Gaviglio’s future left swinging
The Blue Jays rolled the dice at Fenway Park on Saturday by asking right-hander Sam Gaviglio to start a game for the second time in four days.
After recording just five outs in his previous outing against the Braves, Gaviglio responded well in Boston, carrying the game for 10 outs and allowing just a leadoff homer in the fourth by J.D. Martinez before handing off to a busy Blue Jays bullpen again. But these Sox are good, and the end result was a 6-2 Boston win on a 10th-inning walk-off grand slam by shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
The fourth-inning Martinez homer stood up until the Jays tied the game on a ground ball by Aledmys Diaz, scoring Kendrys Morales in the seventh, followed in the same inning by a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. single against Joe Kelly to score Dwight Smith Jr., who had doubled off the Green Monster.
The door was opened for the Red Sox in the 10th by the Jays’ star of the day, Gurriel. He booted a routine one-out ground ball by Mookie Betts and it was too much for that overworked ’pen to handle. The Sox walked it off against Chris Rowley, added to the roster just prior to the game.
Saturday was the closest the Jays and manager John Gibbons have come in 2018 to replicating the Rays’ completely outside-the-box concept of starting a reliever (Rays call him the opener) and building from there, expecting to go four or five pitchers deep in order to wend their way through nine innings and hopefully a victory.
The question remains: Is there a significant role for Gaviglio with the Jays in 2019? His issue is becoming less effective the second and third times through the order, even though it’s only an 11-start sample size. Once through the order as a starter may work in the Rays’ rotation-by-committee concept, but the Jays and most other teams aren’t going there.
The first time through the order on Saturday, Gaviglio allowed two hits and a walk. The second time, he allowed two hits in four at-bats, including the Martinez homer. For his MLB career, the differences are clear and present. The first time through an opposing lineup they have hit .224 (48 for 214) with 24 walks and 39 strikeouts. The second time, opponents hit .289 (57 for 197 with 12 walks and 46 strikeouts. The third time and beyond, opponents hit .304.
While the Jays’ recent roster manipulations — some artificial, some legitimate — have mostly revolved around pitching, there are some concerns about the health of two key position players.
In the third inning, Boston’s Brock Holt looped a soft line drive toward centre with two runners on base. Kevin Pillar raced in and caught the ball just above the grass before rolling over and turning it into a double play at second base. That effort saved Gaviglio from a big inning, but Pillar was forced from the game with what was diagnosed as a right clavicle sprain. In the top of the sixth with one out, Gurriel dived into first on an infield hit and was kicked in the back of the neck by Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who was covering. Gurriel remained in the game, Rodriguez didn’t.
As for the future of the Jays’ starter, it’s a question of whether the Jays have any choice but to fall back, regroup and include him in a rotation that may be at the front of a rebuilding year. Not ideal.
Upon further review, it’s possible they will need to replace three pitchers, or 60 per cent of the highly touted rotation that broke with the team from spring training. Marco Estrada and J.A. Happ will become free agents and may not even last as Jays until the end of July. Fifth starter Jaime Garcia has a club option that requires a $2-million U.S. buyout and, at 31 years old with a disappointing 2-6 record and 6.16 ERA in 13 starts, the buyout is likely.
That leaves Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez at the top of the rotation. Add rookie lefthander Ryan Borucki — a pleasant surprise who, incidentally, was optioned to the minors on Saturday in order to bring up a fresh arm in Rowley. Borucki will remain there for 10 days and start against the Twins on July 24. Estrada is already on the 10-day DL and can be activated in time for next Saturday’s start against the O’s. Gaviglio will start Friday.
So, is it at all possible for Ga- viglio to be considered for a 2019 rotation spot behind Stroman, Sanchez and Borucki? Yes, but not likely. Gibbons prefers him as a majorleague swingman who can get more than three outs in relief and then come back and do it again a couple of days later, and spot start when needed.
Ahead of Gaviglio, the front office is high on some of the other kid starters, especially right-handers Sean Reid-Foley and T.J. Zeuch. Then there’s the possibility of re-signing Happ as a free agent or going after any number of veteran arms to fill out the starting five.
The Jays have had a rich recent history of swingmen in the role they hope Gaviglio can fill. The list over the past 10 years with at least 20 relief appearances and five starts in a season includes Joe Biagini (2017), Sanchez (2015), Dustin McGowan (2014), Esmil Rogers (2013), Carlos Villanueva (2011-12), Jesse Litsch (2011) and Brian Tallet (2010).
Coincidentally, Jays pitching coach Pete Walker could tell Gaviglio everything he needs to know about the swingman role. From 2002-05, Walker made 101 appearances for the Jays, including 31 starts.