{"id":285128,"date":"2025-11-15T17:34:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T17:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/285128\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T17:34:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T17:34:08","slug":"blue-jays-actively-pursuing-quality-veteran-closer-in-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/285128\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Jays Actively Pursuing Quality Veteran Closer in Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

One day, it\u2019s Edwin Diaz on the Toronto Blue Jays\u2019<\/a> radar. The next, it\u2019s another reliever with closer ability. <\/p>\n

Per Francys Romero<\/a>, who covers Latin American baseball for multiple outlets, the Blue Jays are actively pursuing free-agent closer Raisel Iglesias, who was last with Atlanta. This comes a day after the Blue Jays were connected to Diaz, the former Mets closer who is also a free agent. <\/p>\n

The soon-to-be 36-year-old right-hander just wrapped up a four-year stint with the Atlanta Braves. In 2025 he was 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 70 games with 29 saves in 34 chances with two holds. He struck out 73 and walked 16 in 67.1 inning while batters hit .206 against him. <\/p>\n

Raisel Iglesias and the Blue Jays Bullpen\"Atlanta<\/p>\n

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Iglesias has 600 career appearances and has almost always been used in high-leverage situations. While he\u2019s never been named an All-Star, he\u2019s had a remarkably consistent career. He is 42-55 with a 2.90 ERA with 253 career saves. He has completed 459 of the games he\u2019s appeared in and has led the National or American League in the category three different times. <\/p>\n

He did finish 11th in American League Cy Young voting with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, as he went 7-5 with a 2.57 ERA and 34 saves. <\/p>\n

He has a lifetime strikeout rate of 10.6 per nine innings, though in each of the last two seasons that has fallen off to 8.8 in 2024 and 9.8 in 2025. He boasts a 2.5 walk rate per nine innings and was 2.1 last season. <\/p>\n

Toronto has six relievers under contract for 2026, which includes closer Jeff Hoffman<\/a>. He had an up-and-down campaign but still finished with 33 saves. He also gave up the game-tying home run in Game 7 of the World Series. The Blue Jays also have Yimi Garcia<\/a>, Louis Varland, Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty on their MLB.com depth chart. <\/p>\n

Depending on how things shake out this offseason, Toronto could have a seventh bullpen arm in Eric Lauer, who flexed in and out of the rotation. Iglesias would add to the bullpen\u2019s depth and give them an additional option at closer. <\/p>\n

In four seasons with Atlanta, the Cuban national went 15-12 with a 2.35 ERA in 222 games. He had 97 saves in 218.2 innings, with 239 strikeouts and 49 walks.<\/p>\n

He made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in 2015 and spent six seasons with the Reds, where he went 18-32 with a 3.15 ERA in 274 games with 106 saves. He struck out 479 and walked 132. He joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and in less than two seasons he went 9-11 with a 3.07 ERA in 104 games, with 91 saves, 151 strikeouts and 21 walks. The Angels traded him to Atlanta at the 2022 trade deadline. <\/p>\n

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