Bullpen among areas of need for Blue Jays

TORONTO — The Blue Jays have a lot of work to do this offseason, and they can add another item to their to-do list after left-hander Brett Cecil agreed to a four-year deal with the Cardinals over the weekend.

Cecil’s departure creates another void in a bullpen that faces plenty of uncertainty this offseason. Closer Roberto Osuna and veteran right-hander Jason Grilli are the only two relievers with guaranteed jobs, and the lack of viable internal candidates should be cause for concern.

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The good news is that Toronto had enough resources to recently make a three-year offer to Cecil. That money can be allocated to finding another reliever to take his place, and there are several alternatives on the free-agent market who are worth considering.

Cecil often was underappreciated during his time in Toronto. He seemed to go through an extended period of command issues every year, yet when it was all said and done, his numbers consistently ranked among the best in the game. He struck out at least 10 batters per nine innings in each of the last four seasons and had a sub-3.00 ERA in all but one of those years.

The 30-year-old had been with the organization since 2007. He won’t be easy to replace, but here’s a closer look at some of the candidates who could potentially fill the void:

Jerry Blevins: Blevins missed almost all of 2015 after he fractured his left elbow twice during the same season. He bounced back this year and posted a very respectable 2.79 ERA over 42 innings for the Mets. Cecil’s biggest asset out of the bullpen was his ability to miss a lot of bats …

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