Hopes for MLB to proceed in 2020 have fluctuated wildly for weeks, and as recently as the weekend they looked awfully bleak. ButAlthough playing under these conditions is far from a balm for theWith that in mind, it seems worth examining what thegain from collectively dodging that bullet – specifically on an individual level. As a team, a 2020 campaign could provide a surprise playoff run – but that’s still a dubious bet, and missing October baseball wouldn’t be make-or-break for the franchise.
The benefits of playing in 2020 take a number of different forms, some obvious and others less so. What follows is a summary of the different ways players on the Blue Jays roster benefit from baseball seemingly avoiding a full self-destruct this year:: For a team still building towards its competitive window, there are a number of players who are counting on 2020 as the year they solidify their place on the team’s roster going forward, or lock themselves into their preferred role.
On the pitching side, guys like Yamaguchi, Thornton, and Borucki are fighting for position at the back of the Blue Jays’ rotation. This is an ideal year for guys in this group to show they can be reliable starters before Nate Pearson and some of the team’s high-ceiling pitching prospects start claiming more innings for themselves. Borucki will be hard-pressed to put concerns about his durability to rest in a truncated campaign, but he could show his performance in 2018 was no fluke.
Shaw, Anderson, and Dolis are in a mini category of their own here because 2020 is a season that allows the Blue Jays to make a contract decision on each of them for 2021. This year will give Shaw an opportunity to bounce back from a dismal 2019 and earn either a trip to arbitration in 2021, or an extension. A good season in the rotation from Anderson would make his $9.5 million option for 2021 a steal. Similarly, a good performance from Dolis makes his option, worth $1.5 million, a no-brainer.
Biggio, based on his demeanour and mature approach, feels like a finished product, but he only has 430 MLB plate appearances to his name and continues to work on his defence across the diamond. Pearson was long assumed to be a member of the 2020 Blue Jays at some point, and even with a heavily-limited workload he would benefit from facing MLB hitters this year.
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