Apparently the Blue Jays are bringing Marc Rzepczynski to camp

Now here’s some news I really wasn’t expecting to see this morning. According to Ben Wagner, the Blue Jays are adding Marc Rzepczynski to camp, presumably on a minor-league deal.

Originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, Rzepczynski spent a couple of years with the team as a starter before getting converted to the ‘pen in 2011. After that, Rzepczynski would spend a good chunk of the 2010s as an effective LOOGY, making stops in St. Louis, Cleveland, San Diego, Oakland, Washington, and, most recently, Arizona.

Rzepczynski was a part of the big three-team deal back in 2011 that brought Colby Rasmus from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Blue Jays. He would go on to win the World Series with the Cards that year, pitching well out of their ‘pen as a lefty guy.

Given MLB’s change to pitcher substitution rules in which a pitcher now must face a minimum of three batters, the LOOGY has sort of lost its value. You can’t bring a guy in to just get a lefty out anymore. They have to face three guys in a row, making it pretty much impossible tp specialize in any kind of split. So it’s hard to imagine how a guy like Rzepczynski will factor in, given his .822 opponents OPS when facing righty batters.

Maybe he’s being brought on as more of a player-coach role to provide sage wisdom to the young arms in Buffalo. Who knows!