Dustin McGowan

2013

There was no outlook written for Dustin McGowan.

2012

In some cases, all the king's horses and all the king's men really do put Humpty Dumpty back together again. At least well enough to get him back on a major league mound. McGowan was long forgotten in most circles thanks to a litany of shoulder woes but he made it all the way back for four starts for the Jays in September. His control was predictably lacking but showed enough life on his fastball that he'll get a look to fill a rotation spot this spring. There's really no telling which way this will go as it will be four years since he had any sort of success at the big league level.

2011

McGowan once again lost the entire season to injury and hasn't thrown a pitch off a big league mound since July 2008. His shoulder once again gave out while rehabbing in June, and he needed surgery to repair a significant tear. The Jays signed him to a one-year deal in December, but there's no telling when he'll be back and ready to pitch, and one has to wonder how much of his stuff has been left on one of the numerous operating tables he's frequented.

2010

McGowan hasn't seen a major league mound since July of 2008 as he continues to battle shoulder problems. He was back rehabbing at the end of the season and figures to be healthy enough to compete for a rotation spot in the spring barring any setbacks. He showed some promise the last time he toed the rubber, but there's no telling how much he'll have left in the tank if he ever makes it back.

2009

McGowan was limited to just 19 starts before shoulder surgery ended his season, but he hopes to be back on the mound by May. The surgery was to repair fraying of the labrum and not to repair a complete tear, but one has to wonder if this isn't just the tip of an iceberg. Keep an eye on his health reports this March as his early numbers could be ugly as he knocks off the rust. There's some upside here if he can get back on the mound as quickly as he hopes to.

2008

McGowan was finally allowed to settle into a defined role after a few years of being shuttled back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation. He managed 144 strikeouts in 169.2 innings, leading to a nice 1.220 WHIP. He got better as the season wore on, posting a 1.143 WHIP and an excellent 87:33 K:BB ratio in 98 innings after the All-Star break. He'll make a nice No. 3 starter for the Blue Jays behind Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett.

2007

The shine is starting to come off McGowan's star due to some nasty control issues. He was shuttled back and forth between the majors and minors, and from starting to relief, all year which certainly didn't help. He notched 86 strikeouts in 84 innings at Triple-A Syracuse, but walked 39 batters as well. His strikeout rate and control with Toronto weren’t any better, and there's now considerable doubt if he'll ever develop as hoped. Toronto needs to figure out how they want to use McGowan, stick with it for 2007 and see what happens.

2006

McGowan returned at midseason from May 2004 Tommy John surgery. After six poor starts, he hit the bullpen in September and flashed the skill set that made him Toronto's best pitching prospect (11 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K). There's talk of using a similar long-relief role to continue his transition to the majors.

2005

McGowan was on schedule to debut in 2005 before needing Tommy John surgery in May. Before the injury, he was Toronto's best pitching prospect, and he's still just 23 so there's plenty of time for him to get healthy and resume his promising career. He's not expected to be ready until 2006, however.

2004

McGowan pitched better at Double-A following a midseason promotion, and he continues to show excellent control (72:19 K:BB ratio in 76.2 innings at Double-A). He'll be 22 years old this season and has to be considered Toronto's best pitching prospect.

2003