Archive for February, 2010

We are all pretty certain that RP Jason Frasor is on the trade block and we have been told that the Cubs have show interest in both Frasor and Luke Gregerson. However, since the Padres are also expected to deal Heath Bell at some point in the season, it seems unlikely that the Padres would deal the heir to the closing throne there as well. With Cubs RP Angel Guzman ailing once again, it seems that the Jays may soon get the phone call they’ve been waiting for. Let’s assume for one second that the Jays simply can’t convince the [...]

Alex Anthopolous is staying true to his word, and in my opinion he has added 3 excellent pro scouts to the Jays scouting department. Sadly, we don’t get to see how much each is being paid – and none of the 3 have stated why they chose to join the Jays – but by all indications these 3 new members of Alex’s arsenal should fit right in with the new direction the club is taking. Here they are: Ed Lynch: a former Cubs GM from 1994 to 2000, has 33 years in Baseball. Ed will be working for Alex as [...]

I thought it would be interesting to take a peak at “what could be” in terms of the lineup the Jays could have in place by mid-season. To do the same for the rotation would be moot, there are just too many changes that could occur between now and then to get a good feel for what will be. After all, who would have predicted both Brett Cecil and Marc Rzepczynski would make an impact in the second half of 2009? So, I’ll leave the pitching until further on in the season, or at least until the season starts. To [...]

Apparently the Jays have shown more interest in Cuban defecting 1B Jose Julio Ruiz. It was just reported that he had a tryout “against members of the Blue Jays” and it was also added by his trainer that it would be his last before he signs. That either indicates that Ruiz will sign with the Blue Jays, or that they finally admitted to not seeing eye-to-eye on the value of a contract. Either way a decision should be made soon and it has been rumoured that if he is obtained, he would most likely begin the year in AA or [...]

For the skeptics who somehow believe that Alex Anthopolous did not get enough in return for Roy Halladay when he was dealt, and I think that’s a minority of Jays fans, consider this: if it were not for that deal, the Jays would have 0 top 100 prospects on BA’s annual listing – instead of that, they currently have 3 in 2010′s edition. I recommend the list to everyone, and it is available to everyone for free! Kyle Drabek got the highest ranking of the 3 prospects received in the Doc deals, placing 25th overall. He beat out prospects such [...]

Since all of the focus out there for Jays bloggers and analysts seems to be on the pitching questions that surround Jays spring training, I thought we should also look at who will make it onto the Jays bench this season. We know that the Jays usually keep 12 pitchers active on the 25-man roster, which leaves us with 8 starters, a DH, and four hitters on the bench. If they do decide to change anything it would be to keep 8 guys in the pen (may happen since some pen guys would be lost if they have to pass [...]

Does your son or daughter play T-Ball? Do you always end up being one of those dads or moms kneeling in front of that child tying up their laces over and over again? I’ve seen some dads and moms do this as many as 10 times in one 4 inning game! Well, do I ever have a solution for you. Some people I know have used this device and have fallen in love with it. Not only does it save them time in terms of tying shoes over and over again, but it prevents the game from being held up [...]

I have updated the Jays Draft Picks in the Draft Pick section of the site “Post Barajas”, so feel free to have a peak to see what the Jays have to work with. I’m especially interested as to who they may target with the 11th overall pick, so I thought I’d start there. I’ve looked over a bunch of site, read profiles, and tried to get a feel for what the draft has to offer. Here are the recurring names in no particular order, although I did leave Bryce Harper at the top since he seems most likely to go [...]

Dustin McGowan recently threw his 6th bullpen session without feeling any pain in his shoulder. Assuming that Dustin can be healthy when the season start, the Jays will have some really tough decisions to make. As it stands today, we can almost guarantee that Ricky Romero, Shaun Marcum, and Brandon Morrow will be in the rotation. That leaves Dana Eveland, Brett Cecil, Marc Rzpeczynski, Brian Tallet, Zach Stewart, and Zach Jackson competing for 2 spots. Competition and depth are always recommended when it comes to pitching, but when we add Dustin to that list we end up with 7 candidates [...]

Warning – this post is a bit of a rant, so if you’re a fan of the newest Jays signing, please avert your eyes. Before I begin to examine this signing, and before I look into all of the facts, I can tell everyone without a doubt that I am completely and utterly against this signing by the Jays. The concept makes sense – get a veteran catcher who can help guide young pitchers through their growth – but it goes completely against their “youth movement” and sets a precedent that scares me a little. Instead of handing the backup [...]