On the same day the Toronto Blue Jays signed reliever Tyler Rogers to a $37 million deal, they added one more arm to the bullpen. After talking with the Detroit Tigers, the Blue Jays acquired right-handed reliever Chase Lee in a trade, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Additionally, they sent over a young prospect, Johan Simon, to the Tigers, per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. This past year, Lee finished with a record of 4-1 and pitched in 32 games. Altogether, he finished with an ERA of 4.10, had 36 strikeouts, and had no saves.
Meanwhile, Simon is a left-hander who has played four years in the minor leagues. During this season, he accumulated a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 3.79 and 45 strikeouts with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League.
Overall, Simon has compiled a minor league record of 10-8, a 3.73 ERA, and 167 strikeouts.
Toronto is coming off playing in the World Series for the first time since 1993. Ultimately, they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in an epic seven-game series. Meanwhile, the Tigers finished with an 87-75 record and made it all the way to the ALDS, losing to the Seattle Mariners in five games.
The Blue Jays' bullpen is looking to evolve heading into 2026
Lee is falling into place amongst a Toronto bullpen that is continuing to grow. Heading into next season, a few familiar faces will be returning. Their core, including Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia, Louis Varland, Brendon Little, and Tommy Nance, will all be back.
The addition of Rogers will bolster their late-inning options. Plus, Ricky Tiedemann and Eric Lauer are expected to switch into relief roles, with Tiedemann recently out due to Tommy John surgery.
As for Lee, he will provide depth among their middle relievers. Overall, he has been a proven force against right-handed hitters. However, Lee does tend to give up home runs.
