2009 WAS an interesting season to say the least, as the Blue Jays "TRIED" to compete in the dangerous AL East.
Now in the offseason, the clock is ticking on the 2010 season.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Bleacher Report shares our faith!

Read an interesting article over at Bleacher Report and it sounds like the writer (Mark Dewdney) shares some of my optimism for the future of our team.

The general concept of the article is that with Bud Selig's pending retirement (before the 2012 season), Baseball will appoint a new commissioner to "fix" the little things wrong with our sport, such as the absence of a meaningful salary cap. Couple that with the idea that the Jays package of prospects received in an inevitable Roy Halladay deal will blossom around the same time (2012) and the Jays will be right in the mix for contention.

A couple things I don't necessarily agree with in the article:

1. "Players came here because of Pat Gillick, and they will come because of Alex Anthopoulous."

- Any kind of evidence to support this statement??

2. "Would you have signed with the Blue Jays in the last decade? You'd have to have been blind, which, incidentally, is what Halladay, Wells, and others are thinking when they look in the mirror."

- I guess A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Frank Thomas and everyone else were just blinded by the money J.P. threw at them. Last time I checked, the Blue Jays were a promising contender in 2006/2007 and if things broke the right way, they would have enjoyed a lot more success (thanks TJ surgery!).

- What the hell does Vernon Wells care?? He's getting paid to the tune of $126 million over 7 years. With the way he's been playing lately, he's lucky to be a starting CF on any major league team, let alone making the kind of money he's making. If he had signed that deal with the Yanks as a free agent and was putting up the kind of performance he is now, the Yanks wouldn't stand for it. He'd be DFA'd and released (only the Yanks have the ability to eat a contract THAT BAD).

3. "Roy Halladay is going to either the Yankees or Red Sox"

- As much as I HOPE this isn't true, Dewdney might eventually be right about this one, but for what it's worth it's like predicting Team Canada to win gold in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Real tough call there bud.

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Like I said yesterday, let's make this damn Halladay deal already and start getting excited about the future.

If Halladay is as good as gone, then make it happen already!!

Don't get me wrong, I love Roy Halladay, there aren't many other players in baseball I'd rather build a team around. If the proverbial "writing is on the wall" and Halladay will indeed be shipped for a package of prospects, then well.. let's have it already.

I'm sick and tired of thinking about the 2010 Jays, assuming that we will be without our ace. If it's going to happen, then at least give our fans those shiny young prospects to get excited about. Losing Doc will hut, no doubt.. but the it's better to make the move happen now and let the healing process begin.

Who could the Jays receive to provide a jolt of enthusiasm for their fans:

C Jesus Montero - Yankees

The 19 year-old, YES 19 YEAR-OLD, Montero hit a combined .337 between A-Tampa and AA-Trenton in 2009. A right-handed hitter, he slugged his way to a .562 mark with 17 HR and 70 RBI. His season was cut short though due to a broken finger and Montero played in just 92 games. In just 257 career games as a pro, Montero has launched 37 HR and posted 176 RBI, while hitting at a .325/.379/.509 clip.

At 6'4" and 225lbs, Montero was MLB.com's 40th ranked prospect coming into the 2009 season. The only question about Montero is if he has the ability to stay behind the plate long-term. Either way, Montero's bat would instantly make him the Jays top prospect, even for those who still consider Travis Snider prospect-eligible.

J.P. Arencibia, a player I hyped prior to the 2009 season, lost a bit of his luster this year after struggling a bit in AAA this year and the Jays could decide Montero is the guy they want to target as their long-term answer behind the dish. A lineup with a 2-6 consisting of Hill, Snider, Montero, Lind and Arencibia would provide the Jays with an outstanding core for the future.

The only con in acquiring a player like Montero is that the Jays wouldn't likely receive a top-level arm in the same package, and the Jays young rotation could still use a future ace. Whether or not that ace will develop amongst the Jays young nucleus (Romero, Rzepczynski, Cecil) is yet to be seen, but an injection of talent from an outside organization via a Roy Halladay trade almost seems like a necessity (no offence Chad Jenkins).

Solution?

SP Clay Buchholz - Boston

Buchholz has serious ace talent, just check his no hitter versus the Orioles on September 1, 2007. He's had trouble making the full-time leap to the BIG LEAGUES ever since however, posting a forgettable 6.75 ERA over 15 starts in 2008. Buchholz was back on his game in 2009 though, posting a 7-2 record with AAA-Pawtucket. Check his peripheral's: a 2.36 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over 99 IP. Certainly worth of another promotion, Buchholz again got his chance and performed admirably. He made his season debut on July 17th IN TORONTO and would make 16 starts for the Red Sox, going 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 92 IP. Buchholz definitely pitched better than his slightly bloated peripheral numbers show.

The Jays have certainly had their share of exposure to the young phenom, as he dominated them twice during an 8-game stretch in which he posted a 6-0 record. Fittingly after the stretch began by outdueling Jays ace Roy Halladay on August 19th @ Rogers Centre, they would finally put the wood to Buchholz, this time @ Fenway Park on September 29th (the 4th start he made against the Jays in '09) behind the first two of a three-homer game from Adam Lind. Subtract his last 2 starts of the year (this aforementioned one against the Jays and a stinker the next time out vs. the Indians) and Buchholz would have finished with a 7-3 record and a 3.21 ERA instead -->> A FULL RUN LOWER THAN HIS SEASON TOTAL.

He also rebounded to make a solid start in Game 3 of the Red Sox division series against the Angels, and should be ready for a full-time gig in 2010. The only question is where? Will it be behind Boston's duel aces of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester? Or will Boston go for a third ace, and include Buchholz in a Roy Halladay trade, leaving the youngster in the mix for the top spot in the Jays 2010 rotation?

These two young prospects appear to be the obvious big names the Jays might acquire, but that's obviously if they decide to dangle the best player our franchise has ever groomed into the shark-infested waters of the American League East.

Next, we'll take a look at some other potential players that the team could target to excite Jays fans for 2010 and beyond!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Feel good story from MLB.com (Aaron Hill)

Just finished reading a nice article on MLB.com about Jays' Silver Slugger Award Winner Aaron Hill providing a hitting lesson for two young fans.

Photo: (Sam Santos/Jays)

In connection with the Jays Care Foundation, the experience was offered during a live charity auction and raised $5,000 for the foundation.

Hopefully, Hill will continue to provide many "dividends" for the Blue Jays in 2010 and beyond.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Jays sign SS Alex Gonzalez..

No, not that one...

According to the Jays' MLB.com Beat Reporter, Jordan Bastian, the club has reached agreement with this Alex Gonzalez...


..on a one-year contract worth $2.75 million with a $2.5 million club option for 2011.

Gonzalez, 32, posted a .238/.316/.453 slash line last year, splitting the season between Cincinnati and Boston. He totaled 8 HR and 41 RBI in a little over 400 AB. It's evident by this signing, and the one yesterday, that the Blue Jays are attempting to shore up their infield defence the best they can for a 2010 season that will feature yet another relatively inexperienced pitching staff. Between Gonzalez and John McDonald, the Jays now have to defence-first infielders who can split time at SS while plugging any holes at either 2B or 3B.

Up Yours Paxton, Toss Off Eliopoulos!

Just read a very interesting article over at The Tao of Stieb, called James Paxton and Jake Eliopoulos are "Good Canadian Boys".

It would have been really interesting to watch these two talented Canucks rise through the Jays' system together. Instead, Jays fans will have to settle for the debut of first-round pick RHP Chad Jenkins in 2010.


Jenkins was selected by the Jays with the 20th overall pick and signed with the Jays on August 15th, 2009. The 21 year-old (1987-12-22) agreed to a contract with a $1.359 million dollar signing bonus. Here's an interesting article from Jenkins' Kennesaw State University website.

Here's a link to a complete list of the Jays' 2009 draft selections and their signing dates. Another noticeable player who didn't sign with the Jays was third-rounder (99th overall) RHP Jake Barrett. Skimming through some years of Jays' draftees and I just realized they drafted current A's prospect Brett Wallace in the 42nd round back in 2005. Wallace eventually signed with St. Louis after being selected 13th overall in the 2008 draft. Too bad we weren't able to get his name in some ink.

Although it's probably safe to write off Paxton and Eliopoulos, the Blue Jays selected LHP Brad Mills again in 2007 after failing to sign him in 2006. He was selected in the 22nd round in 2006 and elected not to sign. A year later Mills signed as a 4th round draft pick. Mills made his Blue Jays' debut in 2009, making two starts and posting an 0-1 record with a 14.09 ERA in two rough outings against the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Rotoworld's Blue Jays' Updates