‘Dream come true’ as Gaviglio cracks Jays’ opening roster
Two months from his 29th birthday, Sam Gaviglio has reached a lifetime goal. He’s finally going to be on a big-league opening day roster.
“Awesome,” the Blue Jays right-hander said of the news he had received Tuesday from manager Charlie Montoyo before Toronto faced the Milwaukee Brewers in a pre-season game at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.
“A dream come true. I’m just excited for the season.”
Montoyo also informed Trent Thornton he had won the battle for the temporary fifth starter job. The 25-year-old righty will take the mound for the series finale against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
The decision to use Thornton ahead of Clayton Richard had to do with Detroit having a more right-hander heavy lineup than the Baltimore Orioles, who the Jays face in their second series.
“He’s got the stuff to compete in the big leagues, for sure,” Montoyo said of Thornton, who challenged the New York Yankees’ “good lineup” on Saturday in Tampa.
“After he went through that stuff (hitting Bryce Harper and then receiving threats from Phillies fans), he was outstanding. He doesn’t back down. He’s got what it takes to be a good starter in the big leagues.”
As a career minor-league player, Montoyo admitted to the thrill he gets telling bubble players they’ve made the roster.
“I love it,” he said. “It killed me yesterday (Monday) that I couldn’t tell Trent because he was in Florida. So somebody else did. I wanted to tell him. And then Sammy today, when he walked in the room and I said, ‘Good news, it’s good news,’ because he had the face … and then he smiled. Of course he was really happy.”
Gaviglio feels he secured his spot on the team with his two innings against the Brewers on Monday, when he gave up two hits and an unearned run, but also struck out four.
“Especially after my last start against the Phillies wasn’t ideal,” he said, referring to the eight earned runs he allowed in 31/3 innings on Friday.
While starter Ryan Borucki and reliever Ryan Tepera played catch on Tuesday, Montoyo said Borucki will miss more than one start after he encountered arm discomfort on Friday.
“I’m going to guess, with a young guy like that, one season (in the bigs), probably two starts would be my guess that he might miss,” said Montoyo.
ACCORDING TO HENTGEN
When talking about Blue Jays pitchers, Pat Hentgen is near the top of the all-time list.
He’s one of just six to reach the 20-win plateau, and while doing so with 10 complete games and a 3.22 ERA over 2652/3 innings in 1996, he became the first Jays hurler to capture the AL Cy Young Award. Only two others have won the award since: Roger Clemens in 1997 and 1998 and Roy Halladay in 2003.
When talking about Marcus Stroman, the Jays’ opening day starter Thursday, Hentgen is reminded of another great who not only won a Cy Young, but was also on five World Series championship teams, including the 1992 Jays.
“The guy I thought of was David Cone,” Hentgen said when asked for a Stroman comparable. “Stroman’s really athletic, just like Cone. And just like Cone, he can drop his arm angle when he wants and he can spin the ball. It’s a nice combination.”
If Stroman can duplicate the season Cone enjoyed in 1988, when he was 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA (finishing 10th in NL MVP voting and third in Cy Young balloting), the Jays will be off to a good start.
Now a roving pitching instructor with the Jays’ minor-league teams, Hentgen likes what he sees in Toronto’s staff. Starting, of course, with the “really good” one-two punch of Stroman and Aaron Sanchez.
Hentgen likes the additions of Matt Shoemaker, Clayton Richard and Clay Buchholz for their “veteran presence.” Buchholz’s experience in the East Division and “in big parks in big situations” will help the Jays, he said.
Hentgen also believes picking up veterans like Bud Norris, Daniel Hudson and David Phelps will be of great help to the bullpen.