After two seasons in the Mets' farm system, Todd was diagnosed with cancer. The tumor and lymph nodes were removed from his lower stomach, followed by chemotherapy, which caused him to lose his hair, and his weight dropped from 195 lbs. to 168.[5] Against all odds, Todd recovered in time to join the double A Jackson Mets midway through the 1975 season, and went 3–4 with a 3.17 earned run average.
In 1976, Todd played for the Tidewater Tides of the International League and pitched in 26 games, going 13–9 with a 2.91 ERA. He played part of the 1977 season in Tidewater, and made his major league debut on May 5, 1977 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching an inning of relief for Tom Seaver and allowing one hit and no runs.[6] He earned his first win in his first start on May 19 against the San Francisco Giants. With two outs in the eighth inning, Todd lost a shutout (it would have been his only career shutout). He also collected his only career hit in seventeen career at bats against Ed Halicki.[7] For the season, he went 3–6 with a 4.77 ERA in nineteen appearances, ten starts.
Toronto Blue Jays
During Spring training1978, Todd was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league infielder Ed Cuervo. He spent the season playing for his home town minor league team, Oklahoma City 89ers, where he went 3–4 with a 4.61 ERA. He was released by the Phillies at the start of the 1979 season, and signed on with the Toronto Blue Jays shortly afterward.
Todd spent the first half of the 1979 season with the Syracuse Chiefs, where he went 9–4 with a 3.34 ERA. An injury to starting pitcherJim Clancy opened a door for Todd to receive a call to the majors in August.[8] Despite getting hit hard by the Kansas City Royals in his first appearance,[9] he made his only start of the season five days later in the first game of a doubleheader with the Chicago White Sox. He allowed five earned runs in seven plus innings to take the loss.[10] From there, Todd was relegated to "mop up duty," making ten more appearances, all in losses.
Todd's 1980 season mirrored his 1979 season in that he began the season in Syracuse, and joined the Blue Jays in August, but the similarities end there. He was immediately inserted into the starting rotation. He ended up with a no decision in both of his first two starts, despite handing the game over to the bullpen with a lead in both cases.[11][12] In his third start, he earned a complete game victory over the Minnesota Twins.[13] For the season, he made twelve starts, and went 5–2 with a career best 3.96 ERA. Despite this moderate success, he was demoted to Syracuse, where he spent the 1982 season.
