Just two days after missing out on free agent closer Edwin Diaz, the Toronto Blue Jays have struck out again on the bullpen market. This time, it’s free agent closer Robert Suarez, who has signed a three-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Heading for his age-35 season, Suarez is just a four-year veteran of the San Diego Padres. He’s gone 22-13 lifetime with a solid 2.91 ERA, and he led the National League with 40 saves in 2025. He had 36 in 2024 and is a two-time All-Star.
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Because of his age, it was unlikely that he would secure more than this three-year deal, which is probably one reason the Jays were invested, knowing they could tamp down the spending after already signing Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce.
For what it’s worth, Suarez was ranked as the No. 21 free agent in this class by MLBTradeRumors and was predicted to get three years and $48 million.
He’ll now pair with Raisel Iglesias in Atlanta to create a solid back-end of the bullpen for new manager Walt Weiss. Early reports indicate that Iglesias will be the closer.
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With Diaz, Suarez, Kyle Finnegan (Tigers) and Iglesias off the market, the Jays are getting somewhat desperate for back-end bullpen help themselves. While they have Jeff Hoffman and Louie Varland, they could stand to get another late-inning option, as the bullpen was their undoing in the World Series. They do have Yimi Garcia returning from injury as well, but they’ve lost Seranthony Dominguez to his own free agency.
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Longtime reliever Kenley Jansen is still out there, as is former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, who Toronto has also been connected to. Given who has come off the board already, he should have a strong market among remaining interested teams.
If the Blue Jays were to secure his services, it’s unclear if he or Hoffman would be the team’s closer in 2026.
With the winter meetings over, the Jays will return back to Toronto and work on addressing the rest of the roster. That leverage bullpen arm is certainly on the shopping list, but the team has also been connected to multiple high-end bats, including Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger and Ketel Marte.
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If nothing happens between now and the Christmas holiday, it’s likely we won’t see the dam break until after the New Years holiday. With the World Baseball Classic taking place in 2026, players should rush to make signings at that time, given that everybody wants to know their situation before a slightly earlier spring.
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