© Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Report: Blue Jays Linked To Market For Zack Britton
The Blue Jays could use another reliever for 2023, and it appears they are looking to spend some cash to find the right guy.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that several AL East clubs, including the Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox are interested in acquiring a left-handed reliever in free agency. Zack Britton, Rosenthal wrote, is a good fit.
Britton, 35, has pitched just 19 innings (6.16 ERA) over the last two seasons as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. only to get shut down at the end of 2022 with shoulder fatigue. Those injuries are alarming, but Britton is reportedly seeking a one-year deal, which mitigates some of the risk.
If healthy, Britton would make for a fabulous addition to Toronto's 'pen. He's never been a big strikeout guy (7.5 career K/9), but his contact-suppression numbers were elite as recently as 2020.
Britton is best at using his simple fastball-slider combo to keep runs off the board, which led to some fabulous seasons in the mid-2010s, including when he posted a 0.54 ERA in 2016 and finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting.
Other quality left-handed relief options on the free agent market include Will Smith, Brad Hand, and Matt Moore.
