Former Blue Jay Jose Urena elects free agency, signs with Dodgers

Urena didn’t have that bad of a tenure with the Blue Jays, posting a 3.65 ERA and a 6.16 FIP in 12.1 innings pitched. They used him as a bulk reliever and spot starter, with four of his six appearances being two innings or more.

Due to eight years of service time, the Jays were unable to option Urena when they called up Lucas, meaning they had to designate him for assignment to get him off the 26-man roster. He’s not the only Blue Jay reliever who was designated for assignment in recent times, as they DFA’ed Josh Walker and traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies last Thursday.

The good news is that the Blue Jays’ bullpen seems to be returning to health. Reliever Erik Swanson was activated from the Injured List on Saturday and made his season debut on Sunday. Nick Sandlin is on a rehab assignment according to the transaction tracker, and who knows when Yimi Garcia and Ryan Burr will be back.

So far this season, 18 different relievers have come out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen. You have your regulars, such as Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty, Yariel Rodriguez, Jeff Hoffman, Chad Green, etc. But some players, like Jacob Barnes, Richard Lovelady, Dillon Tate, and Casey Lawrence, are no longer with the Blue Jays (although Barnes and Tate still pitch for the organization).

Despite not having their best bullpen all season, the Jays’ 3.47 ERA for relievers ranks eighth-best in the league, while their FIP is tied for the sixth-best. Just imagine what a full and healthy bullpen will be able to do, especially if they add at the trade deadline.