SAN FRANCISCO – One of the challenges the Toronto Blue Jays face with their bullpen is that their unsteady relievers need work to iron out their issues, but with the offence rarely blowing out opponents they’re regularly getting called on in high leverage spots.
Rarely is that a recipe for success, and the Blue Jays’ 10 bullpen losses was tied with Cincinnati for the most in the majors heading into Monday’s action. Manager John Gibbons hinted that he would try different ways to hand leads over to closer Roberto Osuna, Gavin Floyd is a candidate there and to face lefties with Brett Cecil away on paternity leave until Friday, but in many ways his hands are tied.
“I don’t know how you do it, to be honest with you, because we try to lean on our starters as long as we can,” he replied when asked how to balance his relievers’ need for work versus protecting leads while they struggle. “It seems like every game we’re in is a low-scoring nail-biter, and early in the season, too, you set up your plans for how you want to use it, putting in your personnel, and you give them shots to do it. If that’s not working, you make some adjustment.
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“But guys need opportunities, especially guys that have been successful in the past and have proven themselves in the big-leagues,” Gibbons continued. “It’s no different than a hitter that’s struggling, do you get rid of them, too? There are always guys on the roster who are flexible, guys you can send up and down, but there are a lot of guys that aren’t, they’re key to your team, key to the success, and slow first month, second month, doesn’t mean it’s going to be a terrible year, there’s still a lot of time left. But we’ve struggled with that. In those close games, we haven’t been able to lock them down.”
Cecil and Drew Storen are front and centre in that regard, although the track record for both relievers suggests they will be better. As they’ve struggled, Gibbons has experimented with Floyd, Jesse Chavez and, recently, Chad Girodo, right now the only lefty in the bullpen. Rule 5 pick Joe Biagini keeps earning trust while Ryan Tepera is up while Cecil is home with his wife, who gave birth to a daughter, Braelynn, on Monday.
Still, the Blue Jays won’t get anywhere until some roles are defined.
“Really, if you look around baseball, you’re not going to find a team that wins if you’ve got to match up every inning but the ninth inning. That just ain’t going to happen,” said Gibbons. “All your teams that win, you go to your eighth-inning guy, he’s there, then your closer, sometimes it’s even deeper than that, seven, eight, nine. If there’s one inning you have to match up, OK, you’re all right. You’ve got to do that too often, forget it, it ain’t happening.”
That’s why a few more innings with margin for error could make a big difference.
“Really, this team is built around the offence,” said Gibbons. “I still think we’re going to hit, I think it will all come together there. That’s kind of the trademark of the team.”
WAITING FOR HIS CHANCE: Utility man Andy Burns joined the Blue Jays on Friday from triple-A Buffalo but is still waiting to make his big-league debut, something likely to happen during the interleague series in San Francisco.
What’s the wait been like?
“I try not to think about it,” Burns said. “Whenever my name is called I’ll be ready. Patience is a virtue. However I can help the team win, that’s all I’m here to do. That time is going to come eventually, I’m going to be ready for that.”
Burns goes through his normal game prep every day and takes balls defensively all around the diamond, just in case. He brought four gloves for the trip – one for first base, one for the middle infield, one for third base and another for the outfield – and left two others he’s working in back in Toronto.
“Basically, they told me to be prepared to play anywhere,” said Burns, who’s done that for the past two seasons at Buffalo.
Despite not playing, Burns hasn’t spent his time in the Blue Jays dugout during games idly.
“I’ve really focused on how the pitchers are attacking the guys,” he said. “Top to bottom, our lineup is one of the best in the game, just watching how they’re attacking, and applying that to, what if I was hitting in that situation, trying to stay focused and make it game-like for myself on the bench. I think that will keep me sharp once I’m in there.”
