Blue Jays extras: The Off-season of Joe Biagini continues

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Joe Biagini appeared on MLB Network Radio’s Power Alley on Tuesday

Joe Biagini’s life looks a little different than it did one year ago.

In November of 2015, Biagini had just wrapped up a season pitching for the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the double-A Eastern League. Despite posting a 2.42 ERA as a starter, it was Biagini’s first year at double-A and at 25, he was left unprotected by the San Francisco Giants in the Rule 5 Draft.

One year later, Biagini is on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. A natural progression, of course.

Biagini followed up his appearance on The Tonight Show with some more radio gold on Tuesday as he joined Power Alley on MLB Network Radio.

With Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette, Biagini discusses his newfound fame, his non-MLB “dream job”, and much more. He also digs deep on one of his deepest passions: the pants that are made available to Major League Baseball players. Listen here:

Biagini’s oddball personality has really struck a positive chord with Blue Jays fans. In a constant drone of professional athletes insisting that their team will be “taking it one day at a time” and “grinding”, Biagini is a refreshing and rare gateway into the sport.

On the field… The big right-hander is expected to get a look as a starting pitcher in the spring, something that should come naturally after throwing 128.0 and 130.1 innings in 2014 and 2015. His track record and physical makeup suggest he’ll make a fine workhorse, but the one variable remaining is whether Biagini can maintain his bullpen velocities over 100 pitches and multiple trips through the lineup.

If the Blue Jays become particularly needy in the bullpen due to injury or a difficult off-season transactionally, Biagini can always be shifted back to that role quickly.

Toronto will be operating with an eye partly on 2018, however, when Marco Estrada and Francisco Lirianoare both scheduled to hit free agency and leave two vacancies in the MLB rotation.