May 1, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (2) gets back to second base on an overthrow to Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Maicer Izturis (3) in the first inning at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

That type of performance got me thinking, a scary thought I know, but true nonetheless. As impressive a span as that has been for Cano over the course of just half a season, where does it rank among the top single-season performances by batters against the Blue Jays.

Over the years, the Blue Jays have been torched by Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Jim Rice, Cecil Fielder, and Ken Griffey Jr. just to name a few. However great the seasons put forth by these luminaries of the bat, they do not rank among the greatest single-season victimizers of the Blue Jays.

5.) David Ortiz – Boston Red Sox – 2005

Ortiz hit a mighty .301 with 7 home runs, 9 doubles, 21 RBI, and a 1.119 OPS against Toronto during the Red Sox run to the World Series in 2004. However, he topped that in 2005, when he equalled those 7 home runs, set an opponents record with 24 RBI, posted a 1.164 OPS, knocked out 25 hits, and scored 13 runs in the process.

4.) Robin Yount – Milwaukee Brewers – 1978

Hall-of-Famer Robin Yount remains one of the most under-rated players in the history of the game, but his 1978 performance against the Blue Jays was not. The Jays struggled to get Yount out at all that season, as the then shortstop set an opponents mark with a .473 batting average, placed 6th in hits, 7th in OPS, and 4th in on-base percentage.

3.) Bobby Grich – California Angels – 1979

One year after Yount tortured the Toronto Blue Jays, Bobby Grich stamped his name into the official team killer list.In 1979, Grich would set the opponents standard for OPS (1.520) and slugging percentage (1.000) , while placing second in batting average (.455), tied for third in home runs (7), and tied for ninth in RBI (18) . Oh, and he did that in just 12 contests.

2.) Chris Davis – Baltimore Orioles – 2012

2012 was the year Chris Davis put his name back on the map. Unfortunately, he also used that season to tattoo the ball off of Blue Jays pitching. His 9 home runs in 2012 ties Manny Ramirez for the most ever in a single-season against Toronto. His 1.365 OPS that season also ranks 5th all-time by an opposing batter.

1.) Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox – 2011

During Ellsbury’s surprising 2011 campaign, the Boston center fielder was consistently ripping the ball off of every pitcher in his path. That was especially true that season against Toronto, where Ellsbury hit an astounding .420 with a 1.225 OPS in 87 plate appearances against the Blue Jays that season. That season ranks as the single-season high of 34 hits and 62 total bases by an opposing batter against the Blue Jays, and also set a opponents record of 22 runs scored.

February 24, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Gose (8) at bat against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In a corresponding move, the team has optioned right-hander Mickey Storey back to Buffalo.

The 22-year-old Gose will be getting his second taste of Major League action, after appearing in 56 games with the Blue Jays in 2012. During that cup of coffee, the speedy outfielder hit .223 with a .622 OPS and 15 stolen bases in 189 plate appearances.

Gose created quite a stir in Spring Training, where he hit .267 and had an .804 OPS. However, he has thus far struggled a bit at Triple-A Buffalo, where he was hitting a measily .227 with 41 strike-outs in 183 plate appearances at the top of the Bisons’ order.

At the present time, the recall of Gose looks like it is more of a result of needing a bigger bench, especially with Melky Cabrera still nursing sore hamstrings. However, one would have to assume that the Blue Jays don’t want Gose to stay up for long if he is not going to get consistent at bats either.

Still, it is finally good to say that we are no longer rocking the 8-man bullpen and have some badly needed bench depth. Additionally, Gose’s presence will help interject some excitement into a fan base that badly needs something new to cling to.

Apr 12, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes (7) steals second base in the sixth inning against Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) in the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Well, we can start counting down toward that answer.

As reported by Gregor Chisholm, Reyes has been steadily progressing in his recovery from a severe ankle sprain, suffered on April 12th, and is starting to ramp up his rehabilitation.

With the walking boot now removed, Reyes joined the team in New York for stretching and throwing. He has also begun hitting off a tee and could begin running again by the end of next week.

That’s good news for Toronto, as that puts Reyes on target for a end of June return to the Blue Jays. He’ll return sporting a .395 batting average, a .991 OPS, and an innate ability to create havoc on the basepaths, all of which the Jays have missed in the lead-off spot since Reyes’s injury.

What will be an interesting will be the impact of a Reyes return on the remaining infielders on the roster. None of the current trio of Munenori Kawasaki, Emilio Bonifacio, or Maicer Izturis have been a revelation in the middle of the diamond, especially Bonifacio and Izturis, who have struggled immensely this season.

Kawasaki has endeared himself to the fan-base, but a quirky personality doesn’t always translate to roster security either. And while I personally would have no issue with the loss of either Izturis or Bonifacio, but their track records and salaries suggest that neither is likely to go anywhere. Still, I can’t imagine the backlash over cutting Kawasaki either.

Regardless, the return of Reyes would be welcomed, even if it truly is over a month away. If these current Blue Jays can build on their current run, that will make his return that much more meaningful to the 2013 result.

And in my mind, that is what we are still playing for right, 2013?

May 14, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie (13) doubles against the San Francisco Giants in the eighth inning at the Rogers Centre. Toronto defeated San Francisco 10-6. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

As they say, there’s no rest for the wicked.

We’ll get started by pimping one of our own. Staff Writer Travis Bateman made his PodCast debut last night, joining Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard for a series preview of this weekend’s match-up with the Yankees.

Next we’ll slide over to SI.com’s Extra Mustard, where Brett Smiley discusses 16 Reasons to Treasure Blue Jays shortstop Munenori Kawasaki. Judging by the SEO title, it was once going to be 18 reasons, but we can forgive Smiley for missing a pair. In the post, he’s got some excellent videos and GIFs that showcase the eccentricity of our favorite fill-in.

Token Quote:

“The WAR-mongers has not developed a number for it but it is obvious that no one is more suited to twirling bats, talk to his helmet, do a Lo Viste-Bow, or mount a teammate, than Munenori Kawasaki.”

Over at Bluebird Banter, Woodman663 takes a look at Jays’ prospects Ryan Schimpf and Christian Lopes and the art of walking.

Token Quote:

Lopes’ five walks to twenty-seven strikeouts are not pretty, but there’s still the question whether it’s a product of bad plate discipline or bad pitch recognition.

From a future third baseman to a current one, we swing on to John Lott at the National Post, who examines how Brett Lawrie‘s process of trying to right his swing by examining his hands. As Lott notes, the changes are starting to show, as Lawrie is starting to hit the ball hard again. Now, if he could just solve that pesky BABIP issue…

Token Quote:

Over the past week, however, Lawrie has begun to find his groove, the result, at least in part, of a lot of early work with hitting coach Chad Mottola. Even before the hits started falling in, he was hitting balls hard into outs.

To wrap things up, we finish over at at the Globe and Mail, where Jeff Blair figures that the Blue Jays have just 22 games to rescue the season. Given their start, that sounds about right, in at least the sense that they cannot continue to drag their feet over the next 22 games. They’ll have to play consistently throughout the remainder of the year if they have any hope of the postseason though.

Token Quote:

Even if you leave aside the fun-sucking websites that reveal your team’s chances of making the playoffs as just this side of impossible, the early burial means the Blue Jays effectively do not have their destiny in their own hands.

May 6, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons (5) in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With the Blue Jays currently on a four-game winning streak, the masses should finally be starting to feel better, and with it the scribes among us will be churning out more and more content in order to feed that euphoria.

Let’s get started shall we?

Over at The Blue Jays Dugout, where we have a cautionary tale about how not to approach your favorite players at a signing, in this case Jesse Barfield.

Token Quote:

I immediately looked like the crazy dude who brought his entire baseball collection to get signed. And it doesn’t matter what you say, or what your intentions are. When a woman with a clip board asks you to “move along”, you instantly look like a doofus.

Next we move over to Evan Peaslee at BlueJays.com, who talks about Melky Cabrera‘s desire to keep playing through the hamstring issues he’s currently going through. Oh, and if anyone is looking for a sign that we all make proof-reading mistakes…

Token Quote:

The injury was more confirmation than anything for the Blue Jays as Cabrera will continue to play through the injury.

From there we’ll jump on over to our friends at MLB Trade Rumors, who did a round-up of some of the better catching prospects in the game. In the piece, Marc Hulet discusses how the Blue Jays were once an envy of catching depth, but after recent trades to bolster the rotation, that depth is thinning. Still, we have the likes of A.J. Jimenez and Santiago Nessy to look forward to, but where is Josh Thole in this conversation?

Token Quote:

Nessy received his first full-season assignment in 2013 and was off to a respectable start before suffering a concussion while trying to breakup a double play at second base. He has plus raw power and has made huge strides on the defensive side of his game.

From a site proliferated by rumors to another more grounded in reality, we move on to Bluebird Banter next. Tom Dakers does a great job of breaking down just what we love and hate when it comes to having John Gibbons as a manager. No doubt that the Toronto manager is polarizing in that fans can’t decide if they like him or not, so Daker’s piece summing up both sides is apt.

Token Quote:

I hate the 8-man bullpen. Hate is too soft a word. Buffalo is just a couple of hours away, if we need a pitcher, if the bullpen does get over used, we can get someone up in a hurry.

And to wrap things up, and to segway from Daker’s quote above, we’re going to move on to Andrew Stoeten at Drunk Jays Fans. Stoeten is always dialed into the pulse of the Blue Jays nation and he catches everything on Twitter. Yesterday, he caught an interesting tweet which seems to indicate that Jeremy Jeffress is on his way back to Toronto. The key question is…why?

Token Quote:

Uh… Brad Lincoln getting shipped back down to the minors, then? Mickey Storey getting D’d FA?

Either one of those moves seems about right, I’d figure. And no offence to those guys, but that sounds way preferable to another damn injury.

Mar 5, 2013; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Emilio Bonifacio (1) singles on a bunt against the Baltimore Orioles during the bottom of the first inning of a spring training game at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

We’re back with you for round two between the San Francisco Giants and the Toronto Blue Jays, and we’re coming off of another winning note, as the Blue Jays won Tuesday night’s game 10-6. And what a win it was, with Toronto banging out 18 hits in the game and going 8 for 17 with runners in scoring position. Staff ace R.A. Dickey put together a solid night, striking out 10 over 6 innings of work.

The game was not nearly as close as the score indicated, as San Francisco struggled to get anything going until Brad Lincoln came in and surrendered 4 runs over 1.2 innings. Something tells me Mr. Lincoln and his 6.52 ERA and his 7.4 BB/9 ratio would not be long for this roster if it were not for the prolonged absence of Sergio Santos.

Tonight’s match-up has a little bit of spin to it, as Ramon Ortiz is getting the start in place of Brandon Morrow, who again was pushed back, this time to Saturday. Ortiz was, well, sufficient in his last outing, throwing 5 innings against the Red Sox and surrendering only 1 earned run despite walking 5 and giving up four hits in the process.

He’ll be opposed by Ryan Vogelsong, who seems to have the magic powder wearing off his fairy-tale return. After 7 starts, Vogelsong has a 1-3 record with a 7.78 ERA. His two starts in May have been horrific, with the right-hander being ousted before the fifth inning in each start after surrendering 7 earned runs and 6 earned runs against the Dodgers and the Braves respectively.

Here are tonight’s starting line-ups, courtesy of the Blue Jays and Giants respective Twitter accounts.

Blue Jays Line-up:

Tonight’s @bluejays lineup:Cabrera-LFBautista-RFEncarnacion-DHArencibia-CLind-1BLawrie-3BRasmus-CFBonifacio-2BKawasaki-SSOrtiz-P

— Blue Jays-Official(@BlueJays) May 15, 2013

Giants Line-up:

Tonight’s #SFGiants lineup: Pagan cf, Scutaro 2b, Sandoval 3b, Posey DH, Pence rf, Belt 1b, Blanco lf, Quiroz c, Crawford ss, Vogelsong p

— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) May 15, 2013

And while we’re plugging away on Twitter, perhaps some news and notes about the Blue Jays while we’re at it.

Here’s a shot of the J.P. Arencibia bobblehead for July the 7th…

.@jparencibia9 bobblehead that will be given to first 20,000 fans on July 7 when @bluejays take on #Twins. twitter.com/BlueJays/statu…

— Blue Jays-Official(@BlueJays) May 15, 2013

The Griff let’s us know that Emilio Bonifacio is working on his bunting this afternoon, which comes with a loud echo of “DUHHH” from those in the Blue Jays fan base.

Emilio Bonifacio out early with Dwayne Murphy working on bunting. #bluejays It’s a skill he should have mastered with his speed.

— Richard Griffin (@RGriffinStar) May 15, 2013

Alright, see you all around game time!

Sep 21, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dustin McGowan (29) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

According to John Lott at the National Post, the 31-year-old McGowan is finally ready to begin a Minor League rehab assignment and has been assigned to the Dunedin Blue Jays. The Blue Jays own website is somewhat cryptic on the matter though, as they are reporting McGowan has been assigned to both Dunedin and New Hampshire, although Dunedin seems more likely at the time.

The Blue Jays are likely to be very careful with McGowan and are expected to utilize the full 30-day window they have at their disposal. The plan for now is to transition McGowan to a bullpen role, which should help reduce the workload on his arm and allow him to return to the Major Leagues in a role the club currently has a need for.

Once that 30-day window is up, the Blue Jays will have to assess whether McGowan is ready to join the 25-man roster or the team will have to expose him to waivers, as he is out of Minor League options.

McGowan did make one appearance this spring, throwing one scoreless inning on March 26th against Pittsburgh. Since then, he has been in extended spring training, working on his arm strength.

McGowan owns a lifetime record of 20-24 with a 4.80 ERA and a 7.3 K/9 ratio. He enjoyed his best season in the Major Leagues in 2007, posting a career-high with 12 wins over 27 starts, with a 4.08 ERA and 144 strike-outs in 169.2 innings pitched.

Four times in his Minor League career, McGowan ranked at a top-100 prospect according to Baseball America, peaking at #18 in the pre-2004 list. However, a series of shoulder and elbow injuries have kept him from fully realizing his potential.

McGowan is under contract through the 2014 season, and the Blue Jays hold a $4 million team option for the 2015 season with a $500k buyout.

UPDATE: Dustin McGowan made his first appearance of 2013 in Dunedin on Tuesday night. In 1 inning against Fort Myers, McGowan allowed 1 hit and struck out the side in a scoreless outing.

August 11, 2012; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Adeiny Hechavarria (3) throws out New York Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher (not pictured) at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent piece from Baseball America’s Ben Badler citing the top 10 international prospects, the scribe notes that Toronto is in the top 10 pool allotment with more than $3 million to spend in the process.

Badler also notes that Toronto is currently the front runner to land Venezuelan shortstop Yeltsin Gudino.

According to Scout.com, Gudino has a small frame, standing at 6ft tall and weighing only 155 pounds. That’s good, as it means the slender shortstop has room to grow, projecting for more power and strength as he fills out.

Gudino has an advanced feel for hitting for a young player under 17, although his power is somewhat minimal now due to his frame size. Scouts do feel that he could improve that with added strength, something that a signing team would likely work with him to build.

Here is what MinorLeagueBall.com had to say about Gudino’s hitting approach:

He hits from an open stance and employs a toe-tap trigger. His setup begins with an open stance, hands high and close to the body, and there is a slight bat wrap in his swing. Mostly a linedrive hitter, Gudino has very good bat speed, and shows some power to the pull side.

His fielding is rated as solid, with a plus arm and a solid feel for the position. Over the long term, he projects to stay at the position, which says a lot for how he grades out as a fielder. However, he does lack natural footspeed, which may inhibit his ability to add range long-term. However, a strong understanding of the game and positioning could help make up for that lack of range.

A disciple of Carlos Guillen, MinorLeagueBall compared Gudino to Rich Aurilia long-term, although I’m not sold on Gudino displaying Aurilia’s power, but may project as a better fielder.

As of mid-March, Scout.com expected Gudino to slot in with a $1 million signing bonus. That may be a lot for a player that currently doesn’t rank above a 60 in any of the standard scouting reports. Still, he’s young, has an advanced understanding of the game and how to approach hitting, and he projects to be a shortstop long term. That may be worth the risk.

May 5, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) follows through on his home run swing against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees

- Despite the team’s continued ability to win despite the injuries, all is not good in Yankeeville. According to ESPN New York, there was a small spat between future Hall-of-Famer Mariano Rivera and fellow reliever Joba Chamberlain on Saturday. Chamberlain apparently took offense when Rivera asked Chamberlain and his family to keep their voices down when Rivera was being intereviewed. I’m sorry Joba but when the Sandman tells you to shush, you shush.

- The Yankee injury train may finally be returning to the station, as the first of the injured stars are set to return according to PinStriped Bible. Outfielder Curtis Granderson, who has been out since getting plunked on the arm in the team’s first spring training game (by J.A. Happ no less), is expected to rejoin the team on Tuesday. So much for taking advantage of the Yankees while they were down and out huh?

Baltimore Orioles

- Young third baseman Manny Machado has been one of the better stories in baseball this season, so much so that some people are trying to point out out that Machado belongs in a more elite class of players. Cole Stevenson at Opposing Views makes a good point that Machado, 20, deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as other elite youngsters Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. A .323 batting average, 28 runs, 24 RBI, and a .876 OPS from a 20-year-old that never played an inning at Triple-A should be enough evidence to get that discussion started.

- With top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy on the shelf and the Orioles pitching staff struggling, it may be another rookie that makes the jump. MASN points out that righty Kevin Gausman (MLB.com 36th ranked prospect) is making his case at Double-A Bowie. Despite a 1-4 record, Gausman is posting a strong 3.35 ERA and a 8.9 K/9 ratio. What is even more impressive is that Gausman has walked just 4 batters in 40.1 innings this season.

Tampa Bay Rays

- The Tampa Bay Rays are pushing themselves back into the division picture after a solid week, and as usual, they are doing it with surprisingly solid performances from bargain-basement pitching. As MLB Trade Rumors points out, that may bode well for Roberto Hernandez, the man formerly known as Fausto Carmona. After signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Rays to boost his value, Hernandez has enjoyed some mixed results thus far, posting a 1-4 record with a 4.66 ERA. However, his 9.1 K/9 ratio and his 2.7 BB/9 ratio show that his peripherals are strong., and an xFIP of 3.25 shows that better things may be coming.

- And you can’t talk about the Rays without discussing their available trade bait, as this piece from Bleacher Report does. With a seemingly unending train of pitching prospects to pull from, this piece points to the availability of both David Price and Jeremy Hellickson, and how they could be used to facilitate the team’s need for high-upside hitting prospects.

Boston Red Sox

- At one point, the Boston Red Sox had the problem of having too many closers, with both Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey on the roster. With Bailey already on the DL with a biceps strain, the Red Sox announced on Saturday that Hanrahan will now miss the remainder of the season after electing to undergo surgery to repair his damage flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. That leaves Junichi Tazawa handling the closer duties until Bailey returns.

- Speaking of returns, the return to high production levels has at least one Boston area reporter questioning whether David Ortiz is on the juice. On Tuesday, the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnssey published a column where he justified accusing Ortiz of steroid usage because the player is a) Dominican, B) Coming back from injuries consistent with steroid usage, and C) getting better with age. That lead to an outpouring of racial stereotyping claims against Shaughnessy, by Ortiz (via CBSSports) and Shaughnessy’s cohorts in the media.

Weekly AL East Standings (Overall Standings)
New York 4-2 (22-13)
Baltimore 4-2 (22-15)
Boston 2-5 (22-15)
Tampa Bay 5-2 (18-18)
Toronto 4-3 (14-24)

May 6, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Darren Oliver (38) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

However, we are discussing a team that after 37 games is sitting 11 games below .500, 9.5 games out of a three-way tie for first place in the division, and has won just a single series this season.

The high hopes and World Series dreams of the winter seem like a distant memory in the wake of the unmitigated disaster that has been the 2013 Blue Jays season to date. There has been no evidence to the contrary that this team has the fire to put themselves back into the race, and as such, perhaps some changes need to be made.

But what kind of changes need to be made?

Obviously, the moves the Blue Jays made this off-season were designed to field a winner in Toronto and as such, it is perfectly understandable that there is some misgivings as to what this team needs to do to right the ship. The team has solid pieces in place, so the case could be made that the team is simply under-performing, but how long can that continue before a fire needs to be lit under the players to turn that around?

The injury bug has also had its say in the team’s current status. Two starting pitchers (Josh Johnson and J.A. Happ) are currently on the shelf, another one ailing (Brandon Morrow), and two struggling with being effective (R.A Dickey and Mark Buehrle). That’s left the team plugging in the likes of Ramon Ortiz, Aaron Laffey, and Ricky Romero to fill holes. Couple that with the loss of Jose Reyes and now the injury to Rajai Davis, and the depth that was supposedly built up this winter has been severely tested.

So the question comes, do the Blue Jays look to buy or do they look to sell?

If you scour the web, it appears that the overwhelming consensus – at least outside of Toronto – is that this team should look to sell movable pieces. Jon Heyman at CBSSports is citing Josh Johnson as an expected trade candidate, whereas the Tom Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors mentions that Darren Oliver could be a valuable chip to contending clubs.

Moving Johnson at this stage would likely net next to nothing for Toronto, either for this season or for the future. Johnson is a free agent after the season and has struggled immensely this season to the tune of a 6.86 ERA through 4 starts before heading to the DL. Without the promise of a compensatory draft pick on the table any longer, team’s won’t be looking to add Johnson at this stage unless he turns his season around upon return from the DL.

Meanwhile, Oliver could have more appeal, as a solid lefty bullpen arm is always being sought on the trade market. Also a free agent after this season, Oliver has against looked solid this season, despite his strike-out ratio being less than half of his 2012 mark. However, he’s not going to net the Blue Jays a world changer either.

Of the team’s regular, under-control players, only Colby Rasmus would appear to be a trade candidate at this time. A team could take a flyer on his potential again, but it would also be another case of the Blue Jays selling low on a player unless they can pair up with another team looking to ship off another player looking for a change of scenery to boost him up.

Either way, this is a team that definitely needs to make something happen, as the status quo is no longer good enough, and with each new day, the window of opportunity to turn it around is shrinking.

So, I put it to you loyal reader. Should the Blue Jays being buying, selling, or both?