If Manoah Doesn't Return, What Should The Blue Jays Do?

TORONTO – Alek Manoah clearly isn’t ready yet.

The Blue Jays pointed out the positives — the strike-throwing, the velocity, the tempo — in the right-hander’s first outing in the Florida Complex League, but the results were ultimately unbearable. Manoah allowed 11 earned runs on 10 hits (three homers) over 2.2 innings.

"We're very pleased with the work that he's put in," manager John Schneider said Tuesday. "Results aside today."

Hard work or not, Manoah needs a good start. Just one. Anything positive to get him going. But he just can’t seem to find it. And while Toronto might spin these outings as positive, they’re not. Each bad appearance drains his confidence and buries him deeper.

So, is Manoah cooked as a big-leaguer this season? It is, believe it or not, still too early to tell. But if Manoah is truly toast, here are a few ways the Jays can make up for his absence.

Four-man rotation until Hyun Jin Ryu saves the day

The Jays’ starters have handled the short rest quite well. Veterans Kevin Gausman and José Berríos have tailored their routines to the new schedule and are thriving. Yusei Kikuchi just twirled his best start in a Toronto uniform. But make no mistake, the four-man dance will wear thin. This is baseball, folks; injuries, implosions, and whatever else will get in the way.

So, what’s the strategy here? Well, there really isn’t one. It’s a delicate act of patience as the Jays await their knight in shining armor: Hyun Jin Ryu. The left-hander is progressing well, and when he makes a cameo in Toronto, everything looks on track. Ryu has slimmed down this year, and he’s always smiling and in good spirits. There’s got to be some juice left.

Ryu is cautiously tracking to return post-All-Star break, after which he could presumably take the ball every five days. He wouldn’t be the most reliable option, but he’s a guy. Toronto can trust Ryu to, at the very least, log some innings. He’d add the consistency the club has lacked since Opening Day.

Of course, this all hinges on the bullpen gang — Trevor Richards, Bowden Francis, and the fellas — holding things down for a few more weeks. Can that happen? For sure. But do the Jays want to hang by a thread while Ryu storms back to health? Definitely not.

Make a trade, like right now

This seems like a simple endeavor, but the upcoming slate makes things challenging. The MLB Draft on July 9 usually opens up trade discussions. Once front offices are done cramming on scouting and selecting youngsters, the phone calls flood in. All to say, there aren’t many impact starters available to be dealt for reasonable prices at the moment.

But fringe guys are always out there, ripe for the plucking. Chris Flexen was recently DFA’d by the Mariners and seems destined to be released. The Rockies’ Chase Anderson or the Nationals’ José Ureña come to mind. The grand calculus there would be determining if any of these arms are better than what Toronto currently possesses. In the case of Anderson or Ureña, then perhaps it’s a hard no.

If the Jays think they can find a guy, though, then surely a trade is viable. Of course, there’s a chance the club rallies the troops and promotes from within.

Make a bold call-up

For bonafide starting pitchers, we’ll need to dig deep. Right-hander Paxton Schultz seems primed for a stab at the big leagues. He aced Double-A and has posted a 3.50 ERA in four Triple-A starts. The beefy 25-year-old isn’t touted as a top prospect, so there’s no real risk in adding him to the 40-man roster and giving him a chance. Lynch could bridge the gap until Ryu is ready.

Beyond Casey Lawrence and Zach Thompson, the Bisons roster isn’t especially lush with usable talent. The Fisher Cats have more tantalizing prospects. In a rare plunge into Double-A, the Jays could consider Adam Kloffenstein. As a former third-round pick, the 6-foot-5 righty carries more upside than Schultz and arguably better stuff (2.91 ERA, 10.7 K/9). Toronto never promotes from Double-A, however, so Kloffenstein would need to simmer in Triple-A before the Jays consider him.