The Blue Jays waived starter Jo-Jo Reyes and the Orioles have taken a flyer on him. They also released the last starter they took a flyer on, Justin Duchscherer.
Reyes was 5-8 with a 5.40 ERA in 110 IP for the Jays this year. You can’t really call it a “bad year,” however, because it’s pretty much the Jo-Jo Reyes we all know. For his career he’s 10-23 with a 6.04 ERA, all but four games as a starter. He’ll consume innings as the Orioles play out the string. Nothing more.
The release of Duchscherer was inevitable, but a bit of a bummer all the same. He hadn’t pitched since early last season and didn’t pitch at all in 2009. Hip problems and depression have basically wrecked his career. A career that, at one time at least, looked promising.
In an ideal world, Justin Duchscherer is pitching major league innings someplace and Jo-Jo Reyes is probably not. But health is everything when you’re a pitcher, and their example shows it pretty plainly.
