So you think you got this four-and-five thing in the Blue Jays’ rotation sorted out?
Didn’t think so.
And you’re not alone.
Ultimately, it’s a decision left to John Farrell and Alex Anthopoulos, and I’m not sure they’ve got it figured out either.
The problem is that none of the remaining candidates have – uh – posed a problem.
Jo-Jo Reyes can poop the bed Wednesday against the Yankees and it may not matter a lick.
Watch the Blue Jays vs. Yankees live Wednesday on Rogers Sportsnet East, Ontario and Pacific beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
The biggest battle for Jesse Litsch this spring has been getting familiar with the fan base and keeping his beard trimmed. Otherwise, he’s done nothing to warrant a plane ticket to Las Vegas.
And based on the way Kyle Drabek has pitched, a little more seasoning in the minors would be a waste of his time.
So, what to do?
Farrell tap-danced around the issue Tuesday when asked if it’s a simple case of adding Reyes to the bullpen and slotting the other two accordingly. The manager responded by maintaining the Blue Jays are looking at the left-hander as a starting pitcher.
Reyes is out of options, meaning he has to be passed through the waiver wire before he can be sent to Triple-A. Given his value, there’s no way he’d go unclaimed, so the Blue Jays can’t afford to take that chance.
But if Reyes makes the team as a starting pitcher, who doesn’t?
The word around the ballpark is that Drabek is safe. Beyond the fact that he’s earned his way, the Blue Jays are selling a promise that the days of being playoff-competitive are closer than we know. Drabek is the beacon for this sense of hope, so he needs to be pitching in the big leagues every fifth day to remind ticket-buyers of that direction.
With that in mind, our play-by-play man Buck Martinez offered up an interesting suggestion in conversation today: Jesse Litsch may well be the odd man out.
For the last month, Litsch has been displaying the control and ball-movement that made him the feel-good story of 2008.
He’s trimmed down and injury-free. And he’s earned himself a spot on this team.
But there’s a hitch. Unlike Reyes, Litsch has options. The Jays can send him to Las Vegas without the risk of losing him to another club.
In other words, Drabek and Reyes get the final two spots, and Litsch has to wait things out. That he’d be the first man summoned in the event another starter hits an early-season pot-hole is of no consolation. But this is business, and the Blue Jays will do what they must to protect their assets.
The team wanted the decisions to be difficult, and these three have delivered.
Fortunately, we don’t have to wait much longer for the answer.