These Under-the-Radar Blue Jays Free Agent Additions Could Pay Off
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been so active in pursuing marquee, big name free agents this offseason, you could be forgiven for assuming that's all they've done in building their roster ahead of the 2026 MLB season.
But even amidst spending lots of money on the likes of Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Kazuma Okamoto and Tyler Rogers, the Blue Jays front office has still found time to seek out some diamonds in the rough in the form of fringe players.
Of course, the pursuit of unheralded players has been a tried and true approach by the brain trust of president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins. As recently as last season, Toronto received a significant boost from Eric Lauer, got strong production from Nathan Lukes and enjoyed the contributions of Tommy Nance out of the bullpen.
With the knowledge that not everything goes according to plan and that the 2026 season will almost surely bring its share of unsung heroes, let's look at some of the unheralded players who may wind up filling that role for the Blue Jays this year.
Chase Lee
The headline addition for Toronto's bullpen this winter has been Rogers, who was signed to a three-year, $37 million deal with an eye towards being a key high leverage arm late in games. There is, however, another side arm hurler who could be a big part of the puzzle.
Chase Lee, acquired in December from the Detroit Tigers for minor league reliever Johan Simon, might have a chance to make his mark as well. The 27-year-old right-hander is coming off of a forgettable rookie campaign in which he recorded a 4.10 ERA in 32 games, including allowing 10 earned runs in just 10.1 innings of work in July.
What the Blue Jays see in Lee, however, is a player who was highly effective early on in the season and appeared to tire as the season wore on. He also struck out 36 batters in only 37.1 innings of work. He could prove to be a highly effective find in what would likely be a smaller depth role.
Josh Winckowski
Don't expect to hear Josh Winckowski's name as a spring training hopeful or as a candidate for the Opening Day roster. That's because the former Boston Red Sox reliever underwent an internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow that is set to keep him out of action until the second half of the season.
It is because of Winckowski's injury and lack of availability that the Blue Jays were able to ink him to a two-year minor league deal, despite his solid track record over four seasons at the major league level. The 27-year-old owns a 13-14 record and a 4.20 ERA across 121 career games with the Red Sox, most of which were spent in the bullpen. Notably, he sported a 2.88 ERA over 60 games in 2023 while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings.
Toronto is fortunate to be in position to make this type of signing. With a loaded, deep pitching roster, they can afford to let Winckowski work his way back from injury with the hopes of adding another viable bullpen option down the stretch.
Spencer Miles
One player that will be on the Blue Jays' roster to begin the season (barring injury) is big hard-throwing right-hander Spencer Miles, a Rule 5 Draft pick from the San Francisco Giants. Due to his Rule 5 status, the 25-year-old would need to remain on the roster all season or be offered back to the Giants at the same $50,000 cost it took to claim him initially.
For Toronto, this was a no-brainer flyer to offer a promising player who can throw 98 mph and is fresh off a standout appearance in the Arizona Fall League after enduring multiple arm and elbow surgeries. If it works out, then the club has another weapon to add to what is hopefully an upgraded relief corps. If it doesn't, then $50,000 is peanuts to an organization that has doled out $337 million this offseason.
The Blue Jays are hoping that this is a case of 'right place, right time' for a pitcher who is now healthy, still young and possesses the stuff to succeed at the big league level.
It's entirely possible that all of Lee, Winckowski and Miles wind up as mere footnotes for Toronto's 2026 season. But each of these calculated, low-risk additions carries at least some upside and hope that they can make an impact. Other players may steal the headlines this winter, but these pitchers could be game changers if they break out.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.