History shows Aaron Sanchez can be successful as reliever, starter - or both

DUNEDIN, Fla. – The Toronto Blue Jays have no idea what to do with Aaron Sanchez. The lanky, 22-year-old pitcher will be an important part of the team in 2015, there’s no doubt, but whether the Jays’ prized prospect joins the starting rotation or bullpen is still very much to be decided.

It’s a good problem for Alex Anthopoulos and John Gibbons. The Blue Jays have enough faith in Sanchez that they believe he can do either job with aplomb. The tough question facing the club is where they need him most.

The rotation is set one-through-four (R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Marcus Stroman and Drew Hutchinson) but there’s a big hole in the fifth spot which Sanchez, a starter by trade, could fill. But the bullpen is full of questions and Gibbons has even said Sanchez could be the team’s closer.

The Blue Jays brass are so unsure where to put him they often have him in both positions in the same breath.

“If Sanchez ends up in the bullpen, which could happen, then we feel good,” Gibbons said. “I think we’d all like to see him as a starter and see what he does – we think he can be one of the better starters in baseball. But if he’s in the bullpen it answers a few questions. He could be so valuable to the bullpen.”

The Blue Jays have said they will decide his fate by mid-March, and he is being stretched out for the time being. Gibbons said Thursday that Sanchez may get the start when the Blue Jays open their Grapefruit League schedule on Tuesday.

There’s also a lingering question of development and doing what’s best for Sanchez. But history shows pitchers don’t necessarily need to be labeled simply a starter or reliever and be set there for their careers.

Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley comes to mind immediately. He spent the first 12 years of his career as a starter with the Indians, Red Sox, and Cubs, winning 151 games and twice being named an All-Star. In 1987 at age 32, Eck was traded to the Athletics and became a reliever. He saved 390 games, was an All-Star four more times, and won both the American League Cy Young and MVP award in 1992.

Eckersley is an extreme example of having great success at both spots, certainly the exception to the rule. But the Blue Jays should feel safe knowing that switching isn’t out of the question, be it for need or if one position doesn’t work out. It has for plenty of others.

C.J. Wilson made six starts as a rookie with the Angles in 2005, with little success. He went 0-5 with a double-digit ERA and didn’t make another start for five seasons. But in between he became an effective reliever, picking up 51 saves and striking out 231 batters in 232.2 innings. The Angles sent him back to the rotation in 2010 and since then he’s twice been an All-Star and averaged 33 starts and 15 wins over those five seasons.

It works both ways, too. Orioles pitcher Zach Britton made 46 starts to begin his big-league careeer. Last year the Orioles moved him to the bullpen and he was fourth in the American League with 37 saves. Royals pitcher Wade Davis made 54 starts to begin his career, mostly with the Rays, then went to the bullpen in 2012, and made 24 more starts in 2013. In 2014 the Royals made him a full-time reliever and he was one of the best in baseball: He pitched 72 innings, struck out 109, surrendered just eight runs and finished eighth in Cy Young voting.

In that sense, the Blue Jays – who intend to be contenders in 2015 – should for now put Sanchez where he is most needed. And that may come down to how the other pitchers in camp perform.

“Sanchez will be stretched out, that being said there’s a scenario where he ends up in the bullpen, depending on how [Marco] Estrada throws the ball, how Daniel Norris throws the ball,” Anthopoulos said. “[Brett] Cecil’s a guy we think can close, I don’t have any doubts about him being able to do it. The question becomes are we stronger with him in the ninth, or bringing him in in the eighth, tying to get a big swing and miss on a lefthander.

“Those guys can do it, but are we stronger with them there?”

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Sanchez, a first-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2010, made his major-league debut last July and pitched 33 innings out of the bullpen. He had a 1.09 earned-run average, struck out 27 batters, only surrendered 14 hits, and saved three games.

The Blue Jays would like to have someone, be it starter or reliever, step up and help make the decision easier. Anthopoulos said the rotation is the priority and “you build everything else off of that.” Gibbons would like to make a decision so everybody can settle into their roles.

“Ideally you have roles, especially late in the game. It helps to prepare yourself that way. Not everyone can close out baseball games,” Gibbons said. “A new way of thinking entered the game a few years ago where some teams tried closer by committee; I don’t know how successful they were. We think Cecil can do it, we saw him do it four or five times last year. And we think Sanchez can do it.”

Whether or not Sanchez is the next Eckersley remains to be seen, but the Blue Jays are certain he can be a key contributor in 2015, no matter where and when he pitches.

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Ian Denomme is an editor and writer for Yahoo Sports. Email him at denomme@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter.