According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays, Indians and Twins have reportedly emerged as frontrunners to sign free agent left-hander Craig Breslow. No offers are on the table yet, however, and Rosenthal speculates that fellow free agent left-handers Boone Logan and Jerry Blevins will likely be signed before that happens. The Mets and Dodgers are also presumed to have interest in the lefty after attending his pitching showcase last week.
Breslow, 36, last pitched for the Marlins in 2016. He recorded a 4.50 ERA, 2.6 BB/9 and 4.5 SO/9 over just 14 innings in Miami and was released midseason after tanking even further in Triple-A New Orleans. The veteran southpaw hasn’t pitched a full season since 2015, when he ended a four-year stint with the Red Sox after delivering a 4.15 ERA, 3.2 BB/9 and 6.4 SO/9 in 65 innings -- a far cry from the 1.81 ERA he put up during his second season in Boston.
Despite some key adjustments Breslow made to his mechanics and delivery over the winter, much of his value appears to be tied to his affordability. That should help him net a contract with the Dodgers if Logan and Blevins don’t pan out, as Rosenthal points out that both relievers are supposedly set on two-year, $12 million contracts for the upcoming season. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are rumored to be in the market for two relievers, which could give Breslow an advantage if they can’t find the money to commit to more expensive names.