Underrated Trade Acquisition Could Thrive in Blue Jays’ Bullpen
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The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the better pitching staffs in all of Major League Baseball going into the 2026 campaign. After taking the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 of the World Series, until proven otherwise, the Blue Jays are the team in the American League to run through.
One way that Toronto can keep up with the status quo of its 2025 campaign is by having a strong bullpen. Last season, the Blue Jays' bullpen had a 3.98 ERA, which ranked in the middle of the road among other franchises. In the playoffs, however, Toronto's pen got hit around.
Posting a 4.44 ERA in the playoffs, the Blue Jays made sure they went out to give the bullpen a better chance at success in 2026. One way they added depth was by finalizing a trade with the Detroit Tigers to acquire left-hander Chase Lee, who could be an underrated player to watch for this spring.
The 411 on Chase Lee
Lee was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB draft but made his MLB debut last season with Detroit. The middle round pick started off his career well, having not given up a single run through his first five outings, spanning just over four innings of work.
He pitched in 32 games for the Tigers and recorded an ERA of 4.10 over 37.1 innings. He was most effective against left-handed hitters, who batted below .200 against the newly acquired southpaw from Birmingham, Alabama.
He struck out 37 batters and walked nine, allowing seven home runs last season. But just because the season didn't end the way that Lee wanted it to, doesn't mean that he won't be a factor in competing for a spot in the bullpen for the opening day roster.
According to FanGraphs, Lee is projected to start the season in Triple-A, as he still has two options the Blue Jays could use. However, if things go well in spring training, he could find a way to be another left-hander out of the bullpen for Toronto, alongside Brendon Little.
He has knowledge of what it takes to play on a team chasing down a playoff spot, as the Tigers almost saw their playoff spot slip through their hands down the stretch. Truth be told, if he doesn't make the roster to begin the season, Blue Jays fans should expect to see him make an impact at some point in 2026.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.