First names linked to Blue Jays at Winter Meetings a harbinger of things to come

LAS VEGAS — The Toronto Blue Jays could be busy as the Winter Meetings get rolling in Las Vegas, but it’s unlikely they’ll be flashy.

That was made abundantly clear on Sunday night when they were linked to starting pitchers Mike Fiers and Kendall Graveman by Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

To be clear, both of those starters have the potential to be contributors, or even bargains. But one of those guy is 33, averages less than 90 mph on his fastball, and just got non-tendered. The other managed just 58.1 innings of pro ball last season – almost half of them in Triple-A – had an ERA of 7.60 in his MLB action, and has a career K/9 below six. We’re not talking about the landing a big fish here.

Although this is just one Blue Jays rumour – and there will be many in the days to come – these type of free agent targets are the ones we’re likely to see linked to the club this offseason. They’re likely to add some kind of low-profile rotation upgrade in the near future and sign a few relievers on cheap deals when we get closer to the spring. Because 2019 is unlikely to be their year, it’s tough to justify shopping for brand-name players.

There’s nothing wrong with this game plan per se. Expecting a couple of signings could put them in the same stratosphere as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees is unreasonable. Better to save your bullets for when you’re a little closer.

Instead, seeing if Fiers can replicate a seemingly-flukey ERA (3.56) or giving Graveman a chance to see if he can parlay his combination of good velocity (93.7 mph) and a strong groundball rate (51.7 percent in his career) into a healthy, productive season might be more the Blue Jays’ speed.

Perhaps Fiers could recreate the magic that made him a crucial part of the playoff-bound Oakland Athletics’ rotation in 2018. If he could keep runs off the board even close to as successfully again, he’d make a fine rental to sell at the deadline. If Graveman re-finds the form that made him a steady middle-of-the-rotation presence between 2016 and 2017, he’d also have a chance to fetch a prospect or two mid-season. He’s even young enough (27) that he’s the sort who could make a longer-term contribution.

Neither of those hypotheticals is a particularly sexy proposition, but the Blue Jays aren’t in the business of sexy right now. When you see a team linked to guys like Fiers and Graveman it’s pretty clear what business they’re in.

Once again, there’s nothing wrong with that. Adding a back-end starter with a reasonable price tag would be a tidy transaction for this front office. It’s just the fact that a move like that could represent their entire Winter Meetings output that’s a bit disheartening for those hoping for fireworks.

More Blue Jays coverage on Yahoo Sports