Blue Jays free agent target: Raisel Iglesias

The reliever is set to turn 37 years old this winter, but he still brings a lot to the table as a high-leverage reliever. While the closing job is Varland’s, and understandably so, having another reliever who is capable of closing games should Varland be unavailable for whatever reason can be handy. Having Iglesias and Rogers as the setup men at the back end of your bullpen can be great in situations where you want more ground-ball control, rather than a hard-throwing arm that generates swing-and-miss.

Iglesias features a fastball that can still top out at 94 mph, a changeup, slider, and sinker. His changeup was his standout pitch last season, as batters only hit .200 against it and it generated a 40.4% whiff rate.

For comparison, Varland’s changeup held batters to a .123 average and was whiffed 38.5% of the time. Dylan Cease’s changeup?  .129 average, 48.4% whiff rate. Now, of course, you’re not only going to be throwing changeups the whole time; Iglesias needs work on his fastball and sinker, as they were both pitches that hitters managed to hit well against all season.

A comparable arm to Iglesias in the context of the Blue Jays is what Yimi García brought to the bullpen. A capable arm who’s got great stuff for the back half of games. Iglesias, of course, will cost more than Garcia, as he made only $7.5 million the last two seasons, compared to Iglesias making $16 million this past season, dating back to 2023.

If Iglesias signs with the Blue Jays, he will have to play a supporting role to Varland, with occasional chances to close. It may be a tough sell to someone who is paid to be a closer, as that is what he has been since 2017 with the Cincinnati Reds. We’ve seen closers move to more supportive roles before, including Robert Suárez, who went from closer with the San Diego Padres to being the setup man for the Braves.

Entering year 13 in the majors and turning 37 means Iglesias does not have a ton left in the show to compete for a World Series. Should the Blue Jays make another offer to his camp, it would be hard to see him get more than a year, unless there are options involved. I would say a 1-year, $14 million deal is reasonable given his age and track record of success.