Internal Bullpen Options Available to the Blue Jays

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The past couple weeks has seen a flurry of activity take over Major League Baseball. The action was especially hot over in San Diego at the annual winter meetings, where many of the other teams in baseball traded or signed improvements to their respective clubs.

Among the players signed were a number of top-ranked relievers, such as Andrew Miller and David Robertson. Despite the huge hole left to fill in the bullpen, the Toronto Blue Jays were not on the receiving end of any of these signings. That may seem odd, considering all the surprising offseason moves they made early on in the offseason, but Alex Anthopolous has proven that he can be creative and shouldn’t be counted out yet.

Alex Anthopoulos has already mentioned that the team is actively looking for relief help via the trade market, preferring that to the cost and length of contract being handed out via free agency. However, that bargain may not be available to the Blue Jays, and the team may be forced to ante up or fall back and band-aid the bullpen using options already within the organization.

If no enticing external bullpen options present themselves in the coming month, Anthopolous may be forced to lean more on his internal options instead.Although relying on unproven internal options is always a crapshoot, the Blue Jays do have a few names in their organization who could be poised to step-up and become the next under-the-radar ‘Aaron Loup‘ in Toronto’s bullpen.

Chad Jenkins

Aug 10, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Chad Jenkins (64) throws a pitch during the eighteenth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

This right-handed sinkerballer was drafted by the organization during the 1st round out of Kennesaw State University in 2009 and obviously, as with any 1st rounder, he came with high expectations. The pitcher affectionately known as ‘Jenknutz’ struggled to stand-out as a starter, but he eventually made his way to Toronto in 2012 as a reliever and has had some success in that role. Over the past three seasons and 68.1 innings in which he as appeared as a reliever, he has posted a 3.04ERA and a collective WHIP of 1.204.

Besides the appealing stat totals, the attractive aspect about Jenkins is that he still has the stamina to start and carry a team for multiple innings. Eight of the total 21 appearances he pitched in the majors last year was longer than a single inning, including a six inning performance in Detroit in which he shutdown the Tigers and supported the Blue Jays to a victory in extra innings. His stuff is nothing to sneeze at either. Jenkins doesn’t have the sort of lights-out fastball velocity that scouts love, but he is not light on velocity either and his sinkerball is a very effective and quite capable of neutralizing threats on the base paths with inning-ending double plays. He also has a plus-slider and fringe-changeup in his repertoire, making him an average 3-pitch and very capable 2-pitch reliever.

Jenkins suffered an unfortunate early end to his season last year when he fractured his pitching hand during batting practice. However, he underwent surgery in late September to correct the injury and it should not be a concern going forward. If he is able to build on his several solid, but short, major league stints and carry his success into spring training this upcoming season, Jenkins should be on track to provide some important innings either as a middle reliever or mop-up man.

Steve Delabar

May 5 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Steve Delabar (50) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Blue Jays defeated the Phillies, 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Oh how the mighty have fallen. The right-handed flamethrower was a surprise bullpen saviour for the Blue Jays only two seasons ago, reaching the all-star game while striking out 82 batters over 58.2 innings during the course of the season. However, the career of a reliever is often characterized by peaks and valleys, and 2014 was certainly a low point for Delabar.  After losing command of the strike zone, and watching his BB/9 rate soar to a 6.7 mark, he spent a large portion of his season with Triple-A Buffalo. There will surely still be a job waiting for Delabar in his home state of Kentucky at the high school he previously taught, but for now there is still plenty of hope that he can contribute in the major leagues this upcoming season.

When Delabar is in control of the strike zone he is an absolute strikeout machine. Since reaching the big leagues in 2011 he has averaged 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings, although that rate dropped to 7.4 last season. His velocity has began to drop a bit as he ages, but he still features an electric fastball that can top the mid 90s, a wipeout splitter that falls off the table in the mid to upper 80s, and a solid slider that he throws in the same range. He proved that those pitches can still be effective when he struck out 12.2 per 9 for the Bisons last season, but his walk rate remained high. Clearly, the amount of strikes Delabar can throw is closely tied to his ability to succeed at the big league level.

If Delabar can regain command of his above-average arsenal he could be in line for a comeback campaign next season. His Steamer projection certainly seems to agree, as they have him posting a 3.84 ERA over 40 innings. Even if he can return to being a replacement level player, he would be an improvement on what Dustin McGowan provided the club last season. Of course there is always the chance that Delabar has lost his all-star ability and will never be the same, but he has another pre-arbitration season left to prove his worth before the club has to decide whether or not to tender him a contract for the 2016 season. Let’s hope he makes it count.

Kyle Drabek

Sep 25, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kyle Drabek (4) throws in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Blue Jays 9-5. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Much like the aforementioned Steve Delabar, right-hander Kyle Drabek also saw his status with the club plummet during last season. After undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery during the 2012 season, many hoped that the one-time top starting pitching prospect would be able to get his career back on-track with a full season in 2014. However, that was not the case he struggled to remain consistent and stand-out as a member of the Triple-A team in Buffalo.

There is still plenty to like about the last remaining piece from the Roy Halladay trade. First of all, he is only 27 and will have had over a full-year of playing time behind him since his latest surgery. The struggles of pitchers coming back from TJ surgery are well-documented, and if you expect Drew Hutchison (who underwent the surgery within a similar timeframe) to improve next season it is not unreasonable to assume that Drabek will as well. He also still features the same lights-out stuff that made him a top prospect in the first place. His fastball seems to have lost a few mph since it was first clocked in the upper 90s, but it has certainly not disappeared entirely and it still has wicked movement capable of blowing past batters. Plus he still has the ability to throw an above-average curveball in the low 80s, making him an appealing weapon out of the pen when he is throwing strikes.

The main problem with Drabek though is that he has never been able to throw strikes consistently. He managed to post a 3.16 ERA over 31.1 innings as a reliever last season, but with his K/9 ratio also trending downwards he will have to greatly improve on his career 5.8 BB/9 ratio if he wants to find success, even in the pen. The 2015 season could be the last kick at the can for Drabek in the Blue Jays organization, but if he is finally able to harness his natural ability he should be able to succeed in the late innings and gain a role with the major league club.

Ryan Tepera

Mandatory Credit: Ryan Tepera’s twitter page

This Texan right-hander has been in the Blue Jays organization for a longtime. He was drafted out of Sam Houston State University during the 19th round of the 2009 draft, and had been toiling in the lower levels as a starter until being converted to the bullpen nearing the end of the 2013 season. He spent the entirety of last season in Buffalo as a reliever and, after striking out 9.4 batters per nine and posting an ERA of 3.66, he looks poised to breakout in a big way this upcoming season.

Standing at 6’1″, Tepera is a bit shorter than the average pitcher but that does not limit the pitches in his arsenal any. Like many pitchers who begin their careers as starters, he saw his fastball velocity spike once he moved into the bullpen. Although he had always been more of a pitch-to-contact guy as a starter, with his fastball now ranging between 94-96 mph as a reliever he has began to miss a lot more bats as well. He also features a solid slider, which gives him that two-pitch mix that every relief pitcher needs to succeed.

The big strike against Tepera is that left-handed hitters weren’t fooled by him at all last season, and in over 100 plate appearances they held him to an OPS of .852. On the other hand he was quite successful against right-handers in a larger sample size, limiting them to an OPS of only .629 in nearly 150 plate appearances. Couple those stats with his funky delivery and you have a candidate who could could emerge as a righty-specialist in the big leagues next season. Before brushing that projection aside, keep in mind that the Blue Jays thought enough of him to move him on to the 40-man roster and protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.

John Stilson

Feb 28, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher John Stilson throws against the New York Yankees during the bottom of the eighth inning of a spring training game at George Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Like the two previously mentioned relief pitchers on this list, Stilson is a hard-throwing right-hander from the great state of Texas who spent the majority of the previous season in Buffalo. However, unlike his teammates he was left off the 40-man roster after the season concluded. The Blue Jays certainly took a risk by leaving their former 3rd round pick from 2011 unprotected during the Rule 5 draft, but the move has paid off so far. Stilton was not selected and, after having surgery on his right shoulder to repair a tear in his labrum, he will look to get back on the mound and continue his success this upcoming season.

Stilson’s labrum was also an issue when the club first drafted him, but they made the choice to select him anyways because of how good he is when he is on the mound. The top 20 prospect features a mid-to-high 90s fastball, an above-average changeup, and solid slider that give him a very effective arsenal when combined. His fastball has a lot of tailing action that that produces plenty of ground-balls but he can also dial it up to get strikeouts when he needs to, as evidenced by his career rate of 8.4 K/9. Stilson’s high octane delivery creates some issues with his command, but his career 3.6 BB/9 rate isn’t overly concerning as a reliever and his great stuff should be able to make up for it.

At the age of 24, Stilson is the youngest option available on this list and he may also be the one with the most upside left too. The labrum surgery is a serious concern though and, with recovery time averaging between 6-8 months, there is a chance that he will not be ready in time to make an impression during spring training. If he does make it back in time he could gain some serious attention if he continues to build on his previous success.

Gregory Infante

Jul 12, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays hat and glove lay in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In late October this year, the Blue Jays resigned the 27-year-old native of Caracas, Venezuela to a minor-league contract. While this would usually be characterized as a small signing, I’m sure there were a few people in the organization that were more than happy to see that no other teams noticed Infante’s strong season.

The right-hander spent time between the Triple-A and Double-A levels last season and posted some career numbers. Although he was a bit old for the Double-A level and he only spent 7.2 innings in Buffalo, he held batters to collective WHIP of 1.036 while striking out 8.5 per nine innings. Infante’s calling card as a reliever is his lightning arm. The velocity he features is well-above average and it was reported that he had topped 100 mph on several occasions last season. Also, after walking 6.4 batter per nine in the Los Angeles Dodger’s organization in 2013, he was able to reduce that ratio to 3.5 BB/9 last year, meaning he may have proved that he is finally able to harness his natural ability.

Infante originally signed with the Chicago White Sox as an 18-year-old, but it feels wrong to call a 27-year-old reliever a journeyman minor leaguer. For someone with such an impressive fastball, it seems odd that he has never gotten a prolonged shot to prove himself in the major leagues. There may be something behind that, but there may be something to his recent success as well. Either way, with an invite to Spring Training in hand, Infante will surely look to show John Gibbons and company that he can factor onto the big league roster this upcoming season.

Arik Sikula

Oct 22, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of baseballs before game two of the 2014 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Another selection to the AFL roster this past season, Sikula has done nothing but post great numbers throughout his minor league career. Oddly enough though, his development has been exceptionally slow to progress thus far. The 25-year-old right-hander from West Virginia was a 36th round pick in the 2011 draft, which might somewhat explain the delayed development. However, his stats tell a different story.

Over 186 career innings, entirely as a reliever, Sikula has posted a collective 2.23 ERA while striking out 206 batters and walking 49 – resulting in a 10.0 and 2.4 career K/9 and BB/9 ratio respectively. If that wasn’t enough consider that this past season was his best season by far, although he did have higher numbers in a small sample when he moved up to Double-A for 12 games. The scouting report on Sikula is thin but he has said himself that he relies mainly on his fastball and an above-average cutter while featuring a curveball and changeup.

Despite all of his success on paper, the Blue Jays were hesitant to push him to the Double-A level for very long. His showing at the AFL was very strong though, and he is currently pitching in Venezuela to build on his great season. Hopefully he won’t be too worn out by the spring, as a strong showing there would surely force the organization to push him up the minors a little bit faster.