Whether it’s with the Toronto Blue Jays or not, it’s looking like Carlos Villanueva is going to be a starting pitcher in the bigs next season.
It’s been a hell of an audition for the former reliever, who pushed his free-agency value ever slightly up with another solid start last night, beating the Tampa Bay Rays (who the team has lost 5 straight to), and giving their Blue Jays their first back-to-back victory since what seems like forever ago (mid-August).
Villanueva, as he’s done since being called upon to start, kept his control in check, allowing just a walk over 6 scoreless innings in which he allowed 5 hits and struck out 7 – and he did it while feeling the effects of a “low-grade fever” as well”
Villanueva had a “low-grade fever” all day, Farrell said. Figured CV “hit a wall” after 6IP. CV said he never considered not starting.
— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) August 31, 2012
The Blue Jays bullpen completed the job that Villanueva started, as the team only needed Kelly Johnson‘s 2-run double in the 1st inning to take the ball game. Though we’ve discussed Villanueva’s potential future with the Blue Jays with varying viewpoints here, starts like this is bound to keep the topic relevant as the season comes to a close, and the team gets in the process of establishing some prospective options for the starting rotation next year.
How much is 90+ innings of Villanueva worth in determining whether his success can be carried over? At 65.1 innings pitched as a starter now, I would say there’s still a fair bit of doubt there, especially with Villanueva hitting inning counts well above his career norms; that said, if he can hit 100 innings as a starter and still maintain these solid SP2 results and avoid injury?
Who knows, maybe the Blue Jays will end up being in the mix for Villanueva’s services in 2013 with more suitors than expected.
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