First Round bye rejuvenates relentless Blue Jays as rotation changes revealed

Nail-biter turns to cakewalk after escaping bases-loaded sixth inning jam

When the major-league season began back in late March, the strength of the Blue Jays roster was considered its defence and a veteran, durable top four men in the starting rotation.

Consider, slightly more than six months later, that the only first-half rotation guy scheduled to start, as the AL Division Series continues vs. the New York Yankees is Game 1 hurler Kevin Gausman. Starters not even on the ALDS roster, arms that were key to the Jays even hanging around the periphery of the race through July, are Max Scherzer, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt. Meanwhile Eric Lauer is in the pen. The baseball gods are scratching their heads over if this is genius or lunacy.

Through a long stretch of August and September, the major questions and doubts surrounded the Jays’ shaky bullpen, knowing that closer Jeff Hoffman struggled all year with the longball; knowing that primary lefthander Brendon Little struggled with command, in making his breaking balls look competitive; knowing that hard-throwing trade deadline acquisitions Louis Varland and Seranthony Dominguez adjusted slowly and had yet to convince skeptics that they were trades that would help in October; knowing that Yariel Rodriguez had yet to latch onto any sort of role in high leverage, even blessed as he is with outstanding stuff. October is for bullpens.

By the start of August, Blue Jays pitching had gone from being viewed as a Jays strength to one that generated more question marks than the Mysterions. The new first-round rotation? Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and a bullpen day.

Sure, Gausman has been the acknowledged ace of the rotation all the way through the second half. It was always being set up for a Gausman ALDS Game 1 start.

Yesavage, as soon as he gained promoted in September, was always going to be on the post-season roster, especially after three solid MLB starts, with stuff that allows him to dominate. But in what role. For those that believe he couldn’t be anything but a starter if he was going to be there in October, they should take note that in 2022, just three years ago, as a freshman pitcher at East Carolina University, the 22-year-old native of Pottstown, PA, logged 34 games, all in relief, striking out 45 batters in 26 innings. In fact, the ALDS Game 2 start for Yesavage, allows him to be available in relief of Gausman if a Game 5 is needed back at Rogers Centre.

Bieber drawing the assignment for Game 3 is not an indication of anything except the fact that Yesavage now gets 43,000 screaming fans supporting his every move at home, while the former Cy guy, Bieber, acquired at the deadline from the Guardians, with more experience in all situations, good or bad, draws the hostile environment of 50,00 screaming louts at Yankee Stadium. He is not a relief pitcher, logging just three games out of the pen in 204 pro appearances — and not since 2019.

The fourth rotation slot in Round 1, is likely a bullpen, all hands on deck assignment on Wednesday in the Bronx. This was likely inspired by the successful effort on the final game of the Red Sox series, in what had amounted to a must-win situation. Valrland, who has had starting experience, pitched two innings vs. Boston that day, followed by Lauer with 3.1 frames, handing the final 11 outs to the pen. The advantage if manager John Schneider goes that same route in Game 4 is that the Yankee lefthanded bats will all be in the lineup, giving Lauer a platoon advantage for his stint.

Fans should note that the playoff rosters can be adjusted for every new series. It seems that Justin Bruihl as a fourth bullpen lefthander, only translates as a smart analytics move in facing the Yankees, meaning there still will be a chance for Scherzer or Bassitt to be back on the roster if the Jays do advance to the ALCS.