The Major League Baseball free agent market had a busy week, with Ranger Suárez, Willi Castro, Taylor Clarke, Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, J.T. Realmuto, and Victor Caratini all finding homes for the 2026 season and beyond. With under one month until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, many free agents remain on the market to be signed.
The Toronto Blue Jays have had a strong off-season, bringing back Shane Bieber and adding Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers, and Kazuma Okamoto. Their bullpen mainstays consist of Jeff Hoffman, Rogers, Yimi García, and Louis Varland, with options including Ponce, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Bowden Francis, Eric Lauer, Chase Lee, Brendon Little, and Tommy Nance.
The Blue Jays have shown aggression through the winter to improve on the team that finished runner-up to the Los Angeles Dodgers, so here is a look at three relievers: Seranthony Domínguez, Michael Kopech, and Danny Coulombe, who the Blue Jays could add to strengthen the bullpen for 2026.
Three Relievers the Blue Jays Could Seek to Add to the Bullpen This Offseason
Seranthony Domínguez
A deadline acquisition by the Blue Jays in July from the Baltimore Orioles, Domínguez was a big part of the Blue Jays’ bullpen through the final two months and into October. In 67 total games in 2025, the right-hander was 4-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.277 WHIP, holding opposing batters to a .198 average against.
In 24 games with the Blue Jays, Domínguez pitched to a 2-1 record, 3.00 ERA, and 1.143 WHIP over 21 innings, all while holding opposing teams’ hitters to a .169 average. Domínguez brought in a big swing and miss ability, with a fastball, slider, and splitter arsenal, to strike out 10.7 batters per nine innings.
In the playoffs over 11 1/3 innings, the 31-year-old was 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Opposing teams were only able to muster a .132 average. While walks can be a problem with the Dominican Republic native, seen by his 11 in the 11 1/3 innings over the playoffs, Domínguez has been a quality reliever throughout the duration of his seven-year career and would give manager John Schneider another trusted high-leverage arm in the Blue Jays’ bullpen.
Michael Kopech
Kopech was only able to appear in 14 games in 2025, totalling 11 innings, a 2.45 ERA, and 1.727 WHIP. In those 11 innings, he struck out 12 batters but walked 13, struggling with command.
Kopech spent three separate stints on the injured list, dealing with right shoulder impingement and right knee inflammation, which eventually ended the right-hander’s season in September. During the season, Kopech required surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
A former first-round selection in 2014 by the Boston Red Sox, Kopech was a part of the return to the Chicago White Sox for Chris Sale in 2016. Moved again to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline, Kopech has carved out a role as a reliever after spending the first four years of the 29-year-old’s career as a starter.
In 2024, after being acquired from the White Sox, Kopech pitched to a 4-0 record, 1.13 ERA, and 0.792 WHIP over 24 innings. He struck out 29 batters in those 24 appearances, holding opposing hitters to a .118 average. Kopech also made 10 appearances during the 2024 playoffs en route to a title, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.
A minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training could bring in a quality arm able to succeed in big situations and highly motivated to bounce back after an injury-riddled 2025.
Morning podcast: Michael Kopech is back, this time as a free agent. Some great World Series and post-World Series stories, along with a look at the pitcher’s current lot in life.
Listen: https://t.co/G20vsVM729 pic.twitter.com/fo8zeG5q5j— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) January 8, 2026
Danny Coulombe
Another former Oriole who was also moved during the 2025 season, Coulombe has a career ERA of 3.35 over 343 career games. The left-hander has pitched in 316 2/3 innings, recording 312 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.200. Over the past five seasons, Coulombe has recorded ERAs of 3.67, 1.46, 2.81, 2.12, and 2.30, showcasing a consistent ability to retire opposing teams’ batters.
Last season, Coulombe pitched to a 2-1 record, 2.30 ERA, and 1.163 WHIP, over parts of 55 games with both the Orioles and Texas Rangers. The 36-year-old had reverse splits last season, striking out 26 right-handed batters and holding them to a .188 average, while giving up a .225 average to lefties and striking out 17. Coulombe recorded nine holds and two saves, so this is a reliever who has experience in high-leverage situations.
The left-handed options out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen right now include Little, who experienced a second-half and playoff meltdown; Fluharty, entering year two, posted a 4.44 ERA in the regular season and 5.68 during the playoff run; and Lauer, who posted a 3.18 ERA en route to his best professional season since 2021. Another left-hander entering camp gives Schneider a proven veteran who can provide quality innings.
Main Photo Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images