2009 WAS an interesting season to say the least, as the Blue Jays "TRIED" to compete in the dangerous AL East.
Now in the offseason, the clock is ticking on the 2010 season.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Don't look now but Gus is putting it all back together..

Are you STILL a Chacin man??

After a terrible showing with Dunedin in the Florida State League in 2008 (1-7, 7.88 ERA) Chacin was allowed to walk by the Jays.

After a sniff from the Washington Nationals, Chacin latched on with the defending champion Phillies and is back in top form in AAA. On the season, Gus is a combined 8-3 with a 3.17 ERA (1-0 in 1 AA start). He's also been hot of late, going 5-0 in his last 10 starts with a 3.02 ERA.

Unfortunately for Chacin with the additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, there are no openings in the Phillies Major League rotation. However, if Chacin can wrap up the season on a solid note, 2009 may just be the bounce back season he needed to resurrect what once seemed to be a promising career.

'Ricky the Rookie' continues R.O.Y. chase against Angels

Ricky Romero will toe the rubber for the Jays this afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game set with the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim). The enigmatic lefty has been a stalwart in the Jays makeshift rotation this year, posting a season line of 10-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 97/50 K/BB ratio over 125.1 IP in 20 starts.

These numbers appear strikingly similar to a young Tampa Bay hurler who is also in the running for the 2009 American League R.O.Y., Jeff Niemann:

11-5 with a 3.71 ERA and 86/44 K/BB ratio over 133.1 IP in 23 games (22 of those starts).

However, it's even more interesting to compare Romero's overall stats to a one of the players he's helped replace in the Jays rotation. Former Jay and current Yankee, Allan James Burnett:

10-7 with a 4.08 ERA and 141/77 K/BB ratio over 158.2 IP in 25 starts.

Comparing all three, Niemann appears to have the slight edge with an extra win and a slightly lower ERA, but all three pitchers have very similar K/BB ratios, roughly 2-to-1.

Consider that Burnett signed a whopping 5-year, $82.5 million deal with the Evil Empire after opting out of his Jays' pact after the first 3 years. Romero on the other hand is making an estimated $400,000 this year for the Jays.

Sounds like a bargain to me. The Jays biggest surprise this season goes for win #11 today against the Angels at 1pm.

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