Blue Jays To Offer Up Towers, Ohka

Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi has told teams that starters Josh Towers and Tomo Ohka are available, according to the Toronto Sun.  The Jays will pick up some salary, too. The Sun's Bob Elliott dogs Ricciardi for not giving Jeff Suppan the four year, $42MM he got from Milwaukee.  I think Ricciardi made the right decision there - instead of owing Suppan $12.5MM in 2010, he can already get off the hook for Ohka and John Thomson.  Suppan wouldn't have a 2.54 ERA right now had he been pitching in the AL East.   

Aside from the 1-2 punch of Halladay and Burnett, the Jays will go young in the rotation.  They've got nothing to lose with such a strategy, and maybe the kids will be primed to succeed in '08.

Towers, 30, earns $2.9MM this season.  However, he won't be a free agent until after the 2009 season, by my count.  He has pinpoint control and pitches to contact.  The approach has worked when he's managed to keep the hits per nine innings under 11.  It's failed miserably otherwise.  Oddly, PECOTA sees Ohka as Towers' #2 comparable.  Check out some other names in his top fifteen comps: John Burkett, Lew Burdette, Early Winn, and Brad Radke.  There are certainly scenarios under which Towers has a successful big league career.  They probably involve the National League.

Ohka, 31, earns $1.5MM this year with additional incentives for games started.  I wrote an extensive profile on him here.  Two things to know about Ohka: he's pitching with a strained rotator cuff, and he's got a fiery personality (to put it lightly).  Since he signed late, many teams are on record having interest in Ohka last winter: the Cardinals, Mariners, Nationals, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Mets.  He was actually trying for a three-year deal. 

Comments

[baseballfiles]

Well, no surprises here! Honestly, Towers and Ohka have a history of inconsistency. There are no guarantees with going young, but it's a better scenario than throwing money down the tubes on proven shaky arms.

Despite awesome performances by Marcum and Litsch this past week, there are still bound to be some hurdles, but I think the risk is worth it. McGowan is another story: he's been highly touted for years but has yet to live up to those lofty expectations. Is there still enough promise left in him that he could be flipped? A change of scenery and a new opportunity might be the spark he needs.

I was surprised that Suppan didn't get more than a sideways glance from J.P. Entertaining the "what ifs"... What if the Jays had signed Suppan and traded for Penny? It's probably best not to mull what could have been!

[zubes007]

Hey Tim, do you think I would be a successful pitcher in the National League?

[Guitar Hero]

I don't see why either of these guys wouldn't be interesting for NL teams. Even Towers, though it seems no noe will bite, could be good. But we'd get so little in return we may as well DFA his ass and pay the last 2 milloin. I like playing the kids...seasons' over, may as well ride them out and if we come up with a Rich Hill (like CUbs of last year), then that's great.

Suppan is not an AL east pitcher. Not for that money at least. He's a more durable version of Ohka.

These shitty veterans have no place on this team anymore. Does this mean hopefully Zambrano will be cut? He was awful...or at least sent down to the minors. I also hope they get rid of Clayton, would he have any value?

[RotoAuthority]

Yes. Yes I do.

[bravesbeast]

The braves certainly could use either one, preferably towers. I think one or two bullpen arms from triple A could entice Toronto.

[ErroRod1985]

Josh Towers, starting pitcher for the homerun contest at this years all star game. I can only see ohka as a fourth or fifth in the NL. Even though he once did throw a perfect game in triple a. Maybe he should go back.

[Zonis]

Would JP trade them to the Yankees? That would be kind of funny.

I could see the A's looking into them if JP picks up a large chunk of their salaries. Not as starters, mind you, but as relievers.

[Dev0]

I think if I were the nationals I would take a chance on Towers if they can get him cheap. I mean why not really might aswell .

[gotigs]

http://burnofthebat.blogspot.com

[Yars]

After Smoltz & Hudson, the Braves rotation is pretty pathetic. Teams have figured out Chuck James, Kyle Davies has yet to prove he can be dominant at the big league level, & Mark Redman has no business being on a MLB team. If they keep throwing Redman & Davies out there every 5 days, Atlanta will find itself competing against 6 other teams for the NL wildcard, while the Mets will be running away with the NL East for the 2nd straight season. I hope John Schuerholz addresses his starting rotation ASAP.

[was385]

Teams haven't figured James out, it is just that for some reason his command has been way off this year. He was a guy that lived on Glavine-esque command and now needs to make adjustments to get it back.

[bravesbeast]

was385,

when a you say a pitcher has to make adjustments, that means the pitcher has to respond to teams' batters having made successful adjustments against the way he pitches, thus meaning the batters have figured him out. Damn, get a clue.