Off-Day Blue Jays Thoughts: Saturday's Starter, Bullpen Performance, Colabello

1)   If a pitcher is called up to start on Saturday, the competition can likely be narrowed down to either Matt Boyd or Felix Doubront. Both pitchers are left-handed, which sets up for nice matchups against the Rangers and Red Sox. As of yesterday, Texas and Boston struggled to a wRC+ vs. L of 84 and 82 respectively.

Saturday offers a tough matchup against Yovani Gallardo, while southpaw Wade Miley is scheduled to pitch in the July 2^nd game. Given the way the Jays have hit left-handed pitching, the chosen pitcher could be in line to receive some solid run support. Though both Boyd and Doubront have posted strong numbers this year, I give Matt Boyd the edge thus far.

2)   Devon Travis is expected to be activated from the disabled list on Friday. Though the Blue Jays offence has been incredible of late, Ryan Goins has posted just a 55 wRC+ in the month of June. Travis did struggle offensively during his rehab stint, so it may still take some time for him regain form. Still, it's tough to believe that this lineup is getting even better.

3)   Both Baltimore and Tampa Bay are scheduled to face 2014 Cy-Young winner Corey Kluber this week, while the Blue Jays seem to avoid facing any established aces. Unfortunately, the following week may not be so kind, as Toronto could face both David Price and Chris Sale in back-to-back series starting next weekend. On the bright side, at least these aces are left-handed.

4)   One of the biggest surprises of the 2015 Blue Jays has to be Kevin Pillar. As of yesterday, the young centre-fielder posted 1.4 fWAR in 74 games. Using defensive runs saved instead of UZR would add nearly a full win to that total. I still fully believe Dalton Pompey is the centre-fielder of the future, but the value Pillar has provided to the 2015 Blue Jays cannot go unnoticed.

5)   As of yesterday, the Blue Jays bullpen has posted the 7^th best xFIP in the majors. The need for a bullpen upgrade is largely overblown. In particular, Liam Hendriks has been incredible thus far and deserves more high-leverage opportunities.

Though poor control has hurt Brett Cecil, he still remains a very tough pitcher to hit. I would bring him into the game in big situations, especially when you need a strike out. Given the walk rate, I would be more reluctant to bring him in to start an inning. He had posted a 2.96 SIERA before yesterday's game, so I have to believe that he can still be an effective reliever.

6)   This may be obvious to some, but John Gibbons should really stop using Chris Colabello as an outfielder. Though his bat has been impressive, his defensive play nearly cancels out any value he provides. When Colabello's batting average for balls in play begins to significantly regress, Chris likely will not be able to provide much of any value as an outfielder.

Though Colabello has hit well thus far, Ezequiel Carrera has actually posted the higher WAR this season. Rather than waiting for Colabello's numbers to inevitably regress, the Blue Jays should immediately play the better outfielder. When Colabello does start a game, it really needs to be at first base.

That's it from me, but feel free to post your own thoughts in the comments.