In the early days of the Major League Baseball offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays continue to be linked to high-leverage relievers in free agency.

We've heard about a potential fit with Pete Fairbanks, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Edwin Diaz, most recently of the New York Mets, and now there's a new name in the mix: Raisel Iglesias.

Per Francys Romero on social media:

According to sources, the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as a strong suitor for Cuban reliever Raisel Iglesias.

Toronto is actively pursuing the veteran right-hander as they look to reinforce the back end of their bullpen.

The Iglesias file

Now 35-years-old, Iglesias will turn 36 in January. An 11-year veteran of the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves, he's gone 42-55 lifetime with a 2.90 ERA. He has 253 career saves, including eight seasons of double-digit saves or more. He has five seasons of 30 or more, serving as one of the more reliable relievers of the last decade.

However, he showed some signs of cracking this season, pitching to a 3.21 ERA in 70 games. 

On that note, Iglesias has shown solid durability in his career. He's made 58 appearances or more in each of the last five seasons. He also appeared in 63 games or more in each season from 2017-19, only stopping that streak because of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

How would he fit?

This seems to be a clear case where Iglesias would slot in as the eighth-inning guy in front of closer Jeff Hoffman. The Jays have been linked to potential relievers (like Diaz) that could supplant Hoffman, but that doesn't seem likely with Iglesias.

Toronto is smart to be looking for bullpen upgrades, as that was clearly the biggest weak spot during the team's run to Game 7 of the World Series. Seranthony Dominguez is also a free agent and could be gone, further necessitating an influx of relievers.

Iglesias also won a World Series in 2021 with the Braves, so he would bring in a championship pedigree, which would certainly be important to a Jays group that is looking to break the door down for themselves as well.

Competition 

Any contender looking for a leverage reliever could be interested in Iglesias, but some non-contenders could be looking for a closer as well. If Iglesias sees himself as a ninth-inning guy, he may be interested in those offers also.

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