The Toronto Blue Jays have signed pitcher Spencer Turnbull to a one year contract worth $1.3 million according to Spotrac on Monday. The Blue Jays will be the third Major League Baseball team Turnbull has played for. He was previously with the Detroit Tigers from 2018 to 2023, and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024.
Turnbull has a record of three wins and zero losses with an earned run average of 2.65 with the Phillies in 2024. In 54 1/3 innings and 17 games played, he gave up 37 hits, 16 earned runs, six home runs, and 20 walks, to go along with 58 strikeouts, one hold, and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.05. Turnbull’s hold came in a 10-5 Phillies win over the New York Mets on May 15.
Turnbull had a drastic improvement in Philadelphia compared to his terrible time in Detroit. In 2019, he led the Major Leagues with 17 losses and 16 hit batsmen. Then in 2023, Turnbull had an awful earned run average of 7.26.
It will now be interesting to see if the Blue Jays use Turnbull as a starter or as a reliever. In his 78 career games, he has been a starter 67 times and as a reliever 11 times. The chances that Turnbull will be a starter is higher due to the fact Toronto put Max Scherzer on the injured list on Monday with a thumb injury.
The Blue Jays are in third place in the American League East. They are only three games back of the first place New York Yankees.
