Keep an eye on these Blue Jays relievers

This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Bullpens in baseball are like kickers in football. If you’re not talking about them, that’s a good thing.

We haven’t talked about the Blue Jays’ bullpen much this past month, because we haven’t needed to. It's been mostly solid, using its above-average depth to cover up for a lack of high-strikeout arms on the back end. With the coaching staff picking their matchups well, it’s worked.

Jordan Romano seems to be finding another gear at closer, but Yimi Garcia has been the quiet star of this group. Owning a 2.36 ERA over 49 2/3 innings, Garcia is the steady hand of the group, trusted in big moments by interim manager John Schneider. He’s the closest thing the Blue Jays have to a “setup man” by that strict definition, and as we saw in Pittsburgh this past weekend, Toronto isn't afraid to use him much earlier in games if the leverage calls for it.

As September winds down and the postseason approaches, though, there are still options to add to this group. Come October, it’s unlikely the Blue Jays will need a Yusei Kikuchi, Casey Lawrence or other long relievers, which could open one spot between now and the end of the season. These are some names to track in the final month:

RHP Nate Pearson (Rehab Assignment)
For years now, Pearson has existed on the horizon, just close enough to be seen. Injuries have plagued the former No. 1 prospect, often stacking two or three in a row, which has prevented the right-hander from building any form of momentum since the 2019 season, when he shot through the Minor Leagues, lighting up radar guns at each stop.

Sunday with Single-A Dunedin, Pearson threw a scoreless inning on 10 pitches. His fastball sat near 97 mph and topped out at 98.9 mph, which isn’t quite Pearson’s peak, but it’s an encouraging enough sign in his first outing since June 14. Pearson will remain a major “if” until the moment you see him step on a Major League mound, but his upside is tantalizing if he’s able to string together a few more healthy outings.

RHP Yosver Zulueta (Double-A)
Zulueta was placed on the Minor League IL in early August with shoulder soreness, though MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra reported at the time that it was believed to be precautionary. The good news? He was activated on Sunday in Double-A New Hampshire, where he allowed one run in his lone inning of work and struck out three.

The Cuban right-hander was starting games earlier this season with Single-A and High-A, but he has moved into a relief role in Double-A that suits him well. The Blue Jays have lagged behind the rest of baseball when it comes to producing 100-mph throwers, but Zulueta represents the first wave coming from a system that’s quickly changing.

RHP Julian Merryweather (Major Leagues, activated Sept. 5)
Merryweather was with the Blue Jays in Pittsburgh this past weekend on the Taxi Squad. He was activated on Sept. 5 and pitched the ninth inning in Game 2 of the doubleheader against the Orioles. The right-hander wasn’t sharp for the Blue Jays over 20 appearances at the MLB level earlier this season, but he looked much sharper in Triple-A recently while rehabbing. Merryweather is another arm who offers velocity, so it's not surprising to see him getting a look.

RHP Zach Pop (Triple-A)
Pop put up a 2.70 ERA after coming over from the Marlins in a Trade Deadline deal, and it was a bit of a surprise to see him optioned to Triple-A when he was. The Canadian right-hander is a fine middle relief option for the Blue Jays and profiles as a regular bullpen piece for years to come.

RHP Adrian Hernandez (Triple-A)
The 22-year-old is a master of the changeup, a pitch that has put him on the Major League radar well ahead of schedule. Since reaching Triple-A, he’s posted a 3.38 ERA over 26 2/3 innings, striking out 37. There’s still plenty of development ahead for the young right-hander, but his changeup is an MLB-ready pitch already. Keep his name in mind for ’23, when he could be one of the more interesting stories in Spring Training.