The Toronto Blue Jays are just two games out of first place in the National League East, and the division could be very winnable for the sluggling Toronto lineup. But for the Blue Jays to separate themselves from the pack, some bullpen help would be very necessary. The Blue Jays have been connected to Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon for a good while. However, finding save situations for Blue Jays scouts to observe Papelbon has been scarce.
Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reports that a high ranking Blue Jays scout finally got his chance today:
The Jays and Phillies have been talking about a Papelbon deal since last winter and the Jays remain interested. They have had a high-ranking scout trailing the Phillies for the last 10 games. The scout finally got to see Papelbon in a save situation Thursday. Now, if the two sides can agree on which player comes back to the Phillies and how to balance out Papelbon’s $13 million option for next year, a deal could be struck. So far, these have been significant hurdles, but both sides could soften as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.
Salisbury also adds that the Blue Jays could target Tyler Clippard of the Oakland Athletics as a closer option.
The Toronto Blue Jays recently won nine games in a row. The first loss after the streak was a blown save from closer Brett Cecil; the Blue Jays had no save opportunities during that nine-game stretch. While Cecil has been effective at times, he has had his far share of issues in the closer role. Having both Cecil and Papelbon would make the Blue Jays bullpen much deeper, as the team hopes to make their first postseason appearance since 1993.
