One of the delights of spring training is the auditioning for position.
Those who follow the Toronto Blue Jays may recall the situation a year ago: before the first players had hit the field, the opening day roster was entirely predictable.
Well, almost predictable. Nobody was really sure if Buck Coats would end up as the 25th man.
But you get the point. The process was void of drama.
This year, it’s a different story, and the most intriguing fight involves those looking for a spot in the starting rotation. Excluding Roy Halladay, here’s a look at the men angling for a position:
1. Jesse Litsch: Last February, he wasn’t even assured of a job. Now he’s No. 2 in the order, thanks to the departure of A.J. Burnett and injuries to Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan. Litsch started 2008 so quickly (by May 29 he was 7 -1) we actually heard all-star whispers. But by late July, he’d gone on a 1-6 run and it was off to Syracuse.
To his credit, Litsch made dramatic improvements to his sinker and change-up and began working on a straight four-seam fastball. He was a different pitcher upon returning. In his first game back, Litsch went seven scoreless innings in Detroit. Three weeks later, he threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout at a contending Twins team.
His final numbers: 13-9, 3.58 ERA
2. David Purcey: If there’s a time for the young left-hander to show why the Jays selected him 16th overall in 2004, it’s now. The injuries to McGowan and Marcum have opened a giant window of opportunity. At times last season, Purcey looked terribly overmatched. But performances like his domination of the Tampa Bay Rays in August (a 1-0 complete-game loss in which he struck out 11, did not issue a walk, and got to ball-three on only one batter) assures us Purcey has the stuff of a solid Big League starter.
3. Casey Janssen: It was Janssen’s injury – a torn labrum – that helped Litsch land a spot last season. Janssen missed all of 2008 after entering camp as the likely fifth starter. The year prior, he was brilliant in the bullpen, posting a 2.35 ERA in 70 games. As with all pitchers returning from major surgery, it’s impossible to predict when they’ll be effective again. Cross your fingers for Janssen, a gutsy competitor who can be awfully fun to watch.
4. Matt Clement: The Jays are taking a flyer on the former all-star, but he’s on a minor-league deal, so it won’t cost them anything if he doesn’t stick. Here’s why Clement is a long-shot: He hasn’t thrown a pitch in the Big Leagues in almost three years, and he didn’t show much rehabilitating a surgically-repaired shoulder last season in the Cardinals system. The Blue Jays hope pitching coach Brad Arnsberg can coax a little magic out of Clement’s right arm.
5. Scott Richmond: At this time last year, he was just another obscure pitcher roaming the minor league complex in Dunedin. Now, he’ll be Canada’s ace at the World Baseball Classic and will have a legitimate shot at a spot at the Jays’ opening day roster. The good news is Richmond acquitted himself well in five starts in 2008. The bad news is he’s still only two years removed from unaffiliated, independent baseball.
6. Scott Downs: He’s started in the past. The Jays may need him to do it again. J.P. Ricciardi has suggested Downs may be stretched out while they await the return of McGowan. Though he’s a valuable member of the bullpen, the emergence of late-inning left-hander Jesse Carlson makes starting Downs a possibility.
7. Mike Maroth: He’s more of a long-shot than Clement. Maroth hasn’t pitched in the Big Leagues in two years and he managed just three starts with Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate last season after shoulder surgery in May. He’ll long be remembered as the man who assumed Brian Kingman’s inglorious crown when he lost 21 games in 2003.
8. Brian Burres: This is hardly an inspiring choice considering Burres was waived from one of baseball's worst pitching staffs in Baltimore. Add his name to the list of those who have to be ultra-impressive in training camp to earn consideration. Burres' numbers last year - as a starter - aren't flattering: 7-9, 5.52 ERA. Mind you, he was playing for the Orioles.
9. Brett Cecil: Tampa Bay won the American League pennant last season on the strength of excellent young pitchers developed within their system. The Jays have some good prospects too, and Cecil is the best of them all. He was a closer at the University of Maryland, but he has made a smooth transition to starting pitcher at the professional level. Last season, he was a combined 8-5 with a 2.88 ERA over three levels, reaching Triple-A near the end of the year. His slider is said to be among the best in all of minor league baseball.
As always, feel free to offer up your opinion – or prediction – on how the Jays’ starting rotation will look this season.
