Toronto Blue Jays assume no risk giving Zack Godley a fresh start
The Toronto Blue Jays claimed Zack Godley off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks hoping he is able to regain his form with a fresh start.
At this point in the season, the Toronto Blue Jays should be using the final stretch of the season to see what the team has to work with going forward.
We are seeing players like Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Cavan Biggio thrive with regular playing time but the pitching staff still appears to be a work in progress. This is why claiming Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Godleyoff waivers is an intriguing move.
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This is a pitcher who was coming off a strong season in 2017 where he posted a 3.37 ERA with 165 strikeouts in 155 innings. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone his way this season as he has a 6.39 ERA and an increase in walks per nine innings going from 3.1 in 2017 to 4.1 in 2018 and 2019.
Even though his ERA went up in 2018, he still put up strong numbers that made him worthy of a spot in the rotation. Unfortunately, he has struggled to find his command this season and moving the 29-year-old to the bullpen hasn’t brought much success.
The velocity on his fastball has dipped to 89.9 mph and his curveball isn’t getting the swing and misses that he got in past seasons. Even if he gets closer to his ERA to 4.74 from 2018 he can have an impact.
Considering it only costs the Blue Jays a spot on the 40-man roster, this is a worthwhile gamble for management to take considering there aren’t many options in the rotation or bullpen. Whether it is in the rotation or bullpen remains to be seen but Toronto doesn’t assume a lot of risks here.
Unfortunately, he is joining the AL East which isn’t an easy division to pitch in but if he finds a way to get over his struggles it’ll be more satisfying.
Next. Blue Jays should consider moving Guerrero Jr. off third base. dark
Do you think Godley can return to his 2017 form in any way? In what way can he make an impact? Let us know in the comments below.