RealGM

A place to discuss the starting rotation during the offseason.

So, who do you think will be returning? Who should the Jays be looking to add? Will anyone from our minor league system be ready to start at the beginning of the season?

Here is last years thread for reference:

viewtopic.php?f=123&t=1134731

Wow. A rotation of:

Josh Johnson
Brandon Morrow
Mark Buehrle
Ricky Romero


With one of J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, Dustin McGowan, Jesse Litsch, or Drew Hutchison being the guy early or taking over mid-season...

I love having Happ as an anchor in there in case none of the other four recover. But if they do, and another performs well, there's always Happ to fill in for injuries to the big 4. Nice rotation for sure... though it might be nice to see the Jays pick up a Brett Anderson from the A's to really go for broke now. Phew! What a club!

Yeah, rotation looking good and it may look even look better by the time the off-season is over..

Still think we're going to add another SP though trade perhaps JP, Drabek and a bullpen arm etc traded for another reliable starter Happ then get moved to bullpen.

Will AA try to extend JJ? And if he can't, will he look to trade him before opening day?

It has the makings of a very good rotation, but there isn't a lot of depth until our Tommy Johns return from injury (Hutchison/Drabek/Perez). I'm fine with the likes of Jenkins and Carreno filling in here or there, but they're probably not great options over an extended period. The bullpen is also very deep and the likes of Rogers/Lincoln could be stretched out a bit in a real pinch. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.

Johnson needs to get extended,IMO What's the point taking on all that salary for JJ to walk after 2013 season! I honestly don't think AA would make this trade (and take on those massive contracts) if he didn't think it was possible to reup Johnson. I think AA has to take the chance and extend him before the season starts that way he doesn't take the risk of Johnson putting up an all-star year (and costing a lot more), which seems possible in Toronto.

ya having JJ under contract for just 2013 scares me a lot, him and his health is key to this trade, giving up marisnick, nico, hech and alverez isn't nothing, these are good-great prospects...we need to extend him

interesting that Romero is unanimously #4 ahead of Happ and anyone else when he couldn't outpitch Laffey


at least Hutch Drabek & co will be waiting to supplant in short order, make him earn it though- very short leash

I think you expect Romero to bounce back a bit-- this isn't gonna be Chacin again, where he was burnt out and never recovered. Just a bad year for Ricky. I think he'll bounce back without the pressure of having to be the ace/force things/make up for injuries/etc...

And it's really great to have the depth of returning guys-- Hutch/Perez/Drabek/Litsch... somewhere in there you have to feel ONE is gonna shine at some point this year when they're healthy... that's also promising for next year too...

Still, I wouldn't be surprised at one/two more deals: we have the flexibility to add another mid-to-bottom of the rotation pitcher, we need another bat, and we'll jettison a catcher...

Morrow
Johnson
Romero
Buerhle
Happ

Thats what I envision.

Maybe bring back Carlos V for that 5th spot.

If Hutchison is back midway through next year, any chance the Jays go with a 6 man rotation?

Johnson
Morrow
Buehrle
Romero
Hutchison
Happ

It'll give more rest to the other guys, and say if a Happ/Verlander match was scheduled, we could skip Happ, and go with Johnson. Happ could be a long man, or be used once or twice out of the bullpen, and still have 3-4 days before his next scheduled start.

finally we can keep young arms longer in the minors. look at the rays, they have success farming their starting pitching and not rushing them to the big leagues

i'm fine with happ being the 5th SP

Happ is really not a terrible #5.

MikeM wrote:Happ is really not a terrible #5.

He's actually a pretty good one. There's little depth behind him, though, so it would be probably a good idea to continue to look to add.

I don't feel safe having both Romero and Happ to start the season. Ideally guys like Marcum and McCarthy would be fantastic, but Feldman type pitcher would be a cheap realistic option. And then you have Happ as your 6th starter. Not bad.

Randle McMurphy wrote:

MikeM wrote:Happ is really not a terrible #5.

He's actually a pretty good one. There's little depth behind him, though, so it would be probably a good idea to continue to look to add.

I think Marcum on a one year deal could make sense. Always good to have depth when the starting rotation is injury prone (Johnson, Morrow, Happ), aging (Buehrle), or a giant question mark (Romero).

Marcum could take the 5th spot leaving Happ in the bullpen and ready to start if/when an injury occurs.

you can never have enough starting pitching

With the rotation being Johnson, Morrow, Buerhle, Romero, Happ for the time being, and with Johnson, Morrow & Happ being labelled as injury prone, it does make sense to try and stock up on cheap guys that can play the Carlos V role, although I think Lincoln and Rogers fit that bill nicely.

Guys that fit that bill - Scott Feldman or Brett Myers

However the more I'm reading about Buerhle, the more I'm thinking he'll be traded. Would San Fran do a Buerhle + prospect+ cash for Lincecum trade? Muah ah ah ah

Or St. Louis for Chris Carpenter?

Who knows

^Someone want to tell em where this Buerhle trade talk is coming from? Does he not want to come to Toronto?

Mad-Eye Moody wrote:^Someone want to tell em where this Buerhle trade talk is coming from? Does he not want to come to Toronto?

Here's an easy way to understand the Buerhle situation:
- Buerhle has a pet pitbull which he treats like a son
- Buerhle was trying to get the pitbull ban lifted in Miami
- Ontario has a province wide ban on pitbulls
- Leading to speculate that Buerhle may not report to Toronto
- Anthopolous may already know this and would try to flip him to another team

Thus, the trade rumor.