Prediction for Toronto Blue Jays at 2014 MLB Winter Meetings

Winter meetings are set to get underway Sunday, Dec. 7 in San Diego, Calif. for MLB and its managerial committees. While the Toronto Blue Jays and GM Alex Anthopoulos have already had a hand in a number of deals so far this offseason, Jays insider Shi Davidi notes the club is looking to rectify their bullpen situation in the coming days.

Jays followers are aware of the move that claimed former 1B-DH Justin Smoak off waivers. Not a big move on the surface, however, the way the organization handled the situation actually saved them $2.65 million in the long run. Smoak will log some games at first base and designated hitter when Edwin Encarnacion needs a break.

Of course, the blockbuster to acquire one of baseball’s best all-around players over the last two years in third baseman Josh Donaldson followed shortly thereafter. The Jays then acquired another ex-Seattle Mariners player and Canadian, OF Michael Saunders. This may have laid the groundwork for Toronto being fine about moving on from Melky Cabrera.

Now, the bullpen needs to be re-engineered. The unit ranked 25th in league ERA last season. With coveted free agent Andrew Miller signed, it’s now David Robertson who becomes the most well-known name on the relief pitchers market. Robertson filled in admirably in the Bronx for the great Mariano Rivera last season, but some analysts feel his asking price is too high. The Jays should put an offer on the table for him, as a return to the New York Yankees seems unlikely after the Miller signing and the emergence of Dellin Betances last season. Toronto knows Robertson can close out games in the AL East. At 29, a three- or four-year deal would be in the cards.

Whether the Jays look to rebuild the bullpen through signings or trades remains to be seen. In the deal they had with Seattle for Saunders, it would have been well worth their while to try and acquire one of the many talented arms that gave the M’s the best ranked pen in the league last year — or even with the Oakland Athletics, for that matter. The Jays have pulled off trades with two teams that ranked in the top three for bullpen ERA last season, yet they did not receive any pitchers as compensation in either deal. A bit startling, when you consider their dire need at the position.

Marco Estrada is a wild card for the Jays. The club got him in return when they shipped Adam Lind off to the Milwaukee Brewers. He could start or pitch out of the bullpen. Estrada appeared in 39 contests for the Brew Crew last year, starting in 18 of them.

Luke Gregerson is an intriguing reliever for the Jays to look into. The 30-year-old was a teammate of Donaldson’s last season, putting together a pretty nice year. His 2.12 ERA and 1.01 WHIP over 72.1 IP were strong numbers for a guy who saw some ninth inning duties as well.

With rumors of a deal involving Yasmani Grandal and Matt Kemp swirling, perhaps Anthopoulos should inquire about a three-way deal with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers in order to take advantage of the Padres’ stock of bullpen arms. Dealing C Dioner Navarro would help San Diego fill the void of losing Grandal, who could in turn could flip Dale Thayer, Nick Vincent or Kevin Quackenbush to the Jays.

As for the Dodgers, they believe Zack Greinke may use his opt-out clause after this season, and are thus listening to offers for him in case they also bring in a free-agent starting pitcher. If the Jays are approaching 2015 with a “win-now” mentality, sending one of their young, highly-touted arms over for Greinke could be a move worth exploring.

While pitching is a main concern for Toronto, don’t be surprised if Anthopoulos pulls off another deal from way out of left field to maximize the lineups productivity. The jury is out on whether Saunders can be an everyday corner outfielder for them.

The Jays traded CF Anthony Gose and received 2B Devon Travis to set the stage for Dalton Pompey‘s chance to crack the opening day roster. While he and Travis are high-ranked prospects, there is no guarantee they make the active roster in March.

Jordan Wevers is an MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JordanWevers, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.