Monday, August 24, 2009

Looking Forward to 2010

What are people's thoughts about 2010?

Does anyone buy JP's and Beeston's promise of contending? We have to remember that the Yanks, Boston, and Tampa Bay will not be worse next season. Odds are that Boston will actually try to improve considering just how good the Yanks will be over the next few seasons. The Rays players are still young enough to keep them all on that team. So do we really have a chance to compete in 2010? Can we pass at least 2 of those 3 teams next season?

It looks like right now we have following team going into next season (either signed or ARB);
1B -- Overbay $7.95 million
2B -- Hill $4 million
SS -- ???
3B -- Edwin E $4 million
C -- ???
CF -- Wells $16.143 million
LF -- Lind
RF -- Snider
DH -- Ruiz

SP -- Halladay $15.75 million
SP -- Marcum
SP -- Romero
SP -- McGowan/Litsch/Richmond/Purcey/Cecil/Zep

RP -- Downs $4 million
RP -- League
RP -- Camp
RP -- Tallet
RP -- Janssen
RP -- Frasor
RP -- Roenicke/Wolfe/Accardo
** BJ Ryan $12 million

My figures are not 100% accurate because I am unclear on how much the Jays are paying Rolen next season, but it looks like we have approx. $64 million in locked up salary for next season. We will obviously need to sign our ARB available players as well. We also need to sign a shortstop and a catcher just to feild a full team. We have some options in the minors for both positions, but none of those players look anywhere ready to make the jump. We have some tradeable pitching assests in my opinion.Will we compete next season? I say no unless we upgrade C/3B, and sign a decent SS (perhaps Scutaro). A true number 2 starter would be nice too.I guess we won't know what the direction the club is taking until the offseason, but either way it's tough to compete in this divsion no matter how you look at it.

Scutaro is an interesting case. He will be 34 years old going into next season and only has one good year under his belt. He is in line for a HUGE raise. If the Jays are planning on contending next season then maybe your offer him a 2 or 3 year deal. I don't really like signing players into there late 30's, so I would perfer a 2 year deal.

I actually think the Jays have stuck gold with Randy Ruiz at the DH spot...

Next year will be something.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Alex Rios Gone - Direction?


Sorry for the lack of posts -- I have been on "vacation" the last week or so... and what a week it was in Jays land.

Obviously first and foremost the Jays dumped the chosen one by sending Alex Rios to the White Sox for a ball of bags (actually less then that!). Perhaps JP and the rest of the Jays upper management have been reading my blog. Is this an indicator that the Jays may actually be looking to rebuild properly? I am likely just dreaming, eh? This more realistically means that Jays ownership is trying to restructure payroll (aka - lowering it) moving forward.

I haven't given up all hope in Rogers Corp. quite yet. I mean they have increased payroll in the past, and have previously allowed JP to go out and buy players. I guess only time will tell.

For what it's worth Rios has gone 3 for 15 with an error since joining the White Sox. Personally I was never huge fan of Rios, so I will go on record and say I agree with this move. In my opinion his career .785OPS is not worth $60 million. Also rumour has it that some Jays players are starting to speak out and implying that Rios doesn't put in 100% effort day in and day out.

Secondly every-ones favorite cowboy Kevin Millar has decided to back to his old number 15. Rios was wearing that number...

Go Jays.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Time for a new direction... or a direction... or something that isn't annoying


Time to get negative.... or "confused" may be better word.

Although I didn't watch the entire game last night, I for some reason still decided to look at my blackberry every 10 minutes for game updates. Each time I looked I got more and more pissed off. I hate our lineup so much it is actually getting hard for me to justify why the Jays should peak my interest more then a outlet with nothing plugged into it.

Look I understand Cito has no ability to adapt (make change) and JP is desperately trying to look like he kinda knows what he is doing, but why in the hell is Kevin Millar receiving so many at-bats? Look, Millar's a good clubhouse and dugout guy, but let's get serious here, at this point in his career that's where he should be at ALL times. He has become a left hander masher who can't hit lefties anymore. Why Cito, didn't you pinch hit Overbay for him in the 8th inning? Why Cito, is he hitting 4th in the lineup? Why Cito, is he in the lineup in the first place??? Like what the F...

I just don't understand where this team is going anymore, and I think the Kevin Millar situation is a perfect microcosm of how this has no plan, no direction, and no hope in hell for improvement in the short to mid-term future. People tell me were going to complete in 2010, but how? Are Marcum and Litsch all off a sudden going to make us better then 2 of Tampa, New York, and Boston? Is Snider going to be the trump card agains the superstars our main rivals field? Come on...

Ok, I know this team was supposed to suck, but I was not expecting them to be the 3rd worst team in the majors since May 19th even though 3 guys in our starting lineup are having career years. Ok, I admit I didn't expect Wells and Rios to all of a sudden be mediocre at best baseball players, but wouldn't this ultimately give us a chance to figure out what the plan should be moving forward? Yet, instead, outside of a demanded trade, we decided to maintain the status quo at the trade deadline, and to piss fans off even more start to give the wrong players more playing time. Why doesn't Bautista play more then Millar? At least he makes contact sometimes, and has a killer arm? But no, let's go with what used to work 7 years ago(surrounded by superstars) just because he is a vet.

What the hell is going on here? What is the direction of this team? Are we going with the same group of guys who always finish 3rd and 4th in the division? Are we increasing payroll, or are we going to rebuild properly?

Something needs to happen and fast. 15 years is not a short time period.

The thing that really pisses me off is that I used to be able to answer questions about the Blue Jays, but know I have no f%^%&* clue whatsoever what is going on with this team.