.4 is still high, and his FIP of 3.87 shows that he has been a little bit better than his ERA indicates. Still, Cecil must perform better down the stretch of he hopes to cash in to his potential this winter.
Both relief pitchers have had moments where they’ve shined in Toronto. If Benoit wants to come back for another year, the Blue Jays would be wise to give him a long look as his deal will probably not be that lucrative. Something around $4-5 million for one year might do it. Cecil will probably get a multi-year deal as teams will point to his past success. However, Toronto should not be that team. Productive relievers can be found for cheaper, and with bigger fish to fry, the team needs to save money where it can.
Verdict: Try to keep Benoit if he continues his career, let Cecil walk
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