Osuna Closer; Leon, Biagini, Tepera make pen; Ceciliani Optioned

[GD]

SHI DAVIDI MARCH 30, 2016, 7:46 AM

DUNEDIN, Fla. – The Toronto Blue Jays will open the season with Roberto Osuna as their closer, with Arnold Leon, Joe Biagini and Ryan Tepera also in the bullpen and Ezequiel Carrera opening as the fourth outfielder.

Manager John Gibbons made the announcement Wednesday morning ahead of the team’s Grapefruit League finale in Fort Myers against the Minnesota Twins.

The choice of Osuna as closer was among the most difficult decisions faced by the Blue Jays, although they feel comfortable with either in the role.

Osuna finished 2015 as the club’s stopper and his stuff this spring left many convinced he should remain in the role, even though Storen’s experience was seen as an asset. Storen has performed well as both a closer and a set-up man, and will be called upon to finish out games, too.

Marco Estrada and Aaron Loup will open the season on the disabled list, creating room on the roster for Leon, Biagini and Tepera. Estrada will return in time to start April 10 at home against the Boston Red Sox leaving one of them on the bubble.

Leon is out of options while Tepera and switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, who did not make the team, are not.

Biagini, a Rule 5 pick, must remain on the big-league roster all season or be offered back to the San Francisco Giants for $25,000. The teams can also try to work out a trade.

Leon had a solid spring and will share in the middle-relief work with Gavin Floyd and Jesse Chavez, the latter of whom may also see some higher leverage relief work.

Tepera, a reverse-split righty, throws hard and thanks to a slight mechanical adjustment in his delivery, has improved the depth on his cutter to righties.

Carrera returns as the fourth outfielder, was helped by being out of options over Ceciliani, who was optioned to triple-A Buffalo despite having a superior camp.

Just 25, Ceciliani still has some room to develop as a player and should benefit from playing regularly at Buffalo rather than being used sparingly in Toronto. The Blue Jays envision him on their roster at some point this year.

 

​...

[KingKat]

HOLY f***! How the bullpen is set up in the opening 25 isn't critically important or anything but yuck.

[RealAccountant]

This must be a false report. The board told me Shatkins were smart, and they would try to control Osuna's arbs salary by not giving him saves.....the board told me.......the board told me.....lmao

 

In all seriousness this is the right move. Dudes got ice water in his veins. There is no one on that pitching stuff I'd trust more to shut the door.

[RealAccountant]

Also Zeke as fourth outfielder as predicted. Gibby loves the veteran presence lmao

 

Carrerra is garbage. He shouldn't even be in AAA but now he will getting some at bats in.

[Boxcar]

Why the f*** do we care if Ezequiel Carrera doesn't have any options?

 

There appear to be a few pretty poor decisions here. Ryan Tepera suxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[BTS]

Carrera over Ceciliani is so gross. So is Tepera.

[Angrioter]

Carrera and Tepera?

 

Que diablos esta pasando?

[intentional wok]

If Tepera's "mechanical adjustment" is legit then him getting RP7/8 is defensible for now. Not big on Carrera, though. This is one of those situations when I don't really care if they lose the guy. I hate watching Sloppy Carrera.

[KingKat]

Carrera over Ceciliani is so gross. So is Tepera.

 

The first is groos but the other is downright egregious. Does this mean that there are people making decisions that actually believe this Tepera as "second lefty" garbage? That's f***in scary.

 

Seems like all these decisions were essentially dictated by seniority. Osuna was the incumbent closer so he's closer again. Tepera acted as the second lefty in the playoffs so he's back in that role. Zeke was here last year so he's back again. It seems like the more time passes, the more this team functions as if Cito Gaston was still at the helm.

[SexyNewForum]

Why the f*** do we care if Ezequiel Carrera doesn't have any options?

 

There appear to be a few pretty poor decisions here. Ryan Tepera suxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

God damn it this is ugly. I never wanted to see carrera again. How do they justify opening the season with that turd as their fourth outfielder? Oh yeah, he has Optionssssssss lol

 

Venditte also pitching well but sent down, sigh.

 

I swear gibs is just trolling us sometimes

[G-Snarls]

Is Tepera only here until Loup is healthy?

[KingKat]

The first is groos but the other is downright egregious. Does this mean that there are people making decisions that actually believe this Tepera as "second lefty" garbage? That's f***in scary.

 

Seems like all these decisions were essentially dictated by seniority. Osuna was the incumbent closer so he's closer again. Tepera acted as the second lefty in the playoffs so he's back in that role. Zeke was here last year so he's back again. It seems like the more time passes, the more this team functions as if Cito Gaston was still at the helm.

 

Oh and I forgot to even mention Pillar hitting leadoff.

[Angrioter]

"Just 25, Ceciliani still has some room to develop as a player and should benefit from playing regularly at Buffalo rather than being used sparingly in Toronto. The Blue Jays envision him on their roster at some point this year."

 

C'mom Shatkins, Cecilliani is in his prime right now.

[G-Snarls]

Carerra is the only part of this that really bothers me at all TBH

[KingKat]

Is Tepera only here until Loup is healthy?

 

Not sure. Plan might be to try to sneak Leon at that point.

[Rusty_Savage]

Carerra and Tepera making the team is f***ing gross. Storen should be he closer. These things are all minor and will hopefully work themselves out in the near future

[Rusty_Savage]

This must be a false report. The board told me Shatkins were smart, and they would try to control Osuna's arbs salary by not giving him saves.....the board told me.......the board told me.....lmao

 

In all seriousness this is the right move. Dudes got ice water in his veins. There is no one on that pitching stuff I'd trust more to shut the door.

 

Who cares if he has ice cubes in his veins. They should be hoping to build up his innings songs can start next year

[KingKat]

Carerra is the only part of this that really bothers me at all TBH

 

For me it depends on how close Loup is to coming back. If he's close than Tepera over Venditte is pretty inconsequential. There's a bean counter argument to be made for Storen over Osuna at closer but the politics of it are delicate. I can understand not wanting to disrupt the apple cart. It's not what I prefer. I would have really liked for Osuna to get more multi-inning work and build arm strength and I thought the Storen acquisition would open the door for that. I assume were going to see more of the very strict bullpen usage we saw last year. If we're winning, Cecil gets the 7th, Storen the 8th, Osuna the 9th regardless of matchups. Tepera, Leon and Biagini will be the guys that are pretty much used exclusively in losses. Chavez will be the wild card. Gibbons sucks.

[HERPDERP]

Leon what the f***ing f***

[CHRIS]

Who cares if he has ice cubes in his veins. They should be hoping to build up his innings songs can start next year

 

Or at the very least, put him in a spot where they can even consider starting him next season.

 

I was hoping that putting Osuna in a role this year where he pitches multiple innings would put him in a spot where he could do what Sanchez is likely to do this year; start for a bit and then move into the bullpen later on. I guess that could still happen, but a bunch of dubious moves here.

[Krylian]

Who cares if he has ice cubes in his veins. They should be hoping to build up his innings songs can start next year

 

Why are we worrying about next year when next year Bautista, Edwin, and others will be gone.

 

2016 is the window.

[G-Snarls]

For me it depends on how close Loup is to coming back. If he's close than Tepera over Venditte is pretty inconsequential. There's a bean counter argument to be made for Storen over Osuna at closer but the politics of it are delicate. I can understand not wanting to disrupt the apple cart. It's not what I prefer. I would have really liked for Osuna to get more multi-inning work and build arm strength and I thought the Storen acquisition would open the door for that. I assume were going to see more of the very strict bullpen usage we saw last year. If we're winning, Cecil gets the 7th, Storen the 8th, Osuna the 9th regardless of matchups. Tepera, Leon and Biagini will be the guys that are pretty much used exclusively in losses. Chavez will be the wild card. Gibbons sucks.

 

Essentialy just replacing Sanchez with Storen

 

I don't like these overly defined rolls either. Fine, call Osuna the closer... but late in games you have to be flexible and play the matchups. Cecil in particular is too big a weapon to have such a strict defined role, and I'm hopeful Gibby uses him appropriately.

[CHRIS]

Why are we worrying about next year when next year Bautista, Edwin, and others will be gone.

 

2016 is the window.

 

I think even if you just flip Osuna and Storen, you can put yourself in a better, more flexible position for 2017 without sacrificing 2016 at all.

[Angrioter]

Tepera 2015

33 IP, 2.18 HR/9, 5.77 FIP

 

Analytics or eye scouting?

[G-Snarls]

Tepera 2015

33 IP, 2.18 HR/9, 5.77 FIP

 

Analytics or eye scouting?

 

How are his L/R splits?

[KingKat]

I'm hopeful Gibby uses him appropriately.

 

I see absolutely no reason for this hope. We know what Gibbons was like last year and whatever input he seems to have had on this season's roster decisions seems pretty negative. Don't want to go all Glory here but the guy sucks. I don't know why he still has so many defenders to be honest.

[Angrioter]

How are his L/R splits?

 

FIP

L v 5.35 (1.84 HR/9) <--- 14.2 IP

R v 3.41 (2.45 HR/9) <--- 18.1 IP

[BigCecil]

Just logged in and saw this. Don't f***ing tell me Carerra over Pompey and the Italian in a win year. Full retard.

[glory]

Yeah these moves reek of Gibbons. Carrera sucks and Tepera's performance last season was awful, and you know Gibby will use him when tough lefties are up despite zero evidence that he can get them out consistently.

 

I'm honestly disappointed this front office is catering to Gibbons rather than the other way around.

[BTS]

So three players on the opening day 25-man who project as replacement-level garbage (or worse). I was hoping for fewer of these types this year.