Blue Jays: Obvious, interesting, and drastic changes to make

The obvious

While I could have listed a few things in the obvious category, I’m going to focus on pitching for a moment. Despite the fact that Tanner Roark has been relatively effective as a reliever so far, I don’t think you’ll find anyone willing to bet on his 0.00 ERA out of the bullpen lasting much longer. It’ll be a tough pill to swallow with the Blue Jays paying him 12 million dollars this year, but it’s pretty hard to argue in favour of giving him MLB innings right now.

I’m sure they tried over the winter, but if I’m Ross Atkins I’m calling every GM in baseball and seeing if there are any takers, even if that means taking on a bad contract in return or sending most of the remaining money owed to the right-hander along with him. Chances are they’ll end up having to designate him for assignment, and I expect that to happen as soon as one or two healthy arms re-join the pitching staff.

As much as I understand the need for pitching at the moment, I don’t know that I feel much different about T.J. Zeuch either. He was rocked on his first three pitches on Sunday, and now sports a 6.75 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP over 12 innings. Like Roark, his most important value is the needed length and innings that he could provide, but he’ll have to be more effective in order to do that.

For now Montoyo might just have to roll with what he’s got, but as soon as Jordan Romano and Tyler Chatwood are able to return this week, I’d start with sending Zeuch back to Triple-A, and likely admit that the situation with Roark just isn’t one that can be salvaged.

The interesting

Arguably the biggest disappointment for the Blue Jays so far in 2021, other than the mountain of injuries, has been the start to season for Cavan Biggio. The 26-year-old has struggled on both sides of the ball, slashing .171/.292/.366 over his first 41 at-bats, while also having a time tough with the transition to third base. Lately he looks like he’s lost most of his confidence, and a few days off to deal with sore fingers may have been a blessing in disguise.

Still, the Blue Jays might benefit from using a method they’ve had success with in the past, and that’s sending him to Triple-A to get his groove back. It worked well for Teoscar Hernandez a few years ago, it did the same for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. too, and even the great Roy Halladay returned to the minor leagues to make some adjustments many years ago.

Our own Callum Belshaw wrote about the same recently, and the more I’ve watched Biggio lately the more I’m starting to think it’s a good idea. It wouldn’t have to be a long stay at all, but I think it could do the Texas native a world of good to experience some success and even work on a few things. For example, he’s been struggling to catch up with the fastball this year, and working on that specific element of his game could be more effective against minor leaguers.

More importantly, a decision like this would be about helping him find his confidence again. With the Blue Jays likely getting Teoscar Hernandez back sometime in a week or so, that might be the time to do it if Biggio is still scuffling. Joe Panik has been playing solid enough to fill in for a few weeks, and Santiago Espinal has also impressed in limited opportunity.

Neither of them can bring what Biggio does to the table though, at least when he’s right. At the moment he’s looking pretty lost, and unless he turns things around this week against the Red Sox and Rays, a trip to Trenton might be in his best interest to get him back on track..

The drastic

And for my third and final idea today, I’ll start by admitting that I don’t think it’s going to happen, and even that I’m not sure it’s the best solution. That said, I think there’s a strong argument that Montoyo and the Blue Jays should at least consider flipping some defensive positions around.

I think there are a few different ways to approach this, but to me, it’s about making what I believe are two obvious changes that need to happen. One, Cavan Biggio really doesn’t look like an everyday third baseman to anybody right now, and I’m willing to bet it’s not helping his performance as a hitter either. Two, I’m losing faith in Lourdes Gurriel Jr‘s ability to be an effective outfielder.

If I were filling out the lineup card, I’d strongly consider flipping their defensive positions.

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It’s not ideal for Biggio, but left field should take some pressure off of him on defence. He doesn’t have Gurriel Jr’s throwing arm, but that’s a luxury for a left fielder, and it’s often a spot reserved for weaker armed outfielders. Biggio’s best position is probably still at second base, but I like the chemistry that’s developing with Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien at the keystone. They’ve also already asked Semien to change positions and he’s made a smooth transition to second base.

The biggest motivation for the move to me would be utilizing Gurriel Jr’s throwing arm at the hot corner, which would be a big upgrade. It wouldn’t be ideal to try another position switch after he moved from second base to left field a couple years ago, but I’m not really sold on him in left anymore. His route-running still needs a fair bit of improvement, and his instincts and decision making have been questionable so far in 2021.

I’m not sure if the Blue Jays are prepared to mess with his spot on the diamond on defence, but I’d certainly be interested in seeing how Gurriel Jr. and Biggio would look if the swapped positions. You could make the argument for moving other players around, but the more I think about it, this is the swap I’d be inclined to try first.

With the slow start to the season for most of the rest of the AL East as well, the Blue Jays don’t necessarily have to feel a desperate urgency to make some changes. That said, sometimes a shake-up or a tweak here and there can make all the difference in the world, and I think it’s time to make some adjustments.