Blue Jays by the numbers: The good, bad, and ugly of Toronto's pitching

With the trade deadline looming and the Blue Jays linked with every pitcher believed to be available, there's no better time to sit back and evaluate the current crop of arms and their performances this season.

On the whole the numbers are far from impressive. The staff's 4.10 ERA ranks 23rd in MLB, but there are at least a few positives to take from the their work through the first half. It is still clear though: adding a dynamic pitcher to the starting rotation would go a long way in legitimizing Toronto as a contender in the American League.

THE GOOD

– Not only has Roberto Osuna been Toronto's best relief pitcher and become the team's closer, he's been among the best relievers in baseball. The 20-year-old right-hander has 2.16 ERA in 42 innings and his 1.1 fWAR puts him just a notch below the game's elite late inning hurlers.

– Just when it appeared Mark Buehrle was finally fading, he showed everyone he's not done yet. Buehrle was unspectacular over the season's first two months, putting up a 4.96 ERA and 4.75 FIP in April and May before finding his groove when the calendare flipped to June. In his last eight starts he's averaged over seven innings pitched and 1.25 earned runs. His season ERA stands at 3.34. Not too shabby for a 36-year-old whose fastball rarely cracks 85 mph.

– After opening the season in the bullpen, Marco Estrada joined the rotation in early May and has given the Jays a number of nice outings. A 3.52 ERA and 3.84 FIP in 14 starts is exactly what a team needs from a middle rotation starter.

– A nice unexpected bonus: Liam Hendriks has settled in nicely into a relief role, posting a 3.00 ERA and 2.37 FIP over 39 innings of work.

– Drew Hutchison was a popular breakout pick before the season started and based on his performances at home you would think he was having a terrific year. His ERA is 2.21 at the Rogers Centre with strong peripheral numbers to back it up. Unfortunately for Hutchison, over half his starts have come away from home ... Stay tuned.

THE BAD

– Daniel Norris was sent down to Triple-A in early May and continues to try to work his way back to the bigs. In five April starts for the Blue Jays, the 22-year-old left-hander laboured through all but one and his 4.99 FIP showed he still needs to work on a few things to pitch in the majors.

– The Blue Jays announced Sunday that Aaron Sanchez will pitch out of the bullpen when he returns from a lat injury that's kept him away from the team since early June. As a starter, Sanchez showed flashes of his great potential, but overall struggled with his command (37 walks in 66 innings) and consistency.

– Brett Cecil's problems have been more difficult to pinpoint than others on Toronto's pitching staff, but he certainly hasn't been sharp on the mound this year. Even though his peripheral numbers don't sound any alarm bells, his ERA is a grisly 4.50 and he was taken out of the closer's role on two separate occasions during the first half.

– One of the Blue Jays' most reliable relievers since his debut in 2012, Aaron Loup can't buy a break in 2015. His 5.03 ERA belies his excellent walk (3.5 BB%) and strikeout (26.4 K%) rates but a spike in hard contact allowed helps explain the bloated ERA as well as the increase in BABIP and home runs allowed.

– Back in the first week of April, it looked like Miguel Castro was going to take the big leagues by storm. He didn't give up an earned run in his first six appearances but then gave up six over his next seven outings and was optioned to the minors, where he remains.

THE UGLY

– A 3-10 record and 4.70 ERA is not what the Blue Jays expected from R.A. Dickey when they acquired him to be their staff ace three years ago. Dickey's walk (8.7 BB%) and strikeout (14.3%) rates are the worst since he arrived in Toronto. The good news is that he's been better of late – his ERA since the start of June is 3.59 – though his 4.29 FIP over that span doesn't inspire confidence.

– For as good as Drew Hutchison has been at home, he's been unable to replicate his Rogers Centre form on the road. In fact, he's been downright awful away from home. In 10 starts he's put up a 8.81 ERA – over six runs worse than his ERA in Toronto – and it's hard to identify why. His dire road showings have stopped Hutchison from being the top of the rotation pitcher the Blue Jays need him to be.

– Scott Copeland (3), Felix Doubront (2), Matt Boyd (2), and Todd Redmond (1) have made eight spot starts for the Blue Jays and the results weren't all that pretty. Toronto went 3-5 over those eight starts and and the starters combined for a 8.31 ERA. That's just not going to cut it.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr