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

The best laid plans for the Blue Jays haven’t gone all that well early in the 2021 campaign, and it might be time for Charlie Montoyo to make some changes.

A lot of what he’ll have the power to do will depend on the health of his roster, as valuable players have been dropping like flies lately. They should get some reinforcements back over the next few days and weeks, but until then they’re going to have to find a way to stay competitive, especially for important games with the Red Sox and Rays this week.

While it would be ideal if Montoyo was working with a healthy roster, there are still things the skipper can do to give his current locker room a lift. Even though we’re through just 10% of the season, there are a few things that are already becoming pretty clear, even if I’m normally on the side of patience for talented players. In some cases I still believe that’s the best recipe, like Rowdy Tellez’s bat waking up after a horrific start, but in others I think the manager may need to take matters into his own hands.

Like any decent armchair GM, I have all kinds of ideas about how this could be accomplished, but I’ve narrowed it down to three for today. One is an obvious change that needs to happen, the second is what I view as a sensical idea, and the last is a pretty drastic tweak that I’d make to the lineup card.

There’s a decent chance that Montoyo and the Blue Jays won’t make any major changes this early in the season, but we’re starting to get a big enough sample size that a few adjustments need to be at least considered.

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 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.