The bullpen is likely the most volatile portion of a MLB franchise, which is what makes spending money on the area a risky proposition. The Blue Jays have been very fortunate this season as they’ve received great production from Danny Barnes and Ryan Tepera on minimum contracts, and also have received plenty of value on veteran, Joe Smith‘s contract, at just 3 million.
For every case like Smith’s, there are several more that didn’t work out, and often they’ve been paid more than 3 million to implode in the bullpen. You don’t have to look much further than former Blue Jay Brett Cecil, who is currently carrying a 5.