Blue Jays: 5 likeliest non-roster invitees to crack the roster

#1   –   P Chad Girodo

Lefty sidewinder Chad Girodo does one thing very well, and often times, that’s enough.

As a left-on-left specialist, Girodo (along with Pat Venditte, potentially) would be the first to benefit from an injury to Brett Cecil or Aaron Loup. In Loup’s case, especially, underperformance could cloud the picture for Jays management.

Have a look at Girodo’s unique pitching mechanics, here, and you’ll see why the soon-to-be 25-year-old can be so difficult on hitters of the same hand.

The 2015 season saw Girodo begin in Advanced-A Dunedin where he struck out 32 batters in 27.1 innings while posting a 1.32 ERA. He then jumped to double-A New Hampshire where he’d allow just two earned runs over 29.0 innings (0.62 ERA).

He also added on an ugly stint with the triple-A Bisons and a successful stint in the Arizona Fall League, but neither were enough to draw any judgement from. So as Girodo stands, he’s almost ready for a shot at the MLB roster.

Ideally, he’ll begin the season at triple-A Buffalo as a lefty-specialist in case Loup experiences another down year, but if the call comes earlier than that, not much stands between Girodo and a surprise spring job.