On Tuesday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays had a very good hold on the free agent market by agreeing on the terms of a two-year contract with reliever Chad Green. It’s a bit more complex than that, but basically Green will be spending the next two or three years in Canada.
Considering there aren’t that many quality relievers on the market at this point in the offseason, signing a guy like Green is a worthwhile bet. Granted, he’ll miss a few months and it’s unclear what his level will be when he returns from Tommy John surgery, but if he becomes the pitcher he was with the Yankees again, it will be a huge catch.
Until then, the other relievers will have to hold the fort.
But clearly, it’s not just Toronto that thought it smelled a good deal with Green. After all, if he was an interesting bet for the Jays, he was also for several other teams.
And according to Robert Murray, there would be between 20 and 22 teams who were interested in his services who made him a contract offer. It’s an astronomical number.
This means that more than two-thirds of the league liked their chances to the point of offering him a contract, despite the fact that he will miss the first months of the season. When I tell you relievers are in short supply, it’s proof that almost the entire league wanted to take a chance with Green.
I don’t know if the Yankees, the club he spent his entire career with in the Majors, is among the lot, but it wouldn’t be very surprising.
That said, you have to give a lot of credit to the Jays, who found a way to bring him to town despite the huge demand for his services. It is not a simple task.
In short, I can’t wait to see what Green can bring to the Jays in 2023. My little Yankees fan heart, which adored Green during his time in the Bronx, is sad to see him in the colors of a division rival, but I obviously wish him a successful season with the Jays.
