Who will be the Blue Jays' No. 5 starter?

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If you’re looking for camp competitions … well, at least there’s one.

The No. 5 starter’s job is one of the only roles up for grabs in Blue Jays camp, on a roster that is already close to being locked in. That’s by design, too, after another busy offseason that saw Toronto pad its core with veteran talent.

Injuries can change this, and every Spring Training comes with its surprises, but Mitch White versus Yusei Kikuchi is still a deeply important competition. The No. 5 starter’s job is not just to give the club some reliable innings but to protect the organization from needing to churn through Triple-A arms and turn over the bottom of its 40-man roster.

The 2022 stats won’t bring you much optimism. White posted a 7.74 ERA over 43 innings after his trade from the Dodgers. Kikuchi had a 5.19 ERA over 100 2/3 innings and rarely kept a close relationship with the strike zone. Kikuchi’s velocity from the left side and his experience starting 90 MLB games give him a slight edge here, but he’ll need to show the Blue Jays far more than what he did in the first year of his three-year, $36 million deal.

“With Yusei, it’s all about the track record for him,” said GM Ross Atkins. “His track record of striking guys out, his track record of being effective at the highest level is one we believe in. Not unlike the rest of our roster, they’re all finding ways to get better. He was also focused on finding opportunities to improve and looking for small changes he might benefit from."

Is Kikuchi’s track record of a 5.02 ERA really enough?

There’s a new variable, though, now that we’ve learned White is working back from a right shoulder impingement he suffered in January. White recently described himself as feeling “great,” just a little behind in his ramp-up process. He’s been at the facility for six weeks now, he's throwing with more intensity and is “almost” ready to begin throwing side sessions again.

This should only bump White back slightly, but Spring Training is a delicate thing for pitcher workloads. The laid-back righty is taking it in stride for now, and while he knows he’s in a competition, that’s not a source of stress.

“I don’t really think too much about it. Obviously, it’s a big question,” White said. “However it shakes out, it will shake out. I think we’ve got some good options one way or the other. I’m just excited to be part of that.”

The runner-up in this competition likely gets a bulk role in the bullpen, one White embraced early in his career because it meant a path to the big leagues. All of this raises another question, though. What if the Blue Jays suffer another pitching injury and need to go one arm deeper? It’s pessimistic, but these are the questions good front offices must ask.

For now:
The Blue Jays could turn to 2015 Opening Day starter Drew Hutchison, who is in camp on a Minor League deal. Hutchison pitched to a 4.53 ERA last season for the Tigers, moving between the bullpen and rotation.

Zach Thompson is another option, a trade acquisition in January who stands a towering 6-foot-7 and weighs 250 pounds. He’s coming off a 5.18 ERA over 121 2/3 innings last season, and while that’s not a number that will grab your eye, he could still be in front of some younger names due to his 40-man roster spot.

For later:
Hyun Jin Ryu’s recovery from 2022 Tommy John surgery is going very well, but it’s smart to exercise patience, which the Blue Jays will do. If he’s able to return for the latter months of the season, which is the final in his four-year, $80 million deal, then that adds an interesting layer.

No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann remains the name to watch, though. The Blue Jays could have 120 innings to play with in 2023, and while there’s plenty of development left, the lefty is dripping with ace-level talent. A '23 debut will eventually be in the cards.