Over the next week, West Collier Street will be previewing the upcoming Toronto Blue Jays season in a feature called "Five Thoughts On..."
This, the first installment, looks at the pitching staff.
1. Ricky Romero
If you visit any Blue Jays baseball blog, the topic being constantly argued about these days is what to do with Romero. It seems to me though, and it hurts me to say this because I've always been a fan of his, that having Romero start the season in the rotation is likely to be a disaster. Confidence is so important as a pitcher, as you are throwing an object towards people who are trained and capable at hitting said object hundreds of feet away. You need to be focused and certain of your abilities, and yet understand that even at your best sometimes these sluggers will still get the best of you. Ricky cannot seem to remember that. Every time he pitches the slightest sign of imperfection, whether it be a leadoff walk or home run or wild pitch, he seems to completely lose himself both physically and mentally. He tries to overcompensate, get five outs with one pitch: he has to be perfect after all. No pitcher is perfect, not even a healthy Roy Halladay, and so flawlessness is an impossible standard to live up to. I believe Ricky Romero will rise again, I really do, but it will take a while and there must be signs of improvement along the way. Until then, a major league starting rotation is the worst place for him to rediscover his confidence.
2. The Running Game
The stolen base is an underrated weapon. Players who have that ability can turn leadoff singles or walks or whatever, into runs with just another single or a wild pitch or a sac fly or anything really. Offensively this will be a key for the Blue Jays this season, but it will also be a major factor for Toronto's own starting pitchers, as in their ability to neutralize the oppositions running game. RA Dickey is no slouch in this department, Remember his excellent pickoff move to nab a Dominican Republic baserunner in the WBC? Dickey has very quick feet (like Casey Janssen actually) a key component for right handed pitchers to hold baserunners at first. Brandon Morrow has also improved significantly in preventing stolen base attempts. (17 in 2010, 22 in 2011, only 5 in 2012). To my unprofessional eye, a simplified quick delivery to home plate has made a universe of difference for Morrow in this regard. That Buehrle guy seems to be good at it too.
3. The Closer
There seems to be a fair amount of skepticism regarding Casey Janssen as the 9th inning man. Some folks clamour for Sergio Santos to close out games because he's got '"closer stuff", the evil slider and the upper 90's fastball which seem to excite people. Janssen doesn't have any of that, but I find him a joy to watch anyway. He seems to carve up the strikezone as he pitches, like a skilled chef in a kitchen full of cooked turkeys (Similes are not my strength.) Whether it be those precisely placed cutters or that slow curveball, Janssen can throw anything at any time, anywhere. Plus he does that twiddling his hands thing before every pitch, also cool.
4. The Forgotten Man
Remember that guy who, at the time of the Marlins trade, was considered the centrepiece of the deal? Remember that guy who's 28 years old, has a 56-37 career record, a 3.15 career ERA and is also a free agent at the end of the year? It seems that with Ricky Romero's growing malady, Mark Buehrle's saga for the dogs and the constant mystique of R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson has seemed almost an afterthought during spring training. Spring numbers mean nothing of course (though Johnson's look sick, wicked and nasty) and the two questions on JJ remain: How will be pitch in a new league during a contract year, and can he stay healthy? As a guess to the first question, I would say pretty well. He'll be facing a bunch of hitters who have ever seen him before and the advantage usually goes to the pitcher there. Second, I think questions of his health while valid, are overblown. Three of the last four years he's reached at least 180 innings, while only two Blue Jay pitchers did that last season and neither are on the big league team anymore.
5. Depth
With Ricky Romero optioned to Dunedin (just hours ago as I type this, in fact) the depth chart for Blue Jays starters doesn't look as strong with J.A. Happ now in the rotation. Guys like Justin Germano, Dave Bush and Ramon Ortiz certainly have plenty of previous experience as big league starters, but none of them are guys you'd want to see beyond a spot start or two. This is why I believe it's such a big year for the likes of Chad Jenkins and Deck McGuire. Both are high draft picks coming off very disappointing performances last year (though I thought Jenkins looked okay for the Jays last year, small sample size sure) but an opportunity might arise if one or both of them are pitching well and the big club needs somebody later in the season. Tall lefty Sean Nolin is another one to keep an eye on, possibly as a September callup if all goes well.
That does it for the pitching staff. In a few days, the hitters!
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