Third-base coach Brian Butterfield calls him “Splimitovich”.
And now, Marc Rzepczynski has a new title: relief pitcher.
In taking a role that has been discussed internally for almost a year, the left-hander is adjusting to life in the bullpen. His most recent outing – Wednesday against the Athletics – is a sign of what to expect.
Rzepczynski relieved Jesse Litsch in the 7th inning with one out and a man on first. He threw two innings of spotless relief and even hung around to start the ninth. After striking out left-handed Blue Jays killer Hideki Matsui, Rzepczynski handed off to Jon Rauch, who got two easy outs for his first save.
Rzepczynski came up in 2009, offering an ability to baffle hitters with a solid change-up and confuse visiting broadcasters with a head-scratching surname. Late last season, Rzepczynski started to find his form as a starting pitcher, ending the year with an outstanding start in Minnesota.
By this time, two things had become obvious. One, Scott Downs was going to get rich on the free agent market, and the Blue Jays weren’t going to get involved in the bid. And two, the depth of starting pitching within the organization had improved dramatically.
So pitching coach Bruce Walton sat Rzepczynski down and presented the idea of joining the bullpen. To his credit, the pitcher didn’t plug his ears and scream.
Part of Walton’s sales pitch was that relief pitchers – especially left-handers – can become quite wealthy when it’s time to hit the open market. Downs was a perfect example. He was a starter with the Cubs and Expos until making the transition with Toronto. By the time he left for Anaheim, he’d become one of the best left-handed relievers in the big leagues. The majority of Downs’ robust income has come because of his affinity for getting teams out of tight spots in the late innings. That’s why the Angels are paying him $15-million over the next three years.
There is more to Rzepczynski then – as the sabrematricians like to say – a LOOGY (or left-handed, one-out guy). Right-handed hitters (.259) haven’t enjoyed a significant advantage over left-handers (.241) during Rzepczynski’s major league career. Perhaps his future will mirror that of Downs who, in his final few years with the Blue Jays, became a reliable set-up man. It’s a role Rzepczynski seems capable of filling. Considering he’s not eligible for arbitration until 2013, he’s cost-effective too.
Rzepczynski was battling for a spot in the Blue Jays’ rotation right up until the middle of March. But now, his future in the bullpen seems a certainty, as long as he performs to standards.
The man with the intriguing name is no fool. He freely admits it’s better to be a reliever in Toronto then a starter in Las Vegas.
We’re only a week into the regular season and he’s already made a wise career move.
