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TORONTO — Tampa Bay bullpenning is still relatively new, but there’s nothing tricky about it.

The philosophy is simple.

Collect as many quality, high-leverage arms as possible and deploy them when the matchups and importance of the situation scream for a manager to do so.

Sometimes that means positioning your best reliever — they’re called closers elsewhere — in the ninth inning, but frequently it means using them to get key outs in the seventh or eighth when the game is deemed to truly be on the line.

These days, the save statistic is about as useful as the pitcher win, unless you’re an arbitration-eligible arm with future dollars on the line.
Given the success the Rays have had eschewing traditional roles — 90 wins in 2018, 96 last year and an American League-best .651 winning percentage heading into play Wednesday night — it’s surprising more teams haven’t followed suit.

For some, old habits and traditional roles die hard, however.

But not when it comes to the Blue Jays.

With manager Charlie Montoyo’s Tampa background and the front office similarities obvious, the Jays have mostly been mirroring exactly what the Rays do organizationally from top to bottom.

This summer, the Ken Giles injury has forced the Jays to get creative with their bullpen usage, and thanks to the results there might be no turning back.

Giles, whose return from a strained forearm is imminent, won’t be rushed back into the ninth inning.

“I don’t see him pitching in the ninth inning the first day,” Montoyo said Wednesday. “It wouldn’t be fair to him. We’re going to let him pitch one inning, see where he goes with that, and then go from there.”

The other unsaid part is the bullpen might be better off having Giles available for certain situations earlier in games, rather than the traditional closer role he’s used to, and completely prefers.

If the Jays return Giles to a traditional ninth-inning role down the line, it’s likely more about the veteran’s comfort level than anything else.
Giles might not be the only bullpen weapon the Jays could have returning to health between now and the final day of the regular season on Sept. 27.

With the condensed timeframe, Nate Pearson won’t have time to build up as a starter, leaving the 6-foot-6 right-hander as a bullpen option or bust.

“If he ever gets activated — which he’s doing well right now — he will likely come out of the bullpen,” Montoyo said of Pearson, who just threw his first bullpen this week.

“If he can do what we think he can do, what the other guys are doing, coming in for two innings throwing gas, out of the bullpen throwing 97-98, that’s a pretty good option.”

Previously, the Jays have been hesitant to even think of putting Pearson, a starter his entire career, in the bullpen because of how different the routines are, something that may not be smart to mess with for a pitcher — and a prized possession expected to be a huge part of the rotation in the future — coming off a flexor strain in his right elbow.

But the postseason is an all-hands-on-deck situation, leaving the Blue Jays to ponder the pros and cons.

Pearson, who’s on the record saying he gets stronger as games go on, won’t be able to heat up in the ‘pen as easily as others, and Montoyo will have to be extra cautious when calling upon the 24-year-old.

“Knowing that, if we know we’re going to bring him into a game, we’re going to give him a pretty good heads up,” Montoyo said. “Get him going the inning before if we know we’re going to use him the next inning. That’s one thing we would do with him because it takes him a little longer to get going.”

Another late-inning option, Jordan Romano, is also progressing, but the breakout right-hander is a little further off at this point and it’s no sure thing he makes it back from a freak right middle finger injury by the end of the season.

“That’s my hope, but I don’t have an update so I don’t want to speculate,” Montoyo said.

Combining the three aforementioned arms with Rafael Dolis, Anthony Bass, A.J. Cole, Julian Merryweather, Thomas Hatch and Ryan Borucki could give Montoyo the depth and matchup options to confidently look at his bullpen as a huge advantage no matter the postseason opponent.

The club’s 3.21 bullpen ERA, fourth best in baseball, is objective evidence of just how good the relief group has been this summer, no matter the situation.

“It’s been amazing how these guys have done such a great job in high leverages in different innings, even eighth inning, seventh inning, sixth inning,” Montoyo said. “They deserve all the credit.”​