Houston Astros: Roberto Osuna returns to Toronto

Monday’s series opener between the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros carries significance for both teams, regardless of where they are in the standings heading into final act of the regular season.

The last game the Houston Astros played in Toronto, they throttled the Blue Jays in an emphatic 19-1 win. For the home crowd of 46,622 fans (me included) that hot, muggy Sunday contest in July was painful to watch, because it boldly accentuated the Blue Jays’ struggling ’17 campaign.

Tonight’s rematch doesn’t bear the same stakes, but the game may be just as hard to stomach for the reluctant Jays fans who are still kicking around at this point in the season. That’s because Roberto Osuna, the once beloved young closer of the Toronto Blue Jays, will be back in the Rogers Centre for the first time since the 23-year old’s murky, controversial, and chilling domestic violence scandal erupted in early May.

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Osuna’s rise with the Blue Jays was magical because it aligned with the team’s nostalgic run in ’15/’16, when they reached the ALCS in back-to-back seasons. He garnered attention from his team’s fan base the moment he debuted as the youngest pitcher in club history on April 8, 2015. Coming in against the Yankees in New York, Osuna wasn’t even half the age of Alex Rodriguez, who the reliever struck out looking to kick off his big league career.

After earning the closer’s role early in his rookie season,  Osuna thrived at the back end of Toronto’s bullpen throughout those two playoff-ending campaigns. Between ’15/’16 he had a 2.64 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and struck out a tick above one batter per inning pitched. While those numbers are impressive, Osuna’s 1.04 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, and .121 opp. avg. across 17.1 postseason innings truly embodied his eliteness.

Osuna’s python-grip on the closer’s role and his consistent ability to extinguish high-leverage situations —which meant recording multi-inning saves if necessary— was instrumental to the Blue Jays’ success not only in securing those postseason berths but in achieving postseason success, however brief or mild that postseason success was.

I remember how raucous the scene was in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS, when Osuna came in with one out and two runners on in the 8th inning. Holding a 6-3 lead, Osuna retired five straight Rangers, striking out Will Venable to clinch the Blue Jays’ first playoff series victory since Joe Carter touched ’em all in ’93.

It was surreal how Osuna, then a 20-year old kid, was able to block everything out and deliver when his team needed it most. He was the club’s impenetrable late-game safety net, which Toronto hadn’t had since the Duane Ward/Tom Henke tandem in the early 90’s.

After a triumphant first two seasons in the league, Osuna had an up-and-down 2017. He was named an All-Star and had a 2.06 ERA and 22 saves in 25 opportunities, but was suffering season-long anxiety issues that caused him to struggle in the second half and finished the year with a 3.38 ERA, 39 saves, and a league-leading ten blown saves.

Houston Astros

While 2017 Osuna wasn’t exactly the pitcher Blue Jays fans were used to, it was commendable how he fought to overcame adversity — whether it was the blown saves on the field or the battle with his emotions off the field. One can only imagine what it’s like being a closer, the most high-leverage position in sports, let alone being a closer who moved from Sinaloa, Mexico to the bright lights of Toronto at such a young age without a high school education, family, or even any English to support you.

Everyone wanted to see Osuna bounce back this season, but his May 8 arrest and domestic violence case abruptly ended his tenure with the Blue Jays. While serving his 75-game suspension, Toronto traded him to the Houston Astros for pitchers Ken Giles, David Paulino and Hector Perez.

Although some thought the Blue Jays should have kept Osuna through the rest of the year, hoping that finishing out the season following his August 4 reinstatement would make him more valuable to trade in the winter, I think Toronto’s management made the right call in getting what they could for Osuna before any more details come out in his case. Osuna only received the one suspension, but if the picture of the victim’s face — which apparently is so bad that police in Toronto still talk about it — gets leaked, he may never pitch in another MLB game. NFL running back Ray Rice was initially suspended only two games for domestic violence, but once elevator video footage of the incident released Rice didn’t play another snap in the league. The same happened with former Houston Astros minor league relief pitcher Danry Vasquez.

The Blue Jays’ management had no choice but to trade Osuna, leaving fans with what if when reminiscing of the closer’s ’15/’16 dominance and his potential. Osuna became the youngest pitcher in MLB history to record 100 career saves in April, and if he kept his pace he could have finished his career not just as the best relief pitcher in Blue Jays history, but as one of the best closers of all-time.

Roberto Osuna was a fan favourite because he was a critical component of the Blue Jays’ playoff runs, and he appeared to be a key piece of the team’s future. However, his off the field actions caused Osuna to be jettisoned to the Astros, and tonight he’ll make his return to Toronto for the first time since the arrest.

Should Osuna be called upon to enter the game at any point in Houston’s 3-game series, it’ll be interesting to see how he will be welcomed by the Rogers Centre crowd. Blue Jays fans will always be thankful for the good things Roberto Osuna did, but shouldn’t forgive him for the bad things.