Toronto Blue Jays Could Call Up An Extra Starting Pitcher
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said the team may call up an extra starter to help control the innings totals of Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez.
Before the season began, there were concerns surrounding the innings totals of Toronto Blue Jays starters Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman.
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Both pitchers are expected to start for the entire season, but neither has ever pitched a full season. Stroman has never thrown more than 166 1/3 innings, while Sanchez has never thrown more than 133 innings.
According to manager John Gibbons, the Blue Jays will be cautious with a few pitchers — presumably Stroman and Sanchez — and will try to give them a break when they can.
Gibbons on adding a sixth starter like they did last year: "That's probably what we'll end up doing." #BlueJays
— Gregor Chisholm (@GregorChisholm) April 20, 2016
Gibbons: "There's a couple of guys you want to be cautious with a little bit, it might help more to give those guys a break when we can."
— Gregor Chisholm (@GregorChisholm) April 20, 2016
This doesn’t necessarily mean the Jays will use a six-man rotation, however. Instead, their rotation will likely resemble a similar setup to what they had last season, where an extra day of rest will be added when necessary.
Last year, with concerns about Marco Estrada‘s innings count, and Mark Buehrle‘s decreased velocity, the Jays used Scott Copeland, Matt Boyd and Todd Redmond in spot-start roles to help alleviate some of their concerns.
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If the Blue Jays were to adopt last season’s setup, it’s likely that Drew Hutchison would be the first player they bring up from triple-A Buffalo. In 15 1/3 innings with the Bisons, Hutch owns a 4.11 ERA, a 3.33 strikeout to walk ratio (20 strikeouts, six walks), and a 11.74 K/9 rate.
If not Hutchison, the Blue Jays could also call up lefty Scott Diamond. In three starts with the Bisons, Diamond is 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA, a 6.00 strikeout to walk ratio (12 strikeouts, two walks), and a 6.48 K/9 rate.
His numbers won’t overwhelm anyone, but he could be a left-handed option for the Blue Jays to spot start should they find themselves against a team they feel struggles with a lefty-lefty matchup.
Another option could be Jesse Chavez, but he’s been bothered by a sore back recently. Plus, he’s done well in a bullpen role so far, minus the grand slam he served up to Brock Holt during the Blue Jays Home Opener.
Another name that was mentioned during spring training was Gavin Floyd. Gibbons said he views him as a one-to-three inning pitcher, though, which likely means we can scratch him off the list too.
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If the Blue Jays do use a spot starter in the near future, the short list of candidates will likely include Drew Hutchison, Scott Diamond, or swing man Jesse Chavez.
What do you think about the Blue Jays possibly using a spot starter to help manage the innings count of Stroman and Sanchez? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.