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Manager John Gibbons refuses to commit to closer
Perhaps the most intriguing element of the Blue Jays’ pitching depth chart, reinforced only slightly this offseason with the additions of Marco Estrada and Johan Santana, is the wealth of options it gives its skipper.

Estrada could join the rotation or augment the bullpen. The same is true of top prospect Aaron Sanchez, who was electric in 24 relief appearances last year but was developed as a starter. And, depending on the victor in the battle to be Toronto’s no. 5 starter, Gibbons could go with a set closer or play matchups in the ninth inning.

Until Tuesday, reporters were operating under the assumption that Brett Cecil, who boasts the most extensive relief résumé of the closer candidates, was the favorite for the job. A middling starter in his first few years in the majors, Cecil earned an All-Star appearance as a reliever in 2013 and was even better last year, racking up 77 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings while allowing only two home runs. Left-handedness aside, it’s hard to argue with the 28-year-old’s case for save opportunities. But Gibbons is leaving the door open for other possibilities.

“He could do it,” the skipper acknowledged, before adding, “He might not. It might be somebody else.”

Gibbons wasn’t hedging his bet on Cecil’s continued success with that intentionally ambiguous statement. Rather, as his follow-up indicated, he might have his sights set on the sort of matchup-based approach that sabermetricians will praise and fantasy players will bemoan.

To wit: “It could be one of those deals where one night [Cecil] might be closing, the other night he might have to come in at the end of the seventh or eighth inning.”

If Cecil is called upon for setup duty, the logical choice to turn out the lights on the opposition would be Sanchez—presuming, of course, that he’s not starting every fifth day. The right-handed alternatives in the bullpen lack the former top-50 prospect’s dominant stuff. For instance, Steve Delabar, who joined Cecil in the American League All-Star bullpen two years ago, has seen his K:BB ratios drop precipitously since he came over from the Mariners, and his 2014 ERA finally reflected the erosion in his command and control. And while the Blue Jays have kicked the tires on acquiring Jonathan Papelbon, there’s little reason to believe a trade with the Phillies will materialize.

Barring an addition to the relief mix, the share of the closer role that Cecil gets might hinge on whether Sanchez lands in the rotation or bullpen. If the 22-year-old nabs the last starting spot—alongside R.A. Dickey, Marcus Stroman, Mark Buehrle, and Drew Hutchison—then there might not be a viable complement to Cecil. On the other hand, if the no. 5 gig goes to Estrada, Daniel Norris, or Santana, then a Cecil-Sanchez setup-closer platoon might be the optimal arrangement.

With the Jays expected to climb up the standings after a busy offseason, fantasy players with upcoming drafts and auctions will be eyeing this situation throughout the spring. Cecil’s value could fluctuate, based both on his own performance and how Estrada and Sanchez fare.

Chris Young should sign soon
Players named Chris Young have had an eventful beginning to the week. On Monday, the outfielder, currently employed by the Yankees, managed to embarrass himself during a pitcher-less intra-squad game:

On Tuesday, the pitcher, still looking for work, revealed to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that he’s weighing job offers and nearing a decision on his next team.

A soft-tossing, back-end piece at this stage of his career, the 35-year-old Young spent 2014 with the Mariners, clinging to a job thanks in part to the generous dimensions of his home yard. Young’s 3.65 ERA obscured a mediocre 15.7 percent strikeout rate and 8.7 percent walk rate, which left him with a 5.02 FIP. Only a .238 BABIP and 80.2 percent strand clip shielded the 6-foot-10 behemoth from a demotion, and he came unglued down the stretch, finishing the year in the bullpen.

That explains why Young has had so much trouble latching on this winter, even now that the starting-pitcher market is almost completely barren. He’ll almost certainly have to earn his keep on a minor-league pact when he decides where to put pen to paper in the coming days.

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