New York and Boston

With the Yanks signing Tex to that massive 8 year contract I am actually finally starting to buy into the propaganda that the Jays will have a hard time competing in the American League East for the foreseeable future (basically as long as the Yanks and BoSox can continue to massively outspend the Jays).

Sure the Jays have Roy Halladay, and a growing list of impressive young starters coming up behind him, and they finally have some real hitting prospects in Snider, Lind and Arencibia. However it's just not enough. The Yanks and BoSox can just spend the money needed to trump any good young player we have coming up. A good example of this would be a Snider vs. Texieria comparison. Sure there is a good chance that Snider turns out to be a good ballplayer, but will he be as good as Tex? Who knows. Another example is the case of our young starters in Marcum and McGowan. They both have real good stuff, but due to the Yanks deeps pockets they are able to counter those nice up and comers with established vets like Burnett and Sabathia.

You get my point - When they Jays have a nice prospect coming up, that powers that be just buy a player that is proven to be better. Add in the fact that the Tampa Bay Rays just made it to the World Series and should be very competitive again this year. 2009 is going to be a long season in Jays town.

The Mench in Japan

Just throwing this out there on a slow news day. Kevin Mench signed with a team in Japan for approx. $1.8 million. Maybe the global economic downturn hasn't hit Japan yet....

"Not spending anymore money" - Tank mode?

If you are wondering where I have been, and why I haven't been posting - basically I have been waiting for the Jays to do something or give some indication on how the offseason will pan out for the team before I made and new posts.

Well here you have it......

source --- http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/12/ricciardi_were_done.html

Don't expect the Blue Jays to be involved with any high-profile free agents for the rest of the winter. On Tuesday, Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi told MLB.com that he expects to stand pat as the offseason winds down, with the possible exception of some minor moves.

"We're done," Ricciardi said. "We won't be spending any money."

Earlier this week, Ricciardi mentioned free-agents Orlando Hudson and Jason Giambi in an online report, and the Blue Jays were involved with free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal (re-signed by the Dodgers) earlier this month.

Ricciardi also indicated that the Jays won't be involved with any high-profile free-agent arms. Toronto will continue to consider reclamation project-type pitchers.

So there it is - straight from the mouth of the General Manager. Just happens to be on the same day that the Yanks sign Mark Teixeira to go along with their two other prize signings this offseason in Sabathia and Burnett.

I guess it wouldn't even really matter if the Jays had extra money to spend anyway. The way the AL East is currently shaped it would take I'd say about $40 or $50 million more for the Jays to compete. So with that said I am fine with letting the kids play, however I do feel sorry for Roy Halladay. However don't fret Doc, your contract ends just after 2010, so you'll be able to get outta dodge soon enough.

They Jays should finish in 4th place this upcoming season and will be hard pressed to reach the .500 mark - but again it could be fun watching the likes of Snider, Cecil and Lind receiving full-time major league duties.

The interesting offseason I predicted clearly didn't pan out like I thought it would.

Jays Considering Decrease in Payroll?

As reported on TSN.ca it seems that the downturn in the global economy may seriously hinder the teams plans this off season.

To quote JP Ricciardi:

"The economy is definitely having an effect on us, so maybe our spending has slowed down a little bit."

With that said it looks like the Jays will be either stand pat or will attempt to unload some salary. The Jays are currently hampered by massive contracts (Wells, Rolen, Ryan), which are in all likelihood impossible to move. The only possible way I can see the Jays being able to move these players is by eating massive portions of their respective salaries.

The Jays do have some young options for 2009 in Lind and Snider, but they will not be good enough to carry an offence that has been bad for 2 seasons into the playoffs. Combine that with the fact that the starting rotation is now a complete mess, perhaps a real option should be to hold on to these contracts, let them expire, and re-build properly.

I hate to say it, but it seems that Roy Halladay needs to be traded.

Various News and Thoughts

1) AJ Burnett's agent has notified the Jays brass that he plans to opt out of his current contract, thus allowing him to test the market as a true free agent. Basically this means that AJ's days in Toronto are over. We cannot, and should not overpay a player for one very good season in the majors. We did it once with him and got 1 full season from the guy. Goodbye Mr. Burnett, we barely knew you.

However, with this news the Jays MUST make it priority number one to remove Jesse Litsch from the number 2 pitching position. Someone like Ryan Dempster or Jake Peavy (dream) should be seriously looked at either through free agency or via the trade route.

2) JP has been hard at work signing some bums to fill out the Jays roster through the waiver wire. I would post names ans stats, but I highly doubt we will see any of these guys in Jays uniform... or at least I hope not anyway.

3) The Yankees have declined the option on Jason Giambi's contract. The Jays should be opening the vault to acquire this guy. He would fill a MAJOR hole in the Jays weak hitting lineup.

The Hoss is Staying in Toronto

The Jays decided to use up Rod Barajas' option - so the Hoss will remain a Blue Jay for the 2009 season. The Hoss hit .249 with 11 homeruns and 49 RBI's and posted a .704OPS in 349 AB's in 2008. Not exactly earth-shattering numbers, but good enough to earn approx. $2.5 million next season.

The Jays are hinting at having Curtis Thigpen or possibly Brian Jeroloman as the backup catcher who breaks camp.

This is not the start to free agency I was looking forward to. The Jays finished in 4th place in 2008. Doc and AJ combined for 40% percent of the Jays wins last season. Once A.J leaves that will create a major hole. Combine that with our serious lack of offence, we will be in trouble. To compete the Jays need to upgrade DH, C, SS, and remove Jesse Litsch from the number 2 pitching position. When I say the Jays are going to have a "bad team," I mean it comparatively to the rest of the AL East. The Rays will only get better, the Yanks and going to open the vault, and BoSox will be the BoSox. Combined that with the fact that Baltimore is seriously looking at players like A.J Burnett and Mark Teixeira, we are looking at a hard battle for 4th place next season.

The same place we finished in 2008.

EDIT - The Mets have picked up Carlos Delgado's $12 million option for next season - so for those dreaming to see him back in a Jays jersery, that won't be happening any time soon.

Canadian Adam Loewen Signs with the Jays

Mainly a PR move if you ask me.

He's not going to take time away from Wells, Rios, Lind, Rolen, Overbay, Hill, and Barajas, which leaves DH and SS. If Adam Loewen becomes our DH, we are in SERIOUS trouble.
I wish Loewen all the best, but a successful transformation from pitcher to hitter for Adam would be a major accomplishment.

Winning With Halladay

Roy Halladay has two years remaining on his contract. If the Jays don't win during the next two seasons, he will sign elsewhere. At least, if I was him, I would.

If the Jays plan to win while Roy Halladay is around, team payroll must be increased. The Jays are a seriously offensively challenged team, which must be drastically improved in order to complete with the Red Sox, Yankees, and now the dreadful Tampa Bay Rays.

The Blue Jays must sign someone in the offseason that can hit 30plus homeruns even on a off year. The need someone who can drive in runs even if he is hitting .240.

Peoeple claim that one of Wells, Rios, Snider, or Lind could be the man to take care of this. However, all of those players would need to have a career year in order fill that hole. Wells hit 32 homeruns in a season once, but hasn't come close since. Rios hit 24 homeruns in his previous career year, and it is unfair to think that Lind or Snider can fill that offensive hole.

The Jays must open to the bank to acquire a legit homerun hitter over the offseason. Players like Manny, Giambi, and Delgado(if he is not optioned by the Mets) must be seriously looked at by mamagement if they are serious about winning while they have a legit ace like Roy Halladay.

Hopefully now with Beeston on board we will have someone who will approach Ted Rogers and seriously outline what this team needs to effectively compete.

We should now understand that the Rogers vault needs to be opened in order to compete. The AJ Burnett situation has clearly outlined this.

The Bee in Beeston (Paul Beeston is Back)

Sorry for the lack of blogs the past couple weeks. I have been extremely busy with work.

Some interesting tid-bits have occured since I last posted. The Jays have brought back another member of the glory years to try to right the ship. Mr. Paul Beeston will take over as the "interm" CEO for the Jays until a suitable replacement can be found. To me this means Beeston will stick around until JP is removed from the organization. JP is now being sandwiched by Gaston and Beeston, two men that are much smarter baseball people then he is. It is only a matter of time now.

Reports on the AJ Burnett situation don't look overly promising. It is being reported that there hasn't been much talking since the Jays made the extension offer. This doesn't suprize me one bit. Burnett can make much more on the open market. From a personal economics standpoint, there is no reason for Burnett to re-sign with the Jays.

Again, this is shaping up to be a very interesting offseason.

Godfrey Steps Down as President

After 8 years the Jays president Mr. Paul Godfrey has stepped down.

"On Monday the 69-year-old ended his eight-year reign with the club, satisfied with all that was accomplished on the business side but with the sole lament of not reaching the post-season." link - http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/508203

This is interesting on many levels. First off, I highly respect Mr. Godfrey - He is a highly accomplished individual and a smart politican. However I felt in this case he kept his friends a little to close (JP). I think this was the right time for him to move on. The attached article mentioned that he is in the market for a "new gig." I am not overly clear what that means, perpaps something NFL/Toronto related.

What makes this senerio even more interesting is the fact that JP no longer has the Godfrey safety net. A lot of the time a team President wants to have "his guy" in as the GM/Coach. With the extension to Cito, it looks like he is safe, but JP only has one more year left on his deal. So, what happens now? I have to think if the Jays are not clearly ion the race come next July, JP will be gonzo.

There are a lot of question marks with this team right now. We have no number 2 pitcher, no power hitter, and now no President. This off-season will be very interesting.

At Season's End

Well folks - The 2008 Jays season is now offically over. The season ended this afternoon after the Jays defeated the O's in rather convincing fashion 10-1. Vernon Wells was able to become the only Blue Jay to hit 20 or more homeruns once he hit his second of the game off Baltimore bullpen pitcher Alfredo Simon.

The win brought the final 2008 record for the Jays to 86-76, which allowed the team to reach Cito's goal of finishing the season 10 games over 500.

I want to thank the entire Jays pitching staff for a great season. Both the starters and bullpen kept this season somewhat interesting, even though it was really over for the team in mid-July.

However I have nothing good to say about the offence. None of them showed up until late July.....

On a related note the Jays have made a offer to AJ Burnett. It seems they are seriously attempting to sign him to a long-term extenstion.

Halladay and Cito - Oh My

Just a quick blog tonight. I have to give a big shout out to my main man Doc Halladay. Roy become the second 20 game winner in the AL this season. Hellzzz Yah!

Also as a major side-note; Cito Gaston was signed through the 2010 season tonight. I am happy for Cito, but also conflicted because this pretty much ensures that J.P will be back next year.

Offically Mine!

Going Negative

I have been holding off on going negative for the longest time, but now that the Jays have finally been officially eliminated from wild-card contention, and a forth place finish in the AL East seems unavoidable, I am going to start my off-season rants and express my overall displeasures with this team.

Firstly, we need to all be very clear here. This season was a huge disappointment for the Jays. They had high hopes to be a real playoff contender this season. Mainly because of how strong our pitching staff is from top to bottom. However as the season played out, this team found itself out of serious playoff contention in Mid-June. Don’t let that 10-game winning streak fool you. The Jays have not been within 6.5 games of Boston since May.

The offence failed this team, and the pending forth place finish is clearly on their shoulders. Not one single offensive player had an out-standing season this year. In my opinion, the only hitter on the team that performed above expectations is our scrappy second basemen, Mr. Joe Inglett. And let’s get serious here, Joe wasn’t even supposed to be on this team.

With the news that our projected number 2 starter for the 2009 season (Shaun Marcum) suffered a serious arm injury and will require Tommy John surgery, putting him out until at least 2010, and the pending departure of our current number 2 (AJ Burnett), you can’t help to wonder if they Jays missed a small window of opportunity to make a real run this season. This was the season that the Yankees were there for the taking. The Jays could not take advantage of the one-year re-build the Yankees went on once they knew their playoff hopes were very slim.

As of right now our rotation for 2009 is shaping up to look like; Halladay, Litsch, Purcey, McGowan (when he comes back), and an audition from various current AAA starters and/or fill-ins. Also, remember that this team is in dire needs of a true offensive threat. The Jays need someone who can hit 30 homeruns on an “off-year.”

I am not holding my breath for a playoff run in 2009.

JP is the Man?

Well folks, it seems like JP could be the man for at least another season. Jays "guru" Richard Girffin reports http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/500525 "Cito's contract status means J.P. is staying"

"The timing of the Gaston news conference, during rather than after the season, confirms what sources have whispered. Ricciardi's job as GM is safe for another year. If the Jays were going to replace Ricciardi, as had been under serious consideration, they would have waited until the new guy was in place. In the majors, the GM in most cases will make the announcement of his field manager."

What does this mean for the Jays?

1) At least one more year of injury excuses for the Jays

2) At least one more year to scare off possible free agent signings

3) At least one more off-season to make one bad trade

4) At least one more off-season to miss out on hosing another team

5) We are now into year 8 of the 5 year plan

6) At least one more year of finishing with around 85 wins

7) At least one more year of the media and fans asking "Will JP get fired?"

8) At least one more year of me going bananas

The Way We Are

Well, the outlook on the final 12 games of the season has taken a turn for the worst.

There was a lot of hype that if the Jays could take at least 3 of 4 from Boston over the weekend the possibility of the playoffs still existed. Well they couldn't, and now we are just left with playing out the final stretch like normal. I still have to admit, the team kept me interested longer then I thought. All in all, the Red Sox didn't do what so many media types and Jay's fans seemed to think they would do, which was to roll over and just die. However, let's get serious here, the BoSox are the defending world champions, they know how to win when it counts. The current Jays roster on the other hand has very little experience playing meaningful September baseball.

Hopefully they can carry this all over into next season.

The Streak, and Moving Forward

After starting a new winning streak (1 game) last night by defeating the White Sox. I have to admit that up until last week I had no idea I would still be this interested in the Jays 2008 season.

Sure, I know that the real chances of the Jays making the playoffs are very slim, but who cares, screw the realists. Let's live in the moment and just go for it. Team vet's like Wells, Halladay, Rios, and Overbay have never played in meaningful games this late in the season before, so let's get out there and show our support. We are 6.5 games behind Boston, and we play them 7 more times, so basically that means if we win 90% of our 16 remaining games, we will make the playoffs.

Cito himself has decided to go "balls to the wall" down the stretch. He has shook up the starting rotation and will have Burnett, Halladay, and Litsch all going on three days rest in order to have them pitch in the upcoming Boston series.

It is highly likely that the first game of the Boston series will be rained out. 90% chance of rain come 8pm in Boston. Back to back double headers are a strong possibility because of conflicting schedules, however they perhaps schedule in a make-up game at the end of the season instead.

The Jays need to at the very least take 3 of 4 in this series. Preferably a sweep. A split basically will end the season for the Jays. If a split were to happen the Jays would need to go 12-0, with Boston going 3-10 the rest of the way.

Go Jays Go!!

It was fun while it lasted....

It looks like the late season push is about to come to an end. Barring a big comeback, the Jays are about to lose to the White Sox. On the heals of a 10 game winning steak, the sad thing is knowing that once it ends the season likely goes down with it.

I guess if we beat the BoSox in every one of the seven games we have against them the rest of the season we still have a chance. Who woulda thought Roy Halladay would be on the mound the day "the streak" ended.

I have to admit though, it kept me interested in the season longer then expected.

Random Saturday Thoughts

I went to the game today - It was the 10th or so Jays game I have been this season. I have to admit, I felt good for Zaunie after he hit that walk-off g-slam in the 13th inning. He has gone through a lot this season, which includes very limited playing time. So again, it was nice to see him get that hit.

The atmosphere at the Dome in my oipinon is getting progressively better. Perhaps it's because I normally only go on Saturday's and Sunday's, but it seems that more and more young people are going to the games, which by default makes it a much more pleasent place to see a game.

Also, who are these masked men playing in Jays uniforms, and where were they 3 months ago?

After beating Tampa Bay (I hate the Rays), the Jays bring their win streak to an impressive 7 in a row. However this run pretty much proves that you need to be in contention in June to actually be in the race in September. In reality the team hasn't made up much ground on the leaders during this streak.

Ah well, it gives me hope for next year I guess. However, let's get serious here, I say that every year.

Also, I gotta give props to Lyle Overbay. Another Jay who has faced his fair share of criticism this season. After today's game somehow he now has the second most homeruns (14) on the team.

Jays to Not Improve in 2009?

Well folks according to this article http://www.thestar.com/Sports/.../article/488751 JP will be "standing pat" next season.

NEW YORK–While Toronto's division rivals prepare for free-agent spending sprees, Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is planning a quiet off-season of internal re-arming.

"I don't really know how much we're going to look to spend," Ricciardi said over the weekend at Yankee Stadium. "I mean, we'll do some things. But we'll probably be more judicious in how we do it."

By contrast, the flailing Yankees are warming their charge cards in advance of a frontal assault on the best available talent. Names dangling for them include Milwaukee starter CC Sabathia, Angels slugger Mark Teixeira and the Jays' own A.J. Burnett.

If you ask me good sir, if the Jays do not upgrade DH, SS and acquire one starting pitcher (due to the pending departure of AJ Burnett), will be in for another 3rd of 4th place finish next season.

Let's get serious here people - The Yankees will be a lot better next year, Tampa Bay will be one more year experienced, and Boston will be Boston. We are not in a good position here.

Hopefully Roy Halladay did not read that article.

David Eckstein - Sending out a collective "Sorry"

As I am sure most of you know, David Eckstein has been dealt to the D-Backs (August fire sale!!!) for single A prospect Chad Beck.

I have conflicting thoughts about this situation.

1) Cito Gaston clearly indicated that Eckstein was basically not a part of this team anymore when he decided that "The Monster" John McDonald would receive more at-bats down the stretch. So, with that said, it made sense to move David.

2) I am little peeved that we didn't use Eckstein properly while we had him. David is actually a very good hitter, and handles the bat very well in small-ball situations. But again, Cito decided not to play him.

Eck was brought on to hit .280, which he did. He was brought on to post a .350OBP, which he did. He was brought on to show some hustle, which he did. He was brought on to post a .730OPS, which he did. He was brought on to play mediocre defence, which he did. So I am left with the question; why didn't he get full-time playing time? We are a team that has lacked offence all season long. He could have helped with more at-bats.

Anyways, he wasn't part of the future here in Toronto, so I guess it makes sense to move him. I actually heard that six teams we interested in his services!

Whay does that say?

Good luck in the postseason Mr. Eckstein. Give Johnny Mac and Cito Gaston a call during that time.

Fire Sale? - Stairs Dealt to Philly

Well, it looks like it is finally going to happen. A month late, but this is a good sign.

Matty Stairs has been dealt to Philly for a prospect whose identity has not yet been determined. Travis Snider has been called up to replace him on the current roster. There is tons of hype surrounding this kid, so I am very excited to see him play.

Before I get into more, I just wanted to send a shout out to Stairs. We love you up here in the good old country of Canada, and we wish you well. However the time was right for both of us to move on. Good luck sir.

Here is a great quote from Stairs published in The Post http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=753989:

"Nothing would have been better than to go down friggin' Yonge Street and celebrating with the guys I became really close with in the last year and a half," he said. "To me the greatest city in the world is Toronto. I'm not saying that because I played there or I'm a Canadian. It's a city I've always loved."

Ok, now that that is out of the way, JP needs to get on the horn and see what he can get for Eckstein, Zaun, McDonald, and Bautista. Yup, the same Bautista that he traded for last week. None of these players are in the future plans, so there is no reason for them to be here now.

JP you have approx. two days to do this, so get what you can, and let the team move on.

Hopefully the fire sale of the dead weight continues.

I Hate the Tampa Bay Rays

Here I am, watching the Jays game, and it has dawned on me; I hate a professional team more then the Boston Red Sox.

I can't stand Tampa Bay, for so many reasons.

You may ask - Why, Mr. Joshua Henry, do you hate them so much. Well folks, it's their fans. Finally after years of totally sucking, the Rays have somehow put together a solid season. So solid, that it is August 26th, and they are in 1st place in the AL East. However, Tropicana Field remains empty as can be.

As I am watching right now, I can here those horns that you hear at CFL games going off, and some dude with somesort of noise-maker in the background, and of course their terrible stadium announcer.

Add is the fact that their pitching is worse then the Jays, and their offence is only slightly better, but the team is still somehow in first place - it just makes me more irate.

On a side note (Jays related) - Scotty Rolen was activated from the DL. He should be getting the start on Thursday. Hopefully this means we will see less of John McDonald the rest of the way.

Mac Watch - August OPS is now under .599

Jays Send Marcum to AAA

Well this is strange move.

At least JP isn't bs'ing about what his intentions are the rest of the season. With Marcum down and Mac starting everyday, we are not fielding our best team.

We will being using 5th starters more then just on every 5th day for at least two weeks. Litsch/Purcey and Parrish are all currently 5th starters. Behind Halladay and Burnett, Marcum is the only non-5th starter we have right now.

With our offence, this could get ugly.

FYI - Mac Watch - He currently ranks 57th in OPS at the shortstop position. Your a stud Jonathon!!

CY Consideration for Burnett?

I got three words for you. Let's get serious.

Burnett's win total is very deceiving. He is actually having a very poor season for his standards in every other statistical catagory.

Burnett's Stats:

2008 ERA: 4.51 - Career ERA: 3.86
2008 WHIP: 1.41 - Career WHIP: 1.29
2008 OBA: .259 - Career OBA: .236

Sure there is an outside chance he could get 20 wins, however by factoring in all other stats, he won't even finish in the top 7 for CY consideration.

Hopefully other teams consider all his 2008 stats after he opts out of his contract looking for more money.

The Doctor is in - Again

Sometimes I ask myself - Why the hell did I stay in on Saturday night to watch the Jays play? Considering the season was basically lost two months ago, it's a very valid question.

Well, after watching the Jays beat Boston 4-1 tonight, I have had two simple words that explain why I watch. 1)Roy 2) Halladay.

This guy is absolutely amazing. He just finished dominating the BoSox for his 8th complete game of the season. Yeah, that's right eight.

Halladay now has more complete games by himself then 27 of the 30 team pitching staffs do throughout the majors. If that doesn't strike you as great… well then, you’re bizarre.

It is a shame that this team can't reward his greatness by getting into the postseason.

Wells and McDonald on Waivers

Many people are worried that the Jays could lose Wells for basically nothing, however after doing a little research it seems unlikely that Wells will be moved. Although it is a possibility that McDonald could go. Man that would be sweeeeeet.

Take a look at this from Paul DePodesta blog:

No player can get traded after July 31 without being placed on trade waivers.

Unlike outright waivers, August trade waivers are NOT irrevocable. In other words, if we place a player on trade waivers, and another organization places a claim on that player, we can take him off waivers if we don't want to lose him or trade him.

Once a player is placed on trade waivers, the other 29 organizations have 48 hours during which to place a claim.

If a player is claimed by another organization, one of two things can happen: a) the player can be traded to (or simply given to) the claiming organization only or b) the player can be pulled off of waivers by the originating Club.

Any trade with the claiming Club has to be consummated within 48 hours.

If a player is claimed on trade waivers, and the originating Club pulls that player off of waivers, he CANNOT be traded for the remainder of the season unless... the originating Club puts the player on trade waivers a second time. If they do this, however, the waivers become irrevocable so any claim would result in the automatic assignment of the player to the claiming team. If a player goes unclaimed, he can be traded to any other team at any time.

Reed "The Steed" Johnson

Since the release of Shannon Stewart, there has been a lot of talk of the "big mistake" J.P. Riccardi made by allowing Reed Johnson to walk in the offseason.

Don't get me wrong here - I don't like Riccardi, and I seriously believe it is time for him to go, but at the time I feel that the decision wasn't the wrong one.

However the major issue here is the fact that Adam Lind should have broken camp with the Jays.

The opening day lineup should have been:

Eckstein
Hill
Rios
Thomas
Wells
Rolen
Overbay
Zaun
Lind

If Lind had broken camp with this team the Johnson vs. Stewart debate may never have happened. Also, Stairs was never supposed to be our full-time DH as Thomas being released wasn't factored into Johnson vs. Stewart.

Hey, I am not saying the Stewart signing was a good choice, but I will never say that letting Johnson walk (at the time) was bad idea. If I am wrong, I am wrong.

The Johnson release looks worse now because of a combination of bad choices made by Riccardi throughout the year. Adam Lind spent too much time in the minors, and by releasing Thomas, Stairs has received to many at-bats.

I don't miss Johnson, and I not going to miss Stewart.

The Wheels Continue to Spin

After sweeping a 4 game series against the Oakland Athletics, the Jays bounce back like a .500 team should and get swept in a 3-gamer vs. the Cleveland Indians.

The team just reeks of mediocrity, and their record proves that the smell is indeed true. Let's take a look at the recent history of this team:

2008 (current) - 59W-59L
2007 - 83W-79L
2006 - 87W-75L
2005 - 80W-82L
2004 - 67W-94L
2003 - 86W-76L
2002 - 78W-84L
2001 - 80W-82L
2000 - 83W-79L

Well there you have it. Since 2000 the Jays have never been really good, or really bad (except 2004).

I should also mention that J.P Ricciardi has held the GM position the last 7 years. With the recent news that Cito Gaston will be back as manager again next season, that leads me to beleive that J.P. will be back again as well.

When and how will this cycle of mediocrity finally end?

Toronto’s Boy - The City of Toronto has a collective man-crush on one of its athletes.

It’s not Mats Sundin, it’s not Roy Halladay, and it’s not Chris Bosh. John McDonald of the Toronto Blue Jays has become one of the collective favorites in this town, not only by all of the wannabe knowledgeable Jays fans, but also by the general educated sports fan. The question I have for everyone out there is WHY? Let’s break it down and look at what this guy actually brings to the table.

First, let’s look at offence. This as we all know is where the Jays as a team need lot of help.

John McDonald through 77 at-bats this season has a batting average of .195, an on-base percentage of .247, and a whopping OPS of .507. His two main counterparts on this team are David Eckstein, and Marco Scutaro. Eckstein’s OPS is at .715, while Scutaro’s is at .678. Clearly those stats prove that McDonald should be receiving as little number of at-bats as possible. Most Jays fans realize that he is not a good hitter, but nearly all don’t understand just how bad he actually is. At shortstop the offensive options for the Jays should be, in order: 1) Eckstein 2) Scutaro 3) McDonald

Now let’s take a look at defence. Keep in mind that the Jays play great defence as a team. This is an area that doesn’t need to be upgraded.

McDonald has played the bulk of his games at shortstop, so I will use those numbers as the prime indicators. Through 31 games McDonald has 4 errors, and a fielding percentage of .958. Now onto his counterparts. David Eckstein, who through 56 games at shortstop has 9 errors with a fielding percentage of .960, and Marco Scutaro through 38 games is at 4 and .974. With that said, going buy the numbers alone, the defensive options for the Jays should be, in order: 1) Scutaro 2) Eckstein 3) McDonald

Furthermore, VORP is a great counting stat for total offence (http://www.stathead.com/bbeng/woolner/vorpdescnew.htm). Basically it is the number of runs contributed beyond what a replacement-level player would contribute if given the same percentage of team plate appearances. For most players, the more you play your VORP automotically goes up. Even if you are a very bad player it will go up if you play all season. McDonald is one of the few players in baseball where it actually goes the other way, the more he plays, the worse his stat gets. It's like counting base-hits whereas your hit total goes down as you get more at-bats.

So this brings me back to my original question. Why does the City of Toronto have a collective man-crush on John McDonald?

The Dead-Weight Remains

Well he couldn't do it.

The core and secondary core remains in tact as the Toronto Blue Jays made no moves on the deadline. It seems that for the rest of the season Matt Stairs will continue to get to many at-bats, David Eckstein will continue to sit on the bench, Jonny Mac will continue to post a .200 batting average, Gregg Zaun and Rod Barajas will continue the battle to prove who is worse, and Marco Scutaro will continue to hit second in the lineup.

The funny thing about this deadline is that it seemed that the Jays (we don't actually know who is calling the shots right now - could be Ricciardi, or it could be Cito) were actually in buying mode, instead of going in the right direction, selling the dead-weight. There were rumours that the Jays were after Jason Bay, and Raul Ibanez. Ok, I understand that Bay could have possibly been a long term solution, but Raul friggen Ibanez???? That acquisition would have made no sense at all. Ibanez would have been a shot-term "fix", which would have probably meant less playing time for Adam Lind, who is really the only guy hitting consitantly for this team.

All in all - It was a very bizarre trade deadline day for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Time to Play GM - Deadline Approaches

We are about 5 hours away from the trading deadline and J.P Riccardi is no where to be found.

As we all know, the Blue Jays season was lost over a month ago. Jays upper management should be actively looking to move some of the aging talent.

There have been rumours that Gregg Zaun may be on the move to Florida, but as of right now nothing has happened. If I was the Jays GM I would be inclined to move; Zaun or Barajas, Eckstein, Stairs, Jonny Mac and maybe even Marco Scutaro. None of these players are in the long-term plans and with the season gone, they should be moved even if it just for cash considerations or a PTBNL.

A.J Burnett is the wild card for the Jays. It seems that interest has been slim to none for Burnett. Also, I am now reading that they Jays are considering re-working his contract to keep him for the long-term. I am not totally against that option, but I still believe if a trade can be made that would bring in prime prospects, it must be done.

Gord Ash had the gull to drop big name talent when he was GM. Will JP? I personally doubt it.

Adam Lind Making JP Look Like a Donkey

I get a little more excited everytime Adam Lind gets an RBI, a run, or a even a infield single. Not because I think he is going to spark the turn-around in the Jays 2008 season. Not because he has quickly become one of my favorite Jays, and not because I think he has great potential. I get a kick out of it because it makes JP Riccardi look worse and worse.

It is well known that Cito Gaston was the one who demanded the recall of Lind, not the individual who is supposed to be responsible for these types of actions, Mr. Riccardi.

Since his recall in late June Lind has posted these numbers:

79 AB, 23 hits, 5 2B, 13 RS, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 327 AVG

I thought JP was supposed to be this talent evaluator guru? If so, why was he blocking Lind?

The Jays Play Boring Baseball

I have been a fan of the Jays for a good 20 years now. Frankly this season, I have never witnessed so many boring Jays games in my life compared to any other. The lack off offence this team has makes them nearly unbearable to watch.

I live in Toronto, which is perhaps the most exciting city in all of Canada. However I decided to stay in tonight (Friday evening), and watch the Jays play Tampa Bay. What a mistake that was. The game lasted just over 2 hours. The Jays tallied a whopping 4 hits, and overall the game had no excitement (minus a Lind homerun) whatsoever from a Jays standpoint. Talk about a waste of time.

This is not an isolated game. The Jays have played boring baseball all season. They on average have been one of the quickest start to finish teams in baseball all season, with average game times just over 2 hours. The Jays combination of great pitching and terrible hitting makes for very boring baseball.

A perfect example of how boring this team is there regular number three hitter, Alex (Bust) Rios. Alex has a grand total of 4 homeruns so far this year. He is a prime example that nothing will happen when the Jays get runners on base or in scoring position, which ultimately leads to boring baseball.

It isn’t a coincidence that attendance is down this year. The Jays are not fun to watch.

More on the Halladay Situation

'They shouldn't be worried I'm leaving'

Halladay says his heart is in Toronto despite team's struggles to compete

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080716.JAYS16/TPStory/Sports

Halladay Article...

Everyone should read this. I don't blame Halladay one bit.

BLUE JAYS' MEDIOCRITY BEGINING TO WEAR ON HALLADAY

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=243437&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main

This is J.P. Riccardi's fault.

The A.J. Burnett Enigma

If the Jays receive any reasonable offers for A.J. Burnett this upcoming deadline the trade should be made ASAP. It is quite clear that A.J. has been a bust for the Jays. If something becomes available in order to help the team in the future, the Jays need to take what they can get, and run with it.

Burnett has a great arm, no questions asked. However it has become clear that he doesn’t have the consistency or mental capacity to be an elite major league starter. The only thing consistent about Burnett is that he will throw one great game then follow it up with a complete stinker.

Burnett is 31 years old, so the potential tag needs to be thrown out the window. Never mind the fact that he is a complete liability in terms of health. Also, he has given no indication that he won’t use his opt-out option at the end of this season. There have been rumours that four teams have asked Riccardi about the availability of Burnett. He needs to take the best offer, and part ways with the A.J. enigma.

Trading Roy Halladay??

Relax, I haven't heard any rumours of this happening, and I highly doubt the J.P. regime would be looking into this option considering he needs the team to win now to remain employed. However, is the idea that far fetched?

Roy Halladay is a special talent, we all know this. However if this team ever becomes serious about re-building properly, trading Roy is almost a must.

J.P. failed to build the farm system. By trading Doc you get 3 prime prospects. Teams will unload the farm to obtain a talent like Halladay. It sucks, but it may be the only way to go at this point. Roy has been a trooper for this organization, however it may be better for him and the team to part ways.

If you look at what this team needs to accomplish in order to build for the long-term you need to make upgrades at 3B, SS, DH, and possibly one outfield position. I like what I have seen from Adam Lind in LF so he may be a viable option for that position. We also have Snider and Cooper in the minors, but they will be battling it out for 1B. That leaves 3B, SS, and DH as problems in the long term. Trading Halladay could fill those holes.

It will suck to see him go, but it might just have to happen...

Jays in the Short-Term

There have been many articles written, and many questions asked about what the Jays should do in the short-term. Currently through 88 games this season the team has compiled a 42-46 record. This is not the record the team, media, and fans envisioned going into Spring Training. Many pundits had them competing for the division, but instead they are fighting to get out of the basement of the American League East.

Change seems to be on the horizon. 15 or so games ago Manager John Gibbions, Hitting Coach Gary Denbo, First-Base Coach Ernie Whitt and Third-Base Coach Marty Pevey were removed from their respected positions within the organization, and replaced by Blue Jays legend Cito Gaston along with, Gene Tenace, Dwayne Murphy, and Nick Leyva. Gaston of course took over as manager with Murphy as first base coach, Leyva coaching third and former Blue Jays hitting coach Tenace back in his old job.

There have been rumours that these moves were perpetrated by President Paul Godfrey, however General Manager J.P. Ricarrdi recently put those rumours to rest reiterating that he has complete authority over on-field operations.

So, what happens now?

The Jays have played mediocre ball since the overhaul of coaches, which clearly indicates a lack of on-field talent (offensively), and with Riccardi still at the helm one would think he will do everything in his power to create a winner in the short-term in order to protect his job. It is not in his best interest to start a re-build right now.

http://www.torontosun.com/Spor...078506-sun.html

The Jays finally promoted outfielder Adam Lind from AAA Syracuse and he has immediately began to produce, hitting a solid .314 in the 10 games he has played. However if this team is going to turn the corner many other offensive positions also need to be addressed.

Halladay gets his 10th win - July 5th

I didn't see tonight's game (Jays 7 Angels 5), but according to the boxscores and highlights it seems that the Doctor was on top of his game.

His pitching line: 7.0 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts.

Roy improves his record to 10-6 with this win.

Other notes include;

- Vernon Wells with his 9th homerun
- Alex Rios went 3/5 at the dish and collected 3 stolen bases

Welcome to My Blog

Good afternoon all - This is my first blog!

I am very excited to share my opinions and views on my favorite sports team of all time, the Toronto Blue Jays.

I have been a fan literally since birth, however my first real memories of the Jays are of the good old days with the electric outfield that consisted of Jesse Barfield, LLoyd Moseby, and George (Jorge) Bell. In a nutshell I have and always will have a great passion for the Jays.

I look forward to reading your feedback on my posts/blogs.

Thanks!!