Toronto's bullpen is its Achilles' heel, and the team might be in the market for a reliever as we draw closer to the non-waiver deadline.
After much speculation about the Blue Jays' potential trade moves this season, it appears the team won't acquire a big-name player after all.
The Jays have been linked to trade candidates like Chase Headley, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jon Lester and others throughout the month, but according to a report by sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi, the Blue Jays are unlikely to acquire anybody more significant than a reliever to bolster the team's struggling bullpen, which ranks 26th in the majors in ERA.
Davidi writes that the Blue Jays are looking for someone along the lines of Diamondbacks closer Addison Reed, "a hard-throwing right-hander with two years of control remaining" on his contract.
The Jays aren't specifically after Reed, according to Davidi's report, but they have inquired about the Rangers' Neal Cotts, and really any solid reliever would fit the bill given the team's struggles out of the pen this year.
But finding a reliever with a non-expiring contract would certainly be a plus for the Blue Jays, who could lose closer Casey Janssen to free agency this offseason. Davidi notes general manager Alex Anthopoulos has a history of acquiring relievers who are under team control, and we shouldn't expect anything different this season.