Last year around this time the Blue Jays acquired Sergio Santos from the White Sox to be their long-term closer, but he ended up being shut down in April before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.
In his absence Casey Janssen emerged as the Blue Jays’ closer, saving 22 games with a 2.54 ERA, but Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes that “Santos is ready for spring training, with a chance, if healthy, to reclaim the closer’s role.”
Regardless of which role he’d fill getting a healthy Santos back would be huge for a team that beefed up its roster in a major way this offseason. In two seasons with the White Sox the converted infielder threw 115 innings with a 3.29 ERA, .219 opponents’ batting average, and 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
