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Three internal left-handed options for the Blue Jays bullpen heading into 2025

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As we get closer and closer to Spring Training, Toronto’s major league roster is almost done taking shape. The Blue Jays appear to still be in search of further lineup upgrades, but adding another left-handed reliever to the bullpen is an avenue that they could also explore.

Blue Jays fans were used to it for several years, but gone are the days of Tim Mayza being Toronto’s go-to left-handed reliever. After Mayza was DFA’d in June of last season, Brendon Little became the featured lefty reliever for the Blue Jays. He finished off 2024 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.31 WHIP through 45 2/3 innings, and he also led all left-handed relievers in the majors with a 70.9% ground ball rate (min. 40 IP). Against lefties, opponents slashed .202/.280/.238 with a .518 OPS, eight walks, and only one extra-base hit.

Little is the primary left-handed option out of the bullpen heading into 2025, especially now that Yariel Rodríguez will likely occupy a bullpen spot with the recent Max Scherzer signing. Arguably the biggest free agent names in the southpaw relief market are off the board, as Tanner Scott (Dodgers) and A.J. Minter (Mets) agreed to their respective deals in January. There are still some other options that wouldn’t cost a lot of money, Andrew Chafin and Brooks Raley are both in play and boast plenty of MLB experience, although the latter won’t be ready to pitch until the second half of this upcoming season due to Tommy John surgery.

If the Blue Jays decide to stick with what left-handed pitching they currently have in-house, let’s take a look at three internal names that could make their way into Toronto’s bullpen this season.

Josh Walker

Walker would most likely be the next man up if something were to happen to Little, as he was added to the 40-man roster after he signed a one-year, $760,000 deal back in December. He was drafted in 2017 by the Mets in the 37th round, and he made his MLB debut in May of 2023.

Walker has only logged 24 appearances in the Major Leagues across the past two seasons, posting a 6.45 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 1.66 WHIP, and 9.3 K/9. He was designated for assignment by the Mets in July of last season, but the Pirates made a trade to acquire him just four days later. From there, he was involved in a whirlwind of transactions, being activated by triple-A Indianapolis, released by the organization, and then re-signed by the Pirates to a minor-league deal all within 15 days. He elected free agency following the conclusion of the 2024 season, and now he has a fresh chance at revitalizing his career with the Blue Jays.

The big league numbers aren’t pretty, but as other evaluations have pointed out, his minor league numbers and his remaining minor league option are probably what drew Toronto’s attention to the 30-year-old lefty. At triple-A Syracuse, Walker pitched to a 1.84 ERA and 12.3 K/9 in 29.1 innings in 2023, as well as a 2.83 ERA and 12.2 K/9 in 28.2 innings last year before the trade.

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In triple-A last season, opposing lefties slashed .183/.314/.310 with two homers, one double, and one triple. Left-handers had a higher rate of success against him during his outings with the Mets, however, producing a .781 OPS (over twenty points higher than right-handed opponents’ OPS). Walker features a four-seam fastball, sinker, changeup, and curveball, with the curve boasting a 47.2 whiff percentage in his limited time in the majors last season but has the added benefit of already being on the 40-man roster compared to other internal left-handed options.

Mason Fluharty

Fluharty has been a fairly quick riser in Toronto’s organization since being drafted in 2022. The 23-year-old Liberty University product pitched exclusively in triple-A Buffalo last season, posting a 3.63 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 10.2 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 across 67 innings of work.

Fluharty opened some eyes in Spring Training last year with six of his seven outings being scoreless, and five of those seven being hitless. He won’t break the radar gun with his velocity; his cutter sits in the late 80s and early 90s with his slider sitting in the late 70s and early 80s. Instead, he has to rely on his control and effectiveness of those pitches, multiple qualities that he performed well last season against left-handed hitters. Couple that with his stance on the mound favouring the first-base side of the diamond, and the cutter-slider mix will continue to play against lefties.

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Southpaws hit .200/.292/.365 last season against Fluharty, but righties held a higher success rate against him with a .242/.313/.414 slash line. That type of trend is common with lefty pitchers, but Fluharty can continue to fast-track his way to the majors if he can prove he can hold his own against righties.

Fluharty finished the 2024 season on a high note, pitching to a 1.59 ERA, .105 opponents batting average, and 15 strikeouts versus only two walks in his final 11 1/3 innings. With the aforementioned 10.2 K/9 last year, he has held a double-digit K/9 at each level of the minor leagues. Amongst Blue Jays pitching prospects, Fluharty has one of the best chances to crack the majors next season. He will get a chance to prove it in big league Spring Training in a couple of weeks as a non-roster invite but he will need a 40-man roster spot if the Jays want to bring him North of the border.

Jimmy Burnette

Burnette was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Draft after spending his collegiate years split between the University of Illinois and Saint Leo University. All but two of his outings were in relief at Illinois, but he started eight of nine games at Saint Leo before entering an exclusive relief role with the Blue Jays organization following the draft.

Burnette’s 2023 and 2024 seasons were alike in that he started the year in double-A New Hampshire, but ended the year in triple-A Buffalo. Unfortunately, Burnette wasn’t been able to string together much success while with Bisons in either stint. In 37 career games with Buffalo, Burnette has amassed a 9.54 ERA and 1.97 WHIP with a 10.2 K/9 and a 7.9 BB/9.

There are still strengths in Burnette’s game, particularly with the strikeouts, although those did see a dip at triple-A against more proven hitters. His K/9 figures practically live in the double-digits, and he’s had strikeout rates north of 30% at every level, including a ridiculous 44.7% strikeout rate in 13 games with high-A Vancouver in 2022. Allowing home runs hasn’t been an issue since Burnette entered the organization either, and that continued last year as he didn’t allow a single long ball across 48 innings between New Hampshire and Buffalo.

Burnette excelled against lefties last season, holding his southpaw opponents to a .177 batting average and a .485 slugging percentage while striking out just over 30% of them. However, righties hit him pretty well last season, slashing .269/.398/.356 and striking out slightly less.

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Burnette has had success at some point in every level before triple-A, and there are pieces of his game that are intriguing. Giving up almost two baserunners per inning won’t cut it, though, as well as the numbers that righties are putting up. If Burnette can show improvements in those areas, he’s a sneaky candidate to be called up later in the season. If he does, he’ll need to leave a very good impression on the team as he will require a spot on the 40-man roster.

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