Coming into this season there were high expectations for the Toronto Blue Jays. Some small moves were made to bolster up an already strong hitting line-up, and with a healthy starting pitching rotation the only piece of the puzzle that was missing was the bullpen. A strong push was made in the off-season to pick-up some solid and proven relievers for the Blue Jays: Sergio Santos, Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero. These three were meant to be the mentors on the staff to a young core of up-and-comers in the organization.
Unfortunately, the bullpen has been failing the Blue Jays like so many seasons before… and the bleeding doesn’t seem to want to stop. As it stands right now the Blue Jays bullpen is sitting an impressive 4.69 ERA (highest in the majors!) and an opponent’s on-base percentage of .339 (again, one of the worst in the majors).
So, who is to blame? Certainly not Alex Anthopoulos in my opinion; while people may crucify him for the under performing staff (much like Brian Burke), he made all of the right moves with what he had before him. I absolve John Farrell and most of the coaching staff as well; there really is only so much moulding a coach can do with the clay he’s been given.
As much as no one wants to hear it, the blame does fall to the players – both pitching and hitting.
The hitting for Jays has been far more dormant this year than one would expect given the hype around all of the young talent. They have been unable to build the comfortable leads for the pitching staff to work around in most cases. This being said, I would only put about 15% of the blame on the hitters. At the end of the day it is the offences job to build a lead, the size of the lead is less important.
Unfortunately, the bullpen has no one to blame for their woes, but themselves. While all of the pitchers in the bullpen that have made even the most loyal of fans shudder, there real broken wheel in the mix Francisco Cordero. Cordero was given the crucial closer role while Sergio Santos recovers from surgery, and he has blown almost every opportunity he’s been given.
Frasor and Villanueva have been scary to watch. Both pitchers have been struggling to find control; walking more hitters than they’ve been striking out.
Casey Janessen has also been shaky at best. In April, Janssen recorded an ERA of over 10! This said, after that nightmarish April, Janssen has settled into his own – and has been scoreless over last four outings. The hope is that Janssen’s recent performance can act as a beacon and example for the rest of the bullpen.
Hopefully, once Santos returns he will be re-vitalized and the Jays can start to protect the gems that are being pitched by the starting rotation. Maybe if the bats come alive that will help to serve as a relaxation mechanism for the relievers coming into play?
At any rate, the Jays need a fix on this and fast… or the hope of a playoff spot – let alone a .500 season may fade before we know it.
… and that is the last word.
