Forecasting the Buffalo Bisons Starting Rotation

Feb 25, 2015; Sarasota, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher

throws pitches during spring training workouts at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Dark Horses

Scott Copeland– Slow Climber

The former 21st round pick of the Baltimore Orioles spent most of 2014 with Toronto’s Double-A FisherCats, before getting his first taste of Triple-A at 26 years old. Copeland has thrown 647IP minor innings over 6 seasons. He a solid ground ball pitcher, generating 2.52 GO/AO and a decent career WHIP of 1.43. You’re not going to get a ton of strike outs from Copeland, but you will get a guy that can control his fastball and his secondary pitchers

2015 Prognosis: Scott will be a valuable member of the Bisons rotation. Likely the fifth starter and could bounce between New Hampshire and Buffalo.

Rickey Romero- last chance

Rickey Rickey Rickey. Not much to say about a guy that was once expected to be a mainstay in the Blue Jays rotation. His fall from grace has not been an easy. Left off the 40-man roster, unprotected and unclaimed in the past two Rule V drafts and not even receiving a non-roster invite to spring training. At the end of 2015 Romero will be without a contract and out of baseball, unless he can find a way to regain the form that helped him to win 51 games in the majors between 2009 and 2012.

2015 Prognosis: Rickey had surgery on his knees this off-season, so I am hopeful that he will be better than he was in 2014; unfortunately, it won’t be good enough. He will continue to struggle with his control and could find himself rotting in the Bisons bullpen.

Jeff Francis– soft tossing

Francis has bounced around the past few seasons and has found his way to Toronto. He’s attending camp as a non-roster invitee and still hold some intrigue. He’s got loads of experience, he’s a LHP, and he’s a Canadian. The later not really being a big deal with the current edition of the Blue Jays. Francis won’t make the Blue Jays rotation and he’s a long shot to be a LOOGY, but that will be the role he plays with the Herd.

2015 Prognosis: Unless a Francis has taken up the weighted ball program with Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar, and miraculously added a few mhp to his fastball, he’ll be relegated to the Bisons bullpen.