3 reasons why Erik Swanson will strengthen Blue Jay's Bullpen

In what has been the biggest trade of the MLB offseason so far, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired relief pitcher Erik Swanson from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. The Blue Jays also acquired minor league pitcher Adam Macko. The trade seemingly came out of nowhere, but it is a move that will benefit both teams.

"The stove is hot! @TeoscarH is coming to the Emerald City! We’ve acquired the All-Star outfielder from the @BlueJays in exchange for RHP Erik Swanson and minor league LHP Adam Macko. #SeaUsRise" - Seattle Mariners

Seattle received the hard-hitting Hernandez, hoping he will provide a spark in the middle of their lineup after a disappointing 2022 season from Jesse Winker, Kyle Lewis, and Mitch Haniger.

"Teoscar Hernandez team ranks since his #BlueJays debut on September 1, 2017: Games - 609 (1st), Runs - 337 (1st), Hits - 584 (1st), Doubles - 125 (1st), Triples - 10 (1st), HR - 129 (1st), RBI - 369 (1st) #NextLevel" - Sportsnet Stats

While the initial reactions from Blue Jays fans were that of frustration and confusion, Swanson may be an addition that helps Toronto make a deep postseason run. The main reasons why the acquisition of Erik Swanson may be a big one for the Blue Jays are the fact that Swanson was a top-tier arm in 2022, which adds depth to their underperforming bullpen, and he will be under team control for three years.

1. Erik Swanson's elite 2022 campaign

The 29-year-old pitcher from Fargo, Minnesota enjoyed a true breakout season for the Seattle Mariners last year. Through 53.2 innings pitched, Erik Swanson posted an impressive 1.68 ERA with a 0.91 WHIP and an elite 11.74 K/9 IP.

The 11.79 strikeouts through nine innings pitched ranked him 31st in the entire league for pitchers with a minimum of 50 innings pitched. Swanson ranked ahead of superstars such as Dylan Cease, Gerrit Cole, Corbin Burnes, and Max Scherzer. That also ranks him above every pitcher for Toronto last season.

2. Toronto's bullpen struggles

Last season, the Blue Jays' bullpen finished 13th in the league for a total ERA, posting a 3.77. However, the team had by far the worst bullpen in the playoffs, finishing with an abysmal 8.10 ERA in the postseason.

As a whole, the Toronto bullpen finished 24th in home runs given up, and 19th in strikeouts. These are both issues that Swanson should be able to help address as he only allowed 3 home runs last year, and as mentioned above posted an 11.74 K/9.

"The Blue Jays needed a high leverage swing and miss arm in their bullpen and they got that. Did they overpay? Probably. But they freed up cap space to make another move. If this is their one and only move it’s a bust. If it’s one of many that could be phase 1 of a master plan" - The Skeates Beat

3. Erik Swanson remains under team control until 2025

Another important aspect when looking at the acquisition of Swanson is the fact that he is under contract until 2025, whereas Teoscar Hernandez is set to become a free agent at the end of next season.

The move also opens some cap space for the Blue Jays, potentially meaning that their offseason is only beginning.