Toronto’s Bullpen Implodes… Heads Roll

If you’ve been following the club over the past week, you’re clearly not from Toronto (ba-dum-bum)… Seriously, though, you knew something was going to break in Toronto. And it was clearly going to occur in the bullpen.

Bullpen Bleeding
April 26: 6 IP – 10 H – 6 R
April 25: 2 IP – 5 H – 4 R
April 24: 1 IP – 5 H – 7 R

Seventeen runs in eight innings will definitely get someone’s attention – and not for a pat on the head. Toronto designated Merkin Valdez for assignment, and optioned Jeremy Accardo to triple-A. The funny thing is that neither of those pitchers really deserved their fate.

Valdez has been used just twice this season, and while he has hardly been effective, who can blame him? There is no way a pitcher can have sharp command when he’s pitched so irregularly (He didn’t pitch for the first time until April 14, and then sat again until the 25th). Accardo also got behind the 8-ball by not getting into a game until April 12. He was then used three times in five days and then sat for another eight days without pitching.

Shawn Camp and Kevin Gregg have been the Jays’ best pitchers. Camp, though was touched up last night. Scott Downs has been ineffective over his last five appearances, with six runs allowed over 3.2 innings. Jason Frasor, who opened the year as the club’s closer, has allowed six runs over his last four appearances (3.1 innings). Casey Janssen has pitched twice in three days and has given up six runs in 1.2 innings.

To take the place of Accardo and Valdez, Toronto has promoted and minor league veteran Rommie Lewis, a long-time Baltimore farmhand in his second season with the Jays organization, and Josh Roenicke, who was obtained last season in the Scott Rolen trade. Roenicke, 27, has yet to allow an earned run this season in triple-A. He’s allowed just four hits and one walk in 8.2 innings of work. The fly-ball pitcher has struck out eight batters. Command issues have haunted him in his brief MLB career.

Lewis, also 27, is receiving his first taste of MLB action and was Las Vegas’ second best reliever, so it’s nice to see the club rewarding dedication and success. The left-hander allowed 10 hits (.400 BABIP) in 7.2 innings but struck out seven batters and has a 75.1% ground-ball rate. He has a low-90s fastball and slider.

There are a few other names currently in double-A that might surface in the Toronto bullpen later this season if they keep throwing well – especially if Scott Downs and Jason Frasor can improve their values enough to bring in a B-level prospect each at the trade deadline.

Trystan Magnuson is 6’8” and has a history of producing good ground-ball numbers. He’s also improved his control with a switch from starting to relieving. He’s struck out 11 batters, with just one walk, in 10.2 innings. Magnuson will turn 25 shortly and was drafted as a fifth-year college senior in 2007. Tim Collins, 20 years old and a full foot shorter than his teammate, will look to challenge Reds reliever Danny Herrera for smallest player in the Majors. The Jays lefty has a low-90s fastball and has yet to allow a run this season. He’s given up just two hits and struck out 14 in 8.0 innings.

Danny Farquhar, 23, comes at hitters with multiple arm angles and can throw in the low-to-mid 90s from a sidearm slot. Control has been an issue for him in the past. He currently has seven Ks in 7.0 innings of work. Some other double-A names to keep in mind for future bullpen help include Luis Perez, Randy Boone, and Zach Stewart.