Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2006 Blue Jays

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2006 Blue Jays

Here's a look at the 2006 Blue Jays. Enjoy.

Lyle Overbay, 1B
It's about getting better a little bit at a time. I find it amusing when people criticize a team for employing a first baseman such as Overbay when they "should" be employing a masher such as Konerko at the position. Well, duh. Even the dumbest general manager in baseball is looking for somebody like Albert Pujols or David Ortiz. Unfortunately, such people are difficult to find, and teams that have them don't want to give them up.

The question you need to ask when a player is being acquired is, "Is this guy better than the one we have already?" In Overbay's case, the answer is clearly yes - he reaches base far more often than Hinske, and is a better defensive first baseman. Bringing him in will improve the offense, and the team.

By the way, all of this is Josh Phelps's fault: he's the reason why the Jays don't have any big thumping first basemen coming up any time soon, and why they had to go and get Overbay. He was supposed to solve the first base problem for a number of years. He didn't. It happens.

Aaron Hill, 2B
The Jays' biggest gamble this year isn't on Burnett, or Ryan: it's on Hill. The Jays are hoping that Hill can handle the starting second base job, even though he's played less than a year in the majors and less than a month at second. It's not a stupid risk: Hill is a tremendous athlete, and obviously has range enough to play second. But he hasn't yet proven that he can make adjustments at the plate at the major-league level, and he'll look bad defensively when compared to Hudson, who is one of the greatest defensive second basemen of all time. Hill will likely hit better than the O-Dog, though, and it's an acceptable tradeoff - especially when you consider that the Jays got Glaus out of the deal.

Russ Adams, SS
He's still young enough to improve, but for some reason I already think of him as a known quantity. Right now, he's a C or C+ in all facets of his game. He's a little bit below average in range and throwing arm at short. He's a little bit below average in on-base percentage. And he doesn't hit for much power (though not bad for a shortstop, historically). He is a legitimate shortstop, though - and J.P. loves him, so we can assume that 2005 isn't his ceiling. I hope.

John McDonald, Everyman
No one has commented on McDonald's re-acquisition, but he's the reason why the Jays are willing to gamble on Hill. If the team needs quality defense at second, such as in the late innings of a close game, they can plug McDonald in there. He won't hit, but he'll field well enough to take the pressure off Hill.

Russ Adams has to be wondering: I thought I played this guy out of a job, and here he is, back again... Oh well. It's probably a good thing to have somebody ready to step in when needed - this provides incentive to dig deeper.

Troy Glaus, 3B
Gosh, some people complain a lot. The Jays go and pick up somebody who is (a) under 30, and (b) hits 40 home runs a year, and all they do is kvetch about the expected dropoff in defense. Wow.

He's not a risk-free acquisition - health is a question - but the Jays now have the big bopper they lost when they let Delgado go. And if defense becomes an issue, McDonald can be plugged in, if he's not already busy playing second or short. (Maybe he can be cloned.)

Bengie Molina, C
Of the Jays' signings, this is the one that I thought was a wee bit superfluous. Zaun has a decent on-base percentage, is a good defensive catcher, and has some power. However, the dropoff from Zaun to his backups - mostly Huckaby - was a cavernous one in the past. Having a second catcher that is not an automatic out is a tremendous advantage. Apparently, Molina is a great defensive catcher: he'd have to be, or he'd be ostracized at Molina Family gatherings.

Gregg Zaun, C
With apologies to George Thorogood (and music lovers everywhere):
"My baby left me, my mule got lame, lost my money in a poker game
A Molina came just the other day, and took my spot behind the plate away
I'm having so much trouble, so much trouble, so much trouble I'm about to lose my mind"

The moral: life isn't fair. (No, I'm not giving up my day job.)

Shea Hillenbrand, Rover
Would it be a good idea to play this guy every day in April, given that he seems to have a history of hot starts? Some players just seem to be able to kick butt in April for some reason: Ed Sprague was famous for being red-hot in the spring, and cold afterwards. Maybe the pitchers are throwing more fastballs early in the season, or something.

I'm not a huge Hilly fan, but he can cover both infield corners (though not at once), he'll yank one out of the park every now and again, and no one has ever questioned his effort. John Gibbons loves him to pieces; every manager should be allowed to have one or two of his favourites hanging around.

Vernon Wells, OF
Give the guy a break, already. Focus on what he can do: he's a Gold Glove centerfielder who hits 30 home runs a year. That's good, isn't it? Sure, he's not a natural team leader, and he doesn't have Carlos Delgado's offensive skills. But not many people can hit like Delgado, and those people usually can't field like V-Dub. Besides, the team doesn't need a leader: Mr. H.R. Halladay fills the bill quite nicely, thank you. Let Vernon recede into the shadows a bit and play his game.

Frank Catalanotto, OF
You know about him. He'll hit about .300. He'll slash doubles in the gap every now and again. He won't walk much (because he fouls off borderline pitches rather than taking them for strikes). He's OK in the outfield but not great. Describing him is as exciting as eating vanilla ice cream, but it's enjoyable to watch a professional hitter ply his trade. He wields his bat like a master bricklayer wields his trowel. And what the hey: vanilla ice cream tastes good, dontcha know.

Reed Johnson, OF
Also a known quantity. Desperately wants to play every day, and can be counted on to go full-throttle into any playing opportunity. Is best used in short bursts, with time off to recharge his batteries. An extremely valuable player: he can play all three outfield positions, pinch-hit and pinch-run. In the olden days, managers used to need three guys to do all of these things.

Alex Rios, OF
Y'know, if it weren't for that monster season in AA, there's nothing in his record to indicate that he's actually ever going to be a quality player. I'm just sayin'.

Last year, he showed that he could do absolutely anything on a baseball field - just not very much of it at once. He sometimes hits for power. He sometimes hits for average. He sometimes runs well. He sometimes throws well. He's this close to stardom. But that is the curse that many athletes live under: they're much, much better than almost everybody who plays baseball, but just not quite good enough to make it all the way. That has to be tough to endure, to be that close to millions of dollars without ever getting there.

Eric Hinske, OF-Wannabee
You have to give him an A for effort: every year, the Jays ask him to switch positions, and every year, he goes out there and does his level best. His problem is one that he has no control over: when playing every day, he is only capable of hitting about .260 with 20 home runs, and there's nothing anybody can do about it. Not everyone is capable of stardom.

He'll hit a little better than that when playing only against righties, but let's not get too excited: the Jays have always left him on the bench when a tough lefty is out there, so his season numbers aren't likely to improve too much. As for his outfield defense: it'll be entertaining to watch Eric gallop at full-tilt in the general direction of a fly ball. He's fast enough that he'll likely get there, and he'll be a heck of a lot better than, say, Jose Canseco.

If I were him, I'd learn how to catch too. Seriously.

Roy Halladay, P, Demigod
Had he been born a century ago, he'd have been Christy Mathewson. Can you imagine what John McGraw would have done had he seen this guy? Little Mac would have named his children after him.

A perfect fantasy baseball pick: he's the best pitcher in the world, but Kevin Mench's line drive has caused people to forget this. He's a hard worker and a loyal team player, donating his time to help recruit others to the cause. I don't think of athletes as heroes - they're ordinary men in their twenties and thirties who happen to possess special skills, and that's all. But if I was looking for somebody for a kid to look up to, I'd probably start right here.

A.J. Burnett, P, Acolyte
There's always going to be some wastage (not that Burnett is it - I'm just warming to a theme). A team cannot win unless it fully plunders all possible sources of talent. This includes going out and spending top dollar for the best available warm bodies on the free-agent market. To do this, the team has to be prepared to overspend a bit, and has to realize that there will be a crash and burn every now and again. This is doubly true of pitchers, who are always potentially one pitch away from the end of their careers. The Yankees are an extreme case of this: they throw away millions of dollars annually, but they get to go to the post-season. The fiscally responsible Kansas City Royals do not.

Some time, I want to research the least successful free-agent signings and trade acquisitions. How often does a player get picked up by a new team, only to never play for them? Or, at least, never play well? Off the top of my head, I can only think of one man who never played an inning for his new team: that man is Mike Sirotka. You may have heard of him.

As for Burnett: it'll be a real drag if Dave Bush outpitches him.

Gustavo Chacin, P
Pundits have already written him off, saying that the league is going to catch up to him now. (Pundits like to write off the Jays, as if they're a tax-deductible expense or something.) These pundits may have a point: it often takes a year for scouting reports to circulate around the league and for hitters to adjust. Still, I'd rather take my chances with somebody who has been a useful pitcher at least once than somebody who has never gotten anybody out at the big-league level. The guy who's been there before at least has some idea of how things work. And, what the heck: sometimes hitters can't hit good stuff even if they know what's coming. Everybody knows what Mariano Rivera is going to throw.

Josh Towers, P
A Jamie Moyer for our time.

Ted Lilly, P
There are many things I don't understand in life. One of them is why Ted Lilly was so good in 2004 and so bad in 2005. What he'll do in 2006 is anyone's guess. I hate having to depend on him for anything, though.

B.J. Ryan, P, Hired Gunslinger
Anybody who complains about the Jays' spending should realize three things: one, the Jays are still spending less than their principal division rivals (and substantially less than the Yankees). Anyone who complains about the Jays' expenditures is saying, in effect, "Shut up and stay in third place where you belong." I'm talking to YOU, Bud Selig!

Point two: it's easy to identify a top player when he's been a proven star for many years (and is now past his Best Before date). Everybody knows that Roger Clemens can pitch, or that Gary Sheffield can hit - even George Steinbrenner knows it. The trick is to identify such players at exactly the point they have started to show their superior abilities - then, you get the best years of their careers. I don't know whether the Jays have done that with Ryan, but it's not an indefensible strategy.

Point three: the goal is to maximize wins, not wins per dollar. Ted Rogers' strategy is to invest enough money to fill the Rogers Centre and clean up on ticket sales, merchandising, broadcast rights, and so on. It's worked before in Toronto - as you may recall, the Jays were the first team to draw 4 million a season, and were once the Big Dogs In The East. You young 'uns might not believe that, but it's true.

Scott Schoeneweis, P, Lefty-At-Large
What do you do with a left-handed setup man when your closer is lefthanded? I guess he goes back to the seventh inning. We're going to see a lot of four-reliever games this year: bring in righty setup man #1, bring in SS for a tough lefty, bring in righty reliever #2, then bring in Ryan. I guess there will be lots of time to buy that late-inning beer from the concession stands this year.

Vinniejasonjustin Chulkfrasorspeier (the Third, Esq.), PPP
They're different pitchers, with different styles, but they'll have the same role in 2006, so I'm going to think of them as a collective entity. Join us; resistance is useless.

Scott Downs, P
The #6 starter. The Jays hope they won't need him much. He hopes that they do. There's no truth to the rumour that he has a Burnett voodoo doll and is sticking pins in its elbow.

Pete Walker, P, Patron Saint of Lost Causes
Even the worst job in major-league baseball is better than the best job any player is likely to find outside of The Show. Pete pitches best as a low-pressure long man, and that's what he's going to get to do again.

Posted by Dave Till on Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 05:00 PM EST.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2006 Blue Jays | 56 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

John Northey - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 05:25 PM EST (#143778) #

Good point to the young kids out there that the Jays were once the most feared team in baseball. I still have the old Baseball Weekly with the cover story 'Damn Blue Jays' with the 1993 squad on the cover. This was leading into the 1994 season after the Jays just finished winning their 2nd WS title, had the highest payroll in baseball, had a GM who was becoming a legend (Gillick), a manager who knew how to run a vetern team (Cito), and 11 years of over 500 finishes (very impressive in the pre-Cox Atlanta winning their division every year days).

From '85 to 93 the Jays won 5 division titles vs the Red Sox 3 and the Tigers 1. The Yankees were getting top draft picks as Lou Pinella and Billy Martin ran their pitchers into the ground in the late 80's. Ah, those were the days.

Now, we have a new team, one with committed ownership again, a GM who wants to be a legend (remember, Gillick took 6 years to get the Jays out of the basement), a few good young players, and a Yankee team that is starting to make one think of those mid-80 Yankee teams - lots of stars but reaching their expiry date. Ah what fun.

Skills - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 06:18 PM EST (#143780) #

Outside of the "questionable infield defense" that some people (Dayn Perry, i like ya, but you're killin me on this one) won't shutup about, I think the Jays are a very well rounded, deep team. As the great overview suggested, the infield defense is a question mark. An improvement from Adams is not unthinkable for a number of reasons I assume everyone is already aware of, and Hill may very well be a good if not Hudson-like second baseman. Glaus may be iffy, but I think we can accept that his bat will makeup the difference.

Outside of that, the Jays have a well-balanced lineup, and though Adams needs to prove himself as a leadoff hitter, let's not forget that Reed Johnson can fill that role in a pinch. They have late-inning infield and outfield defensive replacements (Johnson and Macdonald). They don't have any questionable arms in the bullpen who can't be expected to fill their respective roles. They have a solid rotation, with a number of acceptable 5th starters waiting in the bullpen (Downs, Walker) and the minors (McGowan, Marcum?).

The big weakness might be the two outfield platoons, but I feel a lot more comfortable with Hinske as a bench player, and you could do worse than having either Catalanatto or Johnson as your 3rd outfielder.

Mylegacy - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 06:44 PM EST (#143781) #

Speaking of the 06 Jays...

I've worked out the Jays starting pitchers through to the All-Star break. Yea, I know it's a waste of time, injuries etc. But what the hay, I don't get paid by the hour.

There's an article,
(http://bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060330&content_id=1374533&vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor)

which explains that "they" want Roy to pitch every 5th day. Makes sense, he gets the big bucks, we want him to pitch AS OFTEN as he can and stay in the 5 day rotation thingy (thingy: baseball word for the 5 day "rotation thingy", I hope that explains it for the "Moneyball" people in the audience)...

SO, I take it that we will want AJ to pitch every fifth day, for the same reasons, and also Lily as our number three guy, then Towers then Chacin (the team has decided that a Towers between the two lefties smells more like a rose than two lefties back to back, or some such reasoning.)

Here's what I get:

Roy makes 19 starts
Lily makes 19 starts
AJ makes 17 starts
Towers (he of Lord of the Dance fame...or is Lord of the Rings...whatever) makes 17 starts
Chacin makes 14 starts
Downs makes 2 starts

Of the first 88 starts the big three make 55.

In that period we play:

O's 13 times
TB 12 times
Boston 11 times
NYY 5 times

As a matter of interest:

Roy pitches only 1 of the 11 games against Boston, and 2 of the 5 against the NYY. AJ pitches 1 against Boston and 0 against the NYY. Lily pitches 2 against Boston and 2 against NYY. Towers pitches 3 against Boston and 0 against NYY. Chacin pitches 3 against Boston and 1 against the NYY. Downs doesn't start against either Boston or NYY.

Against the BIG TWO our top three pitch 8 of the 16 games. Our top two pitch only 4 of the 16 games...shudder...

SO MY QUESTION IS... Do we get Roy, and AJ, then Lily and Towers etc. the MAXIMUM number of STARTS with the proper "rotation thingy" between starts or do we get them to start on shorter notice on occasion to get more games from them against the terrible two?

Before the All-Star break we also play:

LAA 7 times
KAN 4 times
Min 3 times
CWS 3 times
COL 3 times
NYM 3 times
WAS 3 times
PHI 3 times
TEX 3 times

Ron - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 06:52 PM EST (#143782) #

- I'm interested to see what kind of year Wells has with Glaus providing protection. Which is the real Wells? The player that put up a OPS+ 131 in 03 or the player that put up OPS+ 100 in 02, OPS+ 103 in 04, and OPS+ 104 in 05.

I would find it strange for a player to have his career season at age 24.

- Let's hope Adams and Hill both stay healthy. If either one gets injured, J-Mac becomes a starter and either Santos or Roberts becomes the backup unless JP makes a trade.

- One player not named in the preview is Quiroz. He seems like good kid so I hope he can turn his career around. I'm just not sure if it's going to be with the Jays.

- I expect Rios to be ..... Rios and I wouldn't be shocked if he gets traded sometime during the season.

Magpie - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 07:03 PM EST (#143783) #

There really is no Big Three - there's Doc and four other guys. Off last year, they would rank Towers, Chacin, Burnett, Lilly.

Last season, Gibbons actually did do his best to keep Doc on normal rest - he did it by sliding everyone else back to make room. I actually wrote about this when the season was over, and I called it "Juggling the Rotation.".

As a rule Gibbons didn't skip a guy. First time this came up, Bush was scheduled - Doc pitched instead and Bush pitched the next game. Next time it was Towers who was bumped backa day.

Later on, he more or less skipped Gaudin's turn - later still, Gibbons took advantage of some off-days to run twice through a four-man rotation. In general, Gibbons seemed flexible and alert to the possibilities last year.

jjdynomite - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 07:11 PM EST (#143784) #

How long before the Demigod and Acolyte replace the O-Dog on the banner? I'm pretty good with the Photoshop, if you like, I can have 'em wearing "Brokeback Mound" Ts.

On a serious note, I designed the 2006 Blue Jays sched for use as a PC background for 1024x768 monitor resolution, with "box table" months and some nice graphics thrown in (including the 4 jersey "new guys" montage used in some print ads of late).

If anyone is interested, email me at jjg48 @ columbia.edu and I will send you the JPEG.

5 more days....

Mylegacy - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 07:58 PM EST (#143787) #

They say insanity is thinking the same thing again and again and expecting a different outcome. So call me insane...

Rios, Hinske, Wells, Glaus and BOTH the Brokeback Mountain conjoined twins WILL HAVE CAREER and/or BREAKOUT years!

Halladay and AJ will PROVE they can do more than organize weddings. They will DOMINATE! Towers WILL become Jamie Moyer, he will even sleep at night dreaming of Seattle. Lily will blossom! Chacin will continue to look COOL with his day/night sunglasses.

We gotta get this season going... I can't take it anymore!!!!

Chuck - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 08:23 PM EST (#143788) #

I'm interested to see what kind of year Wells has with Glaus providing protection.

Number cruncher extraordinaire David Grabiner weighs in on protection.

Pistol - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 08:46 PM EST (#143790) #

"How long before the Demigod and Acolyte replace the O-Dog on the banner?"

Soon, very soon (well, not that specific combination).

budgell - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 08:57 PM EST (#143792) #

From the rotation article mentioned earlier http://bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060330&content_id=1374533&vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

"Even on Thursday, Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said that the plan was for Scott Downs, the temporary fifth starter, to pitch the first game in Chicago, with Halladay and Burnett throwing the subsequent days. Ricciardi said that it would be better to give Halladay an extra day off early in the season, because the team might not have the same luxury later in the year."

and

"When Arnsberg was asked about that scenario, he flipped open his day-by-day schedule for April and revealed that Halladay was, in fact, slated for April 14, followed by Downs and Burnett. Arnsberg admitted his schedule wasn't set in stone, but it was his tentative plan all along.

"I'm going to have to talk with him," Arnsberg said, referring to Ricciardi."

and

"Ricciardi said that the second and third starters are projected to be left-hander Ted Lilly and righty Josh Towers, respectively, for the start of the season.

"Lilly is the No. 2 starter," Ricciardi said."

Is J.P. this involved in the day to day lineup or is it has he just never met a microphone he didn't like? Is it possible that the reason he's hired two no-name managers (has there evere been another big league manager who moved into the role from bull pen catcher?) is that he just wants a figurehead and that the real lineup decisions are coming from above?

I'm a JP fan, but as GM. Today's big leaguers seem to have the power to tune out/ignore their manager without retribution far too easily anyway, let alone when the manager's decision making ability is as tenuous as Gibbons' appears to be.

Mylegacy - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 09:32 PM EST (#143794) #

Budgell, this needs answering from someone with a little authority! And, I have as little as anyone, so here goes...

JP has always said he expects the manager to carry out his (JP's) plan. I think the players should "fear" JP if they need an external motivation. Gibby's job is much less than the old time, big boss, managers. That's the way JP wants it and Billy Beane wishes he had it.

budgell - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 09:59 PM EST (#143796) #

I agree that a manager should (has to) carry out the GM's plan, I just don't see why he has to give up managerial duties in the process.

When I see a manager efectively say "I've gotta check with the guys upstairs before I comment any further on my decisions on the lineup I'll bring to homeplate every night" I become concerned that all the positive off-season changes are going to be negated by a lack of ON FIELD leadership.

Named For Hank - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 10:17 PM EST (#143798) #

How long before the Demigod and Acolyte replace the O-Dog on the banner?

The new banner has been under construction for about three weeks. Making it look good on as many systems as possible, especially older and lower resolution systems, while making it kick a lot of ass on nicer, higher resolution systems was what you might call a big pain in the butt.

You'll note that this banner is one-sided and depending on your browser window size, it can look really lopsided. That problem has been solved.

If I do say so myself, I think the new banner is fantastic. I think the plan is to unveil it on opening day.

greenfrog - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 10:45 PM EST (#143801) #

I think injuries and mid-season trades are going to be important in determining who goes to the playoffs this year. IMHO, the Jays are going to need more OPS (and maybe another top starter) to win the division or claim a wildcard spot. There is some heavy competition across the AL.

Go Jays!!!

greenfrog - Thursday, March 30 2006 @ 10:46 PM EST (#143802) #

Great preseason summary, by the way.

Mylegacy - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 12:56 AM EST (#143806) #

By the way, Towers pitched a gem today.

Since almost everyone is improved in every division it means wins will be harder to come by.

With four good(ish) teams in the central and three in the west that only leaves one team in each of those divisions to be beat up on. However, in the east we have Baltimore and TB both slightly off the pace. I predict that the two AL east teams that best slaughter the O's and TB will be the division winner and the wildcard winner.

Last year I always felt we could stay with the Sox and Yanks BUT we couldn't pull away from the O's and TB. This year I feel the BIG diference in the team will be the way we will be able to slaughter the halt and the lame. A bit gory maybe, but if it gets us to the playoffs, so be it!

AND, to quote, and concur, with Greefrog, "Great preseason summary, by the way"

jennandchad - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 12:56 AM EST (#143807) #

My two cents....

Lineup
Our lineup is very solid. No - there isn't the Yankees flash or the one two punch with Ortiz/Manny - however, this team managed to be the 5th highest run scoring team in AL last year and we've upgraded in literally 5 places out of 9. (1) Hill is better hitter than Hudson (2) Glaus is better hitter than Hill/Koskie/etc. (3) Rios/Hinske platoon is better than Rios (4) Molina/Zaun platoon is better than Zaun/Huckabee platton (5) Wells should be better with more protection. Plus we have Overbay. We don't have any real weak points in our lineup and we should increase our run production significantly (much more than the impact of a slightly weaker defense).

Starting Pitching
I personally feel that the only two we can fully depend on is Hallady and Towers. Lilly has inconsistency issues, Burnett switching leagues and elbow issues and Chacin will be facing a potential sophomore slump. It we can get an average 13 wins out of these three guys with Towers putting in 15, Halladay with 21 and the bullpen popping in 15 - that gets us to 90 wins. This is reasonable expectation. Good thing is Bosox and Yanks have plenty of questions with the starting pitching and bullpens (we don't have questions there). Should be interesting!!!

Relief
You analysis did include anyting about Justin Speier. He was filthy last year with a WHIP under 1.00 and a k/bb ratio of 4 to 1. He will be our guy in the 8th inning more often than not and will be a critical part of our success.

Outlook
Lets plan on staying in the race all year, if not its disappointment. We must compete against the AL East early on - we don't want to get in a hole as this may mentally wear on the team. If we are in it - perhaps we make another move and really have a shot. It just sucks that the AL legitimately now has 4 teams competing for the WC aside from the division winners. No one can say for sure who will win the WC. Have fun!

Anders - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 01:03 AM EST (#143808) #

Any word on who the extra player is going to be breaking camp while AJ is on the DL? I dont think they'll bring up another pitcher, which leaves a hitter - maybe JFG? I dont know, and am curious.

In a similar vein, I think the Jays regularly carrying 12 pitchers is a bit foolhardy, especially if the 12th one is Pete Walker, when Scott Downs is the superior long man. The pitching staff shouldnt be too taxed, especially as Doc goes at least 7 every game. Id much rather see JFG pinch hitting than Pete Walker.

China fan - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 06:37 AM EST (#143809) #

According to today's Globe and Star, it will be Brian Tallet and Jason Phillips who head north with the team for opening day, replacing Burnett and Zaun when they go on the 15-day DL. In the Star today, Gibbons and Towers both have high words of praise for Phillips. "He's a big-league catcher, period," quoth Gibby.

Quiroz was nowhere to be seen at yesterday's game, while Phillips did steller duties behind the plate, catching nine innings of shutout ball. Geoff Baker suggests that Quiroz was absent because he's already on waivers, with the Jays hoping to sneak him through waivers and send him to Syracuse.

Presumably this means that Phillips will replace Quiroz on the 40-man roster, while another name will have to be dropped from the 40-man to make room for Tallet. Any suggestions? My own guess: maybe John Hattig or Ryan Houston.

For what it's worth, I like the idea of keeping Phillips on the roster this year as injury insurance. He's got some pop in his bat and he's got a lot of major-league experience. Even if he is sent down to AAA when Zaun comes back, he would still be an extremely useful guy to have available as insurance if there are any further injuries at catcher, first base or DH this year. He's probably a better major-league hitter than anyone at Syracuse except perhaps Griffin. The only caveat: the Jays might have already promised to release him to another major-league team if there's no room for him on the 25-man roster after Zaun returns from the DL.

When I suggested yesterday that Phillips is a useful player to keep around, I didn't mean for 3 or 4 games as a backup on the bench. I meant that he'd be great to have available as insurance for the full year. But of course Phillips won't be happy to be playing at Syracuse, so there might be some verbal understanding that the Jays will let him go to another team if they can't keep him on the 25-man roster after Zaun returns.

Pistol - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 08:29 AM EST (#143813) #

Here's the Globe link referenced above:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060331.BLUEJAYS31/TPStory/TPSports/

It probably makes sense to take Quiroz off the 40 man roster now. Hattig and Houston are probably the likely choices, as well as Ismael Ramirez.

VBF - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 08:50 AM EST (#143816) #

A member of bluejays.scout.com says that he was at yesterdays game and that Quiroz was in the bullpen. And he is a valid poster.

earlweaverfan - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 09:51 AM EST (#143820) #

A couple of comments here suggest that Hattig ought to be on the bubble - is it just my impression, or has Hattig not been absolutely dominating spring training pitching? (Yes, I know about one swallow not guaranteeing that Spring has arrived, and I remember Gabe Gross, but it at least might be possible that he breaks out, mightn't it?)

And is he not a genuine back-up in case the much-feared injury to Glaus takes place?

Did he not have an injury that got in the way of him showing his potential last year, but otherwise, wasn't there some hope in what he could become?

Mike Green - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 10:07 AM EST (#143821) #

Presumably, in the event of injury to Glaus, Hillenbrand plays third or Hill moves over with McDonald sliding in at second. John Hattig has had a nice spring against triple A pitching; the best thing for him and the club after his injury last season is for him to get at-bats every day in triple A the first half of the season.

Yesterday, the Chiefs tied the Durham Bulls. David Purcey through 5 shutout innings with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. That's excellent news.

chips - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 10:12 AM EST (#143822) #

Jason Phillips was an up and comer with the Mets before being traded to the Dodgers. He had several big game hits with Mets. He is under 30 yrs old and still has upside. Greg Zaun is now on downside of career and most likely had his best year last season. I'd rather see Zaun traded while he has market value and keep Phillips. At 35 yrs old later this year Zaun's skills will begin to erode. Catching is extrememly tough on the body.

Marc Hulet - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 11:29 AM EST (#143827) #

I would argue the Phillips-has-upside comment. I think he is what he is by now... a solid big league backup.

Hattig had an absolutely torrid spring and I doubt he will be removed. I would lean towards Ismael Ramirez or Miguel Negron, both of whom could be back in double-A this season due to depth issues.

Mike Green - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 11:41 AM EST (#143828) #

Sorry, earlweaverfan. You were responding to suggestions that Hattig ought to be removed from the 40 man, rather than suggesting an early promotion as I thought.

I agree with you that he should not.

dan gordon - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 12:34 PM EST (#143832) #

I'm kind of surprised to see the comments about how great Hattig has been this spring. He is 2 for 20, a .100 batting average, with 10 strikeouts.

Geoff - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 12:48 PM EST (#143836) #

If one hopes that Vernon can regain his 2003 form, might as well hope for the same from Phillips....

Year  Age   PA    BA   OBP   SLG
2003   26  453  .298  .373  .442

If the Jays could get 450 PA of production like that, he should definitely be kept.

I recall the stories last year about how Gibbons is close with Phillips from their time together with the Mets. [though i couldn't find it mentioned on 'da Box] Sometimes having a good boss can do wonders for one's productivity, and I'm pulling for him to stick around and succeed — this year and beyond.

One never knows what will happen with injuries.

Adrock - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 01:54 PM EST (#143841) #

To add a scouts vs. stats perspective (or in this case scouts + stats) Hattig was the one Blue Jay I noticed at spring training who appeared completely overmatched.

He wasn't just getting out, he was heinously unselective, and striking out without appearing to come close. Granted, my sum total of watching John Hattig is 3 spring training games, but he was the only guy who looked like he belonged in a Beer League.

Perhaps he's just a slow starter...

John Northey - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 02:12 PM EST (#143844) #

Hmm... we know JP likes Craig Wilson in Pittsburgh. Could there be a match...

We have a spare catchers in Zaun (figuring Phillips is a managers favorite and Molina is the starter) and Quiroz. Pittsburgh has Ryan Doumit as the starter (255/324/398 as a 24 year old rookie and hit darn fine in the minors) and backups Humberto Cota (242/284/387 lifetime over 405 AB's) and Ronny Paulino (rookie who just reached AAA last year). All 3 are 27 or younger with little ML experience so Zaun would be a good fit I'd think while Quiroz would be useless to them.

Pittsburgh is solid at 1B and 3B and the outfield, but Hinske might be good as an NL player since he can play LF/RF/3B/1B I suspect at acceptable levels and has enough of a bat to be used as a pinch hitter regularly. So spare parts in Zaun and Hinske, add in good rookies and some cash to see if they'll part with Wilson? Hrm. I think it is too one sided for the Jays still though. Who knows, depends on where Pittsburgh's managment is with budget and what others are offering I guess.

XooM - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:03 PM EST (#143848) #

It seems Guillermo Quiroz already got claimed by Seattle. Too bad, I was hoping the Jays could sneak him through waivers and stash him in Syracuse for a year. Good luck to Quiroz, too bad it didn't work out with the Jays.

Ski - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:12 PM EST (#143849) #

"Catching is extrememly tough on the body."

Tell that to Pat Borders, still hangin' in at almost 43 years of age over in the Dodgers spring camp.....hit a home run a game or two ago too.

Marc Hulet - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:17 PM EST (#143852) #

Hattig is hitting close to .500 in the Syracuse spring training... in 13 games, with a number of homers and RBIs.

binnister - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:25 PM EST (#143853) #

It seems Guillermo Quiroz already got claimed by Seattle

I've googled this and can't find any mention of his being claimed, much less his even being sent down to the minors by the club.

Given the uncertainty of Zaun braking camp with the club (due to injury), its seems VERY unlikely that they would have done this with Q (yes, Phillips is with the team, but they would have to purchase his minor league contract AND make room for him on the 40-man)

Your source, please?

Newton - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:28 PM EST (#143854) #

Phillips does seem too good to simply discard.

If there is any way to land Craig Wilson, we should do it.

I've felt all offseason that we were a plus corner OF and a plus DH away from expecting a playoff berth and I stand by that assertion. My biggest fear is everything going well and us missing the playoffs by 2-3 wins.

I was roundly criticized for advocating dealing McGowan instead of Bush to Milwaukee during the winter, and I must say I'd love to have Bush right now.

Its going to be a fun season, can't wait for opening night.

Craig B - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:32 PM EST (#143855) #

Tell that to Pat Borders, still hangin' in at almost 43 years of age over in the Dodgers spring camp.....hit a home run a game or two ago too.

Anyone else noticing that the older that Jeff Kent and Pat Borders get, the more alike they look? There's some sort of convergent evolution going on.

Craig B - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:35 PM EST (#143856) #

Visual evidence:

http://images.chron.com/content/news/photos/05/07/08/kent.jpg

and

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Apr-22-Tue-2003/photos/sports.jpg

joemayo - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:35 PM EST (#143857) #

from rotoworld,

Mariners claimed catcher Guillermo Quiroz off waivers from the Blue Jays. Mar. 31 - 3:17 pm et

binnister - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 03:40 PM EST (#143858) #

Dispointing news. (Re: Q)

Especially in veiw of the 'contriversial' comments that Gregg Zaun reportedly made during a FAN590 interview regarding Barry Bonds.

No, I don't have a concrete source.

Yes, I am aware of the irony.

Mylegacy - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 04:00 PM EST (#143860) #

No O'Dog and no Q'Dog, oh well think I'll go get a Hot Dog.

Not much in the minors, Thigpen, Diaz and Bornmaster. That's about it. Could be we pick up the option on Pudgey Benjey next year.

VBF - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 04:03 PM EST (#143861) #

Sorry binister, what did he say?

chips - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 04:33 PM EST (#143869) #

(Re: Borders hanging in.)

My point is that for back up catchers Phillips may be the best of the bunch. Do you think Zaun can play like he did last year with less AB's? As for Border's, he has hung around for years basically as a playing coach. He would be the exception, not the rule. From today's Toronto Star, the pitchers enjoyed Phillip's game calling from behind the plate this spring.

binnister - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 06:19 PM EST (#143879) #

They have the interview on www.Fan590.com on the main page.

It's not that bad (the report I read was blown way out of proportion). He not so much defending Barry B, as protesting the 'Witch Hunt'. Sounds like he really doesn't like Selig and MLB in general.

chips - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 06:22 PM EST (#143880) #

ESPN Transactions confirms Seattle claiming Guillermo Quiroz off waivers.

Rob - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 06:28 PM EST (#143881) #

The Blue Jays attempted to pass Guillermo Quiroz through waivers this week, but the catcher was out of options and Seattle opted to claim him on Friday.

That's from Jordan Bastian's story at MLB.com. Phillips, as expected, gets the call as the backup until at least April 8.

Mylegacy - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 07:40 PM EST (#143885) #

Good for Zaunie!

The investigation onto drugs in Basball has TO START and END in Selig's office. That goofus KNEW, but turned a blind eye to it. Bonds (allegedly) only got on the juice after nobody did anything when the big white guy hits over 70 bombs and EVERYONE KNEW what was going on. Basball should be ashamed, Bonds shame is way down the list. Juice or no juice Bonds was/is the greatest player of his generation.

Good for Zaunie!

MondesiRules - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 08:11 PM EST (#143888) #

If you get ESPN Classic Canada they will be showing back to back to back Blue Jays home openers on tv tomorrow.... On the tab:
The very first game 1977, snow and all...
2000 home opener vs the Rangers in Puerto Rico (Mondesi)!!!
2001 home opener at Fenway Park vs the Red Suxx (one of the last games of Carpenter as a Jay)..

Should be sweet.

King Ryan - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 09:02 PM EST (#143893) #

<i>Gosh, some people complain a lot. The Jays go and pick up somebody who is (a) under 30, and (b) hits 40 home runs a year, and all they do is kvetch about the expected dropoff in defense. Wow.</i>
<p>

I think that this is extremely unfair to those of us who have raised some very legitimate criticisms of the Hudson/Glaus trade. Yes, we all know Glaus hits homeruns. That doesn't make him Delgado.

CaramonLS - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 09:19 PM EST (#143894) #

I disagree with Zaun on this point.

I think it is the public, not MLB and Selig (who would sooner have this thing blow over) who want someones head on a platter to bring some closure and justice to this issue.

Right now, cheaters prosper and the game has been tainted. I know I want some justice.

Mylegacy - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 09:47 PM EST (#143895) #

King Ryan, We traded O'Dog for Glaus and Hill.

That's a trade WE make every day! And twice on Sunday!

Get over the O'Dog.

Geoff - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 10:27 PM EST (#143897) #

Found a story on what I mentioned before about Phillips being close with Gibbons. I'm sure I remember hearing about it during a game broadcast last season, but the Jays never played the Dodgers so I don't know why Phillips' name would come up... strange. Maybe it was a Jamie Campbell broadcast? Maybe someone else heard it or remembers the context?

Phillips will be this year's O-dog for me, the player to root for at all costs, the underdog, and hopefully the guy with enough fight to stick around. He's got some theme music ready for him and a good amount of confidence for this season.

I believe Phillips needs a certain amount of understanding and trust with management for him to succeed -- coddled, if you will -- but can be a breakthrough player this year if managed appropriately.

Three catchers is rare but not unprecedented to carry on the roster, particularly if one or two of them can hit well enough to pinch-hit or DH for you on a regular rotation. But I'll be looking for Wild Thing to stick and I can't help but think that NFH could win a Jason Phillips look-alike contest easily. Got a Mets cap and a smile?

and an amateur photographer with little sense of reflection...

The_Game - Friday, March 31 2006 @ 11:11 PM EST (#143899) #

binnister,

You think lower of the guy because he speaks his mind? The things he said, those are the things that most veteran players want to say, but they don't have the guts to step up and say it. I definitely agree with Zaun. Absolutely nothing will come from this investigation.

Ron - Saturday, April 01 2006 @ 01:38 AM EST (#143903) #

Lilly is injured again
http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060331&content_id=1379002&vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

It doesn't look like he will miss his first start though.

dp - Saturday, April 01 2006 @ 11:57 AM EST (#143928) #

Phillips was a great guy to cheer for on the Mets during his breakout year, but then he was horrible the year after. Has done nothing but hit in the minors. He has potential in that he had a great year, but it looks like that was a fluke. Would love to see him have a .370 OB%/.450 SLG and steal the DH job from Hillenbrand, but I don't see it happening.

The Mets were never that high on him for some reason- they knew Piazza was reaching the end, but didn't view Phillips as his successor. Kind of like the Jays situation- they had a ton of catching talent in the minors, all of those guys are gone and/or have switched position (Huber, Jacobs, Phillips, Wilson).

Geoff - Saturday, April 01 2006 @ 12:22 PM EST (#143933) #

they knew Piazza was reaching the end, but didn't view Phillips as his successor

Hence my thoughts about the guy needing some understanding and trust with management, to keep things 'clicking' in his game. I'll probably just keep espousing this diamond-in-the-rough theory until he's gone for good.

As a comparable, Zaun didn't have much of a track record before arriving either. A few good seasons, a few ugly ones, in very limited duty, over 9 seasons. He turns up here and establishes himself as a valuable regular.

The x-factor I see in Phillips' success is Gibbons and his ability to put him in the right position and frame of mind. Some guys will flourish in the right niche (Eric Gagne comes to mind).

Fawaz - Saturday, April 01 2006 @ 03:19 PM EST (#143959) #

I was going to save it for a prediction contest or something like that, but since the bandwagon seems to be setting off, I'll mention it now: I think Vernon Wells has an excellent chance to finish in the top five in the MVP balloting. He's going to be a 27 year-old-Gold-Glove-slugging-centrefielder on what projects to be a contending team.

Chuck has rightly pointed out that protection doesn't mean much, if anything at all, and that Wells' results last season were of his own doing, but I do suspect his own approach will be closer to what it was in 2003 because he won't feel the need to carry the offence and kill every ball he sees (he alludes to this in the McAdam article).

I do wonder if the increased pressure on his defence this year is going to have a similar adverse effect on him. Gone are his two stalwart rightfielders ("at least I'll get to face lefties" Rios and "you get the warning track, the rest is mine" Hudson) and in their stead is Eric Hinske, stopping by on his journey through every position on the field.

It is also imperative that he remembers to twirl his bat before every pitch. My unofficial records from last season indicate that when he twirled, his batting average went up by about 200 points.

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