Toronto Blue Jays fans disheartened by team's return with Seattle Mariners for All-Star slugger Teoscar Hernandez

The Toronto Blue Jays have kicked off their offseason by trading away Teoscar Hernandez to the Seattle Mariners. In exchange, the Blue Jays received two pitchers: Erik Swanson and Adam Macko. Swanson is a right-handed relief pitcher, while Macko is a left-handed pitching prospect.

It doesn't seem like the best return for an outfielder who was an All-Star in 2021. Teoscar Hernandez was scheduled to become a free agent in 2023 and was expected to make close to $14 million in arbitration. Toronto could be trying to get out in front on this one and sign an outfielder in the off-season.

The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to build their bullpen. Their bullpen is solid, but they want to add more. They understand how important relief pitching is in today's game.

Fans aren't happy with the trade. They believe the team could have gotten a better return for Teoscar Hernandez. He was a big part of the team, and fans felt like they got rid of him for almost nothing.

Toronto Blue Jays fans think the team got fleeced in the trade. They're not familiar with who they got in return at all.

Swanson will immediately make an impact in the bullpen for the Jays. Adam Macko has the potential to become a high-end starter.

Fans will miss Teoscar Hernandez. He was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner during his time there and was an integral part of their success.

The Toronto Blue Jays wanted to beef up their bullpen, even at the cost of Teoscar Hernandez

The Blue Jays are big fans of Erik Swanson and think he could be a key piece in their bullpen. Swanson pitched in 57 games for the Seattle Mariners in 2022, going 3-2 with an ERA of 1.68.

The team finished the regular season with a team bullpen ERA of 3.77. It ranked them in the middle of the road when compared to other teams in the league. The Houston Astros had the best regular-season bullpen ERA in the league at 2.80.

It's no coincidence that the team that won the World Series had the best bullpen in the league. The best teams in baseball have the best bullpens. Teams are starting to understand just how important the team's bullpen is.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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