The Blue Jays have some looming bullpen decisions come September

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As my fellow co-editor, Chris Henderson, wrote yesterday, the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen has really come into its own as of late. Even before the trade deadline acquisitions of Anthony Bass and Zach Pop, the Jays bullpen was starting to figure things out and currently ranks at 14th in the league with their 3.76 ERA.

The club also welcomed back left-hander Tim Mayza into the bullpen yesterday, as the southpaw dislocated his non-throwing shoulder against Minnesota back on August 7th and had made some rehab starts in Buffalo to get back into game shape. Pop was optioned down to AAA in a corresponding move, mostly because he had Minor League options at his disposal.

Over the next week, the Blue Jays schedule softens a bit as they are currently facing the Boston Red Sox before starting a home stand that will see the Los Angeles Angels come to town for a three-game series on Friday before the Chicago Cubs visit for the first time in eight years on Monday, starting a three-game series on Monday and finishing out the month of August.

Another important date to keep in mind is September 1st, as MLB rosters will expand to 28 players, meaning the Blue Jays can select one more pitcher (as they can only have a max of 14 on the squad) and one more position player (or bring up two positions players if they so desire).

All signs are pointing to the Jays potentially bringing back top prospect Gabriel Moreno as they contend for the postseason but they could also select Vinny Capra, Otto Lopez, or Zack Collins, all of whom are currently on the 40-man roster.

The bigger question mark has to do more with the bullpen, as the Jays have a few interesting scenarios at play when it comes to selecting another arm for the relief corps.

Zach Pop

The easiest solution would be to bring back Pop, as the right-hander owns a 2.70 ERA through seven outings and 6.2 innings with just two earned runs allowed. He hasn’t missed a lot of bats with just one strikeout and the 12.2 H/9 but he has kept runs off the board so far. Pop likely would have been on the roster had another pitcher had options at their disposal but for now he sits in AAA.

He can touch the high-90s with his sinker and the Brampton, Ontario product is a solid story for Canada’s only MLB team, slotting in alongside fellow reliever Jordan Romano and Montreal-born Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as Canadians on the squad. Had it not been for his MiLB options, Pop would have likely stayed at the MLB level but the club does need Mayza and his left-handedness back in the bullpen, meaning the right-hander was the odd man out amongst the group.

He would be eligible to return after 15 days unless he is an injury replacement, meaning the earliest we could see him back with the club is September 7th (barring the injury replacement).

Julian Merryweather

There are a few more intriguing options the Jays could call upon in a week, the most notable being right-hander Julian Merryweather. The hard-throwing California product has missed a majority of the season with a left abdominal strain and has been rehabbing since early August, as he is currently listed on the 60-day IL.

Merryweather has done well since returning to the mound earlier this month, having yet to allow an earned run through 6.2 innings while striking out 12 batters compared to one walk. His last four outings have been in AAA Buffalo and he is an absolute force against opposing batters, a sign that the Jays may call him up when the rosters expand in the near future (or potentially even before then).

Blue Jays: Julian Merryweather’s importance for the rest of 2022

The Jays may also proceed with caution considering he struggled at the MLB level earlier this season, posting a 6.38 ERA through 18.1 innings of work. He did throw to a 3.50 FIP which is encouraging and his fastball was sitting in the high-90s over his past few outings in AAA, the type of arm the Jays could use down the stretch but the risk factor is certainly there should MLB calibre hitters find a way to hit his fastball.

Nate Pearson

Coming off an injury-filled 2021 campaign and with the Jays signing Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi to multi-year deals in the offseason, all signs were pointing to former top prospect Nate Pearson either starting the year in the AAA rotation, waiting for an opportunity to start or potentially being moved to the MLB bullpen to conserve his innings. He wants to start and it looked like the Jays were heading that way before the right-hander started the year on the IL with mononucleosis. Another blow for a pitcher who just can’t seem to shake the injury bug.

Fast forward to August and Pearson has been limited to just 7.2 innings this season in the Minor Leagues, missing time due to mono and a separate lat strain. He hasn’t appeared in a game since June 19th but is slated to throw a bullpen at the Dunedin complex tomorrow. The next steps as per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson in his return to game action would be to face some sort of live batting and then some rehab assignments, with the Florida product likely finishing the year as a relief pitcher.

The Blue Jays will be able to bring up one more pitcher when rosters expand on September 1st. Question is, who do they select?

While he is still weeks away from being fully game-ready, having his lively arm in the bullpen could be a great push for the Blue Jays at the end of the season.

There are a lot of hurdles currently in Pearson’s way and he will have to obviously earn the opportunity, but don’t be surprised if he finds a way to the active roster come the end of September, especially if the 14th pitcher is struggling or an injury occurs in the relief corps.

Best of the Rest – 40 Man Roster

Matt Gage

The left-hander was surprising not called up when Mayza went on the IL but alas, Matt Gage continues to dominate in AAA. He currently owns a 1.41 ERA through 32.0 innings and has limited opponents to a .174 batting average. At the MLB level, Gage was pitching well between being optioned and being brought back, allowing just two earned through 13.0 innings.

Tayler Saucedo

Another LHP in the mix, Tayler Saucedo has not appeared in a game since August 6th, dealing with shoulder fatigue for most of the season. He has struggled with the Jays but is finding success down in AAA, earning a 0.61 ERA through 15 outings. Saucedo is currently scheduled to throw a bullpen in Buffalo on his way to returning to regular game action.

Trent Thornton

Right-hander Trent Thornton has ridden the options bus a lot this season but still has 44.0 innings under his belt with the Blue Jays in 2022. He has found some success with his 4.30 ERA and has more experience compared to his AAA counterparts, which might put him towards the top of the list with a tough schedule upcoming in September.

Foster Griffin

Acquired from the Kansas City Royals in mid-July, right-hander Foster Griffin has put up solid numbers since joining the Buffalo Bisons. He currently owns a 2.61 ERA through 10.1 innings with nine strikeouts.

Off the 40-Man

Hayden Juenger

Although he is not on the roster, right-hander Hayden Juenger has risen through the Jays’ farm system at lightning speed after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He was recently promoted to AAA and owns a 3.68 ERA through eight outings with the Bisons, racking up 18 strikeouts through 14.2 innings of work. A bit of an outside shot given the current roster picture but stranger things have happened.

Honourable Mentions: Adrian Hernandez (RHP); Yosver Zulueta (RHP)

Trevor Richards

When you look at his overall numbers, it is easy to see why fans are starting to change their mind about right-hander Trevor Richards being on the Blue Jays roster. Acquired last season a month before the trade deadline, the former Brewers reliever finished strong in 2021 but was unable to find that rhythm with the Jays to start the 2022 campaign.

From the start of the year to June 17th, Richards made 29 appearances and allowed 21 earned runs through 28.2 innings, sporting a 6.59 ERA with seven home runs allowed and 16 walks compared to 33 strikeouts. The Jays placed him on the IL on June 18th with a neck strain and he missed a couple of weeks

Since his return, Richards has been almost downright dominant, allowing just five earned runs through 19.0 innings while posting a 2.38 ERA. He has limited opponents to a .206 batting average while striking out 25 batters. The walks are still a bit of an issue, allowing 11 through 18 appearances but his numbers are miles ahead from what fans were seeing earlier this season.

If the club is looking to bring back Pop and an additional arm such as Merryweather or another player, Richards looks to be the odd man out. He does not have any MiLB options, meaning the club would have to designate him for assignment.

While this may seem like an easy move to some, Richards still has two years of contract control following the 2022 season and he is pitching well right now, so it doesn’t seem likely the front office would DFA him for Merryweather or someone else at this time.

Yusei Kikuchi

It is safe to say the 2022 season has not been kind to Japanese product Yusei Kikuchi. Signed to a three-year deal this past offseason, Kikuchi has struggled on the mound this season, especially with his fastball command while opposing hitters are feeding off his pitches. Through 20 starts, Kikuchi amassed a 5.25 ERA through 82.1 innings and earned 49 walks compared to 91 strikeouts.

The left-hander was recently moved to the bullpen, with newcomer Mitch White taking his spot in the rotation, yet the former Mariners starter is still struggling to find the strike zone in the relief corps. Through one inning of work against New York on August 18th, he allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two, throwing 17 pitches with ten of those being strikes. Last night was rough against Boston, as Kikuchi walked three batters, hit another, and allowed an earned run while throwing 28 pitches total with ten being strikes.

Overall, the Blue Jays are in a tough spot with Kikuchi, as it is unlikely the club will DFA him with roughly $20 million on the books for the next two seasons and while the Jays want to use him in the bullpen, he is still struggling to find the strike zone. He did offer to go down to AAA to continue starting on regular rest, acknowledging the struggles on the mound, but manager John Schneider and the Jays wanted him to continue throwing in the bullpen.

Next. Jays bullpen quietly one of MLB’s best over the last month. dark

With the continued struggles, it might not be such a bad idea to get him out of the limelight of the MLB, especially since he is only being used in blowout game scenarios out of the pen. Whether that happens or not is yet to be seen (maybe another neck strain IL stint) but right now, the left-hander is looking a bit lost and doesn’t seem to be turning a corner as the season wears on.

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