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The Top Five Worst Moves by the Blue Jays Front Office in 2021

By Matt Joseph

TORONTO, CANADA - DECEMBER 4: President Mark Shapiro looks on as Ross Atkins speaks 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 looks on as Ross Atkins speaks 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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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – JUNE 20: Tyler Chatwood #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 20, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

1. Tyler Chatwood

Tyler Chatwood came to personify the frustrating incompetence of the Blue Jays bullpen during the first half of the 2021 season.

In one of the uglier parts of his brief time with the club, over 12 consecutive appearances Chatwood posted a 12.00 ERA and a 2.33 WHIP.  He publicly disrespected Charlie Montoyo, fuming at him on the mound while handing the ball over, even after he walked multiple consecutive batters and had completely lost his control (did Chatwood’s intimidation tactics ever influence Montoyo to leave him in longer than he should have?). Chatwood’s 2021 full-season ERA of 5.63 and -0.4 bWAR are actually flattering and belie just how awful he was for the Jays in both performance and attitude.

BUFFALO, NY – JULY 1: Tyler Chatwood #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Sahlen Field on July 1, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY – JULY 1: Tyler Chatwood #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Sahlen Field on July 1, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images) /

Before being signed by Shapiro and Atkins prior to the ’21 season, Chatwood had shown flashes of talent in his time with Chicago, but as a report from the Cubs’ Bleacher Nation put it, the problem is that the flashes were always brief: “Chatwood has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher, but he could never command it consistently. His complex mechanics and nasty movement made for a guy who could be really tough on hitters, but it also made him a guy susceptible to bad mistakes on the zone and elevated walk rates.”

In 2020, Chatwood’s ERA with the Cubs was 5.30 over five starts, but Atkins and Shapiro were willing to gamble, signing him to a $3MM deal in January of 2021. By early July, the Jays designated him for assignment and he was released.  He is now out of major league baseball and headed to Japan.  How many games did the Jays front office needlessly give away with Chatwood in May that came back to haunt the team’s playoff push in September?

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