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The Deadline Approaches
At the start of the Jays season the general mood in Toronto and amongst fans was simply that Doc had gone and there was no where to go but down and keep sinking.
Suffice it to say this team has done anything but sink, its proven that it can play with the big boys in the division and may not be as far away as some had thought.
A few things before I get into trade deadline stuff, I wanted to mention the good things about this club since Alex Anthopoulus has taken over:
1. They are much more aggressive scouting players and have proven it with several risky and not so risky signings notably of Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria. It was a $10 million deal that not only outbid the Yankees but was the most given by the organization to an amateur player....ever. Who says they won't spend.
2. Vernon Wells is back.
3. Jose Bautista...hes got 30 bombs after tonight. Don't trade him, how could you? Hes got a year left, time to make a long term deal with him and hes got an outside shot of hitting 50 home runs which would be a club record. Want to see the seats full in September? Keep him and watch the countdown to 50.
4. No injuries, knock on wood.
5. The pitching staff is young but talented and holding together. Shaun Marcum is back, Romero had no sophmore slump and Brett Cecil and Brandon Morrow have held their own. We officially have not one but two of the best lefties in the American League in Cecil and Romero, how many can say that?
6. The first major trade of Alex Anthopoulus' career as Jays GM was a short term success so far. Yunel Escobar is worth the price of admission to watch him play defense and he can hit too, Might be the most exciting player since Alomar and White defensively.
Okay, now on to trade deadline stuff:
1. Lyle Overbay- What are we waiting for? Probably for someone to take on the salary considering Lyle just isn't the hitter we got 4 or 5 years ago. You are probably going to have to package him up with John Buck but that will work out perfect because we have Brett Wallace waiting patiently at Las Vegas, I say patiently because he is only hitting .301 with 113 hits, 24 doubles and 18 home runs with 61 runs and 63 RBIs This guy can mash.
2. John Buck- he was signed to a one year deal and is going to get lots more this offseason so hes got to go and we have to get something in return, might even get a team to over pay on him because hes still young. Plus we have another guy waiting even more patiently than Brett Wallace, our future catcher JP Arencibia is tearing it up in Las Vegas, he is hitting .309, 29 doubles, 29 home runs with 63 runs and 74 RBIs. What are we waiting for? if Wallace and Arencibia were steaks they'd be so ready they'd be well done/burning on the grill. They are ready for the majors already.
3. Aaron Hill and/or Adam Lind- Both under performing yet last years numbers are still fresh in a lot of teams heads so this is a move you make if you get a team to overpay for one or both. Id prefer to keep Hill over Lind only because Hill offers you the fact that he is a great hitting second baseman and they are few and far inbetween. Maybe you can land yourself a quality bullpen arm, possibly a quality closer with one of them.
4. Don't trade Bautista, see above.
5. Scott Downs- Hes 34, a lefty out of the bullpen and thats valuable for contenders, its a money move but seriously, we can do better than downs next year. Downs for Chamberlain for a low risk, high reward type deal? Get Joba out of the pressure cooker in NY and maybe he relaxes a little and pitches to his capability.
Overall this team I think its safe to say has surprised a lot of people, they are 13 out of first in the toughest division in baseball. They have a realistic shot at catching the Boston Red Sox in the standings which would be huge for this organization, to show they can fit right in there with the big money teams. Especially for a team that hasn't spent the money yet. They have fought the Yankees tooth and nail, gave Tampa a good run in their series with them and they have played Boston tough as well. Plus we proved that we are far and away better than the Orioles 11 straight againt the O's, we are definitely not last place material.
Go out this offseason and revamp the bullpen, tweak the pitching staff and this team could contend next year. Alex said when its time to spend the organization will spend, this offseason while sooner then expected may be the time. to spend a little to fill in the gaps.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
How Long Before The Call?
We are headed up to Toronto tomorrow for the Jays/Giants game, well be leaving here around 8 AM in hopes of beating traffic and getting up there at a respectable time.
Reading some notes on the Jays today, how long before they are forced into calling up catching prospect JP Arencibia?
This came off the Jays website tonight:
"Over his last 10 games, Jays catching prospect J.P. Arencibia has slugged six home runs while batting .439 for Triple-A Las Vegas"
John Buck and Jose Molina have been outstanding but geez, this might be the hottest hitter in pro ball right now, why hold the guy back,
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Jays Shake Up Padres, Then Quake Shakes Petco
For those of you who stayed up late watching baseball you may have seen the Jays/Padres game. The Jays were doing some shaking of their own with two homeruns from John Buck.
But then, the real shaking started:
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Walk Off in 14th
I could watch this over and over again with the thought of Blue Jay fans celebrating and Yankee fans shedding tears. It was one of the sweetest moments in recent memory for my beloved Blue Jays who have been mired in third place virtually ever year for the last 18 years. Things may be starting to turn the corner:
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Start Filling The Seats!
11,000 and change. Thats it. Where are the fans of this baseball team? If they are all at home waiting for this team to start playing good baseball I have news for you, they have gotten good-great baseball all year long.
I realize it was a Monday night but still, you have the division leaders coming in and a 9 game stretch that will tell the fans of this team just how good they are.
Win or lose we have gotten a 50-60 game sample of what this team is going to do this year. They have a power offense that is leading the league in home runs, RBIs and runs scored and a pitching staff that is leading the league in strikeouts. They have an exciting offense and great pitching and defense and they are challenging the Yankees for the wildcard and tonight just went out and showed that they can in fact play with this Rays club.
What is the city of Toronto waiting for? I blame the Toronto media. The national media here in the US has even caught on, I get to watch the opposing teams broadcasts as well as the Jays home broadcasts on satellite and I have been tuning into the opposing teams more lately and all the Jays get is praise.
The power rankings in the Buffalo News have had the Jays in the top 10 in Major League Baseball all year. What more do you want?
Instead what gets more coverage? Doc Halladay's perfect game, not the fact that the Jays completed a sweep of the Orioles.
I am taking my dad up there for Father's Day in a few weeks, its a weekend game and from what I can see, the attendance has been pretty slim on the weekends too. I challenge the city of Toronto to start supporting this team in the attendance numbers by the time I get there.
Maybe the media should get off its ass up there too. Im guilty is charged on the Doc Halladay thing, I posted on it and part of me regrets it. I firmly believe that it was addition by subtraction when they traded him. They got a boat load of talent for him and its not even here yet.
Maybe its going to take a move by Alex Anthopoulus to make a statement that the front office thinks this team can do it as soon as this year. Maybe its going to take these next 8 games againts Tampa and the Yankees to prove it. Well, we are 1-0 to start this all important early 9 game show of hands by this club. So far so good.
Whats wrong with Jays fans up there? I realized it was going to be slow to react after everything that has transpired but seriously, its an exciting group, prove to me that this city, one of the largest in North America can and will support this baseball team. Doc isn't coming back its time to recognize the great play on the field of a young and exciting ball club that has a chance to do some damage here.
Who am I kidding though, it won't happen, what's it going to take? Take this for what its worth but the media up there has to start propping this team up. I'll believe that Toronto can come back to the Jays when I see it, Ill be there June 19th, I'll bet there won't be more than 20,000 there, prove me wrong. start making it look like the picture at the top of this post.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Go Get Oswalt for Toronto
Here we are, same time, same situation setting up, however maybe, just maybe we have a GM with a different mindset.
The Jays have come to the end of May once again in the thick of at the very least the wildcard chase and today on Yahoo Sports there is word that Roy Oswalt wants out of Houston.
You have a team with the top offense that can hit bombs and drive in runs like no ones business and you have one of the youngest and most talented pitching staffs that lately has been losing a little steam.
So, will Alex Anthopolous to go out and put his team in a position to compete. Houston may give Oswalt away cheap if he truly wants out so why not get into that mix of teams looking for his services.
Right now its the Twins and the Nationals. Not the Yankees and Red Sox, Why can't we get into a bidding war with those two teams? The Twins have a payroll even lower than the Jays and the Nationals are probably right about at our level.
What kind of a boost would that give this young starting rotation, bullpen and offense to see that the organization sees it has a chance to compete against a weakened Yankees team and a Red Sox franchise with more holes in their pitching and lineup than previous years.
You don't have to compete with Tampa Bay at this point they are the talent of the division this, just compete with the Yankees and Red Sox and people might start to stand up and take notice, it might even be rewarded with some butts in the seats and who knows you slip into the wildcard spot behind Tampa and all of a sudden you have some playoff revenue.
Hopefully Alex Anthopolous is serious about making moves that make sense and Roy Oswalt makes sense for this team.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Happy Victoria's Day Canada!
This goes out to all my Canadian friends enjoying a nice long weekend. We get ours next week so it will allow some of you to plan ahead. I have found a way to get free beer, courtesy of two guys from the Great White North, Bob and Doug:
Category: Beer | Miscellaneous | Toronto Blue Jays
.500 April? Not Bad Considering....
If someone told Jays fans that The Toronto Blue Jays would be .500 for the first month of the season we probably would have taken it. Well, with about 3 games left to go thats exactly what they can do.
Not only are they .500 but the following things are turning out okay:
1. Vernon Wells is having a solid start to the season and might just stay healthy. This was one of my keys to the season.
2. Aaron Hill is back in the lineup.
3. All five Toronto starters have pitched at least one very good quality start. Thats a major accomplishment. All five guys in the rotation from Marcum to Eveland have shown that they have the stuff to stay in the rotation. Even better news is that Ricky Romero is no flash in the pan rookie, hes here to stay and he would have 4 wins already if not for the offensive woes during his starts.
4. The bullpen while not sensational is solid and we have a closer in Kevin Gregg that if not a long term option is a short term solution to the lack of a solid closer, he at least looks the role when he takes the mound.
5. Lyle Overbay while off to a horrendous start is starting to get luke warm, I say this as a good thing because if he keeps getting warmer at the plate maybe, just maybe we can get him out of Toronto and trade him to someone and get Brett Wallace up to the big show.
6. We have a legit leadoff hitter in Fred Lewis. A guy with some speed in the lineup who might steal more than 10 bases. Say it ain't so?
Of course there are some bad things:
1. So far Travis Snider ain't cutting it...a trip back to the minors looks to be inevitable.
2. While the power numbers are up and guys like Wells and Alex Gonzalez are crushing the ball, so too are strikeouts, we lead the league as a team in strikeouts.
Still a lot has to go right for this team to stay this way but not bad considering we traded away our best player in franchise history we ain't half bad.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
The Wrist is Healed
Im not letting this get my hopes up, all things considered this is going to be a long season for the Jays....BUT....someone found the Vernon Wells of 4 years ago.
After 2-3 disappointing seasons Vernon has gotten out to a sizzling start in the first series of the season in Texas, 6 for10, 4 home runs, 6 runs, 7 RBIs and 18 total bases.......I'd settle for half of that on a weekly basis from him.
The Jays are off to a 2-1 start with a series win against the Texas Rangers who are expected to be a player in the AL West. Add to that, that Ricky Romero was solid to start his sophmore season and the Jays have gone three solid starts into their rotation though the bullpen coughed up game one. Next up Baltimore.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Jays Preview
If Vernon Wells is finally healthy and able to swing the bat like he did...4 years ago it might at the very least be an interesting season at Roger's Center in Toronto.
Instead Im leaning toward a year of growing pains. With the exception of Lyle Overbay, Aaron Hill and Vernon Wells this team is full of players who are either inexperienced or unproven or both. Adam Lind has one great year under his belt, he needs to repeat last years performance to be included in the veterans of this team.
Notice I didn't list one pitcher. Thats because the rotation and bullpen are full of uncertainties and plenty of youth.
The pitching looks like its going to be brutal with the exception of maybe Ricky Romero who had a rookie of the year caliber performance last year and will most likely get the opening day start. Shaun Marcum returns and IF healthy could be the veteran leader of the starting rotation. I would list more starters but it already looks like the injury bug is starting to hit as newly acquired Brandon Morrow has some soreness in his throwing arm leaving his spot TBA for a few days/weeks. Brett Cecil would be another candidate but his spring has been bumpy at best.
The Starters:Ricky Romero, Shaun Marcum, Brandon Morrow (If healthy), Brett Cecil (maybe), and maybe round it out with Brian Tallet. Three lefties in the rotation. I love left handers regardless of how proven or good they are, they always have a place in the rotation. Dana Eveland and Marc Rzepczynski also have outside shots at making the rotation.
The Relievers: We still don't know who our closer is. Im hoping its not Scott Downs or Jason Frasor. I like Frasor right where he is, a set up guy/short relief. Downs should remain a left handed specialist. That leaves Kevin Gregg and Merkin Valdez as my candidates for closer. Valdez hasn't earned it yet and Gregg hasn't exactly been stellar either. There has been talk about David Purcey....big lefty, throws hard, simplifying his pitches ...maybe Purcey emerges at some point as a left handed closer? Just please don't let it be Frasor and Downs....please.
The offense/starting lineup:
Catcher: John Buck has had a good spring hitting .316 and two homers. He has earned the starting catching job and will split time with either Raul Chavez or JP Arencibia.
First Base: One more season of an under performing Lyle Overbay...anyone? Anyone? Brett Wallace will be in Toronto making us forget about Overbay before July 31st even if it means Overbay goes on waivers. Overbay would have to have a monster start to avoid that.
Second Base: Aaron Hill, can he repeat what he did last year? Please bat him second btw.
Shortstop: Help is on the way, we have to start the year with Alex Gonzalez newly acquired from the Red Sox and John McDonald which is fine, but Im predicting we see Adeinis Hechavarria the Cuban shortstop that our new GM (who I love so far btw) Alex Anthopoulos outbid the Yankees for before the year is up. Espcially if Alex Gonzalez struggles.
Third Base: Yuck, Yuck, and more Yuck. Can we please find a good third baseman? Can Kelly Gruber still play? Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion, they gets April and May before we screw the pooch on this one and call up Brett Wallace who can also play third.
Outfield: Maybe after all is said and done potentially at least their most reliable position if Vernon Wells is finally healthy besides Aaron Hill at second base.
Center: Vernon Wells (please be healthy), Left Field: Adam Lind/Jose Bautista, Right Field: Travis Snider
Snider still has a lot to prove but hes been smashing the ball in spring games.
Would be nice to get a repeat on the 35 homer, 114 RBI season Adam Lind had last year.
There could be a few surprises including speedy Joey Gathright playing in the outfield and challenging for the leadoff role, Randy Ruiz may get some DH time, Brad Emaus may make the team as a back up infielder, and it will be interesting to see if Kyle Drabek makes it to the show before the season is over. My bet is with this starting rotation anything is possible. Drabek could be hear sooner than later.
Season record? 65-97 and thats being generous. I could easily see a 100 loss season if things fall apart. I don't think we will because we still have Mr. Cito Gaston at the helm and all the talk about mutiny in the lockerroom I think is gone. Could this team surprise us all and do better, sure, Encarnacion, Overbay and Wells have to have career years and Adam Lind and Aaron Hill have to repeat what they did last year and Travis Snider has to have a break out year. In addition Ricky Romero would have to continue to show why he is the number one guy, Marcum would have to get back to form and Brandon Morrow and who ever else gets pieced into the rotation would have to basically over acheive.
Too many ifs. Its going in the right direction and for that it will be intriguing to watch, but if you want a winner better wait another year.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
