Jesse Litsch Set to Return to Jays for 2011 Season

A recent Tweet from Jesse Litsch, less than a day old, stated:

"“It looks like I will be back for 2011 thanks to all my fans for their support”"

Jesse was arbitration eligible for the first time, and although he did have his struggles and injury issues during the 2010 season, he remains an important depth piece for the Jays going forward.  He definitely appreciates the shot to make amends for a bad season, as he added another tweet which stated:

"“I appreciate the #Jays having faith in me and giving me a shot for next season”"

It is still possible that the Jays may include Jesse in a deal, as I’m certain he doesn’t have a no trade clause included in his new deal. However, with his value being at an all time low, it’s doubtful the Jays would cut him loose at this point. The potential he showed during his first 2 seasons as a Jay, when he won 7 and 13 games with sub 4.00 ERAs and decent whips, should be enough to earn him another kick at the mound with the club.

With the biggest trade chips for the Jays to improve their offense being their young core of starters, Jesse may become a key piece to the depth the Jays have within their starters. He is only 26, still has 2 more years of Arbitration Eligibility, and is costing the Jays very little in order to see if he can turn it around. The exact contract figure should be out shortly as I’m sure Jesse’s signing will be announced officially shortly.