Blue Jays acquire Jesse Chavez from Athletics
The Toronto Blue Jays added a familiar face to their rotation mix Friday night, acquiring Jesse Chavez from the Athletics roughly three years afters trading the right-hander to Oakland.
In exchange for Chavez, who started a career-high 26 games for the Athletics in 2015, the Blue Jays will send right-hander Liam Hendriks to Oakland.
Even after re-signing right-hander Marco Estrada earlier this week, the Blue Jays' rotation for 2016 remain in flux, with David Price and Mark Buehrle not expected to return and Drew Hutchison's starting job very much uncertain. Chavez, who made two starts and seven relief appearances for Toronto in 2012, could become a big part of the Blue Jays' pitching staff next season, then, after fashioning a 4.18 ERA (96 ERA+) with a 1.35 WHIP over 157 innings in 2015.
Projected 2016 rotation
| Pitcher | 2015 ERA (FIP) |
|---|---|
| Marcus Stroman | 1.67 (3.54) |
| Marco Estrada | 3.13 (4.40) |
| R.A. Dickey | 3.91 (4.48) |
| Jesse Chavez | 4.18 (3.85) |
| Drew Hutchison | 5.57 (4.42) |
Chavez, a free agent next winter, spent parts of six seasons in the majors before receiving his first regular starting gig, but the 32-year-old journeyman owns a 3.83 ERA (101 ERA+) with a 2.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 303 innings since joining Oakland's rotation in 2014. Though Chavez also made 15 relief appearances over the last two years, the former 42nd-round pick has fared much better in a starting role throughout his career.
| Split | ERA | WHIP | SO9 | SO/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| as Starter | 4.14 | 1.35 | 8.1 | 2.78 |
| as Reliever | 5.02 | 1.44 | 7.7 | 2.28 |
Hendriks, meanwhile, thrived as a member of Toronto's bullpen this season following four dismal years as a starter. After stumbling to a 5.95 ERA over 34 starts between 2011 and 2014, Hendriks crafted a career-best 2.92 ERA over 58 relief appearances this year and finished tied with Kenley Jansen for the seventh-best fielding independent pitching (2.14) among qualified relievers. The 26-year-old remains under team control through 2019, too, and won't be eligible for salary arbitration until next season.
"Jesse busted his butt for us for three years, but this is a trade that made sense for us," said Athletics general manager David Forst.