Blue Jays: Top 5 Reasons to be Excited for Spring Training (eventually)

#3: Pitching Depth

For the first time a while, the Jays have an abundance of talented pitchers. As previously mentioned, this is both in the rotation and bullpen. Instead of trotting out a rotation where Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson are relied upon like in recent years, the Jays now have four above average starters.

Likewise to the rotation, the bullpen is improved compared to recent seasons. Yamaguchi, Chatwood and Dolis have all gone their separate ways. The Blue Jays now have guys like Richards, Mayza, Cimber, and Garcia who are all mainstays on this roster to go along with Romano as the closer. The Blue Jays are also fortunate to be able to take meaningful looks at the rest of their pitchers this spring. They need to make roster decisions and decipher who gives them the best chance to win day after day.

The Blue Jays even have talent off of the 40-man roster. There are three non-rostered pitchers on minor league deals who will see time this spring in hopes of latching on to the big league club. Former Blue Jay David Phelps will try and make the team for a second time as he’s coming back from injury. Former top prospect Jose De Leon is on a minor league contract as well as former Blue Jay Casey Lawrence. They will both look to make an impression this spring. All three have big league experience and are capable of contributing.

There’s a lot more talent to watch on the mound for the Blue Jays this spring, and the next month should reveal the fifth starter and help form the bullpen.