May 15, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Melky Cabrera (53) heads for first base against the San Francisco Giants at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Melky needing to DH some days will affect other players.

Emilio Bonifacio can play left field. Or Rajai Davis can play left if Melky’s hamstrings are still bothering him when Rajai comes off the DL. You’re going to sweat every time a ball is hit to left field with either of those guys so the Jays are going to have to find a way to manage around that.

The funny thing is giving Melky at bats as a DH creates a problem no one could have saw coming before the start of the season. Where do the Jays play Adam Lind?

You know Adam Lind right? The guy that was horrible for 3 straight years. But somehow has a 411 on base percentage right now. Before the season started if you knew Melky was going to spend some time as DH you wouldn’t hesitate to say just put Lind on the bench.

So with Lind being a productive player where do the Blue Jays put him when Melky DH’s?

Lind has past experience in left field. The key word there is past. Lind hasn’t played left field in many years so the Jays would be taking a big risk putting him there. But like mentioned earlier it’s not like Bonifacio or Rajai are gold glove outfielders.

If the Blue Jays really want to keep Lind in the lineup with Melky as the DH they could get really creative and have Lind play 1st base, put Encarnacion back at his original position 3rd base and hope Lawrie can handle 2nd base for the first time in the big leagues. But that scenario seems extremely unlikely.

Or Melky’s hamstrings could just get back to 100% sooner rather than later so the Blue Jays don’t have to deal with this problem for too long.

Apr 3, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey (43) and pitcher J.A. Happ (48) and pitcher Mark Buehrle (56) and pitcher Josh Johnson (55) look on from the top step of the dugout against the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre. The Indians beat the Blue Jays 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

This time around we hope to build off of perhaps our most complete game of the season: Timely hits, great pitching (though each pitcher seems to still have “the inning”) and the defense seems to have started to pick itself up off the trash heap. Can we keep it going? Well I hope so, though we are facing our dreaded nemesis, the Rays.

Mind you our dreaded nemesis seems to be going through the same rough patch of pitching and timely hitting and thus are also the only other team in the East with a losing record. James Loney has been leading the charge lately at the plate (Over his last 17 games played he has hit .528 (28-for-53)) This has raised his average to .398…yes I know…THAT James Loney. The pitching always seems to give Toronto fits, especially at Tropicana Field. The game matches up Tampa Bay’s No. 9 ranked American League offense (4.4 runs per game) against a Blue Jays defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 13 in the American League at 5.1 runs allowed per game.

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Mark Buehrle (1-2, 6.43 ERA) vs Jeremy Hellickson (1-2, 4.71 ERA)
Game 2: J.A. Happ (2-2, 3.98 ERA) vs Roberto Hernandez (1-4, 5.28 ERA)
Game 3: Ricky Romero (0-1, 6.75 ERA vs Matt Moore (5-0, 1.95 ERA)
Game 4: R.A. Dickey (2-5, 5.36 ERA) vs David Price (1-3, 6.25 ERA)

Game 1 should provide a boatload of offence considering the struggles of both Buehrle and Hellickson (who is 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA in six career starts against Toronto). After allowing four runs on nine hits in his last start he is looking to start their 10 game homestand with a win. Buehrle…well he has to stop lofting up tater bombs every game. 3 homers given up in each of the last two games is kind of a lot, even by Buehrle standards. Even if we don’t score first, Tampa has given up the lead in 11 of their 16 losses. This is definitely a Rays team still searching for who they are this season.

Game 2 features our most consistent starter against a man trying to find his own identity (after having to give up his false one…right Fausto?). If Happ can keep the walks to a minimum (SEVEN last game), he has as good a shot at this average offensive team. Since Fausto became Roberto it has not been smooth sailing for the 33 year old (we think 33). He has one quality start out of his last five and seems to have become just a mediocre rotation filler. He does have strikeout capability (30 Ks in 30.2 innings) but will it be enough?

Game 3 should be intriguing for two reasons. First off, Romero did ok in his first outing since changing his pitching mechanics. He had a sweet 1st time through Seattle’s lineup setting them all down through 3 innings but he ran into hit troubles in the 4th. If he can build off the first three innings then we may have a chance. If he can’t, this could be the game where you hide your hands over your eyes. Matt Moore has followed in the footstep of many Rays pitchers and is dominating the league in the early going. In 2012 he displayed flashes of his greatness and this season has put it all together. All-Star games and votes for the Cy Young await him if he continues to baffle hitters (41K in 37 innings and a 1.05 WHIP)

Finally Game 4 is a test of both staff aces. Dickey and Price are struggling. Dickey claims his injury is minor and perhaps it is. Unfortunately it seems to be affecting the way he pitches. He gave up a trio of home runs in the Seattle series. He also has a paltry 2-1 K:BB Ratio and I am starting to wonder if a DL stint would help. Let’s see how his knuckler dances under the Trop Dome. Aside from a public feud with umpire Tom Hallion, Price has not been his usual dominant self. His last start against the Rockies he gave up 9 runs for the first time in 4 years. His velocity is down as well so I wonder…arm trouble? This could be a great chance to lay a beating on the man.

Line-Ups:

The following are the probable line-ups for both squads:

Toronto Blue Jays:

1. 3B: Brett Lawrie
2. DH: Adam Lind
3. RF: Jose Bautista
4. 1B: Edwin Encarnacion
5. LF: Melky Cabrera
6. C: J.P. Arencibia
7. CF: Colby Rasmus
8. 2B: Maicer Izturis
9. SS: Munenori Kawasaki

Tampa Bay Rays:

1. CF: Desmond Jennings
2. RF: Matt Joyce
3. 2B: Ben Zobrist
4. 3B: Evan Longoria
5. 1B: James Loney
6. SS: Yunel Escobar
7. DH: Luke Scott
8. LF: Kelly Johnson
9. C: Jose Molina

We all know that both teams are struggling. This may be the best chance the Blue Jays have to salvage their season. If they can take 3 of 4 we are still in it. If we lose 3 of 4 we will be buried in the basement and all the percentages and hope wouldn’t seem to matter. If we want to get the proverbial monkey off our backs then we need to beat this Rays team. They are staggered in ways they never have before. Their offense was always suspect but the pitching held them and guided them over the years. This year it is a different story. Let’s hope we write a better ending.

The Final Word

The Blue Jays look lost from one game to the next, occasionally throwing a bone to the fans like Sunday’s slugging of the Mariners. Flashes of our potential is there. Don’t take Brandon Morrow going 8 innings yesterday as something to take lightly. It gave us a chance to rest some arms in the pen. If we can get through a couple turns through the rotation with quality starts, going deeper into games, then we might have a shot at redemption. The sun is out, the sky is blue, it’s beautiful and so are you…dear Blue Jays. Won’t you (finally) come out to play?

May 1, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) discusses a call at the plate with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman at the Rogers Centre against the Boston Red Sox. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The rest of the rotation and an average hitting team are what keeps the Mariners from moving up and challenging the A’s and potentially the Angels. When top prospects James Paxton (Canadian boy), Dannny Hultzen and Taijuan Walker rise up to replace Joe Saunders, Aaron Harang et al., this could be a team that could seriously contend for a division championship.

I figured I might as well lead with the Mariners since there is nothing new to be said about the Blue Jays. Pitching is mediocre in the rotation (7 walks by J.A. Happ last night was putrid), the old adage that hitting is contagious must also apply to NOT hitting because we don’t have one regular hitting above .255. That, my friends, is vile. Other than the bullpen, led by the perfect Casey Janssen, I am thoroughly disappointed. At least our defence seems to have settled down…there’s that…and ummm…hey Colby is up to .253. Yup…

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Felix Hernandez (3-2 .214 opp BAA) vs Ricky Romero (1st start)
Game 2: Hisashi Iwakuma (2-1, .160 opp BAA) vs R.A. Dickey (2-4, 4.50 ERA)
Game 3: Joe Saunders (2-3, 5.25 ERA) vs Brandon Morrow (0-2, 5.29 ERA)

If there is to be a saving grace for Game 1, it’s that Hernandez is 3-3 and has a 3.75 ERA against the Blue Jays lifetime. Mind you that stat is always bogus considering the players change so much from one year to the next but it’s something. If Romero can go 5 and the hitters can scrape together a few runs we may have a chance. Seattle hitters have provided their ace with 3.17 runs per game so far this year, hence the mediocre W-L record…which we mention every year it seems in regards to Hernandez.

Game 2 should be an interesting match-up. R.A. Dickey goes in with a slightly bum neck but is still cleared to play. I wish the blisters that have been bugging Iwakuma come back hardcore. Dickey should have a great shot at holding down the Mariners offence but Iwakuma has some stingy numbers folks. I mean SICK numbers. I see a pitchers duel in this one and a definite low scoring affair overall.

Game 3 should be the one truly no problem game of the lot. Joe Saunders is no longer a Diamondback, when he was at his best. He is now a Mariner who is 0-3 on the road with a bloated ERA of 12.51. Playing against your former team always seems to get players up and Brandon Morrow is no different. In 23.2 inning pitched against Seattle, Morrow has 32 Ks and a tidy 3.04 ERA. He is due for a brilliant start and this would appear to be the game to do it.

Line-Ups:

The following are the probable line-ups for both squads.

Seattle Mariners:

1. CF: Michael Saunders
2. 3B: Kyle Seager
3. DH: Kendry Morales
4. RF: Michael Morse
5. LF: Jason Bay
6. 1B: Justin Smoak
7. 2B: Dustin Ackley
8. C: Jesus Montero
9. SS: Robert Andino

Toronto Blue Jays:

1. 3B: Brett Lawrie
2. DH: Adam Lind
3. RF: Jose Bautista
4. 1B: Edwin Encarnacion
6. LF: Melky Cabrera
7. CF: Colby Rasmus
8. 2B: Maicer Izturis
9. SS: Munenori Kawasaki

I could decimate you with stats. Ok I WILL decimate you with stats: LAST in MLB in average (.228). 22nd in MLB in OPS (.690). 28th in MLB in Team ERA (4.72). 26th in MLB in BAA against (.268). Are we getting the picture? Hack the numbers to bits. The team is a mess. We needed that Boston series. Now we need this Seattle series. 2 out of 3 would be a great start since we have won only one series all season…cross your fingers. The time to worry is growing near.

The Final Word:

The all or nothing approach is failing fast. It may have worked for Chad Mottola in the minors where the pitching is more suspect but in the big leagues the pitching can leave us flailing or being too aggressive. There has been a bit more attention to longer at bats but then there are also a lot of called third strikes happening as well. I wonder if Mottola and Dwayne Murphy have the hitters confused as to what to do. Is it a room divided between both men? It is a thought. Perhaps a little shift in accountability between them may lead to results on the field. If not, I don’t see anything remotely resembling the team this group should be.

Apr 11, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus (28) celebrates their win with Adam Lind (26) against the Boston Red Sox at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Red Sox 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

CF Colby Rasmus 

• Batting Avg .225
• Striking Outs 36(45% OF THE TIME)
• Home Runs 4
• Stolen Bases 0

DH Adam Lind

• Batting Average .250
• RBI 3
• Stolen bases 1 
• Home Runs 0

One important fact about this team is that with Jose Reyes(who only played 10 Games) on the disabled list, we are the only team in the American League East that does not have a batter with a .300 average or better. It will be tough to score and win when we can’t find ways to get guys on the base pad.  

Now looking at the above two players, let me explain the under-performance. Colby Rasmus is a great defensive center fielder but the Blue Jays need more from this player. One reason he is so good defensively is his speed, yet he has yet to have a stolen base this season? He looks to be trying to sustain more power at the plate and a lot of power hitters sacrifice batting average for home runs and that lack of average usually shows up in a high strike out total. The problem here is that Colby only has 4 HRs and is striking out 45% of the time. We need Colby to focus more on getting on base and using the speed he has, rather than continue to end innings on strike three.

And then there is Adam Lind; One of the reasons so many fans love the American League is the ability to use the designated hitter over their pitcher on offense. Sorry Adam but these numbers do not seem to be any better than what a National League pitcher could do at the plate. Most players are easy to pinpoint as whether a speed hitter who finds ways to get on base or a power hitter who puts up big numbers while sacrifices things like steals. With these early numbers from Adam, the only way someone should be able to describe him is as a Minor League player.

Two viable options are playing in Buffalo and both played with the Blue Jays last year. The time is now for both Anthony Gose and Moises Sierra.

September 29, 2012; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Anthony Gose (43) and shortstop Yunel Escobar (5) and right fielder Moses Sierra (14) celebrate a win over the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. Toronto defeated New York 3-2. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Gose (2012 Toronto Blue Jays)

• Batting Avg .223
• Striking Outs 59(35.5% OF THE TIME)
• Home Runs 1
• Stolen Bases 15

Moises Sierra (2013 Buffalo Bisons)

• Batting Average .397
• RBI 11
• Stolen bases 2
• Home Runs 1

Last year Anthony Gose came up to the big leagues and showed promise. He has been continuing to develop the bat but with these numbers from last year it is clear that having him come up and play CF for us would help us on the base path and put pressure on the opposing pitcher. His improvement in strike out percentage over Colby Rasmus will also be beneficial when we need to move a runner up a base or score a sacrifice fly. 

Moises Sierra is another obvious choice to help in the teams run production. If he were to come up as the team’s DH to replace Adam Lind, the team would have a more reliable bat in the lineup who also shows a bit more giddy up on the base pad. 

Both of these players seem to be in the Blue Jays plan for the future, now front office needs to be aggressive in bringing this talent back to Toronto.

April 9, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (26) hits a double in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

That was the case when the Toronto Blue Jays switched Melky Cabrera and Adam Lind in the lineup. Melky went from number 2 to number 5 and Lind went from number 5 to number 2.

The first reaction is “ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME GIBBONS!!?! It’s bad enough Lind has been hitting 5th!” Or maybe Lind has good numbers against the starting pitcher the Jays are facing because there’s no way they could keep Lind in the 2 spot.

Until you realize Lind actually has the best on base percentage on the team so far, at least the healthy part of the team.

If someone told you Lind was going to have the best on base percentage on the team 3 weeks in, 8-13 would sound about right.

If someone told you Munenori Kawasaki and Adam Lind were going to be the Jays 1 and 2 hitters in the 21st game of the season you probably would have been impressed by 8-12.

Most of the time it would be better to set your lineup according to the last 2 years and not a small 20 game sample. But the Jays offense has been so garbage to start the season that you can’t blame Gibby for going with the hot hand and seeing if it works.

With Lind currently getting on base more than the Melk Man the 5th spot is a good spot in the lineup for Melky. He has the 2nd best on base percentage among healthy Blue Jays regulars. And it’s not like he’s not taking the 3 or 4 spot in the lineup away from Bautista or Encarnacion anytime soon. Melky would make a good leadoff man but Kawasaki sees more pitches during his at bats so 5th is almost perfect for Melky right now.

Rasmus and Arencibia have OPS’s 200 points higher than Melky but they strike out too much to hit 5th. With guys that are good at getting on base hitting at the top of the lineup the Jays need someone who can put the ball on the play consistently to drive in those base runners in the 5th spot which Melky can do.

You’d hope Lind having a good on base percentage at the start of the season would just be a pleasant surprise and a bonus to an already dominate offensive team so that he’d continue hitting down in the lineup.

Instead the Jays are hoping Lind can continue getting on base in the 2 hole while the rest of the lineup tries to get its act together.

April 10, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Casey Janssen (44) pitches in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Toronto won 8-6. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

We Toronto Blue Jays fans tend to be a fickle group, hit a homerun one day you’re a hero, commit an error or strike out in a key situation and you’re forever shamed and should be DFA’d immediately. In order to satiate the love or hate desires of the Toronto Blue Jays faithful, I will be taking a look at what players have provided the greatest contribution to the Jays’ chance of winning over the past week, and whom was the greatest detriment and therefore worthy of the vitriol that tends to spill out after every loss.

The Method:

How I create this list on a weekly basis is quite simple, I will head over to the always helpful FanGraphs where I will aggregate the WPA of all Blue Jays players for the week that was. The player whom has provided the greatest WPA for the week will become this week’s GBOAT, while the player with the lowest WPA will be bestowed with the Omar Vizquel Honour for Ineptitude.

For a rundown of what WPA is and how it is calculated, head over to FanGraphs for an easy to understand explanation.

What went down:

The Blue Jays compiled a 3-4 record over the past week; splitting a 4 game-set with the Chicago White Sox, and managing just a single victory in a 3 game weekend series with the ever loathed New York Yankees.

GBOAT:

Batter: Adam Lind

The man who has faced the ire of the Blue Jays faithful over the past few seasons had a very solid week at the plate for the team, taking baby steps towards quieting his critics by posting a WPA of 0.256 over 3 starts. In 9 PA Lind managed 4 hits, including 1 double, adding an impressive 5 walks for the week. Mr. Lind can hold his head high knowing he is no longer the target of fans ridicule, at least until his next GIDP.

Pitcher: Casey Janssen

Casey Janssen did everything you could hope for from a high leverage reliever, posting a 0.389 WPA for the week. Appearing in 3 games, including 2 save situations, Mr. Janssen faced 9 total batters allowing no one to reach base and striking out 3. As long as Janssen can continue to paint the outside corner and rack up strike out numbers that seem to defy his somewhat average ‘stuff’ the Blue Jays can feel comfortable heading into the 9th inning with a lead.

The Omar Vizquel Honour for Ineptitude:

Batter: Maicer Izturis

Maicer Izturis continued his early season struggles this week posting a WPA of -0.436. Looking lost at the plate just like the namesake of the honour I am bestowing upon him, he posted a .136 batting average (3-22) with no walks and 4 strikeouts, Izturis’ ugly week was mitigated slightly by the home run he hit on Monday off of White Sox starter Gavin Floyd. With new fan favourite Munenori Kawasaki continuing to string together solid plate appearances, those enamoured with small sample sizes have already begun to call for Izturis’ job.

Pitcher: Aaron Loup

An ill-advised throw to a vacant third base on a Ichiro bunt attempt was enough to give Loup the title of the Jays least valuable pitcher for the week. In 3 appearances Loup posted a WPA of -0.321 in 2.1 IP. Loup faced 13 batters, giving up 4 hits and striking out 1. While not credited with giving up any earned runs Saturday against the Yankees, Jays fans would agree that he definitely earned the loss after his errant throw that ended up in RF plated two Yankee runs and sealed the extra innings victory for the Bronx Bombers.

Wrap-up

Ending the week with a solid victory over the Yankees helps alleviate some of the bubbling frustration of the vocal minority of Blue Jays fans already hitting the panic button and making for some fantastic listening with Mike Wilner on the Fan 590. Adam Lind and the Blue Jays head to Baltimore looking to build upon Sunday’s victory in a 3 game set with the Orioles before reacquainting with the Yankees over 4 days in the Bronx.

Apr 28, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (26) bats against the Seattle Mariners at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 7-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 MLB season has been a disappointment for Blue Jays fans thus far. The off season was filled with promise and lofty expectations but to this point, the fans have not seen the results they were looking for. Most nights the fans have had to walk out of the Rogers Centre or turn off their TV to disappointment over one of lack of quality pitching, and/or lack of offense. Through 18 games the message in the city has been about staying patient as this team has to much talent for the way they preform night in, night out.

Sunday, in their 8-4 win over their rival New York Yankees, the team showed their sold out fan base that they can be patient as well. Patience can be showed in many different ways and the Blue Jays hitters showed their patience at the plate. The Yankee SP Pitcher Ivan Nova only made it through 5 innings as his pitch count reached 101 and he could no longer hit his spots. It was clear to start the game the Jays were going to keep a wait and see approach at the plate and this strategy worked out for the boys as they were able to draw 4 walks off Nova and another 2 off their relievers. The Blue Jays have had success all year long when they are patient at the plate. They are now a perfect 3-0 when they walk 5 or more times in a game. If you are reading this and wondering if being patient and taking base on balls is important, look at today’s line for DH Adam Lind. Adam had four at bats and walked every time while scoring twice. Sometimes as a player its important to remember that while being aggressive is important, its very beneficial to see what the pitcher is throwing and if they decide to walk you, take it and smile as good things will happen.

The team will now fly off to play a three game set in Baltimore before heading to New York for four games against the Yankees. The win will hopefully bring confidence to their bats and if they continue to be patient at the plate, then maybe the Toronto fan base will see the results they were so hoping for on opening day.

March 16, 2013; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (26) works out prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Ok so 2009 was to be the beginning of the end for J.P. Ricciardi. You only have to look at the fiasco surrounding Roy Halladay and whether he wanted to be dealt or not. Ricciardi played it out in the papers and we knew the Halladay era would be over. J.P. never gave Roy a chance to win and there was no development in the minors of big name kids to sustain any level of success. Roy kept getting used parts behind him and he had enough. If Ricciardi gives any semblance of hope for the future then Roy stays. We all know where that led to. So again, we are left with a cast of middling, average to maybe above average players, some decent pitching but again no hope against the powers of the AL East. At least the Home Opener rocked.

Date: April 6, 2009
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
Game: Detroit Tigers vs. YOUR Toronto Blue Jays
Weather: ……………..hey I don’t have a pithy thought for everything you know……

Halladay took the mound in this game against Tiger ace-in-the-hole Justin Verlander. I was at this game and I tell you the crowd was ornery. Moreso than any crowd I had been in at the mistake-by-the-lake 2.0. I was looking forward to a pitchers duel but I was disappointed…well not really. If you can touch up Verlander for EIGHT runs in 3.2 innings…well you have me revved up. Adam Lind was fierce in this game going 4-5 with SIX RBI, 3 of them on a home run off Verlander. Now this I could get used to. With this kind of lead Halladay I think took a different approach to the game since he coughed up 5 runs in 7 innings with only a couple Ks and 2 home runs given up. As we have seen before, he isn’t the best on opening day….but after that watch out people!

It was a true team effort. Everyone gave something to this 12-5 and that was very enticing. Sadly as after a 9 game skid in May they never recovered and were fourth….again. Bye J.P. and hello A.A. Let’s see how you do going forward…

Feb 23, 2013; Lakeland, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (26) against the Detroit Tigers during a spring training game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Like I said, grain of salt.

Still, for a player that is somewhat of a bubble guy and needs a big season to keep his job, seeing a sense of urgency in camp offers at least a little bit of encouragement. Such is the case with Adam Lind, the Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter who has fallen under increased scrutiny and now finds his future with the club in question.

Lind will enter Saturday’s action as the Blue Jays’ most efficient hitter this spring, sporting a .455 average with 3 doubles, a home run, and 4 RBI.

Granted, Lind has produced well in Spring Trainings past, only to disappoint in the past few regular seasons, but there are still some encouraging signs to watch. Firstly, Lind is currently hitting .400 against lefties this spring, albeit in only five at bats. It is also worth mentioning that 2 of his 3 strike-outs this spring have come against southpaws. This will continue to be a spot where the Blue Jays evaluate Lind.

Secondly, Lind is hitting the ball sharply, something that may be a carry-over from a strong second-half in 2012, where Lind hit .304 with a .784 OPS. Toronto will be counting on Lind early in the year to not only provide power, but to also make his outs productive. Lind accumulated only 3 sacrifice flies in 2012, but has racked up 2 this spring, and that will be important to carry into the regular season with a line-up ahead of him that promises to get on base at a much higher clip.

As encouraging as his spring has been thus far, it is also worth noting that the pundits are projecting an improvement for Lind in 2013. Noted statistician Bill James sees Lind contributing a .272 average with 22 home runs, 62 RBI, and a .789 OPS, while ZiPS projects Lind at .263 with 22 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .780 OPS. That would put Lind back in line somewhere between his 2010 and 2011 form, a place where the Blue Jays would be more comfortable with his production level, especially while batting him lower in the order.

It comes down to facing the reality that the Blue Jays will never again see the 2009 Adam Lind, one that decidedly overplayed his abilities. Still, Toronto would settle for a slightly lesser version before exercising their $7 million option on him in 2014.

Feb 24, 2013; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (26) against the Baltimore Orioles during a spring training game at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

I know it’s just Spring Training and that I usually laugh at people who take Spring Training stuff seriously especially in the first week. You really have to be a baseball rookie to do that.

Still when I see Adam Lind hitting 5th in the lineup I panic.

Spring Training or not, anything resembling a big league regular season lineup, let alone the Jays 2013 lineup, should not have Lind hitting 5th.

Say what you want about Cito Gaston and John Farrell but they managed Blue Jays teams that didn’t have a lot of depth in the lineup sometimes so they were forced to hit Lind clean up or 5th.

Now there’s no excuse for that.

We know the Jays lineup is going to start Reyes, Melky, Bautista, and Encarnacion. Every other hitter in the Jays lineup is more qualified than Adam Lind to hit 5th.

Brett Lawrie would probably be the best choice to hit 5th. In Brett Lawrie’s small 168 career games he’s already hit 20 homers and put up a 5.6 WAR. He’ll be just 23 on opening day so it’s a safe bet Lawrie won’t be worse even if he’s not better. Lawrie also gives the Jays speed on the bases in the middle of the order.

If the Blue Jays want a left handed hitter with some power hitting 5th they can hit Colby Rasmus there. In the last 3 seasons Rasmus has been better than Lind and has 60 homeruns. He also has some speed.

Emilio Bonifacio has a career 333 on base percentage. He’s stolen SEVENTY out of 84 bases in just the last 2 seasons. That’s also with injuries and a lack of playing time coming in his way.

J.P. Arencibia’s 278 on base percentage in the last 2 seasons isn’t pretty but his 18 home runs in 2012 and 23 homeruns in 2011 are. JP doesn’t do much besides hit home runs but at 27 years old he’s more likely than Lind to be consistent with his power. JP has put up a 2.1 WAR the last 2 seasons.

Maicer Izturis has put up a 2.9 WAR the last 2 seasons. He also has some speed.

Adam Lind has played in 368 games the last 3 years and has hasn’t put up 1 WAR. He’s lucky to still be a starter on a big league lineup. He’s not the guy who should be hitting 5th when there are better options below him in the lineup. Especially for a team that’s trying to go to the playoffs.