While the 2016 Chicago Cubs will always be remembered as great curse breakers, October’s most influential figure wore another uniform.
Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and company have achieved baseball immortality, but Andrew Miller is the one who has teams forgetting what they thought they knew about how to win baseball games.
Watching the towering left-hander cleave his way through opposing lineups with ease, and erase chunks of games with regularity got decision makers in baseball wondering if they hadn’t been asking enough of relievers in the past.
Obviously, talents like Miller are rare, and a regular season with few off-days doesn’t lend itself to the sheer volume of innings that Cleveland manager Terry Francona demanded of his relief ace. Even so, Miller’s success makes the idea of the multi-inning reliever more seductive.
It used to be that the guys in your bullpen who appeared the earliest and gave you the most length were your least exciting arms. Times have changed and multi-inning relievers are hot right now – like Hansel in 2001 hot.
So, how do the Toronto Blue Jays get in on the action? From last year’s bullpen, Joe Biagini is the most qualified to hoover up a couple of frames at a time in big spots. The right-hander certainly proved himself capable last year, but he could find himself in a late-inning role depending on how the bullpen shakes out. Plus, given the restraints of a regular-season schedule, a team looking to achieve a Miller Lite effect probably needs two rubber arms to do it.
In order to get their multi-inning fix the Blue Jays can go through free agency, the trade market or look internally. Here are some under-the-radar options worth considering:
Free Agency
Age: 28
Throws: Right
2016 Teams: Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels
2016 stats: 144.1 IP, 7.44 K/9, 3.44 BB/9 , 0.88 HR/9, 4.81 ERA, 4.01 FIP
What makes him a fit: Last season, Chacin split time in the bullpen and as a starter and the contrast was significant:
| Role | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 115.1 | 6.45 | 3.45 | 0.94 | 5.07 | 4.32 |
| Reliever | 28.2 | 10.99 | 3.43 | 0.63 | 3.77 | 2.76 |
Chacin has only made 28 relief appearances in his career (good for 50.2 innings), but it’s clear that he benefits from shorter outings. In 2016 his time in the bullpen allowed him to dial his fastball up to 92-93 mph, and he was able to throw more sliders than ever instead of choosing a more balanced pitch mix that exposed his other less effective secondary pitches.
The biggest question isn’t whether Chacin would be a good reliever, but whether he’d accept that assignment. Although he finished the year with four strong starts with the Angels, the right-hander hasn’t made it wire-to-wire as a starter since 2013 and has only done it twice in his eight-year career.
It might be time for him to try something different.
Age: 25
Throws: Right
2016 Team: Chicago White Sox
2016 stats: 24.1 IP, 6.57 K/9, 5.84 BB/9 , 1.82 HR/9, 6.57 ERA, 6.51 FIP
What makes him a fit: On the surface, Turner’s numbers are just dreadful, but 12 of the 18 earned runs he allowed came in two starts before he was moved to the bullpen.
Even in relief, his peripherals were sub-par, so this is a bet on potential rather than production. Former top-10 picks who throw 95-96 mph don’t come around in free agency too often at the age of 25. Turner has certainly burned out as a starter, but the 26 relief appearance he’s made so far aren’t enough to say if his power arm could be salvaged out of the bullpen.
In 2016 his ground-ball rate cracked 50 percent for the first time, in part due to a spiking two-seam fastball rate and ditching a slider that had been ineffective in the past. Perhaps he’s a couple more minor adjustments from a breakthrough.
If nothing else, he’s had a very similar career trajectory to Miller as a top Detroit Tigers pick who made his way to the Marlins and showed he couldn’t hack it as a starter in his mid-twenties.
Trade Market
Age: 30
Throws: Right
2016 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
2016 stats: 118 IP, 10.53 K/9, 3.43 BB/9 , 1.14 HR/9, 4.50 ERA, 3.78 FIP
What makes him a fit: Much like his former Colorado Rockies teammate Chacin, Nicasio split his time between starting and relief roles last year and was clearly more effective in the bullpen.
| Role | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 62.1 | 9.10 | 3.61 | 1.59 | 5.05 | 4.72 |
| Reliever | 55.2 | 12.13 | 3.23 | 0.65 | 3.88 | 2.73 |
The right-hander has a penchant for missing bats, and is especially explosive in relief. MLB Trade Rumors estimates that he’s looking at $4.6 million in arbitration this off-season, which might be a bit rich for the Pirates’ blood if they see him as a middle reliever. Pittsburgh is far from a true seller, but rumours circulating about Andrew McCutchen suggest they won’t hesitate to move pieces if the return is right.
Given that Nicasio is only one year from free agency, his price likely won’t be prohibitive if the Blue Jays are interested, but the Pirates might see upside waiting until the trade deadline when prices can skyrocket.
Age: 25
Throws: Right
2016 Team: Chicago White Sox
2016 stats: 30 IP, 9.00 K/9, 5.18 BB/9 , 0.00 HR/9, 3.00 ERA, 3.35 FIP
What makes him a fit: It might be tricky to pry a second-year player like Ynoa from a rebuilding White Sox squad, but he certainly fits the bill of a multi-inning horse. Last year in Chicago, he had six outings of two innings or more and gave up one run total in those games.
The right-hander throws 95 with two breaking balls, and if he can command his stuff he’s exceedingly difficult to hit. That “if” has been hounding him for years as he’s spent more than his fair share of time in the minors after signing a $4.25 million deal with the Oakland Athletics as a 16-year-old in 2008.
That said, taller pitchers often take longer to develop command and though the 6-foot-7 Ynoa has a way to go he seems to be making progress. There’s a reason he was such a prized international free agent, and with his potential still visible, now might be the time to buy.
Internal Options
Chris Smith
Age: 28
Throws: Right
2016 Teams: New Hampshire Fisher-Cats and Buffalo Bisons
2016 stats (combined AA and AAA): 60.2 IP, 12.02 K/9, 2.26 BB/9 , 0.55 HR/9, 1.93 ERA, 2.31 FIP
What makes him a fit: Smith is a bit of a mystery man in the Blue Jays organization, but the team thought enough of him to bring him up in September.
The former indy ball star did not make his MLB debut, but had a very strong year, primarily at double-A. Smith throws hard with a big slider and though he has a lot to prove, he’s an intriguing dark horse for Toronto.
In his minor-league career, the 28-year-old has thrown 164.2 innings in 110 appearances, showing he can provide the length necessary to be a multi-inning threat.
Age: 28
Throws: Right
2016 Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
2016 stats: 27.2 IP, 8.13 K/9, 2.93 BB/9 , 2.28 HR/9, 6.83 ERA, 5.82 FIP
What makes him a fit: Bolsinger isn’t exactly an exciting name, and he’s coming off a poor campaign that he largely spent riding the bus at triple-A.
What makes the Bolsinger-to-the-bullpen idea interesting is that it’s never been done. The right-hander has only one relief appearance under his belt at the MLB level, so his potential there is unexplored.
As a reliever, Bolsinger could get a boost on his high-eighties fastball and perhaps ditch a largely-ineffective curveball for a slider he’s had more success with.
| Pitch | AVG against | SLG against | Whiff/Swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curveball | .276 | .464 | 23.45 |
| Slider | .195 | .272 | 34.89 |
Though it’s hard to picture the soft-tosser as a mid-inning eraser, given that he’s out of options he’ll likely get a long look next spring.