Blue Jays Should Have Pursued Additional Help at Closer Before Trade Deadline

Should the Toronto Blue Jays have gone after a closer before the MLB Trade Deadline?

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As the Toronto Blue Jays continue to get closer to winning the American League East, the team is going to start thinking about having success in October.

With all the success they've had in the regular season to date, the road to the World Series in the American League could run through them if they are able to finish with the best record to secure the top seed. 

If that happens, pressure is going to be on them to have success in the playoffs. This is a franchise that has not performed well in October during their past couple of trips, so they will be actively trying to change that narrative this time around. 

They have a lineup that can do that, as they have been one of the best offenses in baseball throughout the year. However, come playoff time, it is pitching that generally makes the biggest difference. While their starting rotation has gotten much better following the addition of Shane Bieber, the bullpen still has a lot of question marks. 

Closer Spot is a Major Concern 

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Toronto knew they had to upgrade their bullpen ahead of the deadline. They were able to make two additions with Louis Varland and Seranthony Dominguez. But so far, they haven’t had too much of an impact.

If they could, the Blue Jays would likely go back and add different or even more arms, and that's something Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about, with him believing they should have addressed their closer spot at the MLB trade deadline rather than relying on a struggling Jeff Hoffman to finish out games in October. 

Since May, Hoffman has been one of the worst closers in baseball with seven blown saves and an ERA over 5.00. This is a major problem for Toronto, which seemingly doesn’t have a great option to turn to other than the veteran right-hander to close out games. 

Despite the struggles over an extended period of time, Hoffman has pitched a little bit better of late. In September, he has totaled a 1.35 ERA in seven appearances. This is an encouraging sign that Hoffman might be turning a corner, however, it’s impossible not to think about the extended struggles he has had for the entirety of the season.

If the Blue Jays are going to make a run in the playoffs, they will need their closer to become the guy they thought they were getting when they inked him to a lucrative contract this past winter.