February 28, 2013; Bradenton, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) talks with the media prior to the game against the Boston Red Sox at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

You can hate Farrell for wanting to go to Boston if you want. But really would you rather have that incompetent *insert your favorite curse word* stay and still manage the Jays?

As far as I was concerned any scenario where Farrell was no longer the manager is great. If he wanted to punch me in my chest as hard as he can 4 times in a row in exchange for not being the Jays manager I would have been fine with it. If that’s what it would have taken to never see him wearing a Blue Jays hat ever again.

The fact that he wanted to go to a team that happens to play in the AL East makes it look worse. If his “dream job” was in Arizona there’d probably be a lot less hostility towards him.

I also find it hard to hate on someone for wanting to pursue a dream even if it comes at another teams “expense”.

But it’s not like Farrell was a good manager that we lost to a division rival.

He’s a bad manager. That’s why Blue Jays fan should hate him.

However many wins the average manager costs a team with bad decisions Farrell has to costs the team 8 times more. Exaggerating? Probably, but it’s got to be more than the average manager. His inconvenience on the Jays is now the Red Sox problem.

Farrell was a bad manager in every way possible.

You can start with his lineup construction. He wouldn’t set the lineup according to how good the hitters are like having Ben Francisco hit ahead of Brett Lawrie. He would have a righty/lefty/righty/lefty lineup even if it wasn’t the best lineup order. Or it would take him way too long to make a lineup change when the offense wasn’t clicking. It took him way longer than it should have to move Edwin Encarnacion into the 4th spot in the lineup then it should have last season. He had Adam Lind hitting 4th as recently as a few days before he was demoted to the minors.

His misuse of the bullpen is mind blowing considering he was a pitcher in the major leagues and a pitching coach. He’d bring in relievers to face lefties that have bad numbers against lefties or vice versa. He’d take a reliever out of a game after throwing just 5 pitches even if there was no reason why they couldn’t keep pitching.

Then there’s the base running. The base running! Stealing bases and taking the extra base is a great tool if you have the players to do it with. Aaron Hill, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Eric Thames, etc are not those kind of players. So surprise surprise there going to get thrown out a lot if you tell them to steal bases when they shouldn’t be. Not only would Farrell have the wrong kind of players stealing bases he’d have them doing it at the wrong time. Like stealing 3rd base when you’re down 5 runs with 2 outs.

So now when you see Farrell making bad decisions for the Red Sox whenever they play the Jays you can laugh and laugh and laugh out of the pity that you’d never thought you’d have for the Red Sox.

In my opinion you should hate Farrell for being a horrible manager. You can hate Farrell for wanting to go to Boston if you want. Or you can love the Red Sox for taking him off our hands.

September 23, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell (52) against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

The circus of a sideshow that has plagued the Blue Jays as of late has finally come to an end.

Source: #redsox agree to hire Farrell through 2015. Compensation will be announced in next couple days, but deal w/Farrell done.
- Alex Speier ‏@alexspeier

Source: Mike Aviles slated to be headed to Blue Jays as compensation for Farrell.
- Rob Bradford @bradfo

Update (2:30PM) : John Farrell traded to the Red Sox with David Carpenter in exchange for Mike Aviles. It’s an interesting move that more than likely will invoke further trade speculation for the Jays. Aviles is a defensive-minded shortstop/2nd Baseman utility player, and with Kelly Johnson more than likely leaving the Jays for another team in free agency this winter, the move may be set to make Aviles a placeholder for future improvement. Aviles’ OPS this year was .663, while Kelly Johnson had only a slight improvement at .678.

John Farrell has been on the radar of the Boston Red Sox front office and related media for quite some time now. Alex Anthopoulos denied an attempt in the 2011 offseason for Red Sox management to speak to Farrell after Terry Francona was fired. They thought Farrell’s familiarity with the Red Sox organization would do well for them, as he was their pitching coach from 2007 to 2010. Knowing full well that Bobby Valentine would never receive the full respect of the players and fellow coaching staffers during a tumultuous 2012 Red Sox season, rumours about Farrell started to swirl again around early August, after the Jays began to dip below a .500 record. Those rumours never went away, only intensifying when Valentine was fired after the season was over. Despite the fact that Alex Anthopoulos previously stated that Farrell would not be traded, and Farrell himself stating his allegiance to the Blue Jays, he has been moved to a divisional rival. Over the coming days, we will see the full ramifications of the transaction, specifically if other coaches on the coaching staff follow suit to Boston.

The knee jerk reaction that most fans will have is: “That’s it?” Many people had high expectations of what the Jays were to receive. Buchholz, Doubront, Bard and De Jesus were just some names thought of coming to Toronto. Trading for a manager is not a common occurrence in the MLB. Although Ozzie Guillén was traded last offseason to the Marlins, only 4 transactions for managers have been made in MLB history, prior to the Farrell swap. The precedent for compensation has not been as amazing as fans might have thought for players in exchange for managers.

What some need to realize is that getting anything useful for a manager that doesn’t want to be in Toronto is a plus for the Jays organization. It allows Rogers to begin a search for a new manager, one that they won’t have to give up a player or a prospect for. It provides the Jays with depth at the middle infield positions in a player that hit 13 home runs last year and has an excellent glove, with Aviles ranking in the Top 10 in MLB in UZR/150 at the shortstop position this past year. Most importantly, it puts this whole debacle in the past.

If the Blue Jays are to make it to the postseason anytime soon, they will have to improve their ball club with a number of transactions, not just one bench player. Trading Farrell is just the first transaction of what should be many that Alex Anthopoulos is to make in the offseason. While it’s not an amazing move, we won’t be able to fully judge the depth of the trade until we see the entirety of the 2013 Blue Jays roster. If the quality of these transactions don’t improve, however, it’s going to be a long 2013 baseball season ahead for Blue Jays fans.

Dec 6, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell answers questions during a press conference at the MLB winter meetings at Hilton Anatole. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

There is still no update on the John Farrell to Boston Red Sox situation. That is all.

That’s right, after weeks of speculation, we are exactly where we were with two weeks remaining on the 2012 regular season. Despite all of the assumptions and reports of “sources saying things are close”, we still know exactly nothing. John Farrell is still the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and there has been no change to that.

However, there is a limited window of opportunity left for things to get done at this stage. The Red Sox have already interviewed Tim Wallach, DeMarlo Hale, Brad Ausmus, and Tony Pena for the position and they are ready to move forward with making a decision. With the departure of Dave Magadan to Texas, the Red Sox need to get to work on their coaching staff so that they can hit the ground running when free agency opens up. The hiring of Bobby Valentine strung out until the end of November 2011 and the Red Sox don’t want to take that long this time around.

That said, to make this happen, Toronto and Boston will need to get this settled before the onset of the World Series. Bud Selig is uber-protective of the World Series and does not like it when other things distract from the events on the field. Remember when Scott Boras announced that Alex Rodriguez was opting out of his contract with the Yankees in 2007? Yeah, Bud was not too happy about that and he will not be bitten by that snake again.

Reports are rampant about the Blue Jays and Red Sox being close on a deal, with the Red Sox recently asking for permission to speak directly to Farrell himself. There is talk about the Blue Jays asking for Clay Buchholz or Daniel Bard being the player changing hands. But again, it is still all just talk. Both teams need this to be resolved now, permanently.

Then we can all move on to what is important this offseason, fixing the rosters. And there will be much rejoicing.

September 26, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell (52) in the dugout during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

So it is kind of fitting that they should remain tied together as we head into the postseason.

John Farrell is the tie that binds these two clubs together by the wrist. The Blue Jays have him. The Red Sox, who are mere games away from jettisoning Bobby Valentine and knocking on the Blue Jays’ door, covet him.

For their part, the Blue Jays seem to like Farrell, despite his 150-171 record as Toronto’s manager for the past two seasons. Some of that may be posturing on their part, as they realize they have an opportunity to get something in return by sending him to Boston, rather than if they indicate any sort of displeasure over his lack of results at the helm.

The Red Sox obviously realize that Toronto is not going to let him go without a significant package going North. That much is apparent after they hedged their bets earlier this week and hired Jason Varitek as special assistant to the general manager. The Blue Jays case is not made any easier by the recent comments by Omar Vizquel and Adam Lind about the lack of communications by the coaching staff.

Still, the Blue Jays have a firm grasp on the singular bargaining chip here, and what they want to do with it. And if Boston wants to get Farrell badly enough, the Blue Jays will aim high in their demands for a return. And since Boston’s major league roster, outside of Clay Buchholz, offers very little in terms of attractive pieces for the Blue Jays, Toronto will likely look to the minor league system.

Xander Bogaerts – Shortstop

This would represent the ultimate in aiming high, as Bogaerts is Boston’s top prospect and is the 31st best prospect in the entire game according to MLB.com. Despite being just 19-years-old, Bogaerts is on the fast track to the majors. Hit .307 with 20 home runs, 81 RBI, and a .896 OPS between High-A and Double-A in 2012. He’s made solid progress in his development as a shortstop, but long-term he’ll likely outgrow the position and require a shift to either 3rd base or left field. The Blue Jays could choose to develop him as either an infielder or left fielder and benefit in either direction, giving them a high-end hitting prospect in the upper minors, and someone who will likely be ready to join the big club in 2014.

Matt Barnes – Starting Pitcher

Prying Barnes loose may be even more difficult than getting Bogaerts, especially considering the derth of pitching prospects that Boston has in the high minors. Barnes is a former college arms who will move quickly through the system on the way to the majors, where to projects as a front line starter. Plus fastball, plus curve, and solid change-up, with slider and cutter both being developed. Gets solid velocity due to tall frame and down hill delivery. Toronto has a slew of quality arms in the low minors, and Barnes would make another solid horse in the stable.

Allen Webster – Starting Pitcher

He was the key acquisition for Boston in the Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett to Los Angeles blockbuster in August. While not as sexy a name as Barnes, Webster is nonetheless intriguing. He is much closer to the majors than Barnes, and could likely be ready mid-2013 with a quick start next season. Has a plus sinking fastball with solid velocity that tops out at 97, a plus change-up that sits in the low 80′s, and an average slider and curve. Will work more as a back-end starter in the majors. Ultimately, Webster may not give the Blue Jays any more promise than an arm like Drew Hutchison or Kyle Drabek already present once they are healthy.

Bryce Brentz – Outfielder

Perhaps the most likely of the group, Brentz is something the Blue Jays badly need; a legitimate power threat as a corner outfielder. Brentz made the transition to Triple-A in 2012, after hitting .296 with 17 home runs, 76 RBI, and a .833 OPS at Double-A Portland. With a strong spring, he could break with the big league club, although he would likely benefit from another year in the minors to improve his pitch recognition and cut down on strike-outs. A solid outfield arm that is meant more for right field, but could transition to left field if needed. Currently ranks as Boston’s 5th best prospect.

Perhaps these are pipe-dream requests, and knowing that Boston is looking to rebuild from within, it may be a lot to ask for one of their top prospects. Still, if Boston wants to get Farrell, the Blue Jays are not going to make it easy for them, and that means starting with a package built around one of these prospects.

While Lawrie certainly lost his cool and failed to control his emotions, it’s hard to fault him for getting frustrated. By drawing a one-out walk, he would have represented the tying run and been in a position to steal his way into scoring position in a close game against a division rival. Add in that the Rays scored four unanswered runs to erase a rare 3-0 Jays lead on David Price, and it’s easy to see why Lawrie was so amped up in what was a winnable game.

Miller’s calls, however, certainly didn’t help matters, and after repeatedly watching Lawrie’s at-bat, it appeared to be the fourth pitch that actually started everything.

Catching Rays closer Fernando Rodney was former Jays catcher Jose Molina, one of the best pitch framers in the league. In the first pitch of the at-bat, Molina set up outside and tried to briefly frame Rodney’s 82 mph changeup, but it was called a ball by Miller. Then, after a wild throw outside and a foul ball made the count 2-1, the next pitch was critical.

Rodney fired a 95 mph fastball that caught the outside corner of the plate, but it was low. Molina managed to stick his glove, though, and bring the pitch, pictured below, up to Lawrie’s knees, and the offering could very well have been called a strike.

Instead, Miller called it ball three, and while this is pure speculation on my part, he could have recognized that he missed the call on that pitch and decided to make up for it on the next one, providing it was anywhere near the strike zone.

As you can see in these two pictures, though, the pitch was well outside the zone and even made its way over the left batter’s box, so it’s no surprise that Lawrie proceeded to walk down to first base and assume that he had just drawn a walk — something that umpires can’t stand. Stopping dead in his tracks after hearing the strike call, Lawrie walked back to the plate, and although neither Lawrie or Miller said anything to each other, Lawrie stared him down before resuming the at-bat, which Miller probably wasn’t impressed with.

But as Sportsnet’s Mike Wilner pointed out after the game, Miller let his emotions get in the way of making the right call on the final pitch of the at-bat.

“It’s an umpire’s job to call balls and strikes, safe and out and to maintain control of the game.  It’s not an umpire’s job to insinuate himself into said game by enacting personal vendettas when he feels slighted, and that’s what Miller did,” Wilner wrote.

The image below — where the ball is above the logo on Lawrie’s jersey and almost eye level with Molina — says it all:

In addition to blowing such an obvious call, I was somewhat surprised at how fast Miller threw Lawrie out of the game. It took just a couple of words after turning around for Lawrie to get tossed, which only set him off even further, leading him to throw his helmet on the ground and unintentionally hit Miller with it. In what was a necessary move, Farrell ran out to restrain his third baseman and give Miller a piece of his own mind before getting tossed himself, a display that I thought was important on Farrell’s part and, at the very least, should bring him closer to his players in the clubhouse.

While it’s easy to understand why Lawrie reacted to Miller’s calls, how he reacted after the fact was unacceptable and is almost guaranteed to result in a suspension. My first thought was that he’d receive five games, but considering Roberto Alomar received five games for his incident in 1996 and Yadier Molina received five games for physically brushing home plate umpire Rob Drake last season, Brett Lawrie could receive less, but seven to ten games could also be a possibility.

- JM

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The day began at 10 a.m. at the media sign in gate, where John had arranged for my media credentials. This was where I met Lott for the first time.

A long time reader and admirer of his work (Lott began reporting on baseball for the Post in 2000), I was excited to get a first hand, up close look at how a professional baseball writer does his job. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to chat with Lott throughout the day, which allowed me to dip into his vast well of baseball reporting knowledge.

After dropping our stuff off in the press box, we headed down to the Jays locker room. Needless to say, this was quite an experience.

Blue Jays were scattered casually about the large open room. Music blared. The atmosphere was extremely relaxed.

Unfortunately, I was unable (read: unwilling) to snap any pictures in the locker room. It seemed inappropriate considering players were changing all around me. I was, however, able to get some audio clips.

The first player I encountered was J.P. Arencibia. Lott asked Arencbia a few questions and introduced me. Lott described Arencibia as “the media darling,” and it was easy to see why. Arencibia is even more charismatic and well spoken in person than on a television screen. He seemed confident, but not cocky, and gave well thought out, interesting responses to Lott’s questions.

Next up was Brandon Morrow.

Morrow was fresh off a fantastic start against the M’s (Sat. April 28: 6 IP/0 ER/9 K/5 H/0 BB). Lott asked him about his pitch selection and strategy this season.

I was surprised at how engaging Morrow was. On TV, I have found Morrow to be a bit stiff, and often monotone in his dealings with the media. In person, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Morrow is clearly very analytical, and extremely intelligent.

Our next stop was John Farrell’s office, where about 10 reporters gathered for the managers’ pre-game media scrum. After Farrell finished answering questions, Lott was kind enough to introduce me to Farrell, who for his part, was quite friendly. I felt silly shaking Farrell’s hand, as it dwarfed mine. He is a much bigger man than I had previously realized.

From there, Lott and I headed to the Jays dugout, where we watched players stretch.

Distracted by all of the action surrounding me, I almost didn’t notice Alex Anthopoulos sidle up beside me on the bench. AA was quick to introduce himself (as if I didn’t know who he was!), before the media members in the area gathered around us. AA then answered questions for about half an hour, before Lott and I made our way back up to the press box.

Here is a short clip of Anthopoulos: Alex Anthopoulos: 4/29/12

The press box is a great place to watch a ball game. The view in nice (straight behind home plate), there are televisions for watching replays, a desk and internet hook ups for your laptop and an array of well known and respected reporters around. Here is a pic of my view.

After the game, I followed Lott down to a media room where Farrell briefly addressed a number of reporters. We then went back into the locker room where several of the games key players were scrummed (Brett Lawrie, Henderson Alvarez through an interpreter and Jeff Mathis).

And that was that. I headed home with an extra jump in my step from all of the day’s excitement.

I am extremely grateful to John Lott for generously agreeing to bring me along. I really couldn’t have asked for a better host, and I really learned a lot from just watching him do what he does so well.

Hope you all enjoyed my account of what was an incredibly memorable day!

-SB

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There are a number of conventional ideas about batting order construction that have, through advanced statistical research, proven to be false. Through analysis of the number of times each position in the batting order is at a given base/out state**, the authors of The Book were able to determine more accurately which types of hitters would be best suited for each order slot. In short, their research showed how often each spot in the batting order would have an opportunity to affect the outcome of a game (in terms of run production) with the various events in baseball (walks, singles, home runs, strike outs etc.).

The findings of this research were that the best hitters on the team should bat in the first, second and fourth spots, with the fourth and fifth-best hitters in the third and fifth spots. The players with the best OBP should lead off and hit second, while the player with the most power should hit clean up.

This is of course, hardly ground breaking information. However, sabermetric research diverges from traditional baseball norms on one of the most important spots in the lineup: the three hole. According to the research by Tango, Lichtman and Dolphin, both the second and fifth hitters should be better overall than the third hitter. This is because (through analysis of thousands of games and tens of thousands of plate appearances), the run values per event (single, walk etc.) are higher for the second and fifth spots than the third hitter. The differences are slight, but they are real. The one caveat that should be mentioned, is that the run values per home run are actually marginally greater for the third spot than the fifth. Therefore, if a manager has two players of roughly equal hitting skill to fill those spots, the one with the most home run power should hit third.

Overall, the general consensus in the sabermetric community is that batting order construction has only a marginal impact on run production. That is, if it is done with even the slightest baseball common sense. However, when it is done using the proper statistical analysis, the amount of runs that typically determine several games (average win is accomplished with approximately 5 runs), can be gained or lost. Playoff spots are won and lost by single wins or losses, so it goes without saying that much is at stake.

Don’t take my word for it though.. Check out The Book by Tom Tango, Mitchel Lichtman and Andrew Dolphin. Lots of great statistical analysis in there, it’s a must read for every serious baseball fan.

Also, check out this post  by Sky Kalkman on Beyond the Boxscore. Kalkman lays out the basics of The Books research into batting order optimization. His post contains exactly the info that I would like to pass on in this piece, so I’m going to take the liberty of copy and pasting some of the most relevant bits (remember, The Book literally means The Book by Tango, Lichtman and Dolphin):

On the lead off hitter:

“The Book says OBP is king.  The lead-off hitter comes to bat only 36% of the time with a runner on base, versus 44% of the time for the next lowest spot in the lineup, so why waste homeruns?  The lead-off hitter also comes to the plate the most times per game, so why give away outs?  As for speed, stealing bases is most valuable in front of singles hitters, and since the top of the order is going to be full of power hitters, they’re not as important.  The lead-off hitter is one of the best three hitters on the team, the guy without homerun power.  Speed is nice, as this batter will have plenty of chances to run the bases with good hitters behind him.”

On the two hole:

“The Book says the #2 hitter comes to bat in situations about as important as the #3 hitter, but more often.  That means the #2 hitter should be better than the #3 guy, and one of the best three hitters overall.  And since he bats with the bases empty more often than the hitters behind him, he should be a high-OBP player.”

On third in the order:

“The Book says the #3 hitter comes to the plate with, on average, fewer runners on base than the #4 or #5 hitters.  So why focus on putting a guy who can knock in runs in the #3 spot, when the two spots after him can benefit from it more?  Surprisingly, because he comes to bat so often with two outs and no runners on base, the #3 hitter isn’t nearly as important as we think.  This is a spot to fill after more important spots are taken care of.”

Cleanup:

“The Book says the #4 hitter comes to bat in the most important situations out of all nine spots, but is equal in importance to the #2 hole once you consider the #2 guy receives more plate appearances.  The cleanup hitter is the best hitter on the team with power.”

Fifth:

“The Book says the #5 guy can provide more value than the #3 guy with singles, doubles, triples, and walks, and avoiding outs, although the #3 guy holds an advantage with homeruns.  After positions #1, #2, and #4 are filled, put your next best hitter here, unless he lives and dies with the long ball.”

Sixth through ninth:

“Stolen bases are most valuable ahead of high-contact singles hitters, who are more likely to hit at the bottom of the lineup.  So a base-stealing threat who doesn’t deserve a spot higher in the lineup is optimized in the #6 hole, followed by the singles hitters.”

Otherwise, it’s the best hitter still available descending to the worst.

So you might be wondering, what is the Jays’ optimal batting order? Here it is, based on The Book and career wOBA’s vs righty’s and lefties:

Against right-handed starters:

1- Yunel Escobar: SS

Career: wOBA: .338/ OBP: .363/ SLG: .399 /wOBA vs. rhp: .339 / vs. lhp: .341 / Career SB: 21 of 38 attempts

2- Kelly Johnson: 2B

wOBA: .344 /OPB: .344/ SLG: .442/ vs rhp: .341/ vs. lhp: .350/ SB: 58 of 85

3- Brett Lawrie: 3b (small sample size)

Career wOBA: .384 / OBP: .363/SLG: .vs. rhp: .401/ vs. lhp: .328/ SB: 8 of 11

4- Jose Bautista: RF

wOBA: .363/OBP: .362/ SLG: .479/vs.  rhp: .358/vs lhp: .377/ SB: 32 of 48

5- Adam Lind: 1B

wOBA: .335/ OBP .316/ SLG: .464/ vs. rhp: .358/ vs. lhp: .269/ SB: 5 of 9

6- Colby Rasmus: CF

wOBA: .326/ OBP: .321/ SLG: .431/ vs. rhp: .336 /vs. lhp: .296 / SB: 21 of 32

7- Eric Thames: LF (small sample size)

wOBA: .328/ OBP: .312/ SLG: .446/ vs. rhp: .343/ vs. lhp: .273/ SB: 2 of 3

8- Edwin Encarnacion: DH

wOBA: .344/ OBP: .335 / SLG: .454/ vs rhp: .334/ vs lhp: .366 / SB 31 of 38

9- J.P. Arencibia: C

wOBA: .395/ OBP: .268/ SLG: .417/ vs. rhp: .289/ vs. lhp: .316/ SB: 1 of 2

Against left-handed starters:

1- Yunel Escobar: SS

Career: wOBA: .338/ OBP: .363/ SLG: .399 /wOBA vs. rhp: .339 / vs. lhp: .341 / Career SB: 21 of 38 attempts

2- Kelly Johnson: 2B

wOBA: .344 /OPB: .344/ SLG: .442/ vs rhp: .341/ vs. lhp: .350/ SB: 58 of 85

3- Brett Lawrie: 3B (small sample size)

Career wOBA: .384 / OBP: .363/SLG: .vs. rhp: .401/ vs. lhp: .328/ SB: 8 of 11

4- Jose Bautista: RF

wOBA: .363/OBP: .362/ SLG: .479/vs.  rhp: .358/vs lhp: .377/ SB: 32 of 48

5- Edwin Encarnacion: 1B

wOBA: .344/ OBP: .335 / SLG: .454/ vs rhp: .334/ vs lhp: .366 / SB 31 of 38

6- Ben Francisco: DH

wOBA: .332/ OBP: .321/ SLG: .429/ vs. rhp: .331/ vs. lhp: .336/ SB: 30 of 46

7- Rajai Davis: LF

wOBA: .318/ OBP: .319/ SLG: .377/ vs. rhp: .293/ vs lhp: .337 SB: 179 of 228

 8-J.P. Arencibia: C

wOBA: .395/ OBP: .268/ SLG: .417/ vs. rhp: .289/ vs. lhp: .316/ SB: 1 of 2

9- Colby Rasmus: CF

wOBA: .326/ OBP: .321/ SLG: .431/ vs. rhp: .336 /vs. lhp: .296 / SB: 21 of 32

Stick Jeff Mathis or Omar Vizquel in the 9th spot whenever they are in the lineup.

***

John Farrell has shuffled the lineup quite a bit to start the 2012 season, but he has not gone far enough. Farrell needs to recognize the inability of some of his lefty bats to hit left-handed pitching. Specifically Lind, who has had more than enough big league at-bats to prove his platoon split deficiency.

Farrell has been pinch-hitting in righty/lefty situations which is a positive development. Now he just needs to move Bautista to the cleanup spot to maximize his value.

What do you think? Let me know if you love or hate my lineups in the comments section!

Stats courtesy of Fangraphs

-SB

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The Blue Jays held their annual State of the Franchise event for season-ticket holders last night, and both Scott and I were able to attend thanks to a gracious invitation by the Blue Jays. We were able to meet many Blue Jays online writers, many of whom we have either linked here on the site or contacted in the past, so it made for an enjoyable night. It was also nice to meet, in person, many of the people that we’ve interacted with on Twitter.

Along with quotes from each member of the panel — Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Beeston, general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Farrell — here are some thoughts from the event, specifically on the five-year contract maximum, roster turnover, the bullpen, and the audience’s portion of the Q&A session.

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The two chat about the upcoming winter caravan and the feeling amongst the Jays’ fan base both around the city and at the ballpark, with Farrell adding that “it’s an exciting time to be following the Blue Jays”. They talk about Farrell’s first year as manager, where he repeats, from an interview earlier in the year, that he needs to do a better job handling the bullpen and how it was difficult going from being in charge of 12-14 pitchers to a full 25-man roster.

Bullpen-wise, come spring training, Farrell feels that there are more defined roles unlike last year where it was a “by committee” approach. Farrell adds that Santos marks “where the blueprint really begins” and the organization has a clearer picture heading into the start of spring training. Farrell gets into specifics about how he can improve his handling of the bullpen next season, citing that things will be easier since there are more known commodities in the individual pitchers in the bullpen and that he better understands what their capabilities are .

“I ran from some guys when they didn’t perform as expected, and I think I need to trust the belief in them and ride them in some rocky times,” Farrell admitted, eventually adding that he was, at times, reluctant to go back to a guy right away if he didn’t pitch well the night before.

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But, as you have probably already heard, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo earlier today, the Red Sox might just be thinking that very thing.

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