It didn’t take long for one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ biggest offseason moves to fall flat. After three innings in his Blue Jays’ debut, veteran star and future Hall-of-Fame starter, Max Scherzer, exited the game with apparent lat soreness. He is now on the 15-day IL with right thumb inflammation. Scherzer’s thumb has been a nagging issue for a while now and, according to him, both his thumb problem and the lat soreness are related. He was expected to see a hand specialist on Monday, so we should have news soon.
While the Blue Jays are optimistic he will return before long, Toronto has very little room for error. With both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette set to enter free agency after the season is done, this is their last chance to make a playoff push with their two franchise heroes still on the team. This is one season Toronto can’t afford to take extra risks.
Right now, the Blue Jays are scrambling to replace Scherzer while he rests his hand. They only expect two spot starts to be necessary, but given Scherzer’s age and arm/thumb issues, it may be best to have a contingency plan. Luckily, there is one high-upside arm still on the market.
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Spencer Turnbull might be the Blue Jays best bet
Former Tigers' and Phillies' starter, Spencer Turnbull, is still a free agent. Last year, Turnbull tossed 54.1 innings to the tune of a 2.65 ERA with 58 strikeouts. Baseball Savant rates his breaking ball offerings as some of the best in the game last season likely thanks to his sweeper, a new addition to his repertoire. In 2021, Turnbull showcased his talent by throwing a no-hitter against the Mariners. But, if his potential is off the charts, why has nobody signed him?
Like Scherzer, Turnbull is no stranger to injuries. In the past five years, Turnbull has been limited to 192 innings of work. This includes missing the entire 2022 season. However, there is an upside to this unfortunate series of injuries for interested teams.
Since his injuries have left him without a market, he will come very cheap. This makes for a low-risk, high-reward value proposition that may be too compelling to pass up for a desperate team such as the Blue Jays. Why no team has picked up on this yet is a mystery. If the Blue Jays are serious about being a win-now team, they can’t afford not to take a chance on Turnbull.