Toronto signs lefty Josh Walker for 'pen depth

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays announced Friday that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Josh Walker to a one-year deal, adding another piece to a bullpen that’s still in the middle of a complete rebuild.

The 30-year-old Walker has pitched parts of two seasons in the big leagues with the Mets, posting a 6.45 ERA over 22 1/3 innings with 23 strikeouts. Clearly, the Blue Jays are betting on the upside of Walker’s strikeout numbers from Triple-A with a cost-effective attempt to round out their lefty reliever depth.

In Triple-A last season between the Mets and Pirates, Walker’s 50 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings added some more sizzle to a 4.06 ERA. Limited big league data shows that Walker gets exceptional extension on his pitches -- which shouldn’t be surprising at 6-foot-6 -- and has limited hard contact well.

While this is a Major League deal, Walker does still have an option year remaining, which means the Blue Jays could option him to Triple-A out of camp. Consider this an inside track for Walker in the competition for the second lefty job behind Brendon Little, who currently stands as the top left-handed option in the bullpen and has plenty of fans within the organization after an impressive 2024 season.

This is the second notable bullpen move the Blue Jays have made this offseason, following the two-year, $15 million deal they handed to old friend Yimi García. The addition of Walker brings depth to the organization while the reunion with García raised the bullpen’s ceiling, but multiple moves are still needed between now and Opening Day.

In a world without Jordan Romano, who signed a one-year deal with the Phillies earlier in December, Toronto is looking for a closer for the first time in years. Yes, Chad Green has experience in that role and the Blue Jays have expressed they’d be comfortable with Garcia pitching in the ninth, too, but each of those veteran right-handers would be such valuable pieces for manager John Schneider if they were pitching in front of a more established closer. The free agent market is still well-stocked with those options, so that market could play out well into January.

To make room on the 40-man roster, Toronto designated right-handed reliever Hagen Danner for assignment. The 26-year-old was drafted as a catcher in 2017 and later converted back to the mound, where he developed a high-90s fastball with an excellent slider. His MLB debut was cut short by injury after just one out in ‘23, but Danner should have no problem finding an opportunity to reach the big leagues again elsewhere if the Blue Jays aren’t able to keep him in the organization.