Attached is a link to the projected  1st round of this coming draft.  Interesting choices for the Jays

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=251&p=2&c=611811

*  Good, not great offseason.
*  Tried to replace Lilly's innings - might get 100 each out of Thomson & Ohka
*  Thinks Thomson/Ohka will relieve pressure on young pitchers
*  Trying to create 'shootout' between starters for 3-5 spots in spring training - mentioned the usual suspects
*  Felt Janssen and Marcum were rushed last year
*  League/Frasor/Downs ready to take over 'setup' role
*  Tallet not in the mix,had good year but needs to cut walks
*  McGowan likely to start in Syracuse to begin the year
*  Confident Towers is better than he pitched last year, although probably not as good as 2005.  Expecting something in between
*  Adams will likely start at 2B in Syracuse - possible DP combo with Hill in 2008
*  Thigpen probably a year away
*  Snider to start in Lansing
*  Feels minor league system is underrated - mentions three MVPs at three different levels
*  10 picks in top 175 of the draft - probably will go heavy with High School players with those picks
*  Originally needed players to hit the majors quickly, now the team can afford to wait on HS players
*  Stairs is the 4th OF and pinch hitter - probably for Clayton & Johnson late against RHP
*  Phillips has the inside track on Fasano for the backup C
*  Jason Smith is the 25th man right now

JP was just on the FAN and said that the Jays will likely be HS heavy in this year's draft.  Lind and Adams will likely start the season in AAA.

Adams will likely start at 2B in Syracuse - possible DP combo with Hill in 2008

This makes no sense at all. If that were the expectation for 2008, shouldn't Adams be starting at SS in AAA? JP isn't dumb enough to jerk Hill around yet again (2B in '07 to SS in '08), is he?

JP isn't dumb enough to jerk Hill around yet again (2B in '07 to SS in '08), is he?

If Russ plays solid defence at AAA 2B and provides an offensive line in the neighbourhood of .310/.365/.420, wouldn't it make sense?  Is it really "jerking" Hill around to move him back to SS after 162 games at second in 2007?  Do you think Hill would really object?  I think he'd be happy about it.

I understand that most people want to just wash their hands of Adams and get on with finding a new SS, but there is no risk to giving him one more shot at triple-A to prove he can do it (play defence, he's already proved he can hit there) and regain some confidence.

SEQUOYAH STONECIPHER

That just might be the greatest name in baseball history.

Is it really "jerking" Hill around to move him back to SS after 162 games at second in 2007?

Yes, it really is. And it is incredibly stupid on the part of the management.

I agree that Hill should be the 2nd baseman...and remain the 2nd baseman for his long and lustrious career as a Bluejay.  It does not make any sense for the Jays to move him back to SS, unless Adams suddenly becomes a .325/20HR/20SB in AAA player who's play DEMANDS a position (which, I acknowledge, isn't out of the realm of posiblity).

However, with his current offense, Adams is more valuable(in a trade) as a 2nd baseman.  I totally agree with the early comment that Adams longterm roll *with the Jays* is as the next Frankie Cat.  The only way he's could (and should) play 2nd is with another team.

Yes, it really is. And it is incredibly stupid on the part of the management.

Hill is a great athlete.  He'd have no trouble making the switch back and forth if he proves he can handle short (jury still out?).  He is a good student, too.  If it makes the team better, you do it in a heartbeat.  It obviously hasn't hurt his development as a 2Bman.  I think he'd jump at the opportunity/challenge to master SS as well.  Perhaps you should restrict your hyperbolic criticism of Jays' management to times where it is obviously warranted and limit yourself to modest criticism on occasions such as this.

Ashby was relieved of his duties in Houston at the end of the 2005 season, but the situation was different there.  He had been in a role as assistant-and-successor to 78-year old Milo Hamilton, but  there were some questions as to Ashby's skill as a play-by-play man in showing the appropriate enthusiasm and cadence.  Hence Astros management replaced him with two youngsters with minor league success in actually calling the play-by-play.  But from what i can see on the reaction back at his firing in December of 2005, folks down in Houston liked Ashby's contribution as a 'color' commentator -- not surprising as catchers seem to have a natural edge.  One expects that Jerry Howarth will continue as the main man for the play-by-play, and i for one welcome (back) Ashby as the colour guy with something to say, and look forward to his contribution. 

I agree with ayjackson.  I'd have no problem with Hill at SS and Adams at 2B next year.  Other than signing a free agent SS there really aren't any other options in the system, save a breakout year by Santos.  Adams is a good athlete, he has decent range, he can hit reasonably well, and he has soft hands.  His achilles heel at SS was that he had a weak arm.  A switch to 2B plays to Adams' stengths and minimizes the importance of having a strong arm.  Hill may very well be more suited to playing 2B, but I think he'd make at least an average defensive SS with plus offensive ability.  Assuming Adams hits like he's shown he's capable of in AAA and in the majors in 2004 and 2005, I'd take Hill and Adams over Clayton and Hill.  Besides, Hill and Adams wouldn't be making much money and it would allow the Jays to focus their 2007 offseason efforts on signing a SP, not a SS.

"One of my gripes with the current roster construction used by most teams, 13 position players, 12 pitchers, is the absence of a real role for a player like Stairs."

The problem though is that J.P. knows the roster consturction and still signed a full-time DH to back up someone who is exclusively a DH. You can't have have 13 position players  and have so many guys with so little flexibility. I didn't understand the Stairs signing as there is very little pinch hitting in the A.L., Stairs can't play any positions, and if Thomas gets hurt, Lind would be the one to take over duties anyway. I actually will not be all that surprised if the Jays decide they are going to need the flexibility and Stairs misses the team.

But more seriously and trying to unravel the Adams to second for the 08 season.

One of Adams biggest issues is his arm. Perhaps his hitting game will come around, but Frank Catalanato he will never be. But, if he improves more than most here suspect he could still prove to be a decent league average second bagger.

Hill, has shown the flexibility to be able to handle short for now or in the 2008 season. Maybe 2008 will be Frank Thomas's last season prior to retirement. By then as loads predict Glaus will have lost step or two in the field and could fill the vacancy left by Thomas. As well by then Hill will have developed his power stroke and be a very viable option to play third.

If this plays out then the Jays have more than 2 years to find the 2009 opening day shortstop, to bolster Overbay, Adams and Hill infield.

Makes sense to me, but Adams still has to rise to the occasion for this to work.

In defense of Tallet last season was like an age 29 rookie year for him.

He was a fairly highly regarded prospect in the Cleveland system before arm trouble. He missed more than a year between 2003 and 2005 seasons. 

Ricciardi apparently said today, Tallet is not in the mix for set-up as he gave up to many walks. Thats true 31 of them in 44 appearances or 54.1 innings. But if look a little closer we find that he gave up 17 of those walks in only seven of those 44 appearances. And we should also note he only gave up 45 hits in those same innings last season

Maybe its going out on a limb a bit, but personally I thinkl he will yet prove to be one of Ricciardi's best scrap heap pick-ups.

What exactly do you expect JP to say?  That they expect Adams to develop at 2nd base in Syracuse and then they'll have nowhere to put him?

Best case scenerio is that Adams turns it around and he can be included in a trade (or, for that matter, Hill is traded to make room). 

The chances that they'll play Hill for a full season at 2nd base in 2007 and then switch him in 2008 are likely slim.  But that doesn't mean that JP has to come out and say it.

Does anybody else think the "We're moving Hill to SS to make room for Adams in 2008" is just a legally correct way of saying "We're going to make a big push to sign O-Dog"?

But in any event, why aren't we seeing Hill at SS right now, and a Loretta/Belliard being signed? The defense isn't there (but there are no guarantees with Clayton) but the offense has got to be worth a hundred or so more OPS points than Royce, which is a big difference.

"A more logical guess would be this:  if Lind tears up AAA to start the season, and if Lind can handle the defensive side of the job in Syracuse, then the Jays will trade Reed Johnson (for pitching) and call up Lind."

I don't see Johnson fetching the Jays the ame value as he's worth to the Jays. If the Jays want to get pitching that will help them, they will need to trade Lind or Rios.

If Wells, Glaus, Thomas, Rios, and Overbay only get 350 AB this year, you can kiss 3rd place goodbye.

I think he meant 350 AB at the Rogers Centre. And I think he really meant PA's, not AB's. And I think he really meant about 320, not 350. And I don't think he meant Thomas.

But I should probably stop speaking for him since I don't really know for sure. So I will.