Toronto Blue Jays: Should Pearson and Hatch pitch out of bullpen?
The Toronto Blue Jays bullpen continues to be a disaster and some are looking for the team to call up Nate Pearson and Thomas Hatch to provide an immediate fix.
There is certainly merit for the team to consider this as an option when you look at how many games that Toronto lost because of their bullpen. You can sense the frustration fans have with Charlie Montoyo but you also have to understand that he doesn’t have a lot to work with right now.
"“It seems like every day I get a question, what’s wrong with [Anthony] Castro? What’s wrong with [Tyler] Chatwood? Or now [Rafael] Dolis. What’s wrong with Dolis? Why are you pitching Dolis in that inning?” Montoyo told reporters after one of the team’s disappointing losses. “It’s been every f***ing month, I mean the whole month, about the same thing.”"
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What has been so frustrating is seeing how consistent the starting rotation has been so far this season and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. putting up MVP-level production. It’s clear that the Blue Jays are good enough to be a playoff team but unless they can get the bullpen to perform, they’ll be left wondering if they let an opportunity slip from their hands?
Pearson and Hatch have been trying to get a stable footing in triple-A Buffalo after dealing with injuries. It’s also clear that both are on track to being an option for the Blue Jays but whether that’s out of the rotation or bullpen remains the big debate.
Toronto definitely wants to keep both Hatch and Pearson stretched out as starters as part of the team’s long-term plan of maintaining their competitive window. It’s the job of management to keep the big picture in mind while also trying to figure out how to help out the current group.
Toronto Blue Jays: Pearson and Hatch better off in rotation down the stretch
One thing the Blue Jays have been fortunate about is that they haven’t been hit with too many injuries in their starting rotation.
It also helps that Alek Manoah has made a seamless transition to the majors but the team has to be prepared for some bumps in the road. Obviously, the hope is that Manoah can continue his production but in case he does stumble and needs to go back to the minors, Hatch and Pearson would be the likely candidates to call up.
At the same time, who knows how long the Blue Jays can last with their current situation. Does impacting Pearson or Hatch’s future matter more than having success this season?
If the team had any of Julian Merryweather, Ryan Borucki, A.J. Cole, or Tommy Milone back in the fold, it would help but they are expected to be out for an extended period of time. There have to be other options in Buffalo not being considered when you consider how well Patrick Murphy did in his first appearance this week.
At this point, the last thing the team should want is for the rough patches to become a habit and the psyche of the players gets impacted by this tough stretch. There aren’t many internal options the team can consider right now but asking two of your more promising arms to go to the bullpen seems like a reactionary move.
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What do you think the Blue Jays should do with their struggling bullpen? Should Hatch and Pearson be moved to the bullpen? Let us know in the comments below.