Looking at the depth pitching options left for the Blue Jays on the free-agent market

With the addition of Chris Bassitt, the first four spots in the Blue Jays’ starting rotation are set. But what about the fifth starter?

The battle for the final spot in Toronto’s rotation will likely be between Yusei Kikuchi and Mitch White, a pair of arms who didn’t inspire much confidence in 2022, unless the team goes out and adds somebody else through trade or free agency.
In this article, I’ll look at the arms available to the Blue Jays on the free-agent market, and then later on I’ll look at who could be acquired through a trade. Also, I’m going to be looking primarily at left-handed options as the Blue Jays pitching staff is comprised almost exclusively of right-handed pitchers.

Matt Moore – LHP
When looking at left-handed starters, I ran into some relievers that might be able to help the Jays in the bullpen as well. One of those names is Matt Moore, a 33-year-old who many around here might remember from his time with the Tampa Bay Rays. With only Tim Mayza and potentially Yusei Kikuchi in the bullpen, Moore could be a worthwhile addition as somebody who could work in multiple roles.
The journeyman had a solid season in 2022, in which he posted a 1.95 ERA and 2.98 FIP. Moore limited home runs really well at only 0.36 HR/9, and in a good sample size of 74 innings pitched, he had the second-highest K/9 of his career.
Taylor Rogers – LHP
One of my favourite players of this year’s free agent class who I don’t think gets enough respect is Mr. Rogers (a quality nickname, if you ask me). A lefty who owned a 31% K rate with an average BB% gets me excited about what he could add to the team’s bullpen.
While his ERA of 4.76 wasn’t incredible, Rogers’ xERA was much lower, which indicates that he was …

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Author: Ryan Snodgrass / Blue Jays Nation

Digging into Chris Bassitt’s numbers, and what to expect next from the Blue Jays

The Jays have signed Chris Bassitt, let’s dive into his numbers.

Last season with the Mets, the 33-year-old had a 3.42 ERA and 3.66 FIP in 181.2 innings pitched, a career-high number for the righty. His 22.4 K% was below average, but he did a good job avoiding giving runners a free pass, as he had a 6.6 BB%.
As for his career totals, he has a 3.45 ERA and 3.81 FIP in 737.1 innings pitched. To go along with that, he has a 21.7 K% and 7.4 BB%, so no bad numbers.
Despite not being a strikeout artist, how has Bassist put up solid numbers? Well, he’s always been able to generate soft contact from his high 3/4 release point
According to Baseball Savant, Bassitt sat in the 95th percentile of average exit velocity of 85.7 mph, well below the league average. He also sat in the 87th percentile of HardHit%, essentially how many balls in play had an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. Bassitt’s 2022 HardHit% sat at 32.8%, which is the same amount for his career.

1) Chris Bassitt’s curveball
A surprise at the top, Bassitt’s curve has top-25 drop despite a low release point & adds top-10 x move to boot. He doesn’t think it would be as effective if he threw it more, but he’s used it 2x as much & still getting as many whiffs this year. pic.twitter.com/nZdLbjfgOI
— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) October 7, 2022

His st …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation

2 key takeaways as Chris Boucher, Raptors take down Mavericks

2 key takeaways as Chris Boucher, Raptors take down Mavericks

Fred VanVleet, Chris Boucher, and the Toronto Raptors started off their matchup against the Dallas Mavericks so poorly that it looked like they were about to be run out of the gym. While big names like Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes didn’t play, the first few minutes Toronto put on display were not NBA basketball. […]
2 key takeaways as Chris Boucher, Raptors take down Mavericks – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ