The Toronto Blue Jays made an interesting deal on Monday in an attempt to improve their starting rotation for the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season. They acquired Chase Anderson of Wichita Falls, Texas from the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league first baseman Chad Spanberger.
The Blue Jays were in need of improving their starting rotation after trading Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets on July 28. Expect Anderson to be a number two starter in Toronto to start the season. He will likely be behind Matt Shoemaker of Wyandoytte, Michigan, who was terrific for the Blue Jays in 2019 before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a game against the Oakland Athletics on April 20.
Anderson had a solid record of eight wins and four losses for the Brewers in 2019. He had an earned run average of 4.21 in 139 innings. In 27 starts, he gave up 126 hits, 65 earned runs against, 124 strikeouts and 50 walks.
Where Anderson provides his greatest quality for the Blue Jays is that he eats up a lot of innings. Anderson’s minimum total of innings per season was 114 1/3. Toronto will also hope Anderson puts together the 2017 season he had in Milwaukee. That year he had a record of 12 wins and four losses with an excellent earned run average of 2.74.
One weakness to Anderson’s game on the mound is that he has a tendency to give up the long ball. He surrendered 30 home runs, which led the National League in 2018.
In addition to Anderson, the Brewers declined the option for first baseman Eric Thames. In making these decisions, they have cut $15 million in payroll.
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