Cutting BJ the Right Thing to Do
For a differing viewpoint, see the posting below. In my opinion, cutting BJ Ryan was the right thing to do. Sure he had a 1.04 ERA with a .207 opponents batting average. He also didn’t give opponents anything to hit and Cito quick-hooked him at the first sign of trouble. He walked 6 compared to striking out 3 which is not a pretty number no matter who you are.
BJ’s fall from grace goes further than just control issues. He has lost 2-3-4 mph off his fastball which was not all that fast to begin with. His go to pitch, the slider, had lost a significant amount of bite (not to mention the fact Ryan couldn’t throw it for a strike). So, hitters were sitting on the 85mph fastball if BJ could put it in the zone. It is just not possible to succeed at the MLB level with that type of arsenal.
The Jays already faked an injury for him to try to get him back on track and that didn’t work. With BJ presumably refusing a minor league assignment to get the work in that he so desperately craves, he handcuffed the Jays’ management. It is not possible to carry a deadweight on the roster whether he is making $10 million a season or the league minimum. With almost 50% of the Jays final games being against AL East rivals, the season is not over and it is important to try to stay competitive so that it gives the fans a reason to come to the ballpark.
This is not a move made by a GM concerned for his job security. You would have to be insane to eat back to back (Frank Thomas) $10 million contracts by releasing a player outright – basically admitting “I made a huge mistake”. But that is what JP did, swallowed his pride and cut his losses. The Blue Jays team is better off without BJ Ryan on its roster than it is with him on it and JP proved he is doing the best he can to make this team the best it can be. Inadvertently, it also sends the message to other prospective Jays players: if things aren’t working out, JP is going to look out for my best interests instead of letting his ego get in the way and stick me in the clubhouse closet for 2 or more seasons.
Oddly enough according to Fan Graphs BJ is throwing a career high 40% sliders in 2009.
BJ’s velocity is down after surgery. He needs work. Yep, he’s not willing, I get that. Some time on the pine would sort that out. The alternative to BJ is what? A Hayhurst type. Having six of those relievers vs seven isn’t going to change matters all that much. To say that the Jays are in the hunt is a stretch. There are seven teams ahead of them in the wild card race (four behind).
Hitters weren’t feasting judging by batting average, slugging, line drive percentage and BABIP. All of those stats would be much higher. Pitch F/X shows velocity at 2008 levels. Not the BJ of the past but still a serviceable major leaguer if he can find his control.
I don’t see deadweight as the issue. Build up that arm strength, let him bitch and moan and see what happens. The best interests of the club is not to give away millions in payroll with 100% no chance of any return. The whole ‘get your act together or I’ll release you’ argument does nothing for me when contracts are guaranteed. That might be nice from a chest pounding standpoint but doesn’t do much from a monetary perspective.
Nobody has mentioned it so might as well throw it out there. Is BJ Ryan’s career path paralleling that of Kenny Powers’?
The Jays are not in the hunt but it is foolish not to give them every opportunity to get in it when the opportunity presents itself. We are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.
If you want to talk ERA, Hayhurst = 1.72 while Ryan = 6.53. Yeah, I think that matters especially when Cito burns through the bullpen on the reg. against divisional rivals.
BJ’s OPS against is almost 1.000. Not good my man no matter how you look at it.
How come it takes BJ so long to build up arm strength while everyone else is fine? Perhaps there is no more strength for BJ to build under his own power.
You are correct in saying the best interests of the club are not to give away millions in payroll. But the best interests are not to have a guy on the club just because he makes 10 million and is a detriment to the team.
The Jays just cut their losses. It was the wise decision to make.
When he was in the minors on rehab they should have given him/made him take steroids. If he gets caught oh well, he gets suspended. If not he might be better than he is and be able to burn one down the middle again. Maybe he wasn’t rehabbing his tapezius (sounds made up) maybe he was rehabbing his nose.
Forcing a player into roids, I can’t agree with management doing that. However, that does bring up a good point. If the Jays brass felt Ryan wasn’t ready why did they bring him back to the majors as quickly as they did? Contractually they could have kept him in the minors until he put up a stink/filed a grievance, etc on his rehab stint.