FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Toronto Blue Jays are set to flee Florida after a 9-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, and after compiling an 18-12 mark in Grapefruit League play, it’s a good time to assess what’s happened over the past month and half in the sunny south.
The season-ending left knee injury suffered by Marcus Stroman and the meniscus tear in Michael Saunders’ left knee that will land him on the disabled list to begin the campaign are the obvious low points, and the true cost of Stroman’s absence will unfold in the months ahead.
But the way Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris emerged after the ebullient right-hander’s loss eased the sting, at least temporarily, while second baseman Devon Travis and centre-fielder Dalton Pompey appear to have solidified two other pressing concerns.
Still, in some ways, the most captivating part of camp has been the emergence of 20-year-old relievers Miguel Castro and Roberto Osuna, both longshots at the beginning of spring who will head north as integral parts of a bullpen that desperately needs them to succeed.
With their mid-to-high 90s stuff, impressive command and beyond-their-years presence on the mound, the electric duo has riveted both teammates and fans alike. They were told they’d break camp with the Blue Jays late Tuesday afternoon, Castro called in first before Osuna got the news.
Each has sensed the excitement around them.
“I’ve got a little bit of an idea about it,” said Osuna. “I’m very excited about it. These guys like Dioner (Navarro), (Jose) Bautista, all the superstars on the team support us all the time. I’m so glad to be here and to play with those guys, it’s awesome, it’s very exciting. And thanks to all the fans, they support me all the time. I’m very happy.”
Added Castro, in comments interpreted by Navarro: “I’ve felt really good, I understand the excitement I bring, I just hope that from now on, I do a good job to help the team win.”
Having each other will help, but the Blue Jays also plan to insulate them as much as possible from the grind to come. While both dominated during spring training, the game changes once the regular season hits and everything counts for real.
The maturity that’s impressed so many will really be put to the test.
“Even though they’re really young and you can call them naïve, they do have an idea of what they’re doing on the mound. They get the ball, they’re ready and do what they do,” said Navarro. “These are two outstanding kids that throw hard and they throw strikes, which is the No. 1 thing.
“It’s a long work in progress for them, but that’s what we’re here for and we’ve got to do our job to help them out and guide them through.”
The duo is nearly inseparable around the clubhouse, as one can rarely be seen without the other.
That bond is sure to help them as they plan to continue being roommates, and there was a nervous wait before they realized they’d be making their debuts together.
“When I first got called over to the office, I didn’t know what was going on,” said Castro. “When I walked in I saw the scout from the Dominican Republic (Ismael Cruz) and when I got the news I was really excited. After I found out that Osuna had made the team also, we both were really thrilled.”
Said Osuna: “I’m the happiest man in the world. I’m very excited, I can’t describe how I feel.”
The excitement they’ve created makes them one of the best things to happen in camp for the Blue Jays. Here’s what others around the team had to say when asked the spring’s most important developments:
Manager John Gibbons: “We found our second baseman. Daniel Norris really emerged, we liked him but we wanted to see him pitch. A couple of young kids in the bullpen really stepped up, so a lot of good things have happened. We answered some questions in some areas we were looking for some help, and we think we got some answers.”
—
RF Jose Bautista: “Probably some of the small things. I know what Reyes is going to do, I know what Edwin’s going to do, I know what Donaldson is going to do, and Martin and all that. Seeing guys like Castro and Osuna step up and showcase their talent and get themselves to a place where they have an opportunity to make the ball club at age 20, that’s pretty remarkable. Knowing those two guys can step in and be immediate contributors and follow in the footsteps of people on other teams like Dellin Betances and others around the league that at a young age step into a big role on a big team in a big market in a tough division, they’re lining themselves up to get that opportunity. I’m excited for them, and hopefully they can enjoy the same success as (Betances) has had and become steady arms that come out of the bullpen and solidify the back-end. With (Brett) Cecil at closer, that will give us 7-8-9, and it will be an exciting back-end of the bullpen.”
—
3B Josh Donaldson: “I’m excited to see some of these young guys. I might be a little different, really, about seeing other guys play because I’m used to it, but I definitely think there’s something fun about watching these guys play for the first time. Especially when they start having success, you really see a different player come out. That’s what I’m looking forward to most, seeing how these guys react. Obviously I’m looking forward to winning a lot of games and I definitely think we have the complete team to do that. I truly believe that and I think it’s going to be pretty fun for the fans to watch the offence put up some numbers.”
—
SP Drew Hutchison: “There’s just a good feeling there. I know we have a lot of young guys, a lot of guys who are unproven, but the way guys carry themselves, that feel it has, we have a lot of new guys but it’s gelled quickly, it hasn’t been anything forced. It’s just been pretty smooth. There have been a lot of things happening but it’s been pretty smooth from the inside and from that standpoint. We continue to grow and to be ourselves as a team, I think it will be really good. Obviously losing Stroman was tough, he’s a great pitcher as we all saw last year. Unfortunately things are going to happen over the course of the year, everybody is going to have adversity they’re going to have to overcome, that just happened to happen early in camp. It opened doors and guys have to fill in. We’ve seen that with Norris and Sanchez and the way they’ve pitched so far through spring training. Yes, it’s only spring training and it’s totally different once the season starts, everything is completely different. But the way they’ve gone about their business and done everything, obviously you saw last year with Sanchez and the way he can dominate, it just opened that door, guys are going to have to step up and play well.”
—
1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion: “At the beginning when Stroman got hurt it was tough for the team, to find a guy like that is hard. We were a little bit down but when those young guys come, Norris, Castro, Osuna, Sanchez, they’ve been doing good and that’s changed our minds a little bit. They made us more comfortable with what we have now. Castro and Osuna, they surprised me a lot with the talent that they have.”
—
SS Jose Reyes: “The way the young guys performed this spring training is real good to see. Our organization has very good talent, that’s what I’m most impressed with this spring training. Norris, Castro, Osuna, those guys are 20, 21 years old, just to come to big-league camp and perform the way they did, it seems like they have a couple of years in the big-leagues. It’s real good to see so much confidence. To have guys in the back of your bullpen that can throw 98 and throw strikes as 20 year olds, that’s something special.”
—
C Russell Martin: “I’ve noticed our young pitchers have a really good feel and understanding of their own mechanics and their own way to about their business on the mound. Their ability to make adjustments, I’ve been impressed with that. As a unit, that’s a good thing to know. If you can self-assess things that are feeling good and things that aren’t feeling so good, you’re more apt to make adjustments quick. In this game that’s super important, and that’s something I’ve noticed with our young guys especially. I just like our team in general, we’re good offensively, we’re good defensively and I think we have great pitching. Those three things put together usually translate into good stuff over the course of the year.”
—
SP R.A. Dickey: “Sanchez and Norris. Those two guys have made a lot of people breathe easier after Stroman, because when Stroman went down people were spinning a little bit. Then as spring went along we saw that Daniel and Aaron were very capable. For me, that’s been the biggest development, and that’s the thing I pay the most attention to, is the pitching.”
—
C Dioner Navarro: “It’s exciting to have these kids come up north with us, just trying to teach them the way and keep them focused on what they’ve got to do. We’ve got a great group of guys like Buehrle, Dickey, and then we got Bautista, Encarnacion, they’re going to have an opportunity to work with a great catcher behind the plate, Russell does a great job, even myself. We’re really excited to have the group we have, we’re going to go out there and try to do our job. We think a lot of people are going to be surprised at what we’re going to be able to do this season.”
—
UT Steve Tolleson: “The young kids that came in here and performed like they’ve been here a long time. I don’t care who you are, this game is very difficult, spring training, regular season. It’s not just their performance on the field, but the way they carry themselves. Castro, 20 years old, throwing 100 miles an hour – there’s not many people in the game, even in the big-leagues, that throw 100 and really know where the ball is going. He appears to be very much in control of everything he’s doing. Travis coming just taking the bull by the horns, it’s opened up everybody’s eyes. The city of Toronto has a lot to be excited about, from the young guys in the rotation and the bullpen, the starting lineup, we’re going to be exciting and we’re going to be fun to watch.”