Jays will have to choose between Bautista and Encarnacion
Even with a 10-per-cent bump in payroll, there wouldn’t be enough to keep all the team’s free agents
Even though many fans remain indignant and aghast at Aaron Sanchez being moved to the bullpen, Blue Jays management stuck to its spring training vow to move the talented 24-year-old back to his old role, for his own good. This despite the fact he showed no discernible signs of fatigue after 21 starts, while leading the American League in earned- run average. They’re not going back.
But really, why is management removing him from the rotation? Sanchez continues to be cyborg-efficient in inducing ground balls via the two-seam fastball while commanding three pitches. He is, or was, a Cy Young candidate.
That being said, there is a dual purpose to all of the Jays’ moves at the deadline. Yes, they feel they can win it all in 2016, maybe the last true window of opportunity with this Alex Anthopoulos core group, but they know they must also set up payroll parameters for 2017.
The Jays, as their 25-man roster now stands, have eight players that are eligible to file for free agency at the conclusion of the World Series. The Jays’ elite eight looking to cash in on the open market includes Jose Bautista, R.A. Dickey, Edwin Encarnacion, Joaquin Benoit, Scott Feldman, Brett Cecil, Michael Saunders and Gavin Floyd. In 2016, the total salary of those eight freeagents-to-be is $59.7 million, with Bautista ($14M), Dickey ($12M) and Encarnacion ($10M) the top three.
It may seem surprising, but the Blue Jays’ opening-day payroll this year was the second-highest in club history at $136.8 million (all figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts). The highest opening day payout was in 2014 at $137.2 million. Of course, many might argue this year’s number should be higher, given the fact that the Jays and Rogers ownership raked in a reported $50 million in bonus gravy last season because of the energizing run to the post-season and three months of a sold-out ballpark.
HOUSTON— Monday’s trade-deadline acquisition of veteran left-hander Francisco Liriano appeared to give some clarity to the Aaron Sanchez situation for the Blue Jays. The prized righty would make one, maybe two, more starts before moving to the bullpen to limit his workload, and Liriano would take his spot in the rotation for the remainder of the season.
That’s how it was explained by general manager Ross Atkins and echoed by team president Mark Shapiro. The only question was the timing of Sanchez’s move into a relief role.
But on Wednesday, manager John Gibbons muddied the waters by suggesting the organization was “still debating” what to do with their 24year-old right-hander.
Perhaps Gibbons is having a hard time letting go of his best starter — and arguably the top pitcher in the American League this season — in the midst of a playoff race.
But regardless how many more starts Sanchez makes, if the Jays hope to retain their division title and return to the post-season they will need strong performances from their entire rotation down the stretch.
After receiving encouraging outings from Marcus Stroman and R.A. Dickey in the first two games of this series, they got more of the same on Wednesday night from Marco Estrada, who went seven strong as the Jays beat the Astros 3-1.
Backed by a trio of homers by Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson — who hit his 26th and 27th of the season in successive at-bats — Estrada held the Astros to just a single run on four hits. He struck out seven, didn’t walk a single batter and for the 16th time in his 19 total starts, he allowed five or fewer hits.
Rookie right-hander Joe Biagini pitched a nervy eighth as the Astros put a pair in scoring position on a lead-off double, Devon Travis error and a sacrifice bunt. That’s when it looked like the Jays would intentionally walk batting-title frontrunner Jose Altuve to load the bases and hope for a double play.
But with Russell Martin calling for the walk, Gibbons popped out of the dugout for a rare mound visit without a pitching change, apparently instructing Biagini to throw to Altuve. The gambit paid off as the Astros’ second baseman flew out on the first pitch before Biagini struck out Correa to escape the jam unscathed. Roberto Osuna then earned his 23rd save with a clean ninth.
Both of Donaldson’s blasts off Astros right-hander Collin McHugh were hit to the opposite field on Wednesday, while Bautista cranked his second in as many nights, both sent out on a line to left field.
All six runs the Jays have scored since arriving in Houston have come on solo home runs. They have also struck out 50 times this series, including 14 times Wednesday.