Did the Blue Jays make a mistake in picking up Chad Green’s option?
This is the 40-man Roster Review, in which we’re going to take a look back at each player on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster, and how they performed in 2023, as well as their outlook for 2024.
In seven seasons with the New York Yankees, Green had a 3.17 ERA and a 3.29 FIP in 383.2 innings pitched, along with a 32.5 K% and a 6.3 BB% from 2016 to 2022. His final season in pinstripes was cut short, as he required Tommy John surgery which kept him out of most of 2023 as well.
That didn’t stop the Blue Jays from signing one of their rivals best relievers, as they signed him to a very confusing contract which we’ll look at in more detail in a bit. The 32-year-old right-handed pitcher finished his first Blue Jays season with a 5.25 ERA and a 2.67 FIP in 12 innings pitched, along with a 30.8 K% and a 7.7 BB%.
Returning on September 1 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, there was obviously some rust, as he gave up four runs, only one earned in two thirds of an inning pitched. There was also a three-game stretch where Green gave up five earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched. However, he pitched seven more innings after that poor run and had a 1.29 ERA and a 1.26 FIP, along with a 38.5 K% and a 7.7 BB%.
Now back to his contract. There were multiple scenarios for what Green’s contract would look like going forward. To start off, the Jays had a team option for a three-year, $27 million contract, worth $9 million a season, which was declined. After that was declined, Green had a player option to add one season to his deal worth $6.25 million, which was once again declined.
That of course, left us with Green’s current contract, as the Jays picked up his two-year option worth $21 million, or $10.5 million a season. It’s pretty evident that the Blue Jays have a lot of faith in Green going forward, but was it a mistake?
It’s too soon to say, but Green’s average velocity on the fastball was 95.6 mph, up nearly a full mile per hour from 2022 (94.8 mph). From 2020 onward, he averaged around where he is now, so the velocity is evidently back. While the ERA was high for Green this season, he more often than not pitched well, and the high ERA has more to do with a small sample size. The good news is that his FIP is the second-lowest of his career, as he was striking out batters at a similar clip he was doing pre-Tommy John.
The Jays committed nearly $30 million to Green, so it’s safe to say that he’ll be an important fixture in their bullpen for the next two seasons, and potentially even longer.
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