6 difficult roster decisions the Toronto Blue Jays must address ASAP

5. Are Adam Cimber’s nine lives finally running out?

Back in 2021, when the Jays’ bullpen was disastrous beyond belief, with games being blown left and right by the likes of Tyler Chatwood and Rafael Dolis, Adam Cimber was acquired from the Miami Marlins to help stabilize their late inning pitching woes. In doing so, Cimber became a key member in the Jays’ revamped bullpen, leading them back into contention and securing many victories that would have been blown earlier in the season. He was so good that he remained a key cog during the 2022 season for the Jays as well, this time helping them successfully to get into the playoffs for the second time in three years.

However, 2023 has been a totally different story for Cimber. After starting off the season on a solid run, this year quickly morphed into a nightmare for him. After two poor outings near the end of April, followed by his month-long absence due to a right rhomboid strain, he is currently a shell of his former self. In particular, he has surrendered runs in four of his past five outings, leading to his present stats line of 7.40 ERA, 1.548 WHIP, 56 ERA+, 17 earned runs, six home runs, seven walk, 12 strikeouts in only 20.2 innings pitched.

Should the Jays keep rolling him out with hopes he would eventually work things out like how Trevor Richards has been able to turn things around? Or will he continue to struggle like Yimi García and the recently DFA’d Anthony Bass? From hindsight, given how much he had helped the club in previous years, one would believe he should get a longer leash to figure things out, but as of now, he is not helping the ballclub at all. It may be harsh for someone who just had a recent addition to his family, but one important thing of note is that Cimber still has minor league options, so perhaps a stint in the minors can potentially help him find his game again, and at the same time, not have to worry about any of his poor outings having any adverse effects on the team as he works things out for the near future.