Toronto Blue Jays: 3 Reasons Ervin Santana Isn’t Worth Pursuing
By Paul Taylor
The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly interested in Ervin Santana, but we look at three reasons why the pitcher should be given a wide berth.
The Toronto Blue Jays starting five has been both excellent and fortunate so far this season. As of July 6th, they have a collective ERA of 3.66, good enough for sixth in the Majors.
The Jays rotation has also pitched the most innings in the league to this point, which alludes to the luck aspect. As of today, not one of their starting pitchers has missed a start.
However, this is about to change, with Marco Estrada being placed on the 15-day disabled list due to ongoing back issues. Drew Hutchison is set to take his place on the mound on Thursday, against the Detroit Tigers.
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As such, and with the trade deadline fast approaching, the Blue Jays are looking elsewhere for some insurance. As per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, this has included recently sending talent evaluator Ed Lynch to watch the Minnesota Twins.
Understandably, this has led to Blue Jays fans asking who Lynch has been watching? The answer apparently comes, courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser.
The Oakland A’s beat writer reported that the Blue Jays – along with other teams – again had representatives present to watch the Twins on Wednesday, for their game against the Athletics. In particular, they were there to observe the matchup between Sonny Gray and Ervin Santana.
Slusser argues that Oakland is unlikely to send a Cy Young-type starter to Toronto, especially less than two years after trading Josh Donaldson to them. With this in mind, combined with the Blue Jays prior trip to watch the Twins, it seems reasonable to assume Sananta is also of interest to Ross Atkins and the front office.
If true, the Blue Jays need to put a stop to this interest, with immediate effect. The 2008 All-Star previously turned down a one-year, $14.1 million offer from Toronto, to sign the same deal with Atlanta, due to the chance to play in the more pitcher-friendly National League.
Of course, that alone is not a good enough reason to stay away from Santana – actually, it would just be petty. So how about the fact he’s now 33-year’s old and only in the second season of a four-year, $54 million deal?
We won’t hold the Dominican Republic native’s 80-game suspension in 2014 against him. A lot of MLB players have been banned for similar reasons, or at least suspected of PED use.
However, the final reason it would be best to stay away from Santana, is his production. Yes, he’s been pitching better since mid-June, but overall, his performances this season have left a lot to be desired.
Overall, there is nothing wrong with the Blue Jays taking a look at the former amateur free agent pickup. However, a combination of his age, salary, preference for the NL and production this season make it in their best interests to give him a miss.
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What do you make of the speculation connecting the Blue Jays to Ervin Santana? Would you trade for him, or prefer to give the pitcher a miss altogether? Let us know in the comments section below.