Comments on: Will Aaron Hill Have Option Picked Up and be in Opener for Jays? http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/ A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:16:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: D http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/comment-page-1/#comment-3559 D Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:47:10 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=6622#comment-3559 I agree with you that to commit to Hill for three years now is too much of a gamble. What is intersteing today however, is that Bautista has been named the team's right fielder. We don't want Encarnacion on third every day so, either they feel that Lawrie is ready, or there is a trade brewing for a third baseman. What about Michael Young? I agree with you that to commit to Hill for three years now is too much of a gamble. What is intersteing today however, is that Bautista has been named the team’s right fielder. We don’t want Encarnacion on third every day so, either they feel that Lawrie is ready, or there is a trade brewing for a third baseman. What about Michael Young?

]]> By: thevolkster http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/comment-page-1/#comment-3509 thevolkster Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:47:29 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=6622#comment-3509 I think that Hill will have a subsatntialy better year at the plate after last year and how bad that was. They have made sure that he is fully healthy and they won't rush and if they think he needs more time at the plate to practice his timing they will start him on the DL. I think that Hill will have a subsatntialy better year at the plate after last year and how bad that was. They have made sure that he is fully healthy and they won’t rush and if they think he needs more time at the plate to practice his timing they will start him on the DL.

]]> By: Dan McGee http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/comment-page-1/#comment-3506 Dan McGee Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:15:14 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=6622#comment-3506 Jays will also pick up two years after the world series. Sorry lost my train of thought. Jays will also pick up two years after the world series. Sorry lost my train of thought.

]]> By: Dan McGee http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/comment-page-1/#comment-3505 Dan McGee Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:06:21 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=6622#comment-3505 I can't believe people do not have more faith in Hill. Not only will he bat no lower than 5th in the line up, he will have the kind of season that will make 8 million a season a steal. I also sold a stock today that had been languishing for 3 months and it went up 30% after I sold so I don't know if I would pay any attention to this post. I will however promise to shamelessly post I told you so all year if I am right. I swear. Power hitting second basemen are hard to come by just as much as good stock advice. I can’t believe people do not have more faith in Hill. Not only will he bat no lower than 5th in the line up, he will have the kind of season that will make 8 million a season a steal. I also sold a stock today that had been languishing for 3 months and it went up 30% after I sold so I don’t know if I would pay any attention to this post. I will however promise to shamelessly post I told you so all year if I am right. I swear. Power hitting second basemen are hard to come by just as much as good stock advice.

]]> By: John D http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/comment-page-1/#comment-3500 John D Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:12:41 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=6622#comment-3500 Hill started today at 2B... Hill started today at 2B…

]]> By: Steve http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/comment-page-1/#comment-3497 Steve Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:17:50 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=6622#comment-3497 I start getting anxious for the season to begin some time in mid-November, so I understand people who want to see their favourite players go north with the club right out of ST. Idealy, Hill will play 2B in the home opener. But if he's not ready, the Jays have reasonable options until he is ready and it's no big deal. Hill's backups are McDonald and McCoy. Like last year, McCoy is the 25th man and will be up and down between Toronto and Las Vegas. Woodward, IMO, was brought in for depth at Las Vegas when McCoy is in Toronto. As far as Hill's future. After 2010, there is no way the Jays pick up all 3 years. But Hill should bounce back enough to warrant picking up the 2 year option. '09 was a huge year for him, but it wasn't a one-off year. He was a pretty good player before that, which is why the Jays signed him to his current contract well before his '09 "breakout". Unless Hill declines even further in 2011, you don't let Hill go. Collecting draft picks and prospects is good, but you do it in the hopes of getting a player like Hill - and most prospects never make it. As long as you can expect the player to continue providing good value, you keep that player. I start getting anxious for the season to begin some time in mid-November, so I understand people who want to see their favourite players go north with the club right out of ST. Idealy, Hill will play 2B in the home opener. But if he’s not ready, the Jays have reasonable options until he is ready and it’s no big deal. Hill’s backups are McDonald and McCoy. Like last year, McCoy is the 25th man and will be up and down between Toronto and Las Vegas. Woodward, IMO, was brought in for depth at Las Vegas when McCoy is in Toronto. As far as Hill’s future. After 2010, there is no way the Jays pick up all 3 years. But Hill should bounce back enough to warrant picking up the 2 year option. ’09 was a huge year for him, but it wasn’t a one-off year. He was a pretty good player before that, which is why the Jays signed him to his current contract well before his ’09 “breakout”. Unless Hill declines even further in 2011, you don’t let Hill go. Collecting draft picks and prospects is good, but you do it in the hopes of getting a player like Hill – and most prospects never make it. As long as you can expect the player to continue providing good value, you keep that player.

]]> By: John Havok http://jaysjournal.com/2011/03/22/will-aaron-hill-have-option-picked-up-and-be-in-opener-for-jays/comment-page-1/#comment-3496 John Havok Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:47:35 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=6622#comment-3496 Hill is a tricky situation because even if he provides an average bat, his defense is good enough to provide enough value to warrant an 8 million per year contract. The problem with Hill as you referenced in your articles in injury risk. On one side, the risk with Hill at this point more than warrants the declining of the 2014 option for 10 million, but realistically if the Jays are starting to compete for a playoff spot in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, a guy like Aaron hill might be a pretty nice piece to have for that year. 10 million for a GG calibre 2b (assuming he still is GG calibre at that time) with average bat in 2014 will surely be not a bad contract either. If he's hitting well, he would certainly get more than that on the free agent market and the Jays potentially might not be able to retain him if they've declined that option for 2014. Things to consider from the Jays POV, who else is going to be around at that time? Will hech be ready to play SS full time? Escobar is currently a free agent after 2013 as well so would be be extended, pushing Hech to 2nd with (hopefully) Lawrie at 3rd? Or is that something that can't even really be considered since we have no idea if hech will even make it to the bigs and Lawrie can even stick at 3rd. Kind of a "bird in the hand worth 2 in the minors" if you will forgive the pun. I think valid arguments can be made for both sides to keep Hill all the way through 2014, and arguements can be made to have that option declined and go year by year until 2013. Hill is a tricky situation because even if he provides an average bat, his defense is good enough to provide enough value to warrant an 8 million per year contract.

The problem with Hill as you referenced in your articles in injury risk. On one side, the risk with Hill at this point more than warrants the declining of the 2014 option for 10 million, but realistically if the Jays are starting to compete for a playoff spot in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, a guy like Aaron hill might be a pretty nice piece to have for that year. 10 million for a GG calibre 2b (assuming he still is GG calibre at that time) with average bat in 2014 will surely be not a bad contract either. If he’s hitting well, he would certainly get more than that on the free agent market and the Jays potentially might not be able to retain him if they’ve declined that option for 2014.
Things to consider from the Jays POV, who else is going to be around at that time? Will hech be ready to play SS full time? Escobar is currently a free agent after 2013 as well so would be be extended, pushing Hech to 2nd with (hopefully) Lawrie at 3rd? Or is that something that can’t even really be considered since we have no idea if hech will even make it to the bigs and Lawrie can even stick at 3rd. Kind of a “bird in the hand worth 2 in the minors” if you will forgive the pun.
I think valid arguments can be made for both sides to keep Hill all the way through 2014, and arguements can be made to have that option declined and go year by year until 2013.

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