Blue Jays: It’s early, but I’ll still admit that I was wrong

There’s still a need for Tanner Roark

Despite the fact that he’s made a relatively successful transition to the bullpen so far, I was wrong about the Blue Jays still needing to hang on to Tanner Roark for a while longer.

I say that both because the right-hander no longer looks like an effective big league pitcher, and because the Blue Jays have a lot of talented depth in their system. The pitching staff has been a revolving door, and yet they’ve been one of the most effective groups in baseball. And with the emergence of a few other weapons in the bullpen, I can’t see Roark’s tenure with the Jays lasting much longer.

Both Tyler Chatwood and Jordan Romano have already returned, and a Emergency leave for Roark might have even saved him from being designated for assignment already. The Jays have juggled things around to make room so far, but they’ll have to continue the act when Ross Stripling and Nate Pearson can re-join the team as well.

When that happens, or maybe even before, it will be time for the Blue Jays to admit that you can’t win ’em all, and that signing Roark will turn out to be one of Ross Atkins’ worst decisions as the GM in Toronto. The thinking was sound at the time, as the Jays wanted a reliable veteran to bring some stability and eat some innings for the rotation, but unfortunately the former Washington National’s production fell off a cliff after signing his new deal.

Like they did with Shun Yamaguchi over the winter, sometimes you just have to cut your losses.