The Toronto Blue Jays Are Pursuing Star Reliever Raisel Iglesias

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a tough World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and will look to get over the hump next season. One of the biggest areas of improvement will come in the bullpen, which was one of their biggest weaknesses in 2025. A new report has the Blue Jays as a strong suitor for Closer Raisel Iglesias, who would be a lockdown closer in the back of their bullpen.

Blue Jays Emerging For Iglesias

According to Francys Romero, the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as a strong suitor for Iglesias. They’re actively pursuing the veteran right-hander as they look to reinforce the back end of their bullpen. Iglesias had a 3.21 ERA with the Atlanta Braves last season and will be entering his age-36 season. He features four pitches in his arsenal: a four-seam fastball, a changeup, a sinker, and a slider.

Iglesias would fit well in Toronto and wouldn’t command a long-term deal. He is projected to sign a two-year deal worth $9 million per year. Because of his age, Iglesias is best suited for a shorter deal, which will only be more appealing to contending teams. With how long the games went this past postseason, teams will put a bigger emphasis on adding relievers this offseason. 

If they bring in Iglesias, he would likely be their setup man and keep Jeff Hoffman in the closer role. Toronto has a lot of velocity in its bullpen already, and Iglesias would give it a different look late in games with more off-speed pitches. 

What Are Other Options For Toronto?

Another top name on the market is Devin Williams. While he had a tough season in The Bronx, when he was moved to the 8th inning, he looked more comfortable and more like the guy in Milwaukee. When Luke Weaver went down, Aaron Boone immediately moved Williams back into the closer role, which clearly put a wrench in Williams’ rhythm. Heading to Toronto would take Williams out of a big market, which is exactly what he needs. 

Another name that comes from New York would be former Mets Reliever Ryan Helsley. He was horrendous in Queens, and that’s putting it lightly, but we know how good he can be. With the Blue Jays already having some high-leverage arms, getting Helsley would be perfect. He can be used in the seventh or eighth innings and would provide high velocity in the middle innings, which most teams don’t have.

The bullpen will be atop their to-do list this offseason, as they look to get back to the Fall Classic in 2026 after falling just two outs short this season.