Blue Jays prospect watch: These Bisons could buy time for beleaguered bullpen

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This article was published 12/06/2021 (1619 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s no secret, the Blue Jays’ bullpen is struggling.

Perhaps an unexpected strength to start the season, Toronto’s relievers have hit the wall of late, cemented by a walk-off loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night — 6-5, in a game they led 5-1 before starter Ross Stripling’s exit at Fenway Park.

“I don’t know where we go from here,” manager Charlie Montoyo said after that defeat. “Our guys in the bullpen, they need to do the job. That’s what it is.”

Getting pitchers back from injury — Julian Merryweather, Ryan Borucki, A.J. Cole, Travis Bergen and Tommy Milone are all out, with Kirby Yates and David Phelps done for the season — would go a long way. But with no timetable for their return, they’re looking to Triple-A for help.

The latest to get the call is six-foot-five left-hander Tayler Saucedo, with righty to Jeremy Beasley optioned to Triple-A and Cole transferred to the 60-day injured list with a left oblique strain, making room on the 40-man roster.

Saucedo was drafted in the 21st round in 2015 and has worked as a starter at times in his career. This season with the Buffalo Bisons, he hasn’t gone longer than three innings while posting a 2.20 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over 16 1/3 frames. He’s one of five Bisons carrying a WHIP of 1.00 or less, and the club leads Triple-A East with a 3.16 ERA, in large part because of strong performances from their relievers.

Who else could help the Jays’ bullpen? Prospect Watch breaks down the Triple-A options:

• Right-hander Patrick Murphy is the likeliest candidate once he finishes a rehab assignment, after a 60-day IL stint with a shoulder injury. He has performed reasonably well in 4 1/3 innings back on the mound, giving up just one run on two hits, walking four batters and striking out five. Montoyo said earlier this season that the team would be patient with Murphy, but after the 26-year-old gave up just one run on six hits in six big-league innings in 2020, the manager is looking forward to another look.

• If it’s length the Jays are looking for, righty Connor Overton could be a match. The 27-year-old minor-league journeyman continues to have strong season with a 0.84 ERA and 0.80 WHIP. Overton has pitched as a starter and out of the ’pen for the Bisons, anywhere from one to six innings. That flexibility could help the Jays, whose starters rank 28th in innings pitched.

• Right-handers Bryan Baker and Hobie Harris are the best options to fill a more high-leverage role, each with three saves in as many opportunities and solid peripheral numbers. They wouldn’t be called up to close, but could give Rafael Dolis and Jordan Romano — who was available Saturday after suffering from right forearm tightness a day earlier — some support in the late innings. Lefty Kirby Snead is the only other Bison to log a save this year, with a team-best 0.59 ERA in 15 1/3 innings.

• While it might be tempting given the Jays’ current needs, top prospect Nate Pearson and fellow righty Thomas Hatch won’t be stepping out of the Bisons’ starting rotation to help out in Toronto’s bullpen. Montoyo said Saturday that the organization wants to continue to stretch them out. That decision may seem like a luxury the Jays can’t afford these days, but it also opens the door for other prospects to compete.

DOWN THE PIPE

The Blue Jays’ prospect pipeline is among the best in baseball. Here’s a look at one player at each level who excelled over the past week.

Triple-A

Cullen Large, 3B

Buffalo Bisons

The 25-year-old third baseman leads the Bisons in hard-hit balls, according to hitting coach Corey Hart. That hasn’t always translated into hits, but it did this past week when Large went 7-for-17 with six RBIs.

Double-A

Kyle Johnston, RH

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

With Simeon Woods-Richardson representing the United States in Olympic qualifying, someone needed to step up on the mound for New Hampshire. The 24-year-old Johnston delivered eight innings of one-run ball over two games, while striking out 11 batters and walking four.

High-A

Adam Kloffenstein, RH

Vancouver Canadians

Toronto’s ninth-ranked prospect finished May with a 7.27 ERA, but it’s just 2.79 for June after his latest start Friday: five innings of one-run ball and a season-high six strikeouts.

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Low-A

Orelvis Martinez, SS

Dunedin Blue Jays

The Jays’ No. 6 prospect had a least one hit in seven of his last eight games before Saturday, with 11 RBIs over that period. The 19-year-old also went deep in back-to-back games for the first time this season, Thursday and Friday.

Laura Armstrong is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy