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Toronto Blue Jays pending UFA’s: Re-sign or pass

By Reuben Gasee

TORONTO, CANADA - DECEMBER 4: President Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins pose for a photo after speaking to the media as Atkins is introduced as the new general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays during a press conference on December 4, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - DECEMBER 4: President Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins pose for a photo after speaking to the media as Atkins is introduced as the new general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays during a press conference on December 4, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JULY 09: Matt Shoemaker #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during an intrasquad game at Rogers Centre on July 9, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – JULY 09: Matt Shoemaker #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during an intrasquad game at Rogers Centre on July 9, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /

Matt Shoemaker

Matt Shoemaker was coming off a fantastic injury-shortened 2019 campaign which saw him go 3-0 with a 1.57 E.R.A. while limiting hitters to an opponent average of .163 in 28.2 innings pitched.

In 2020, he threw the exact same amount of innings going 0-1 with a 4.71 E.R.A. with an opponent average of .210. You could say he took a bit of a step back in the shortened campaign.

He also started the opening game of the Wild Card round getting yanked after three innings and 35 pitches.

At a time when the Jays rotation wasn’t necessarily a strength and the team was low on pitching depth, Shoemaker was a key member of the team and was considered a leader in the clubhouse which is crucial for a young team.

So, should the Blue Jays re-sign or pass on Shoemaker?

Verdict: Re-sign 

The Jays haven’t exactly seen so much of Shoemaker as his 2019 season was cut short due to an ACL injury and the 2020 season was a short one. To be exact, he’s only made 11 starts over the past two years for the Blue Jays.

While 11 starts is far from a full load of games from a starter, he’s done relatively well in a short sample size posting a combined 3.14 E.R.A.

Shoemaker seemed to enjoy his time with the Blue Jays as he seemingly embraced the role as a leader and when discussing his contract last offseason for arbitration purposes, he was seeking a multi-year deal. Obviously part of it was to benefit himself but also because he liked being a Blue Jay.

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