Toronto Blue Jays: Wilmer Font and his struggles this season

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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – AUGUST 23: Jacob Waguespack #62 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on August 23, 2020 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) /

Where the team sits now

The situation gets a bit more muddied now that Wilmer Font is on the injured list for the next ten days. Whether he is on there for the minimum stay or possibly even longer, the team should consider whether or not to bring him back into the bullpen if his replacement(s) are pitching well and have a good rhythm.

Hypothetically, if Font was not injured and was still having issues with finding some sort of consistency to his game, I just can’t see a scenario where the Blue Jays would keep him on the roster to finish the season. With the organization having to play a crucial ten games against the New York Yankees before the end of September, they will need pitchers who are performing at their best, and Font just doesn’t have it this year. Compounded by the fact he is now injured, it just makes one wonder if he will indeed return to the team when he is healthy enough to play.

If I were a betting man, I would put a significant amount of chips on either Sean Reid-Foley or Jacob Waguespack taking over his spot full time if the organization chooses to designate Font for assignment. Both pitchers have spent time Blue Jays roster this season and both are still on the 40-man roster, meaning no other player would have to be outrighted for SRF or Waguespack to re-join the team. Right now it appears the team is giving SRF the first crack at stealing his spot in the bullpen, but there is no guarantee he will be on the roster for a while, or if he will shuffle between Buffalo and Rochester with another pitcher like Waguespack until/if Font returns from his injury this season. I would even put a few chips on seeing a tandem of the two players spending time in the role over the course of the season until/if the Blue Jays make the playoffs.

It would seem a bit far fetched to have someone with no MLB experience join the team this late into the year, considering how important every game is with the shortened season and the Blue Jays knocking on the playoff doors. Stranger things have occurred, but I just don’t see this happening with the Blue Jays being on the verge of October baseball.

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While there is no telling who would be the best replacement in the bullpen just yet, the Blue Jays just cannot afford to have a struggling bullpen pitcher on the roster when they are so close to making the playoffs. The Jays have a few options to replace the Venezualan in the bullpen, and with the way he has been pitching this season, the organization might be forced to pull the plug on Wilmer Font and go with another internal option.

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