Mike Wilner article:
Winning without a reliable bullpen is exceedingly difficult, and it’s almost impossible to win enough to re-enter a playoff race in time for it to matter. This is the current challenge facing the Toronto Blue Jays.
The team’s relief corps, as currently composed, struggles to consistently hold slim leads or keep games close. This issue surfaced again in the Jays’ 5-3 loss to the Houston Astros at Rogers Centre on Thursday, concluding a 3-5 homestand and leaving the Jays nine games under .500 for the first time since 2019.
While the bullpen wasn’t the primary issue on Thursday, with Genesis Cabrera, Trevor Richards, and Chad Green allowing only a solo home run by Jeremy Peña over four combined innings, the usage of these relievers while the Jays were trailing highlights a deeper problem.
“If they’re available, we’re going to use them,” manager John Schneider said post-game. “(Cabrera) did a really nice job. Trev has been so good for us, as has Chad. You want to keep it right there … We’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity right now.”
Using two of the three most reliable relievers (Green and Richards, with left-hander Brendon Little being the third) when trailing means they might not be available to close out a win. Ideally, the best relievers would be used in every close game, but it’s not realistic. Having a high-leverage arm pitch to “keep it right there” when down by a run or two is a sign of desperation, and the Jays are currently desperate.
Green’s outing Thursday marked just the fourth time in 21 appearances he entered a game with the Jays trailing, and the first time they were down by more than one run. Richards has also alternated roles throughout the season, including long reliever and mop-up duties, in addition to high-leverage situations.
At least one of the trusted trio, Little, remains fresh for a tight game in Seattle on Friday night. The desperation seen in Thursday’s reliever deployment stems not only from the season’s challenges but also from multiple bullpen meltdowns earlier in the homestand.
On Wednesday, four Jays relievers allowed seven runs in a 9-2 loss to the Astros, a game tied 2-2 after six innings. Last Friday against the Yankees, starter Yusei Kikuchi left trailing 4-3 with bases empty in the sixth, leading to a 16-5 loss as the bullpen gave up 12 runs in four innings.
The Jays were expected to have a shutdown bullpen similar to last year’s, with everyone returning except Jordan Hicks, who was to be replaced by a healthy Green. However, injuries to Jordan Romano and Yimi Garcia, and poor performances from Tim Mayza and Erik Swanson (combined 8.45 ERA across 52 appearances), have taken their toll.
Replacements haven’t been consistent enough. Nate Pearson and Zach Pop combined for a 5.49 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 59 appearances. Cabrera lost his role as the top left-handed reliever to Little before Mayza’s departure and hasn’t pitched in a game with the Jays leading by fewer than three runs since May 15. Bowden Francis, after a 1.73 ERA last season, has a 5.80 ERA this year, and waiver pickups and DFA trades have been largely ineffective. Yerry Rodriguez may get a chance as soon as Friday.
The Jays’ current bullpen is insufficient to re-enter the wild-card race, but trading future assets for immediate help isn’t advisable until the team is closer to contention.
“It’s tough, it’s tough for sure,” Schneider said before Thursday’s loss regarding his bullpen challenges. “You don’t think that you’re going to dip that far into your contingency plan all at once, but that’s kind of where we’re at.”
Currently, the Jays need three weeks of shutdown work from a bullpen that ranks last in the American League with a 4.83 ERA.
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