The Toronto Blue Jays released a veteran pitcher who didn’t quite maintain his form this season.
Chad Green is no longer with the organization, the Blue Jays announced on Monday.
Green was under a $10.5 million contract that was his last year with Toronto, but the Blue Jays chose not to ride that deal out. They designated him for assignment, and when he cleared waivers as expected, he was released.
After beginning his career with seven seasons with the Yankees (3.17 ERA), Green seemed like a smart pickup for the Blue Jays in 2023.
He was injured most of that season, though, only appearing in 12 games. And in those outings, he had a 5.25 ERA.
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Green was back to form in 2024. He had a 3.21 ERA in 53 outings. In 53.1 innings pitched, Green struck out 46 hitters.
That presented optimism about what Green would bring this season.
Instead, his ERA was at 5.56 through 45 outings at the time of his release. Green had still struck out 35 batters in 43.2 innings, and his walk rate was similar, but he was giving up hits and home runs both at the worst rate of his career.
At 34 years old, it’s very possible that Green has simply moved well past his prime.
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He is an intriguing player to hit the free agent market now, though. His long pedigree of big league success aligns perfectly with a market where every contender is always looking for an extra relief pitcher.
A team that feels it didn’t quite get enough bullpen help at the trade deadline can turn to Green and see if he still has a little bit left in the tank.
Toronto clearly deemed that he didn’t, and that’s why Green became a free agent on Monday, but that status may not last for very long. The Blue Jays will just have to hope he doesn’t sign with a team that can hurt their own chances going forward.
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