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Toronto Blue Jays: Players who will be on a short leash in 2021

By Clayton Richer

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Manager Charlie Montoyo #25 of the Toronto Blue Jays during pre-game lineup introductions on Opening Day before the start of MLB game action against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on March 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Manager Charlie Montoyo #25 of the Toronto Blue Jays during pre-game lineup introductions on Opening Day before the start of MLB game action against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on March 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 07: Tanner Roark #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 7, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 07: Tanner Roark #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 7, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Tanner Roark

The two-year/ $24 million dollar signing of Tanner Roark has the potential to be a regrettable expenditure that surely the brain trust would like a mulligan on. Hopefully, last season was a one off due to the pandemic but Roark was downright terrible.

The 34-year old got torched for 36 earned runs and 14 home runs in just 47.2 innings of work in his first season with the Blue Jays. Roark sported a career-high 6.80 earned run average with a -0.4 WAR in 11 starts.

The veteran hurler then felt the need to gripe publicly about not being afforded the opportunity to pitch late into games. There were recent reports that the team is shopping Roark to non-contenders who are looking for an innings eater but surely Toronto will have to pay a portion of his salary or include prospects in the deal.

If Roark is still with the team at the conclusion of spring training, his leash will be short especially with the likes of Ross Stripling, Ryan Borucki, Trent Thornton, Julian Merryweather, TJ Zeuch, Anthony Kay and Thomas Hatch all laying in the weeds for an opportunity to join the rotation.

In 2019, Roark posted a respectable 4.35 earned run average in 31 starts with the A’s and Reds so hopefully he can get back to his career norms in 2021, if not he won’t be around for long.

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