Sept 15, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (33) looks on from the dug out during the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. The White Sox won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

The Blue Jays were lucky enough to find a team like the Miami Marlins willing and ready to trade a handful of some of their best players. Scenario’s like that aren’t there every offseason.

They were also able to sign an above average hitter Melky Cabrera to a very cheap contract just because of his PED suspension. Without Melky’s PED suspension he would have been looking for much more money and years and probably would have wanted to play for a more popular team than the Blue Jays. That’s another scenario that doesn’t come across every offseason.

Going into the offseason Alex Anthopoulos said the Blue Jays needs were starting pitching, 2nd base, left field and either 1st base or DH depending on where Edwin Encarnacion plays.

The Blue Jays took care of left field by signing Melky Cabrera. There 2nd basemen will probably either be Maicer Izturis who signed a 3 year contract with the Jays or Emilio Bonafacio who was a part of the Marlins trade.

Alex Anthopoulos also said at the beginning of the offseason that the only starters guaranteed spots were Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero. The 2 starting pitchers acquired in the Marlins trade Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle are now obviously also guaranteed spots in the rotation.

Every offseason fans of a sports team have delusional fantasies about things there team will do in the offseason. If you’re a Blue Jays fan so far this offseason has to have surpassed your wildest dreams. In a dream offseason the most popular dream scenario’s that Blue Jays fans have not only seem possible but fit the Blue Jays needs.

The only needs the Blue Jays have left are 1st base or DH depending on where Edwin Encarnacion plays and the other starting pitching spot. If the Blue Jays decide to do something at another position it’ll just be to upgrade not to fill a need.

Coincidentally 1B/DH and starting pitcher fit the description of the 2 players Blue Jays fans have been forever fantasizing about acquiring the most Justin Morneau and Roy Halladay.

Justin Morneau became the fall back Canadian first basemen fantasy after the Cincinnati Reds gave Joey Votto a huge contract extension. The Blue Jays trading for Morneau didn’t seem realistic at the beginning of the offseason because he’s only under control for 2013 and making 14 million dollars. A contract length and money term the Blue Jays didn’t operate with before this offseason. After acquiring Josh Johnson who is just under contract for 2013 and making 13.75 million acquiring Morneau doesn’t seem that crazy. Morneau, unlike the other players the Blue Jays players traded for probably wouldn’t have any hang ups about playing in Canada, his home country. Adam Lind is still owed 7 million but the way the Blue Jays have been throwing money around this offseason keeping him on the bench or eating some of his salary in a trade seems like a real scenario. Lind has also been one of the worst hitters in baseball the last 3 years so going into a season where the Blue Jays seem content on contending, keeping him around to play 1st is probably a risk not worth taking.

For many greedy Blue Jays fans it’s probably not a real dream offseason until they fill that last starting pitch spot with Roy Halladay. Doc is making 20 million in 2013 with a 20 million vesting option for 2014. That 2014 option has almost no chance of being picked up because Halladay had to pitch a certain amount of innings during his Phillies tenure for it to be picked up. He fell way behind that bench mark with the time he spent on the DL last offseason.

That means if the Blue Jays acquired him this offseason, they’d be the first to try to keep him after 2013 for much cheaper than 20 million. There’s no doubt that 20 million for an older Doc in 2013 is an over pay. Then again so is paying Mark Buehrle 19 million in 2014 and 20 million in 2015 but that didn’t stop the Blue Jays from acquiring him.

For the first time delusional Blue Jays fans fantasies don’t seem that crazy. It’s still highly unlikely the Blue Jays acquire Justin Morneau and Roy Halladay but it certainly would put the icing on the dream offseason cake.

image courtesy of farm2.static.flickr.com

As I hear about how the talks are souring between the St-Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols, I sit here, I wonder, I dream. There’s arguably a 0.05% chance that Albert Pujols will not be a Cardinal in 2011 or 2012, and probably a lesser chance that he would become a Blue Jay if he were available. However, let’s imagine for one second that talks did get so bad that St-Louis executives realized that they had little choice but to move him for as big a package as they could find. Let’s also imagine that Alex Anthopoulos would be in the front row of the pack chasing him, as he has been for the majority of available players, making inquiries, offering an attractive package that includes pieces from the team with the 4th best minors system in the majors.

Before I get into the Pujols market, however, I wanted to add that I’m not the only one looking into the possibility of Pujols becoming a Toronto target. Alex Anthopoulos wants to target the very best at each position, and we all know Albert is the best 1B OR DH. The last part is particularly important, because it tells us that Pujols may want to bring his craft to the American League for his next contract in order to prolong his career. If he signs a 10-year contract in St-Louis, what are the chances he’ll be an effective 1B at the end of it? It’s also important because it means that even if the Jays want to add Pujols AND keep Adam Lind, they can do so. If they do have to deal Lind to get Pujols, it’s really no big deal because Lind can’t hit LHP. (more…)

Image courtesy of the National Post

#32: Michael R. Crouse

Outfielder / 20 years old / 6′4″ 215 lbs

Born: November 22nd, 1990 in New Westminster, BC, Canada

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School Team: Centennial Centaurs

College Team: N/A

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round (489th overall) of the 2008 First-Year-Player Draft and signed by Kevin Briand for $150,000

Jersey Number: #13 for the Lansing Lugnuts

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