Toronto Blue Jays urged to grab Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher

Heavy's pitch is straightforward, Toronto should add another hard-throwing arm, and Michael Kopech is the intriguing name. The idea comes through BlueJaysNation writer Ben Wrixon, who wants more velocity in the middle innings.

That urgency makes sense even after the Tyler Rogers deal. MLB.com confirmed Rogers signed for three years and $37 million, giving Toronto a funky, contact-killing look for leverage spots.

Toronto's ninth inning picture is still a bit fluid, but Jeff Hoffman led the club with nine saves in 2025. He's also on a three-year, $33 million contract, so the team clearly plans to lean on him.

This is not the first time the Blue Jays have been rumored to be looking to get some help for build around Hoffman this off-season.

Kopech is the kind of swing that can change a bullpen fast, or burn you fast. Injuries limited him to 14 appearances and 11.0 innings in 2025, and he still finished with a 2.45 ERA.

The raw stuff is real. Statcast has Kopech's four-seamer averaging 97.5 mph in 2025, which matches the «triple digits available» reputation Toronto keeps shopping for.

The catch is command and health living in the same sentence. In those 11 innings, Kopech struck out 12 but also issued 13 walks, and that ratio turns late leads into sweat.

He's also not ancient, he turns 30 in April, and Baseball-Reference lists him as a 2014 first-round pick, 33rd overall. It's still the profile teams gamble on when they think a tweak can unlock a run.

Money-wise, he just played 2025 on a $5.2 million deal with the Dodgers, and Spotrac and CBS both line that up. If he's on a prove-it contract again, the Jays can stomach it.

The baseball fit is clean, too. Kopech can attack righties with velocity at the top, then let Rogers and Hoffman handle the weird angles and the finish, and suddenly John Schneider has fewer innings that feel like coin flips.

Source: Heavy Sports
Blue Jays Urged to Sign Hard-Throwing Reliever to Add to Backend of Bullpen