While Buchholz and Norris help the BlueJays in terms of pitching depth, they also complicate an already murky roster picture. (ShiDavidi )
While he rebounded last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, posting a 2.01 ERA and 1.037 WHIP with 81 strikeouts in 98.1 innings over 16 starts, he still missed time with an oblique injury and a flexor strain in his right forearm that ended his campaign prematurely. Still Buchholz, who’s getting a major-league deal according to a source, is a guy worth rolling the dice on.
Atkins notably didn’t include Borucki as a lock when discussing the rotation earlier this spring. Granted, you never want to just hand a young player a job, but you’d think a rebuilding team looking to transition its youth would naturally open an opportunity for a 24-year-old who’s dominated every level, and posted a 3.87 ERA in 97.2 innings over 17 strong big-league starts.
Now, all four locks for the rotation are coming off injury, and it’s entirely possible one of them doesn’t survive the spring. And maybe the Blue Jays want to be ready in case someone makes them an offer for Stroman or Sanchez they can’t refuse. Of the club’s young players, they are clearly the most deserving of a roster spot, and if neither opens the season in the big-leagues, any talk of a meritocracy, and carrying the best 25 players will ring absolutely hollow. Certainly, Atkins’ comments on Guerrero to MLB Network Radio earlier this week, when he said that "I just don’t see him as a major-league player," began laying the groundwork for the 19-year-old’s eventual demotion, ruffling feathers in the process.
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