Blue Jays Could Be Receiving Rotation Boost in the Form of a Veteran Starter

At the beginning of May, the Toronto Blue Jays signed a veteran starter and it appears he's on track to join the team soon.

Jun 26, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Spencer Turnbull (22) delivers against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Comerica Park. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

There was a lot of noise surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason due to whether or not they would extend Vladimir Guererro Jr. They got the massive deal done, and while he has been good so far, the lineup has struggled and they're sitting around .500. Another huge reason for that is the rotation, which has struggled to find its footing, aside from Chris Bassitt.

Toronto now has some Major League reinforcements coming in the form on Spencer Turnbull. The right hander was signed on May 5, and started at Single-A Dunedin on Thursday. He could join the club sooner rather than later, given the state of the rotation.

Chris Bassitt has been the team's best pitcher, with a 3.16 ERA in 55.1 innings and a 9.6 K/9. Aside from that, it's been pretty ugly. Max Scherzer has only pitched in one game, Kevin Gausman has a near four ERA, while Jose Berrios has one north of four. Both Bowden Francis and Easton Lucas are both over five.

It's hard to compete in a division with that type of pitching, especially in the American League East.

Who Are the Toronto Blue Jays Getting in Spencer Turnbull?

Turnbull will be entering his seventh season in the big leagues, but by no means a savior for the rotaion. He may take a rotation spot depending on how he performs in the minors, especially with Easton Lucas struggling so mightily.

The 32-year-old is coming off of the best season in his career in 2024 with the Philadelphia Phillies. In 17 appearances and seven starts, Turnbull posted a 2.65 ERA in 54.1 innings and a 9.6 K/9.

Prior to that, he had played five seasons for the Detroit Tigers. He only had one full season during that time, which came when he made 30 starts in 2019. He threw 148.1 innings while pitching to a 4.61 ERA. In his four other seasons combined, just 153.3 innings.

The right hander won't be a game changer. It's all but guaranteed he will take a bit of a step back from 2024, but if he regresses to even a four ERA pitcher, he will be valuable.

He showcased a great weapon in 2024, adding a sweeper to his arsenal that immediately became his best pitch. He struck out 21 batters with it, while allowing just a .145 batting average with a 30.8 whiff percentage, according to Baseball Savant.

Turnbull will be able to add another arm and a veteran presence to the Blue Jays roster. If the sweeper is anywhere near as good as it was last season, that could be a huge weapon for the right hander. In a packed division, Toronto needs all the help it can get to compete.