Toronto Blue Jays new side-armer Chase Lee will provide depth with two remaining options
Photo credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays added an optionable reliever with a different look to their bullpen mix in Chase Lee.
For the Blue Jays, the deal brings a durable reliever with a unique look into their bullpen mix.
The 27-year-old Lee, acquired by the Tigers from the Rangers in the Andrew Chafin trade at the 2024 Trade Deadline, is a sidearmer with a sharp-moving sweeper along with a sinker and a four-seam fastball.
He debuted in the majors in 2025, striking out 36 batters in 37.1 innings with a 4.10 earned-run average.
His fastball sits at 89 m.p.h., but he throws sidearm from a minus-4-degree arm angle, allowing his sinker/four-seam/sweeper mix to play up.
Chase Lee (27) is a sweeper dominant right handed reliever with an extremely funky arm slot who ran high strikeout rates in the minor leagues thanks in large part to his deceptiveness and elite breaking ball.
His sweeper as mentioned is his best offering as it grades out as 120 on Fangraphs Stuff+. His fastball sits in the 89-90 MPH range with bad pitch specs.
His sweeper as mentioned is his best offering as it grades out as 120 on Fangraphs Stuff+. His fastball sits in the 89-90 MPH range with bad pitch specs.
He gave up seven home runs, five off his sweeper, but showed a willingness to attack the strike zone.
Nathan Lukes hit one of Lee's sweepers into the right field seats at Comerica Park last July.
It's been a long road and winding road to the big leagues for Lee
Lee's debut completed an incredible journey for a pitcher who went largely unnoticed until he pitched club ball at the University of Alabama.
He walked onto the Crimson Tide bullpen, posted a 1.87 ERA over three seasons and became a sixth-round Draft pick by the Rangers in 2021, along with earning an aeronautics engineering degree.
He lived in an RV during the season with his wife and child while bouncing between Detroit and Triple-A Toledo.
With two options remaining, Lee also provides the Blue Jays with an arm that can move up and down from the minors as needed if he doesn't break with the team, adding more relief depth.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 14 | 94 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays new side-armer Chase Lee will provide depth with two remaining options Do you think Chase Lee will earn a spot in the Blue Jays bullpen out of Spring Training? | ||
| Yes | 50 | 53.2 % |
| No, he will start the year in Buffalo | 44 | 46.8 % |
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