Blue Jays avoid arbitration with pitcher Joe Biagini

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with pitcher Joe Biagini agreeing on a $900,000 pact for the 2019 campaign.

According to Robert Murray of The Athletic, Joe Biagini and the Toronto Blue Jays were able to find common ground and avoid arbitration. MLB Trade Rumors had earlier predicted that Biagini would earn $1 million after a disastrous 2019 season.

Biagini has never been able to replicate his rookie season from 2016 where he posted a 3.06 earned run average in 60 appearances for the playoff-bound Blue Jays. The stat line was a welcomed surprise for the Rule 5 selection.

In 2018, the 28-year old began the season in the rotation, however, was relegated back to the bullpen after allowing 16 runs in four starts. Biagini would make an additional 46 appearances out of the bullpen ending the season with an inflated 6.00 earned run average while surrendering 14 homers in only 72 innings of work.

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It is still hard to believe, the hurler survived the entire campaign without being demoted to Buffalo. Biagini will have to be much better in 2019 if he has ambitions of remaining at the major league level.

Over the course of three seasons, Biagini sports a career 11-23 record with a 4.93 earned run average and a 0.5 WAR in 154 games which also includes 22 appearances as a starter.

Biagini was the first of nine players to avoid arbitration, the Blue Jays still have yet to come to terms with Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Randal Grichuk, Ken Giles, Kevin Pillar, Devon Travis, Brandon Drury, and Ryan Tepera.

The remaining eight are projected to earn a combined $34,351 million with Stroman leading the charge at a projected $7.2 million. Stroman has gone to arbitration the previous two seasons so don’t be surprised if the “Stro-Show” gets the arbitration hattrick before it is all said and done.

Regardless of how the others play out, hopefully, “Big Joe” can channel his inner 2016 and reassert himself as a work-horse at the back of the Blue Jays bullpen.