Cleveland acquired Bruihl for cash on Wednesday after Toronto designated him for assignment. The Blue Jays also made room for a reliever addition, designating Bruihl as the corresponding move after signing Tyler Rogers.
Bruihl joined the Blue Jays as a minor league free agent in March. He threw 42 solid innings at Triple-A, earning a promotion to the big league club. The 28-year-old lefty made 15 appearances for Toronto and recorded a 5.27 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. Bruihl retired 27.7% of the batters he faced, although this came with a walk rate of 10.8%. The short stint was enough to earn Bruihl a spot on the postseason roster. He made one appearance in the ALDS and was knocked around for a pair of runs on three hits while securing only one out. Bruihl was not on the postseason roster after the series against the Yankees.
Bruihl pitched for four teams in parts of five MLB seasons. He has compiled a 4.72 ERA in 94 appearances. The left-hander made his debut with the Dodgers in 2021. He played a semi-regular role in the bullpen for the next three seasons. Bruihl was transferred to Colorado in August 2023. He had brief stints with the Rockies and Pirates before landing in Toronto.
The Blue Jays made a notable change in the arsenal, with Bruihl emphasizing his sinker instead of his cutter. He normally favored a cut fastball, although he did lean on his sweeper as his primary pitch during his time with Pittsburgh. Bruihl had never used the sinker more than 31.7% of the time in the major leagues heading into 2025. He pushed it to 51.1% last season while essentially eliminating the cutter (7.3% usage). Sinker/sweeper isn’t a typical swing-and-miss combination, so it’s interesting that Bruihl posted the best strikeout numbers of his career. Toronto may have unlocked something in terms of order or location, in addition to adjusting the arsenal, that led to better strikeout results.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
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