Tag Archives: Toronto Blue Jays

December 15, 2012

Northern Knuckler?

By nalstradamus
The Knuckler bringing his talents to Yonge St?

The Knuckler bringing his talents to Yonge St?

Reports are out that the Blue Jays may be close to adding NL Cy Young Award winner R.A Dickey. This move won’t come cheap and reports have super Jays prospect Travis d’Arnaud being the piece moving to the Mets. The deal may be bigger than just these 2 players with other rumoured names such as Mets 1B Ike Davis and the Jays top OF prospect Anthony Gose also possibly moving locales.

The Jays likely already have the best starting 5 in the AL East, but this move would make it arguably the best 5 in the entire league. But is the cost worth it?

In my opinion it seems like a lot to give up for a 38 year old starter on the final year of a contract. Trading d’Arnaud means the Jays believe JP Arencibia is their catcher for the long haul. As I’ve stated in earlier posts I’m not a huge Arencibia fan. I’m a baseball purist and believe your catcher needs to be able to catch first and hit 2nd. Arencibia is a terrible defender and there’s no signs that this aspect of his game is expected to improve drastically.

Bye bye birdie?

Bye bye birdie?

The rumours of Ike Davis being thrown into this deal makes sense as the Jays would probably want some youth and control coming back to them after giving up their top 2 prospects. I like Ike Davis and he is a monstrous upgrade over Adam Lind at first base. However, Gose is a scary talent to give up on…a possible 5 tool talent that doesn’t come around too often.

I’ve been on board with every move AA has made on his road to making the Jays a playoff contender, but I’m having a hard time buying in to this one. I’m all for trading your prospects for proven talent when you are close to something special, but giving up your top 2 prospects for a 38 year old rental and a so-so middle tier first baseman is a zany gamble. Oh and for those saying why don’t the Jays just trade Arencibia and Rasmus instead…that is nowhere near close enough to get you a Cy Young Award winner.

In the end though, the Jays will be the favourite to win the AL East and having a rotation with Ricky Romero as your 5th starter is just perverted.

Ok…I think I’m starting to talk myself into liking this trade….damn it….why can’t baseball start right now!!!

 

 

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November 20, 2012

John Gibbons: Part 2

By nalstradamus

Who saw this coming? You’re lying if you say yes. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

When I first heard the news the Jays rehired John Gibbons as manager I farted.

Not because I was angry or happy really…protein shakes just make me gassy.

What do I think of the move? I’m obviously surprised like everyone else, but I can’t say I’m disappointed or excited…just blah.

Nothing really exciting happened in his first go around with the Jays other than his confrontations with his own players like Ted Lilly and Shea Hillenbrand.

The thing is, nothing really bad happened either.

It’s not like Gibbons has been a managerial star since he left the Jays either. He was a bench coach in KC for a bit and last year managed a double A team to a below .500 finish.

So why Gibbons?

Alex Anthopoulos is obviously familiar with Gibbons and knows him personally and professionally. He knows he can trust him and he knows for certain this manager will not leave the Jays to pursue another “dream job.” He knows how Gibbons manages and ultimately he feels strongly enough that Gibbons’ managerial style fits his new roster. From reading and listening to other reports it appears Gibbons is a laid back type of manager that players love to play for, but also someone who won’t shy away from telling a mega million dollar player that he sucks balls.

Is this hire risky? Without a doubt. It seems like AA is acting on a major hunch on this hire because as mentioned above there isn’t much recent evidence to support that Gibbons can be a winning manager. He better hope his hunch pans out because if it doesn’t he won’t be around to make another hunch.

 

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November 13, 2012

Blue Jays Complete Blockbuster to End All Blockbusters

By nalstradamus

If there was something that would bring me back to the blogosphere it would definitely be the MONSTER trade that just occurred between the Blue Jays and Marlins. The final details are still trickling in as I type this. The main thing for Jays fans is the Jays are getting Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Emilio Bonafacio. To get quality players of course the Jays had to part with major young talent: Adeiny Hechavarria, Justin Nicolino and Henderson Alvarez. These youngsters have the potential to be stars; however, I would do that trade 100 times out of a 100 to get an all-star, former batting champ shortstop  and one of the premier power arms in the game.

Jose Reyes immediately becomes the best Blue Jays SS ever. Sorry Tony Fernandez.

This trade shows the Jays brass were not blowing off hot air in off season interviews when stating that they were committed to being serious contenders next season. Adding this much talent doesn’t come cheap though as ownership wallets have been ripped wide open with Reyes, Johnson and Buehrle bringing with them $178.75 million in payroll…YOWZA! Not only does this trade make the Jays a more viable contender in the AL East, but the trade should also attract more interest from available managers. Who wouldn’t want to be the skip of a team that can trot out a top of the line up like this: Reyes, Lawrie, Bautista, Encarnacion.

Johnson and Morrow make a scary 1-2 power arm combo

 

Adding Johnson and Buehrle significantly strengthens a Blue Jays rotation that was decimated by injury and a terrible year from now former ace Ricky Romero. Buehrle is just the kind of veteran starter presence the Jays were in dire need of. He is a professional, that brings his work pail to the park day in and day out and should be a calming influence for the other young Jays pitchers. Can you imagine if your an opposing team and you go into a weekend 3 game set knowing you will have to face Josh Johnson and Brandon Morrow? Might as well chock up an automatic 1 for 8 with 4 k’s if your a hitter other than Miguel Cabrera.

Buehrle is like having a 2nd pitching coach on the bench.

(Oh, a tweet just in confirms John Buck as another Marlins player coming over in this massive deal. He’ll be the back up to JP barring any other crazy deals.)

I’m trying to stay sane with this deal, but it’s tough not to get excited when the team you love turns into a serious contender in a matter of minutes. The Jays aren’t done though…they still need a left fielder and you just know Adam Lind can’t be the DH or 1 bagger come April. Oh and of course a manager to lead this team is obviously a must as well.

What a way to celebrate the 100th post of my blog with the biggest trade for the Jays since the Alomar/Carter trade.

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August 20, 2012

Justin Morneau Would Look Good in Blue

By nalstradamus

The Toronto Blue Jays’ hard luck season is winding down and thoughts about next season are already on most Jays fans minds. I thought the Jays would be in the mix for a wild card spot all season, but injuries to almost their entire starting line up, the majority of their starting rotation, a set-up man and their closer…there’s was no chance in hell. What this season has shown is the holes the roster needs to fill to be serious contenders. I’ve blabbed all season about the holes in the rotation, but today I want to focus on the gaping wound at first base.

Adam Lind, the incumbent at first has continued to regress this season. His line of .227 avg, .298 OBP, .394 Slugging, 8 home runs, 27 RBI is dreadful for a power corner infield position. The Jays finally lost patience with the former 35 home run 114 RBI man earlier in the year and demoted him to the minors to see if it would kick start his motor similar to what happened with Edwin Encarnacion. However, the plan has just not panned out how the Jays were hoping and it’s become clear the Jays need to move in another direction at first base.

Adam Lind

One solution is to put Edwin Encarnacion at first base. I have no issues with this at all, but who is going to take over at DH for EE? Or share DH and 1B duties with EE? The title of this blog kind of gives away my opinion on these questions. I think Justin Morneau would fit nicely in a 1B/DH role for the Jays. After struggling with injuries the last couple seasons it appears Morneau is starting to regain his form. His stats aren’t eye popping at first glance (.276, 16 HR, 59 RBI), but considering there was talk in the pre-season of him possibly retiring due to health problems, these stats are solid. Having him time share with EE at 1B would help keep him fresh and lessen the chances of injury. A powerful left handed bat behind Bautista/Encarnacion (or between them) is sorely needed and Morneau has shown he still has plenty of pop. Add in the fact that he is Canadian and a former MVP, he would likely become a fan favourite in no time. It would be a neat combo having both corners of the infield being manned by guys from BC…that would have to be a first in history right?

Justin Morneau

The one drawback of Morneau’s apparent resurgence is it may make it difficult for the Jays to pry him away from the Twins. He is still under contract for one more season, but the Twins don’t appear to be near contention anytime soon and they would likely want to get something for Morneau while they still can. The Twins are always looking for young players to fill their minor league system and the Jays have plenty of young talent in their system to wheel and deal with. It would be somewhat of a risky move by the Jays since Morneau is just a knock in the head away from never playing the game again. However, I think the rewards of a power middle of the order left handed bat outweigh the potential risks.

If you disagree with my Morneau to the Jays thoughts let me know or better yet give me a realistic alternative option you would like to see Jays go after this off season.

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June 23, 2012

It’s Time to Make it Happen

By nalstradamus

70 games have come and gone in the Blue Jays season thus far and they find themselves at the bottom of the AL East. The Jays may be in the cellar, but considering what they’ve gone through with injuries they have been playing well. The Jays remain just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. However, keeping up with the leaders will continue to be a tough task with the Jays having only 2 of their regular 5 starters healthy at the moment.

One of those 2 is Henderson Alvarez who has been struggling mightily in his last few turns. One has to wonder if the consecutive poor starts where he has been hit very hard are starting to mess with the youngster’s long term psyche. If the Jays were healthier in the rotation a demotion to regain confidence would be considered, but with a lack of inning eating arms Alvarez is likely to stay and try to work out his kinks with the big club.

The Jays have about a month to determine their course for the remainder of the season. The end of July is the trade deadline and if the Jays are still in striking distance we could see the Jays brass get bold and make some big moves. If the Jays however find themselves well back of the leaders we could see several veterans such as Edwin Encarnacion, Darren Oliver and Kelly Johnson shipped off for more building blocks.  Here’s hoping it’s the former rather than the latter come July 31.

 

Yunel Escobar

 

The needs for the Jays are clear: starting pitching and another bat for the middle of the line-up. The Jays have been rumoured in several deals with pitchers on the trade block such as Wandy Rodriguez and Jeremy Guthrie. Either (or both) of those starters just mentioned would be a welcome addition to the Jays. A veteran presence in the rotation has been sorely lacking for years and the youngsters need veteran professionals to help guide them to the next level. Of course almost every team in baseball covets starting pitching and thus to get it you often have to overpay.

In terms of ‘currency’ the Jays have a boatload of intriguing prospects dominating the minors and also some young players on the big league roster that would entice other GM’s. Of their minor league prospects I feel the only untouchables would be Anthony Gose and Adeiny Hechavarria. Gose has rare raw talent, speed, glove, arm and bat, a potential 5 tool superstar. Hechavarria’s defence has always been major league ready, but now his bat has caught up, he looks like the Jays shortstop of the future. Without a doubt Travis d’Arnaud is the Jays top prospect. He has dominated the minors and has nothing else to prove down there. However, he has a roadblock in the name of JP Arencibia in his way to the majors. The Jays will not keep both of these catchers, but which will go. Ideally it would be Arencibia as it appears d’Arnaud has the much bigger upside, but Arencibia likely would not fetch much of a return as he has been struggling at the plate and with his defence. Of course none of these youngsters will be moved if the Jays are nowhere close to a playoff spot.

 

J. P. Arencibia

 

I have agreed with Alex Anthopoulos’ vision and plan to restock and build a consistent long lasting winning tradition. I do feel however, that now is the time to start putting in the extra pieces in place to push for a wild card spot. If it means parting ways with a Yunel Escobar, Travis Snider, Kelly Johnson, Eric Thames, Deck McGuire then so be it. The Toronto fan base is craving for at least a shot at the playoffs, to feel like management and ownership are trying to win now rather than 3 or 4 years from now. For the last decade it seems like the fans have gone through 2 or 3 of these 4-5 years plans and it has to be wearing thin on the fan base. The fans are likely finished with project or wishing-well pick-ups, they want proven talents that will take this team to the next level…the ‘maybe’s’ or hopefully’s are no longer wanted.

The fans have started to slowly come back to the ballpark, let’s reward them with a playoff run.

-        Rant complete

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May 6, 2012

April Showers Bring Bautista Powers?

By nalstradamus

The first month of the MLB season has just ended and the Toronto Blue Jays are right in the thick of things in the stacked AL East. The Blue Jays currently sit at 16-13 which is good for the 4th best record in the AL. Defence, starting pitching and Edwin Encarnacion have been carrying the Jays thus far.  The defence has been especially strong up the middle with Escobar, Johnson and Rasmus. The Jays are the league leaders in rolling double plays and Rasmus has already made several highlight real snags. The starting pitching has been strong lead by ace Ricky Romero. The starters have routinely been pitching 6 innings plus keeping the bullpen fresh. Edwin Encarnacion is having an incredible start to the season with 9 dingers and 24 runs batted in. However, there have been some poor starts to the season in the bullpen and with the rest of the hitting line up not named Encarnacion or Lawrie.

Edwin Encarnacion has been carrying the Jays offence thus far with 9 home runs and 24 RBI’s

The bullpen was a major focus in the offseason for the Jays as they were near the top of the league in blown saves. A new closer in Sergio Santos was brought in as well as a fire balling set up man (Cordero) and a crafty lefty specialist (Oliver). Unfortunately for the Jays the revamped bullpen has struggled thus far converting only 4 saves in 10 opportunities. The 6 blown saves are 2nd worst in the AL behind the LA Angels. The Jays will give Santos a long leash to figure things out once he gets back from the DL. Santos has all the tools you want in a closer, but will have to keep his 95+MPH heater down to be successful. Any big league hitter can hit a grooved belt high heater no matter how fast its thrown.

Of more concern to Jays fans is the slow start by the Jays bats. Adam Lind and Jose Bautista have struggled mightily. Lind is batting .200 while Bautista is hitting .180. They have combined for 7 home runs and 23 RBIs which falls short of teammate Encarnacion’s output. Definitely not numbers you want to see from your #3 and #4 hitters in the line up. Bautista has been showing some signs of life lately as he has been hitting the ball hard the last few games. His timing looked just off in April, but it appears it’s just a matter of time before he gets back to hitting at an all star level. I’m predicting a monster May and June for the slugging right fielder. As for Lind the same hopeful optimsim can’t be shared. As pointed out by Gregg Zaun on today’s Jays broadcast it appears Lind has lost his ability to hit the fastball on a consistent basis. A MLB player who struggles to hit the fastball is in big trouble. Lind may soon drop in the order and if he continues to struggle may lose some playing time to EE at 1st.

Bautista won’t hit .180 for much longer

Overall a solid month for the Jays. Being above .500 in a division of super powers is an amazing accomplishment in itself. What’s even more impressive is the Jays have this record while not having all the parts of the machine running optimally. If the starters can keep doing what they’re doing and the defence keeps doing what they’re doing the Jays will be fine. The bats will come around and the ‘Pen will mesh and settle down. There’s no rush or anything… I mean there’s only 6 months left in the season ;)

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March 28, 2012

Blue Jays 2012 Season Preview

By nalstradamus

The Blue Jays will make the playoffs this year. There I said it. Am I nuts? I don’t think I’m that far off base. Ignore the fact they are a MLB best 21-4 in spring training…ok, maybe you can’t fully ignore that ridiculous record. Up and down the roster is strong. They also have a huge stockpile of prospects in the minors that they could use as trade bait to land important free agents to push them even closer to playoff contention. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, they are still in the toughest division in all of baseball. However, the Yanks and Red Sox are aging and showing some chinks in the armour and the Orioles are still horrible. The Rays are dangerous though and winning in Tampa this year will be key if the Jays have playoff aspirations (they have historically stunk at the Trop). I’m going to give my breakdown on the team below and maybe you too will become a believer.

Starting Pitching

1) Ricky Romero

2) Brandon Morrow

3) Brett Cecil

4) Henderson Alvarez

5) Dustin McGowan (may start season on DL with foot injury)

Henderson Alvarez (Photo From David Cooper/Toronto Star)

As with all teams, starting pitching will be the most important part of the team’s success. The Jays rotation is likely the weakest part of the entire roster. Ricky Romero is the unquestioned ace of the staff and has been improving yearly. Brandon Morrow has elite talent but has yet to piece it all together to be a consistent arm start after start. Brett Cecil had an awful year last season starting with a significant drop in velocity and his eventual demotion to the minors. Henderson Alvarez is a 22 year old flame-thrower  that had a cup of coffee with the club last year starting 10 games to close out the season. Alvarez has electric stuff, but needs to work on his off speed pitches to keep the fastball loving AL East beasts off balance. Dustin McGowan was the feel good story of the year last year after he successfully returned to the majors after several surgeries and seasons of rehab. There is no guarantee that his surgically repaired arm will be able to handle a consistent workload, but there is no denying he still has solid stuff.

There have been rampant rumours that Alex Anthopoulos (AA) is looking to add another arm or two to this list. I do believe that the above rotation as it stands would not be strong enough to push the Jays into the playoffs. Something likely will be done via the trade route. Possibly a package deal involving Travis Snider and a minor league prospect would be enough to lure a 2nd or solid 3rd starter.

Bullpen

Closer: Sergio Santos

Set up men: Jason Fraser, Francisco Cordero

Lefty specialist: Darren Oliver

Middle Relief: Casey Janssen, Luis Perez

Long man: Carlos Villanueva

Sergio Santos will look to improve upon the Jays 25 blown saves from last season. Photograph by: John Lott, The National Post

The ‘Pen last year was atrocious and thus was a major focal point in the off season for AA. 3 key additions were added in Santos, Cordero and Oliver. Santos brings an intimidating, fireballing, strikeout threat to the closer role that the Jays fans haven’t seen since maybe Billy Koch. Cordero is also a power arm that has over 300 saves in his career. Oliver is a seasoned vet that has had a sub 3.00 in the last 4 seasons and is as dependable as it gets for left handed specialists. The bullpen overall will look to improve upon the 25 blown saves from last season. If the Jays were able to convert on half of those blown saves last season they would likely have been a playoff team. The bullpen should be a strength this year rather than a weakness.

Outfield

Left Field: Eric Thames

Centre Field: Colby Rasmus

Right Field: Jose Bautista

The battle of the spring was for the starting left field spot between Thames and Snider. With Thames winning this battle it all but seals the end of Snider’s days with the Jays. Thames showed he could mash last year hitting 12 bombs in 95 games. He was a liability on defence last year, but he has worked hard in the offseason and looks capable in the field so far in the spring. Colby Rasmus was an exciting pickup by the Jays, a highly touted prospect that fell out of favour with the St. Louis Cardinals. By all accounts a rare 5 tool player that needed a change in scenery. Rasmus struggled last year, but the talent is there and the Jays have worked their magic on another disgruntled young player in Yunel Escobar so there’s no saying they can’t do the same with Rasmus. What more is there to say about Joey Bats? The 2 time defending HR champ, a solid fielder and leader in the club house. I forever blashphamized myself as a Jays fan when I skipped Bautista at pick #5 of my fantasy pool in favour of Troy Tulowitzki. You know I didn’t mean it Joey…always love.

Can Jose Bautista win another HR title? (FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS)

Infield and DH

3B: Brett Lawrie

SS: Yunel Escobar

2B: Kelly Johnson

1B: Adam Lind

C: JP Arencibia

DH: Edwin Encarnacion

Brett Lawrie is a stud (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

There are no doubts to who will be the starters this year in the infield. This is stark contrast to last year where there was a revolving door at 3B and a struggling Aaron Hill at 2B. I’m not going to hype up Brett Lawrie anymore since I’ve already professed my love here, here and here. Yunel Escobar is a gold glove caliber SS and a solid hitter at the plate as well. Adam Lind was surprisingly competent in the field at 1B last year, but he continues to be inconsistent at the plate especially against lefties. Arencibia had a solid first full year behind the plate and showed tremendous power knocking out 23 dingers. He will look to improve upon a paltry .219 average and also on his game calling and throwing. Kelly Johnson had solid power numbers for the 2nd straight season (21 jacks), but will look to cut down on his whiffs (163 k’s) and get on base more frequently (.304 OBP). Edwin Encarnacion ended last season on a tear hitting .291, 11 homers and 7 steals in the 2nd half. Double E has teased us before with flashes of potential, but I think this season is the season he puts it together and puts in a .280, 25 HR, 85 RBI type of year.

My prediction for the Jays this year is that they will win 91 games and the 1st wild card in the AL. Some other predictions:

- Joey Bats leads the league in home runs

- Brandon Morrow throws a no hitter

- Sergio Santos, Joey Bats and Ricky Romero make the All-Star team

- Brett Lawrie goes 20/20 (20 jacks and 20 steals)

- John Farrell wins AL coach of the year

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January 25, 2012

Catch Up Time

By nalstradamus

This is the longest stretch of time between blog postings since I started this blog (11 days). So many things have happened in the world of sports I don’t know where to start. I think to make things easier on my wee little fingers (and your eyes) I’ll stick to point form. I’m going multi-sport today so let’s do this.

Hockey

1) Boston Bruins visit White House on January 23…well most of them did

- The lone hold out was star goalie Tim Thomas

- The snub was due to Tim Thomas not being a fan of Barack Obama

- In my opinion the snub was awful, I’m not getting into political opinions here, I’m talking about team solidarity and leadership

- There were probably other ways he could voice his opinion, a random tweet after the visit maybe?

- This was a team event, a special one for most if not all on the team, to me it looks selfish belittling this invite and taking away from a special day for his team

White House Snubber

2) Alexander the Great’s 3 game suspension and all-star game snubbedry

- Suspension? Yup, warranted

- Snubbing fans that voted for you and want to see you play? Weak

- To me it feels like a childish move by Ovie, kind of like a…fine, I’m not playing with you if you’re mean to me….situation

- The 2 time MVP’s stock has really dropped, if I’m Washington I’m starting to have doubts if he’s still the centre piece of your franchise

All-star game snubber

3) Detroit Red Wings and their ridiculous 17 game home winning streak

- I loathe to admit this, but the Wings are looking unstoppable right now (one of my buddies is a hardcore Wings fan…sigh)

- Mark your calendars for Feb. 23 when the Canucks visit Detroit…2nd best game of the season was their earlier match up only bettered by Boston vs. Vancouver

Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images

4) Pierre Gauthier losing his mind?

- It is ugly in Habs land these days

- Shipping off arguably their best player one day after that player raised a stink and getting little back in return was awful

- Apologizing for hiring a unilingual coach that hasn’t sparked the team at all is terrible

- Ridiculous rumours about trading away your best prospect in PK Subban is pure madness

- Looks like a full retooling is needed starting at the top with the GM and management

No Hab should feel safe

5) Cody Hodgson becoming a contender for rookie of the year

- Boy has this kid come a long way in a short amount of time

- Proving the haters wrong, they said he was slow, too small, etc. Instead, Hodgson looks quick, solid in his own end, great vision and a wicked shot

Rookie of the Year? Could happen

Baseball

1) The Prince is rich as a king

- 9 years and $214 million

- Caught me by surprise, had no idea the Tigers were even in the conversation

- Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder will be a nightmare two-some for AL pitchers

The Tigers have made Prince richer than rich

2) Blue Jays shore up bullpen, seem to be done shopping

- Janssen, Frasor, Oliver, Cordero, Santos…this bullpen on paper is extremely strong and should be better than the bullpen that was near tops in the AL in blown saves

- The big splash via top end starter or mid order power never materialized which may sadden some Jays fans

- However, the abundance of youth in the minors can be used as future chips to acquire the said pieces…if the Jays are in the playoff hunt

- The 3 year extension given to Morrow was a shrewd move by AA…could end up being a huge steal if Morrow can put consistency together with his ace-like stuff

Can Morrow finally put it all together this season?

3) Mariners and Yankees swap super prospects

- Power Pitcher (Pineda) for power hitter (Montero)

- This trade works well for both teams, Seattle needing pop in a weak hitting line up and the Yanks needing some youth in their aging rotation

- For me I think the Mariners will win this trade when all is said and done. They have plenty of arms in the minors to make up for Pineda’s loss, but a young bat like Montero is hard to find

Jesus Montero (Elsa/Getty Images)

Football

1) Championship games showcase heartbreaking defeats

- Billy Cundiff, Lee Evans and Kyle Williams have faced the wrath of angry fans for their miscues…Williams receiving death threats

- Lee Evans should be receiving the most heat…he had the win in his hands

- The Ravens may have seen their last chance at a Super Bowl go by with aging defensive stalwarts Ed Reed and Ray Lewis starting to see declines in skill level

- Great season by the 49ers, I’m sure not many expected them to be one win away from the Super Bowl. Coach of the year has to go to Jim Harbaugh

Kyle Williams and the fumble that sealed the 49ers fate

2) Super Bowl rematch

- Rematch of 2008 Super Bowl where the Giants upset the Pats coming in as 12 point underdogs

- This time around the Giants are just 3 point underdogs

- Are the Pats the luckiest team to ever make the Super Bowl? Seriously, how many teams with a winning record did they beat this year? That’s right…1…last week against the Ravens

- It’s going to be hard to bet against the Pats though…especially with this game being the ultimate revenge game

- Forget it…screw mystique and aura…I’ll take the Giants…for now. I may change my mind closer to game day…but for now this is my initial lean

Look out for #91 Tom Brady

3) Is Peyton Manning really done in Indy?

- Manning publicly expressed his displeasure with the vast overhaul the Colts are going through

- There still is no guarantee that Manning will even return to the NFL given his health issues

- If I were the Colts I think it’s time to start fresh and complete the rebuild by having a new face of the franchise

- Manning may win you more games than Luck would coming out of the gates, but really they would just be masking their problems which are immense on both sides of the ball

- The decision may come sooner than later with Manning due a $28 million bonus in March with the alternative allowing him to be a free agent

Could this be the end of an era in Indy?

Basketball

- …are they playing yet? Oh…nevermind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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December 21, 2011

Yu Who?

By nalstradamus

Photo by Reuters

The Texas Rangers were announced as the big winners of the Yu Darvish bid-off on Monday. The Rangers coughed up $51.7 million bucks to acquire just the rights to negotiate with the star Japanese pitcher. It likely will take another $75 million or more to get Darvish under contract. That’s a whopping $120+ million bucks to sign a guy who’s never thrown a pitch in the MLB. It’s a big gamble, but after losing staff ace CJ Wilson in free agency and with their division rivals in the Angels blowing all their money, the Rangers couldn’t just stand pat.

It was a bit of a surprise that Texas were the eventual winners of the bidding war because it was widely thought that the Toronto Blue Jays were going to be the winners. The Blue Jays rumoured victory and subsequent loss has caused a raucous within a growingly impatient Blue Jay fan base. Message boards have been littered with angry fan rants about how the Blue Jays have failed yet again to improve the team via big ticket free agent talent like others in their division seem to do year in and year out. Whereas others are now pleading for AA and the Blue Jays brass to use the Darvish money they were going to blow and go after Prince Fielder.

Losing out on Darvish was a winning scenario for the Jays. $120+ million on a player that’s never played in the bigs is just too risky. Darvish isn’t the first hyped pitcher to come out of Japan. Recent examples of Dice K and Kei Igawa are prime examples of pricey additions that have not worked out as advertised. Actually, can you name one Japanese star pitcher coming over to the MLB that has been worth the price? Hideo Nomo you say? Probably not a good choice, his average season in the bigs worked out to 13-12 and a 4.24 ERA.

Who didn't try and copy this wind up in Little League?

The Blue Jays cannot afford to have a $120+ million failure, especially with attendance numbers still not up to snuff. The Blue Jays do need front end of the rotation help and if the rumours are true it appears AA has his claws in other possible starters such as Gio Gonzalez and Matt Garza. I would take either of those 2 starters over Darvish in a heartbeat. Both are proven winners, both are fairly young, and both have reasonable contracts.

As for Prince Fielder…it would be a dream to have him and Bautista in the middle of the order. Unfortunately, it will only ever be a dream. The price tag is astronomical and I doubt Fielder has Toronto circled on his list of must have destinations. I still have a gut feeling that AA will be adding a big bat via the trade route. The Jays fans need to stay patient. I know it’s hard, but the team is headed in the right direction…In AA we trust.

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November 2, 2011

Blue Jays Year in Review

By nalstradamus

A great year of baseball has now come to a close and now it’s onto the busy offseason where teams will be overspending for talent and trading away their future for a shot at quick success. GM’s will be evaluating their pieces one-by-one trying to come up with the magic formula to bring them to the big dance. Lets do a review of our own and play a little armchair GM with Alex Anthopoulos and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rotation

Ricky Romero (CHARLIE RIEDEL/AP PHOTO)

Ricky Romero: A third straight year of progress for the ace of the staff. 15 wins and an ERA under 3 are solid stats and put Romero near the upper tier of AL pitchers. He has also steadily increased his innings each year with 225 innings this past year. He brings the tenacity and determination you want from an ace. Blue Jays pitcher of the year by far.

Brendan Morrow: Big things were expected from Morrow after his solid first year with the Jays. However, Morrow did not make big strides this year as thought and there were whispers during the year that possibly a move back to the closer role may be ideal. My personal opinion is that he would be better off in the rotation. It is rare to have a power arm in the rotation that the opposition fears and that can single handedly win the game for you. Getting ahead of hitters and cutting down on the walks will be the main focus for next year.

Brett Cecil: The year started off horribly for Cecil as his velocity was down and he was inevitably sent down to the minors to regain his form. He showed some flashes of talent upon his recall, but overall the year was disappointing as he finished the year 4-11 with a 4.73 ERA. His long term future in the rotation is cloudy at best with all the young guns in the minors getting closer and closer to MLB readiness.

Henderson Alvarez: Alvarez had a solid first 10 starts in the bigs and he likely has a spot in next year’s rotation. He has a power arm, but needs to develop his secondary pitches a bit more especially his slider if he will be truly effective. He could be special.

Dustin McGowan: The feel good story of the year for the Jays. McGowan overcame all odds to make it back to the bigs after overcoming what was widely thought as career ending injuries. His spot in next year’s rotation is far from guaranteed, but would be an amazing accomplishment if he was able to pull it off.

Kyle Drabek: A disappointing first season for the centre piece in the Roy Halladay deal. Walks were a problem all year for Drabek and they continued for Drabek after his demotion to the minors. The Blue Jays will give Drabek all the chances in the world to make the team and succeed. He has electric stuff and if he can get it all together he can be in the rotation next year and for many years after.

Off-season Plans: The Blue Jays will be actively searching for rotation help. There have been rampant rumours that they are also heavily interested in acquiring Japanese star Yu Darvish. The starting pitching free agent pool is not very exciting this year so AA may go the trade route to satisfy his needs. However, the Jays pitching talent pool is deep so he won’t be desperate to overpay for talent.

Infield

Brett Lawrie (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Brett Lawrie: Has any other Blue Jays prospect generated as much buzz and excitement as Lawrie? Probably not. His bat is clearly MLB ready and his compete level is something every team would kill for. Jays fans will be drooling to see what he can achieve in a full season.

Yunel Escobar: Escobar had a solid season both in the field and at the plate. He showed excellent plate discipline at the top of the order and could find himself there again next year. He did show the occasional mental gaffs, but it appears he is dedicated and focused under the tutelage of some of the vets like Jose Bautista. Will be the starting SS for many years to come barring injury.

Adam Lind: A hot and cold kind of season for Lind. When he was hot, he was scorching, but he also went through painful cold streaks. He likely will not return to .300 form like in 2009, but the power is still there. Is he the long term answer at first base? In my opinion no. He strikes out far too much and gets on base far too less (under .300 OBP in consecutive years).

2nd Base: To be determined. Kelly Johnson ended the year at 2nd for the Jays, but it’s not a guarantee that he will be back. The free agent pool is thin this year and there isn’t an up and comer in the minors. Johnson could be back, but he will be a temporary stop gap for the Jays until they can figure out a more permanent solution.

Edwin Encarnacion: EE is reportedly working on outfield skills this offseason. The Jays are likely to continue to give EE chances to succeed as he has shown flashes of potential in each of his years with the Jays. His future is not in the infield and he is probably better suited in a DH/4th outfield type of role.

Off-season plans: Obviously 2nd base needs to be addressed and I see the Jays bringing back Johnson for another go. The big question is will the Jays make a big splash and go for a big name first baseman. The Jays have repeatedly denied interest in any of the big names such as Fielder or Pujols. Another name that has been spinning about is Joey Votto. He is not a free agent, but there have been rumours that he is being made available for trade offers. The Jays would have to give up a lot of their prized possessions to have any hope of landing the Canadian. I would do it though in a heartbeat for Votto. I doubt the Jays have any chance at signing Pujols or Fielder.

Catcher

JP Arencibia (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

JP Arencibia: A solid rookie season for Arencibia at the dish with 23 HR and 78 RBI. The average left a lot to be desired (.219), but the Jays will take the 20+ HR’s and run production any day. Arencibia’s game calling and defence is still a work in progress. Arencibia doesn’t have much lee-way to fail as the Jays have Travis d’arnaud tearing up the minors behind JP. Something will eventually give here as d’arnaud won’t stay in the minors long and the Jays will not make either of these guys a back-up.

Jose Molina: Arguably the best back-up catcher in the league. An important mentor for Arencibia and virtually another coach on the bench for the Jays. His skills may be declining, but his influence in the clubhouse is priceless

Off-season plans: No changes here, my thoughts are that d’arnaud gets called up in September and is eventually the starter for the Jays in 2 years.

Outfield

Jose Bautista (FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS)

Jose Bautista: For the 2nd straight season Bautista is the MLB home run king and a Silver Slugger Award winner. There were doubts that he would be able to replicate his magical season of a year ago, but all he did was go out and have a better all around year this year. In my opinion right up there in the top 5 players in the league. He not only is a dangerous hitter, but also a feared defender with his cannon in right. The lucrative deal the Jays’ signed him to last offseason is looking like the deal of all deals right now.

Colby Rasmus: You have to wonder how Rasmus feels these days after seeing his former team win the World Series. It is widely thought that the trade between the Jays and the Cards involving Rasmus was the catalyst for the Cards late season surge into the playoffs and eventual World Series win. The talent for Rasmus is there, defence, power, speed…the whole package. It’s the heart and character that is questionable right now and if the Jays can do a Yunel Escobar intervention on Rasmus they may have their best centre fielder since Devo.

Eric Thames: Thames came virtually out of nowhere to thrust himself into the future plans for the Jays. A starting spot is not guaranteed for Thames, but it is his to lose. His defence is his weakest link, but he showed during the season he is willing to put in the extra time to improve. His future depends on the next guys future…

Travis Snider: A disastrous year for Snider last year. This year was thought to be his breakout year and instead it was a year of regression. It seems like he has been around forever, but he is still only 23 years old. His upside is arguably much higher than Thames’, but it’s uncertain if the Jays front office has much confidence in him any longer. Potentially a large trading chip for AA this off-season.

Off-season plans: I thinks the Bautista, Rasmus and Thames alignment is the one we will see on opening day, with Rajai Davis and EE rotating in here and there. I just a have a feeling Snider will be packaged along with some other prospects to land some big fish.

Bullpen

The Terminator

I’m not going to break this group down individually because the bullpen will be undergoing a complete teardown this offseason. The bullpen was by far the weakest part of the team this year. The Jays were tied for first in the AL with 25 blown saves, converting on only 57% of their save opportunities. Incumbent closer possibilities Frank Francisco is likely gonzo and Jon Rauch was bought out. There are a boat load of free agent closers this off-season highlighted by Papelbon, Madson and K-Rod. However, I don’t see the Jays blowing the bank on Papelbon and will likely instead go for middle to low tier options like Madson, Cordero or Broxton. AA will likely wait to add a big name closer once the team is closer to contention. So for now, the Jays and their fans will have to suffer through nervous ninths until the next Tom Henke or Duane Ward is brought in.

 

Blue Jays fans will need to have patience because the Jays are still a few years away from being serious playoff contenders. AA and his staff have laid out a sustainable plan to build a consistent winner not just a flash in the pan one year wonder. It will be interesting to see if AA continues to be patient this offseason or give in to the pressure and blow some $$$. In my opinion I hope he stays the course and in 2-3 years blow the $$$ to put the Jays over the top, like how Gillick did it with the 2 championship teams in the 90′s.

 

 

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