Apr 19, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Kelly Johnson (2) swings as the new logo can be seen embedded on the turf behind home plate against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

By this time last season, the Jays were 11.5 games back of the Division leading Red Sox, and the Orioles were a whopping 20.5 games back. Sure, the Jays were close to where are today, around .500, but they sure weren’t anywhere close to a playoff spot. In fact, at this time last year, the Jays sat 9.5 games back of the Yankees for the Wilcard spot. Only the Angels (5.5 GB) and Rays (6.5 GB) seemed to be within striking distance of the Yankees. That proved to be true when the Rays seized a massive breakdown from the Red Sox to secure a berth into the playoffs.

This year, everything has changed due to the extra playoff spots. Trades seem to be harder to come by, the price teams are asking is reportedly inflated, and all but 4 to 6 teams in MLB believe they have a shot at grabbing that last playoff spot. The questions I have today are these: will this continue to occur long-term, and what does it mean for competitive balance? (more…)

To get some perspective into Phillies nation, I asked Ethan Seidel, a Staff Writer at FanSided’s Phillies site That Balls Outta Here, a few questions about his team, and in turn answered a few questions for him about the current state of the Blue Jays. Head over to their site if you’d like to see my answers as well.

Kyle Matte: It has obviously been a rough year for Phillies fans given the significant injuries to so many key players. The Braves and Nationals appear very real — they just handed the Blue Jays 5 losses in 6 games — do you think Philadelphia has a chance to catch them? How optimistic is the fan base?

Ethan Siedel: I would put optimism in Philadelphia at slim to none. Granted, we tend to be a pessimistic lot, but there isn’t much to get excited about. Not only are the Nats and Braves real contenders, but the Phils are still staring up at the Marlins and Mets in the standings. By the time Utley, Howard, and Halladay come back it will be too little too late.

KM: What’s going on with Domonic Brown? He was one of the top prospects in baseball before losing his rookie eligibility last year, yet he’s currently sitting in the minors with Juan Pierre manning left field.

ES: Domonic Brown has gone from untouchable to unwanted. The teams plan from spring training was to give him some consistency and keep him in AAA all year. As funny as it looks to be blocked by Juan Pierre, Brown hasn’t done enough in his time in Philly to warrant another promotion. A change of scenery could do him wonders, but that won’t gel with a team that looks to be on the verge of re-tooling.

KM: How do you see the Cole Hamels situation unfolding? Are the Phillies capable of giving him the contract he wants, or will he hit the open market (whether through trade or free agency)?

ES: One thing should be clear about the Cole Hamels situation: the Phillies CAN sign him. Despite shelling out big dollars to Halladay and Lee they have deep pockets thanks to selling out and an impending new tv contract. That said, every day they don’t sign him it gets less likely he will be in Philadelphia next year. I always thought they would find a way to get it done, but if they let him test the market (with the Yankees and Dodgers looming) it may be too late. He wants what CC Sabathia got, but I think Matt Cain‘s deal is a more accurate framework.

Image from ESPN

Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels or Matt Cain anyone? The 2013 free agent class could include a trio of stud starters who have yet to celebrate their 30th birthday. With another year of development behind Brett Lawrie, Travis d’Arnaud, J.P. Arencibia, Colby Rasmus, Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow etc., next winter should be the ideal time for the Jays to make a big free agent splash. And what better way to do it than by signing a legitimate front line starter in his prime?

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