Jesse Chavez: Is 2016 a Chance for a Resurrection?
By Bill Pivetz
The Toronto Blue Jays made another move in order to solidify their spot atop the AL East. The team lost two of its best pitchers to free agency, so the team needed to make a move to bolster the rotation. As a result, the Blue Jays made a trade with the Oakland Athletics to acquire Jesse Chavez. With his recent struggles, can this be a resurrection for the veteran?
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Chavez has been in the league for eight seasons, and played for five teams. His longest tenure was with the A’s for three and a half seasons (2012-2015). He has a career 24-38 record with a 4.55 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 2.53:1 K:BB ratio. In his three-plus years in Oakland, Chavez had a 3.98 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 17-27 record.
Jesse Chavez joins newly signed Marco Estrada atop the Blue Jays rotation. While neither is looked at as an ace, it does help Toronto limit the spending on a high-end free agent. Chavez was No. 73 among starting pitchers in innings per start, 5.8 IP per start. His 2015 season was cut short when he was diagnosed with a fracture in his ribs.
The move to Toronto shouldn’t shake Jesse Chavez up as much as one would think. He spent half of the 2012 season with the Blue Jays. He appeared in nine games and made two starts. He went 1-1 with a 8.44 ERA and 1.64 WHIP before being traded to the A’s. While those numbers don’t look appealing, he has some familiarity with the Rogers Centre, a pitcher-friendly stadium.
Jesse Chavez should see an improvement in most, if not all, of his stats in Toronto. The Blue Jays rotation finished 12th in ERA, ninth in WHIP, 14th in hits allowed and first in wins. The last category is mostly because of the huge run support the Blue Jays lineup gave its pitchers. Having three 35-plus home run hitters on the team can do wonders.
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The Blue Jays do not need Jesse Chavez to be someone he isn’t. He is not going to be the No. 1 pitcher like David Price was brought in to be. They got him for cheap as a middle-of-the-rotation piece as a replacement for Mark Buehrle. He just needs to keep the base runners to a minimum long enough for the bullpen to take over. He’ll be a fine No. 4 pitcher for your fantasy team.
Projections: 10-16, 3.55 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 150 strikeouts
Draft: Round 22