It’s time to sign Odorizzi or Walker
Run prevention was a much bigger issue than run creation for the Blue Jays in last year’s pandemic-shortened season, and while the big-splash acquisition on the mound hasn’t happened yet, they’ve spent the winter making some very interesting adds to the pitching staff in an attempt to whittle down the 5.2 runs per game they allowed in 2020 — only the Angels, Tigers and Red Sox were worse.
The one place there hasn’t been an interesting addition has been the starting rotation, where the Jays could use one the most. Free-agent righties Jake Odorizzi and Taijuan Walker remain on the open market, though, and the Jays have shown interest in both at various points of the off-season. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see one of them reporting to Dunedin in the next week or two, if not sooner.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has finished in the top three in Cy Young voting each of the past two seasons, will lead a rotation that saw 12 different pitchers make a start over the course of the 60-game season. Each of the hurlers set to follow the lefty in the starting five comes with his own set of questions.
> Nate Pearson, the top righthanded pitching prospect in the game, made his majorleague debut last season, but fought through elbow problems to disappointing numbers. He came back off the injury list to make two dominant appearances, one in the playoffs. His ceiling is sky-high, but he hasn’t even pitched 150 innings as a professional yet. Not in a single season, in his entire career. How heavy a load he’ll be able to carry is very uncertain.
> Lefty Robbie Ray had walked a batter per inning, worst in the majors, when the Jays picked him up at the deadline last season. He got back to basics and had a couple of terrific outings in September, plus another one in the post-season, but still walked 14 batters in 20 2⁄3 innings. Ray’s stuff is off the charts, and if he can control the free passes he can pitch at the top of the rotation, which is why the Jays brought him back so quickly — he was the first free agent signed this off-season. The last time he kept his walks to under four per nine innings, 2017, he was an all-star.
> Tanner Roark’s first season with the Jays was downright ugly. The veteran righty had been a very reliable big-league starter, but plummeted to career worsts — by plenty — in pretty much every statistical category. He’s got a spot in the rotation for now, but it would be no surprise to see Roark in a different uniform by the time the season starts.
> Steven Matz will compete with righty Trent Thornton for the last spot in the rotation, with Thornton recovering from elbow surgery and Matz, picked up from the New York Mets last month, recovering from getting knocked around to the tune of a 9.68 ERA last season. The lefty believes selling out for big fastball velocity was the culprit. Lesson learned, he and the Jays hope.
With rosters cut back to 26 from the 28 used last season, it’ll be difficult for the Jays to have as quick a hook for their starting pitchers as they did last year, so even though we might see some openers used, the starters will be expected to pitch into the seventh inning a lot more often than the one solitary time they did in 2020.
The eight- or nine-man bullpen should be led by Kirby Yates, potentially the highestimpact acquisition of the offseason not named George Springer. The right-hander, who will be 34 by the time opening day rolls around, was arguably the game’s best closer in 2019, piling up 41 saves in San Diego while striking out 101 batters in just 60 ⁄ innings of
1
3 work using a devastating fastball-splitter combo.
Yates had surgery to remove bone spurs in his right elbow in August, but is through the rehabilitation process and should be ready to go when spring training opens later this week. If healthy, Yates should provide a seamless transition from Ken Giles, who had just one blown save in his 78-game tenure as a Blue Jay. Giles, who signed a two-year contract with Seattle last week, will miss the 2021 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Serving as the set-up men to Yates will be holdovers Jordan
Romano, Rafael Dolis and Julian Merryweather from the right side and Ryan Borucki from the left. They all had very strong showings last season, though Borucki needs to cut down on the walks, something he’s very capable of doing and has done in the past.
Speaking of walks, new Blue Jay Tyler Chatwood will be a major project for pitching coach Pete Walker this spring. Like Ray, the righty has ridiculous stuff that generates a ton of swing-and-miss, but has yet to be able to harness it to the point where he’s been consistently great. After leading the majors in free passes in 2018, he’s walked basically a batter every other inning the past two seasons.
Righties David Phelps and Ross Stripling, both of whom had forgettable 2020 seasons should round out the bullpen, with Francisco Liriano available in case the Jays feel they need to have a second lefty alongside Borucki.
It’s a staff that is overflowing with talent, but it’s also full of pitchers with durability and/or control issues, which is a formula that could turn out very well or very badly. Given the attrition rate of pitching, especially with workloads having to rise dramatically coming off a shortened season, expect to see plenty of creativity and roster shuffling throughout the year.