Tyler Jay will pitch exclusively from the bullpen

Tyler Jay will pitch exclusively from the bullpen
JUPITER, FL – MARCH 10: Cody Rudoy, an eight year-old from Minnesota watches batting practice before a spring training baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium on March 10, 2017 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The news came out late last week that 2015 Twins draft choice Tyler Jay will be pitching in relief, rather than in the rotation going forward. It’s not entirely unexpected, as Jay was a reliever when he was in college, but still mildly disappointing, as he was drafted to start, and had done so with a degree of success in the Twins’ minor league system.

Jay still has good stuff, and if he isn’t being stretched out to work longer outings, and the team isn’t trying to give him additional options for his repertoire, then his game is nearly at its ceiling. By not attempting to convert to a role that he isn’t comfortable with, it stands to reason that he is much closer to his Major League debut than was expected before the change.

While it’s disappointing that the Twins have now used a high round pick on a reliever, it could viewed in a more positive light: there is long term help for the bullpen right around the corner.

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