TORONTO – Back in March, the expectation around Blue Jays camp was that Nate Pearson would begin the 2020 season at triple-A Buffalo.
Despite his status as the game’s best right-handed pitching prospect and his impressive spring training performance, there was a legitimate developmental case to be made for keeping Pearson in the minors a little longer. The best place to refine his curveball might be triple-A, where there’s less urgency to win and greater emphasis on maximizing potential. Plus, the Blue Jays had reason to be careful about workload after a season in which Pearson’s innings total jumped by 80.
Alongside those developmental questions was the reality that a few more weeks in the minors would give the Blue Jays an additional year of club control over Pearson. While Blue Jays staff gave the impression of being locked in on Pearson’s on-field development, some outside the organization noted that a few weeks in the minors would keep Pearson in Toronto through 2026 rather than 2025. If Pearson realizes his potential, that could be a significant year.
Now, almost every variable has changed. The 60-game MLB season will be the shortest in baseball history, big-league rosters are bigger than ever and the triple-A season likely won’t take place at all. If there’s a developmental case for keeping Pearson off the big-league roster, it’s hard to see. But with all of that said, the team could gain that extra year of service time more easily than ever in a shortened season.
On Sunday, the Blue Jays officially added Pearson to their player pool, making him eligible to contribute to the team in 2020. Health-permitting, he’ll make his debut this summer, assuming there is an MLB season. For that to happen, the Blue Jays will first have to find a home and until they have clarity on those next steps, the front office appears focused on logistics. That’s understandable, but soon enough, the Blue Jays will have answers on that front. At that point, they’ll face a significant question regarding Pearson’s future. Namely, will he spend the entire season at the MLB level?
Months ago, the idea of developing Pearson in the minors made some sense, but it now appears likely that the entire minor-league season will be cancelled. Without those games, it’s hard to see how Pearson’s development would be maximized by practicing with the Jays’ reserves.
Granted, development can happen outside of game settings. The last few months offer proof of that, as Pearson has worked out in Florida, refining his pitches in the Tampa area at places such as the KineticPro Baseball performance lab. Under the circumstances, that’s pretty resourceful, but if Pearson wants to know how his curve plays in games that matter, there’s only one place to find out: the majors.
Maybe that’s not ideal given the pressure of major-league games, but little about this 2020 season would be considered optimal. Teams simply have to do the best they can under the circumstances. With 30-man rosters, there’s certainly no shortage of space in the majors for Pearson (though he will require a 40-man roster spot once the Blue Jays select his contract and that means cutting someone else).
What’s more, any innings concerns that lingered around Pearson have likely eased by now. In a 60-game season, workhorse pitchers might log 60-70 innings with most starters falling well short of that mark. At this point, innings are a rather antiquated way of measuring workload, so the Blue Jays will of course measure fatigue in other ways, but it’s safe to say pitchers face a different physical challenge over two months than they would over six.
So, to recap:
• The majors are likely the only place Pearson can test his stuff in games this summer.
• There’s little reason to be concerned that Pearson’s 2020 workload will snowball out of control.
• He has the potential to help the Blue Jays win games.
• There’s room for him on the roster.
Ben Nicholson-Smith is Sportsnet’s baseball editor. Arden Zwelling is a senior writer. Together, they bring you the most in-depth Blue Jays podcast in the league, covering off all the latest news with opinion and analysis, as well as interviews with other insiders and team members.
Why, under those circumstances, would anyone even consider breaking camp without him? Well, let’s look at how service time will be calculated in this shortened season. According to a source familiar with the MLB rules, players will get a full year of service if they spend at least 62 days in the majors in 2020 (most years the minimum is 172 days). Or, put another way, any player who obtains less than 62 days of service time doesn’t get credit for the full year.
If this were a video game, a prudent GM might decide to keep Pearson in the minors for a week or so until early August then call him up for the remaining two months of the year with complete confidence that Pearson would get less than the 62 days required for a full year of service. On paper, one start in late July certainly isn’t worth the full year of club control the Blue Jays would get in 2026.
But of course Ross Atkins isn’t playing a video game here. The decision the front office makes will be monitored closely in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, by the Toronto fan base and within the offices of the MLBPA. All of those stakeholders would notice if Pearson doesn’t break camp and some might oppose such a decision loudly. When the team’s focus shifts back from logistics to development those voices will be worth considering.
It wasn’t long ago that starting Pearson in the minors looked defensible. Service time aside, there was a case to be made for sending him to Buffalo. But there was a triple-A season then, creating alternative settings for top prospects to develop in games. A few months later, it would be harder to justify keeping Pearson off the roster for baseball reasons.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
