Nice work by Hinske... down 0-2, he fouls off 3 before hitting a ground-rule double the other way.

Yeah, great AB for Eric, who now has extra-base hits in three straight games. Nice hustle by Stewart to beat out an infield hit with two outs; I hope all the advance scouts saw how good his hamstrings are.

It could have been all over for Lidle in the first, after a bloop and an infield hit loaded the bases for Gibbons, who was 5-for-6 lifetime against Cory with 2 HR. Inducing the comebacker for the 1-2-3 DP was huge. However, those pesky M & M boys both singled again in the third, then Conine went deep to make it 3-0. Lidle's not going to be around long at this rate -- over 50 pitches through three.

Who was it who said Lidle might be an NRI next year? God, he looks awful.

Ugly night for Lidle. I'm not concerned so much with the likely loss tonight as I am with the fact that a performance like this doesn't make Lidle attractive to other teams.

A shame if they make it 3 straight games where they don't take advantage of Yankee losses.

This Phelps thing is getting strange. The guy's an important part of the Jays' future and he ought to be getting some ABs. Sure, the Jays are in the playoff hunt and they can't be thinking only about the future, but what sort of advantage do you really get playing Wilson over Phelps? Especially when it means you've got no backup catcher.

Another loss on the nightmare road trip. Looking for bright spots, Stewart did plenty to enhance his trade value, Kershner was sharp, and Acevedo looked very good. Maybe tomorrow they will pitch in more meaningful situations.

As it stands now the Jays have 2 pitchers that look effective,Doc and Escobar, Lidle to me looks like he has lost his confidence,especially as he is not getting all the run support he received earlier, just hope that he too is not pitching hurt

Maybe Lidle is the proven no. 4 I've been tlaking about ;-) His peripherals are nice, but he is still giving up those big innings and in the end just isn't getting the job done. Maybe his best chance at a big pay day is two years from now and he'll sign with the Jays for one year at less than value this off season to try to parlay 2004 into the big contract he wanted this offseason.

I see some talk about Delgado's contract in last night's discussion. With Lidle gone, or taking a pay cut, Stewart likely gone, Hinske and Wells signed for reasonable prices, and AAA talent ready to be called up how much would be free to pay Delgado when the time comes? Would he show some graciousness to the team that groomed him and is tyring to build a contender around and re-up for 10-12 million? Or do you think the Jays would be better off "replacing" his production with the maturity of Phelps, Hinske, Wells (a future HOFer IMHO), and (just for the Hell of it... a favorite of mine) Gabe Gross then spending his salary on pitching help?

I'm not entirely sure that Phelps and Hinske et al are going to be good enough to replace Delgado. Not that I think they're bad players-it's just that that's a hell of a player to have to replace.

Regardless of that, your question seems split into two parts. I think, first of all, that if Delgado were willing to take a sizable pay cut to stay in Toronto that it would be well worth the Jays' while to keep a player with a great track record and community image, regardless of the potential of the players in the farm system. The reality, however, as Coach has pointed out, is that Carlos isn't likely to take the sort of pay cut to make that economically feasible. Not that he has any kind of obligation to-everyone understands that this is a business relationship. If it turns out, as it likely will, that Delgado wants more years and more money than Toronto is willing to give him, plan B-the players you mention-ain't bad at all.

Basically, I'll be happy if the Jays go to Carlos next year and make him a fair offer. If he turns it down, that's fine and I'll wish him well, unless he signs with the Yanks. The only scenarios I'd be unhappy with would be if they signed him to an extension that crippled the team-which won't happen-or let him walk away without even trying a little to keep him, Expos-style.

If they're not going to keep Delgado, they have to play Phelps more.

Unless they've decided that Phelps, with his long swing, isn't going to hit enough to hold the 1B job, in which case they're hoping that Griffin or somebody steps up to grab it. Is that what is happening?

The Jays seem to be really streaky this year. They had the opening month that was poor, followed by a hot May and June, and now July is a struggle again.

If they don't play .500 against the Sox and Yankees next week they'll have quite a climb in front of them after the All Star break.

Do you think someone can tell Lidle that even though the All Star break is in another week that the Jays are already in the second half of their season? Maybe that would help.

Playing my balancing act once again, now looking for the good in the bad.... The one positive thing about this current slump is that it's coming against teams that are clearly a cut below the Jays (Baltimore and Detroit), rather than against the AL East monsters coming up next week. Had the slump hit against the Yanks and Red Sox, the same way it hit during the season's first two weeks, we might be inclined to think the Jays couldn't handle the big games, couldn't respond when the pressure was on, etc. As it's unfolded, though, it appears clear that this is just one of those periods a team goes through when it looks worse than it actually is. Now, whether or not the Blue Jays can shake this malaise in time for the next seven games will likely determine whether this team will take a run at the playoffs. If they drop 5 or 6 against the Yanks and Sox, JP will shift into selling mode without blinking an eye -- indeed, this upcoming week is the one he's been targeting all summer as the tell-all. If they split or take the majority of games, however, I believe he'll take a run at it.

In all events, we should remember that although the Jays are ahead of schedule in their rebuilding plan, there is still a schedule and there is still a plan, and next year's team will be better than this year's. We're still getting the best of both worlds right now: a big-league team staying in contention and an organization building itself into a potential powerhouse. That's pretty darn good.

Jordan - I think the last part of your post sums it up pretty well. We shouldn't be too disappointed by the current slump, because the future still looks pretty bright.

Whether the Jays are buyers or sellers (and I think you can be buyers and still improve for the future at the same time) I think they need to do something to get Phelps into the lineup.

And to start Wilson at 1B over Phelps is puzzling to me.

Also, I don't think Lopez's problem is when he is pitching, but how much he is pitching.

Sounds like Pete Walker will go into the rotation when he comes off the DL, I suspect at the expense of Doug Davis.

I'm not under the illusion (that many Toronto fans are) that the Blue Jays are an upper-mid-market club in baseball these days.

Nevertheless, I'll be frustrated -- nay, outraged -- if the Jays don't take at least a Cleveland-Thome-type run at Carlos Delgado, who's been a model citizen, engaging personality and tremendous hitter during his tenure with the club. Cleveland offered Thome a variety of non-monetary incentives (I think they offered to name a section at the Jake after him) and a competitive salary...under the assumption that if a bigger market wanted to blow them away with salary, there would be nothing they can do.

Delgado's the face of the franchise. Unless we, as fans, really are supposed to be loyally cheering exclusively for the jerseys and not the players, I demand a good-faith and creative effort to keep Carlos around. If we get outbid by $4M/per...there's nothing we can do.

Needless to say, I am *not* in favour of swapping him for two high-A pitchers next July.

I haven't given up yet!

http://www.startribune.com/stories/509/3973051.html
An interesting team might be in the Stewart sweepstakes: Minnesota

The Twins have inquired about the availability of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Shannon Stewart, whom they tried to trade for in 2001, according to an American League source.

That deal doesn't appear likely, at least not in the near future, because the Blue Jays are still in the playoff race.

In 2001, the Blue Jays wanted minor league outfielder Michael Restovich and pitcher Adam Johnson for Stewart, and the Twins balked.

The Twins are interested in trading for a proven hitter, or a good-hitting second baseman.

Free Johan Santana!

Santana for Stewart would be so damn funny.

It's funny how the Jays can't find decent playing time for Phelps, and might solve that problem by trading Stewart to Minnesota, a team that has an even bigger log jam at LF,RF,1B,and DH . I'm sure one or maybe two of those guys could come back the other way, but I think it's a better problem to have too much depth than not enough- the how the Pittsburgh Pirates of the world come to be.

http://www.baseballblog.blogspot.com
Santana for Stewart would be so damn funny.

Funny how? Funny like a clown? Like I amuse you?

Seriously, if that happens, I am moving to Canada.

What's funny is that the two guys Minny wouldn't deal for Stewart two years ago now look like filler, at best, although Johnson could still be somebody. Sort of like Jim Bowden refusing to part with Gookie Dawkins in the Griffey deal...

If Santana and Stewart were involved in the same deal, I don't know what I'd do. I know I'd be speechless. Some other adjectives could include elated, dumbfounded, and flabbergasted. :-)

Lurker, the name I always heard (and was mentioned in Sports Illustrated among other places) that they wouldn't part with for Griffey was ... Pokey Reese