Blue Jays continue to upgrade bullpen with veteran addition

The Toronto Blue Jays kept building up their bullpen on Saturday, bringing in 36-year-old righty Jesse Hahn on a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. The move adds an eight-year MLB veteran who owns a 19-22 career record, 4.24 ERA, 1.353 WHIP, and 1.8 bWAR across 316 1/3 innings and 85 appearances, including 50 starts.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Hahn in the sixth round of the 2010 MLB Draft, and he debuted in 2014 with the San Diego Padres. He compiled a 3.07 ERA and 3.40 FIP over 73.1 innings in 14 games (12 starts) that season, racking up 70 strikeouts with a 1.214 WHIP. His heaviest workload came in 2015 with the Athletics, when he pitched 96.2 innings while producing a 3.35 ERA and 3.51 FIP in 16 starts.

After sitting out 2018 and barely appearing in 2019, Hahn came alive in 2020 with the Kansas City Royals, putting up an impressive 0.52 ERA and 2.56 FIP over 18 relief outings. Shoulder issues limited him to five games in 2021, and he did not pitch in 2022 or 2023. After minor league work in 2024, Hahn returned to the majors in 2025 with the Seattle Mariners, allowing three earned runs in five innings (5.40 ERA, 8.14 FIP) across three outings.

Most of Hahn’s 2025 season came at Triple-A Tacoma, where he made 35 appearances and recorded a 5.85 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings, a 22.4% strikeout rate, and a 10.5% walk rate. He generated ground balls at a 61.8% clip, though a .361 BABIP inflated results. Hahn maintained a 95 mph sinker as his primary pitch, pairing it with a slider.

Toronto’s bullpen construction suggests Hahn profiles as depth. If Yimi García returns healthy, Jeff Hoffman is expected to serve as closer, with Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland in setup roles. Brendon Little, Eric Lauer, and Bradon Fisher factor as options, while Tommy Nance, who finished with a 1.99 ERA in 30 games last season, is out of options.

Hahn joins other veteran non-roster additions, including Josh Fleming, Connor Seabold, Josh Winckowski, and Michael Plasmeyer, as the Blue Jays continue stockpiling experienced relief options after last season’s World Series run heavily taxed the bullpen.