Blue Jays Morning Brew: Hindsight and the Roster

Welcome to today’s Blue Jays Morning Brew. Today’s edition will look at the hindsight that is rampant with a big trade the Blue Jays made a while back, a possible reason for the end of the winning streak and some good news.

After the Blue Jays potent offense looked quite the opposite on Monday against Noah Syndergaard, Shi Davidi took to reminding us that this seems like a fairly lopsided deal right about now. When the Blue Jays sent Syndergaard and d’Arnaud to the Mets for R.A. Dickey, it was supposed to yield different results. At the time, the Blue Jays were bringing in the reigning Cy Young Award winner to add to the “Miami Deal”. These moves were supposed to lead to playoff glory. And, here we are in 2015 still waiting for that glory. It is easy to see why this deal has left a sour taste.

But, can we be that upset? We (really the Blue Jays) were getting a Cy Young winning pitcher. Sportsnet’s Mike Wilner says that it was a deal worth making at the time. How many chances do they get to add a 20 game winner to their rotation? Yes, d’Arnaud and Syndergaard are supposed to be pretty good. But, have they been? Syndergaard has made all of 7 starts to date. He’s got a 10 K/9 rate that look sappealing, it’s true. But, he hasn’t quite hit the level of making us really regret the trade. Over 3 years, d’Arnaud has appeared in 155 games and hit .242. Meanwhile Dickey has given the Blue Jays 200 innings every year. The results haven’t been up to the 2012 season, but where would the rotation be without him? Think on that for a moment. Perhaps, when looking for a lightning rod for frustration, Dickey provides it when the club plays the Mets. Perhaps, in a few days, it’ll be someone else. Remember the Jose Reyes rage of a little while ago?

In shifting gears, Brett Cecil had some interesting comments about his recent blown save; the one that ended the 11 game winning streak. TSN’s Scott MacArthur tells us that Cecil feels he shares the blame with a bigger problem. That problem? Roster depth, or lack thereof. Here’s why: the game in question required manager John Gibbons to pinch hit for Ryan Goins late against the Mets. Being in a National League park, you lose a roster spot.

So, the bench consisted of Justin Smoak, Danny Valencia, Russell Martin and Ezequiel Carerra. With a lefty on the mound, Gibby went with Valencia. That meant Danny V had to play the field for Goins. Of course, he had to field the ball and could have started a double play, but made the decision to chase a runner instead. Cecil argues that this happens when guys play out of position, which the roster necessitates at this time. We shouldn’t read so much that Cecil is criticizing the construction or management of this club, but it kind of sounds like it. He made a “we had to go with the best we have” comment. Does Cecil have a valid point? Perhaps. Or, is every American League club going to face this when they go to a National League stadium?

There’s been some great news on the injury front. Devon Travis could be returning to the big league club as early as the weekend, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. While that might be early and we may have to wait a few more days, it is awesome news for Blue Jays fans. Gibby says that Travis feels good, but has to get his hitting timing back. The injection of Travis will be a boost for this club. The offense hasn’t exactly been struggling, but the depth issue and concerns mentioned by Cecil will certainly get some attention.

Over at The Vancouver Sun, Charlie Caskey gives us a heads up that the Vancouver Canadians should be seeing some talent from this year’s draft. Caskey says that Jon Harris is believed to appear in Vancouver, but because of the Blue Jays’ penchant for quickly promoting youngsters, Harris’ time in Van City may not be that long. Caskey also tells us that Carl Wise should head to the Canadians as well. I particularly enjoy the comparison of Wise to last year’s pick, Max Pentecost. It’s an interesting read.

Finally, I’ll remind you to head over and vote for Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin and the rest of your favorite Blue Jays to appear in the 2015 All Star game in Cincinnati. VOTE HERE. Vote 35 times per email address.

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