Tanaka is off the market, as is Matt Garza. That leaves two valuable starting pitchers who are still without a home for 2014. How long will it take for Ubaldo and Ervin to sign? Spring training starts in three weeks, unless you play for the Dodgers or Diamondbacks who start 2014 in Australia and as a result they start spring training a week early.
When will they sign? earlier this week AA suggested the signing could even go into March, mainly because of the draft pick compensation that is attached to both starters. I tend to think the players would get anxious to know where they are going but if their agents can make a strong case to wait they might do that. Do the Jays have the budget to sign one of these starters? Unless they sign one we may never know.
Fangraphs released their ZiPS projections last week and now ex-Baseball Prospectus writer Clay Davenport has released his projections for 2014 standings. He has the Jays at 78-84 with a 13% chance of making the playoffs. If the Jays were to sign Jimenez or Santana their projection would rise to 80-82 or 81-81 and their playoff chances might hit 20%.
Per Davenport the AL division winners are projected to be Tampa, Detroit and Oakland with Texas narrowly edging Boston for the wild card. In the NL Washington, St Louis and the Dodgers will win the division with San Francisco and the Braves tying for the wild card.
Elsewhere we are still waiting to see if AA eases his bullpen jogjam and if Goins is the starting 2B. The Jays will host their annual state of the franchise event for season ticket holders this week. This has been one of the quietest winters for the Blue Jays in years, will AA have any news this week?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20140126192219167