With Spring Training in full swing for the Blue Jays, reliever depth is going to be a question that’s on the back of everyone’s mind in the organization.
Given the length of a full season, injuries are bound to occur, and the team needs to be in a position to have other players step up in significant ways. With Yimi Garcia not expected to make the Opening Day roster and some questionable Rule 5 arms vying for a spot, adding some more depth is something the Jays should consider (and have to a certain degree).
While there won’t be any eye-catching names left on the open market, there are some veterans the team can turn to if the right deal materializes.
Tommy Kahnle:
One arm that’s been around for quite some time is Tommy Kahnle. At 36, Kahnle has pitched in 11 seasons with five different teams, most of which he spent in the American League with the rival New York Yankees across six seasons.
Coming off a down year with the Detroit Tigers, Kahnle has only relied on two pitches in 2025, his fastball that can still hit up to 94-95 MPH, and a changeup that can hit up to 90 mph and generate exceptional whiff rates and groundballs.
9 Tommy Kahnle Disgusting Changeups. 🤮
Even though he only relies on fastballs and changeups, Kahnle also has a slider that he can throw into his pitch usage, as well as being able to throw a sinker. He’s a veteran who can provide high-leverage setup innings and even close games, as he has demonstrated before. If Garcia is set to miss significant time, and the younger arms like Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty are struggling to get outs, perhaps turning to a veteran in the minor leagues can be something handy if need be.
Jalen Beeks:
Left-handed pitchers are something of a rare commodity in today’s major leagues. The Blue Jays do have Brandon Little, Eric Lauer, and Mason Fluharty as southpaw options in the bullpen, but what’s another one to the fold?
Beeks is another journeyman reliever who’s bounced around from several teams across both leagues. Beeks is an arm that can generate strikeouts in relief, but also is prone to being a flyball-heavy pitcher. His fastball-changeup combination generated a 3.77 ERA across 61 games for the Diamondbacks in 2025.
A struggling first half 4.39 ERA dropped down to a 2.20 ERA in the second half of 2025. Against right-handers last season, batters only hit .190 against him and only .218 versus left-handed batters. His changeup was only hit .067 in 345 pitches thrown. Beeks will have to work on his main pitch, as his fastball has been hit hard the last two seasons.
Danny Coulombe:
The fact that Danny Coulombe doesn’t have a home yet is kind of puzzling, given how consistent he’s been. The 36-year-old southpaw left-hander split time with both the Twins and Rangers last season and posted a 2.30 ERA through 55 games. His ERA shot up a ton in Texas as he gave up seven runs in 12 innings, three of which were home runs. Very uncharacteristic, as Coulombe has only allowed single-digit home runs across his 11 years in the big leagues.
Coulombe’s stuff is quite elite, as he can generate high chase rates with his cutter, sinker, sweeper, and curveball. In 2025, he posted a career high WAR with 1.6, which was only matched by former teammates Jhoan Duran (2.3) and Louis Varland (1.8). Coulombe is very familiar with the American League East as he spent 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles, but with arms like Brandon Little and Mason Fluharty already generating solid strikeout production among the bullpen, adding another lefty could provide insurance on a minor league deal.
Danny Coulombe, K’ing the Side