Biagini shows he belongs in next year’s rotation
Long reliever ‘outstanding’ in five starts
SEATTLE — He may only have one win in his five major league starts, but in some clearly tangible ways, Blue Jays pitcher Joe Biagini is a gift that keeps on giving.
The team is justifiably ecstatic with the Rule 5 pickup from November 2015, a steal of a selection who continues to show signs that he has a future as a major league starter.
How solid has Biagini been in his elevation from long reliever to starter, a move necessitated by a rash of injuries to the Jays’ rotation?
Well, the team is already pondering the decision on their hands when Aaron Sanchez returns, likely some time in the next month.
“It’s a good problem to have and we’ll worry about it when the time comes,” Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said on Saturday before the second of three weekend meetings with the Mariners.
“When Aaron comes back, we’ll make that decision.
“But Joe’s throwing the ball great. Certainly, in some ways, he’s exceeding our expectations in the rotation and getting deep into ball games. He’s got the weapons to pitch in that rotation and have success.”
On Friday night here, Biagini allowed just three runs on five hits through seven innings, the second consecutive game he went that deep.
And yes, the win-loss line is completely deceiving in his case.
Biagini is 0-3 in his past four starts, but hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of them l.
“We got a small sample size during spring training, but any time you transition someone into the rotation during the season, someone who hasn’t started at the major league level, that’s not easy,” Walker said. “He really has done an outstanding job. “Getting deep into games and attacking hitters early in counts … I think he’s settling in.”
While John Gibbons, Walker and Jays management might have an interesting decision to make when Sanchez does return, Biagini’s emergence as major league starting material is a big development for the future.
Both Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano are slated to be free agents this summer and it’s doubtful that the team would want to spend the money to retain both.
As a Rule 5 pickup, the Jays are only paying the 27-year-old US$535,000 a season. If he continues this development, go ahead and pencil him in as a 2018 starter.
“It’s nice to get the opportunity to play and to contribute and keep it close,” said Biagini, who has a 3.38 ERA from those five starts.
“It’s fascinating how much you can learn from each game you’ve played.
“It doesn’t hurt your confidence to get into a little bit of a groove.”
SIZING SANCHEZ
Conservatively it will be at least a couple of weeks before Sanchez returns to the rotation, as the team is determined that the skin on his formerly blistered finger is healed.
“We’re easing him back and making sure that thing is ready to go,” Walker said of Sanchez’s finger.
The plan for now is to have a couple of sessions pitching off the mound and than after that, Walker said, he’ll need two or three rehab starts.
Of course, with the way Biagini has been pitching, there’s no urge to rush the process along with Sanchez.