As Blue Jays seek more offence, bench must be part of the solution

TORONTO – Describing what’s already occurred is the straightforward half: when the Toronto Blue Jays have turned to their bench for help this season, it hasn’t usually labored.

The laborious half: figuring out what’s subsequent at a time that a number of Blue Jays regulars want breathers. With Kevin Kiermaier battling an sickness and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. coping with proper knee discomfort, this might be an excellent time for Toronto’s reserves to step up.

With two walk-off hits in a single week, at the least Danny Jansen is delivering on behalf of Toronto’s part-time gamers. But elsewhere on the bench, there are extra questions than solutions, and it’s a purpose the Blue Jays have dropped from second within the American League in runs scored a yr in the past to eighth, coming into play Friday.

Alejandro Kirk and Santiago Espinal are hitting the ball into the bottom far too usually. Nathan Lukes barely performs, and stays hitless on the season. And then there’s Cavan Biggio, who’s within the midst of a career-worst stretch on the plate throughout which he’s hanging out 37.9 per cent of the time and hasn’t drawn a stroll in six weeks.

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“It’s tough because it’s sporadic playing time,” supervisor John Schneider stated of Biggio Thursday afternoon. “The biggest message to him is, when you’re in there, don’t lose what you’re good at. The tendency is to probably try to do too much at times. But, everyone goes through those things. Cav’s a valuable part of our team and he will be. So, it’s just a matter of trusting who he is.”

Complicating issues for Biggio, pitchers are attacking him greater than earlier than, delivering first-pitch strikes 71.2 per cent of the time, up from 56 per cent in his 2019 debut season, when he posted a .364 on-base share. Put merely, in the event that they’re decided to not stroll him, he should make pitchers pay inside the zone.

Despite the underwhelming outcomes up to now, it appears like Biggio will get extra possibilities to show he’s able to extra. Realistically, it’s not as if Toronto’s different bench gamers are taking part in effectively sufficient to definitively declare that taking part in time for themselves. And Schneider managed the 28-year-old within the minors, so he’s seen him get well from struggles earlier than.

“He’s always been a pro,” Schneider stated. “He grew up around the game and understands why things are the way they are. It’s nice that it’s easier to have those conversations. I’ve seen him great. I’ve seen him bad, just like a lot of these guys. So it’s hopefully just a matter of time.”

Ultimately, the outcomes on the sector will decide taking part in time. If Biggio doesn’t produce, he’ll bat much less usually, no matter his historical past within the group. And even when he’s a part of an eventual answer along with his versatility and baserunning, there’s room for the Blue Jays to improve over Lukes, shifting Biggio into extra pinch-running alternatives whereas pursuing an additional bat in commerce.

Deals are not often accomplished so early within the season, however the Blue Jays are mapping out targets, if nothing else. Speculatively, the left-handed hitting Joc Pederson of the Giants and the right-handed hitting Brent Rooker of the A’s appear like intriguing prospects to contemplate.

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BALTIMORE: GETTING SCARY

You know what’s scary concerning the 28-16 Orioles? Not Adley Rutschman, the highest prospect turned MVP candidate who’s strolling greater than he strikes out with energy from either side of the plate. Not Yennier Cano, the reliever with a 0.00 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 21.2 innings, who was acquired in a seemingly minor commerce with the Twins final summer time.

Or at the least it’s not solely these gamers – it’s additionally what you see while you look a little bit deeper. Beyond the massive leagues, the Orioles have an elite farm system that’s now beginning to push much more expertise towards the majors, together with Saturday starter Grayson Rodriguez. Consider the begins for high prospects Jackson Holliday (1.206 OPS at high-A), Heston Kjerstad (1.008 OPS at double-A), Colton Cowser (1.023 OPS at triple-A) and Jordan Westburg (1.010 OPS at triple-A), and it’s clear extra significant reinforcements are coming. Not solely will they assist Baltimore’s big-league crew, they’ll open up commerce prospects, too.

There’s no comparable wave of expertise within the Blue Jays’ system, and a part of that’s to be anticipated. While the Blue Jays had been making the playoffs in 2020 and profitable 91 video games in 2021, Baltimore tanked, securing excessive draft picks. And whereas the Blue Jays pushed to enhance their big-league crew with high free brokers that value draft picks, the Orioles declined to spend, accepting a worse MLB roster to protect picks.

Now, excessive choices alone don’t assure something – simply ask Detroit or Kansas City – nevertheless it’s actually helped Baltimore when mixed with the entrance workplace’s skill to establish high expertise. At this level, it’ll be some time earlier than Baltimore picks so excessive within the draft once more – and for the Blue Jays, this turnaround makes life in MLB’s deepest division a little bit harder.

A THOUGHT EXERCISE

If the playoffs began in the present day, the Blue Jays would qualify as a wild-card crew, that means they’d need to play a three-game sequence to advance to the ALDS. In that situation, what would their rotation be?

Kevin Gausman would fairly clearly be the crew’s first choice and the best way Chris Bassitt has pitched he’s clearly in there, too. After that, it’s in all probability Jose Berrios, who pitched into the seventh in opposition to the Yankees Thursday whereas decreasing his season ERA to 4.61. That trio’s actually adequate to win a playoff sequence, however ideally Alek Manoah would reinsert himself into that dialog effectively earlier than the precise post-season begins.

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NO LOVE LOST

An incomplete abstract of this week’s Blue Jays vs. Yankees sequence: The Blue Jays tipped their indicators in at the least one occasion, and the Yankees appeared to catch on, relaying pitch info to Aaron Judge, Jake Bauers and maybe others. The Blue Jays known as them out on it. The Yankees denied it, then – this half isn’t up for debate – broke the principles with an excessive amount of sticky stuff on Domingo German’s hand. As all of it unfolded, the teaching staffs shouted backwards and forwards, arguing over the place base coaches can stand, amongst different issues. From what was captured on digital camera, Schneider appeared to name somebody on the Yankees’ facet “fat boy” whereas Aaron Boone supplied the opinion that Jays pitching coach Pete Walker is “(expletive) crazy.”

Now, the groups go their separate methods for 4 months earlier than assembly once more twice extra within the ultimate weeks of the season. Maybe by then they’ll have cooled off.

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