With all the attention Aaron Sanchez‘s workload is getting lately, it’s easy to lose sight of how the decision to limit his innings affects the rest of the Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching staff.
Stephen Brunt joined Dean Blundell and Co. on Sportsnet 590 The Fan to discuss the ripple effect of any Sanchez decision on the rest of the Blue Jays starters, and the importance of having the staff agree to accommodate his needs by shifting to a six-man rotation.
“It was important to go to the other guys in this rotation and say, ‘Are you OK going to a six-man?'” Brunt said. “That’s not a selfish thing. It’s not about starts and stats as much as it is about comfort. Extra rest would seem like a good thing but it’s not always a good thing.”
By having general manager Ross Atkins fly to Houston and meet with the team, the Blue Jays front office was able to get more parties involved in making the difficult choice.
“I love the notion that this is collaborative to a degree,” Brunt said. “Somebody’s got to make the call eventually, somebody’s got to be the boss, but the fact that you went into a clubhouse, especially a veteran clubhouse, and took its temperature, I think that was a smart thing for Ross Atkins to do.”
The resulting decision to move to a six-man rotation ended up being one that was palatable to the team, which was doubly important in the wake of veterans like Russell Martin questioning the possibility of Sanchez moving to the bullpen.
“Clearly this is what Sanchez wants,” Brunt said. “I think it’s probably what the manager wants. It’s probably what the clubhouse wants.”
It’s essential for the Blue Jays rotation to feel comfortable with the situation because the group is having a strong season and the team doesn’t want to disrupt. The group currently ranks first in the American League in both ERA (3.62) and Wins Above Replacement (11.0) as J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada are also having career years.
“This is a really good rotation,” Brunt said. “This may be the best Blue Jays starting rotation ever. You don’t want to mess with that.”
