Toronto Blue Jays: Dallas Keuchel should be main priority at this point

The Toronto Blue Jays are currently trying to add to their rotation this off-season, and one free agent stands above the rest when it comes to fitting the teams needs.

The rebuilding Toronto Blue Jays went into the 2019/20 off-season with money in their pockets and a few holes in their roster.

The team could use a more bonafide center fielder, as well as a possible back-up first baseman, but the true off-season need is in the starting rotation. Per Fangraphs, the Toronto Blue Jays starting rotation ranked 24th in terms of fWAR in the league, which can mostly be attested to the revolving door of prospects getting their feet wet in the league but also some poor performances from some of the veteran players brought in the season prior.

Matt Shoemaker was off to a great season before tearing his ACL and the Blue Jays best pitcher in Marcus Stroman was traded at the deadline for the New York Mets top two pitching prospects. All in all, the Blue Jays were fully embracing the rebuild strategy, and everyone knew there would be some kinks along the line over the season.

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Now the Blue Jays sit in a predicament of whether to add to their rotation with experienced starting pitchers, or sit back and allow the farm raised prospects to battle it out for the last few rotation spots. The team has already added to the organization with the acquisition of Chase Anderson from the Milwaukee Brewers, but will there be more additions this off-season?

That’s where Dallas Keuchel comes in.

In the big picture, I really don’t see Shoemaker and Anderson staying long term or at-least only one of those pitchers may still be around when the rebuild comes to a close. Prospects like Nate Pearson will most likely find themselves on the roster midway through next season, but every other spot in the rotation is really up for grabs this year in spring training.

Adding a veteran pitcher such as Keuchel can be a benefit for a rebuilding club in a number of ways.

First off, Keuchel is a ground ball pitcher, something that benefits pitchers who have to pitch in the ‘fly ball turned home run happy’ Rogers Centre. His ground ball percentage sat at 60.1% last year, and his career percentage sits at 58.9%, a value that trumps the 2019 ground ball percentage average (42.7%).

The Blue Jays defense, while quite young, was solid and consistent in the infield this past season with the like of Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette, with the only infield defensive question mark lying at third base. The Toronto Blue Jays ranked 15th in terms of fielding percentage and errors, which is not a bad mark for a young team in the big leagues. A ground ball pitcher could really benefit the Blue Jays, which Keuchel fits the bill.

Secondly, while an investment in Keuchel will require some serious cash and a long term commitment, he is one of the more intriguing pitchers currently on the market. He doesn’t require any draft pick compensation because he cannot receive a qualifying offer anymore, which is a big plus for a team looking to rebuild. Other pitchers the Blue Jays were interested in are slowly coming off the market, so the options are beginning to dwindle away as the off-season grows on.

I also believe that signing a veteran player such as Keuchel to a longer term contract could do wonders for a prospect happy organization. A veteran leader in the clubhouse to guide the younger players through the dog days of summer, stats, and qualities that you wouldn’t find on the back of a baseball card.

We all know the Blue Jays are most likely not going to sign the bigger starting pitchers this free agency, but Dallas Keuchel is a solid upgrade for an organization looking to improve their rotation but still allow the young guns to play.

In the end, the Toronto Blue Jays management has a history of staying away from bigger named free agents and acquires players through trades to bolster the franchise.

Whether management believes in adding some outside help for the rotation (which they have stated they were trying to do), or whether to let the kids battle it out in spring training, the 2020 season is going to be another rebuilding year for a team looking to grow and move towards the sunnier days of playoff baseball.