The problem with sitting Overbay vs LHP is that Snider and Lind are both left handers as is Stairs (the other likely backup).

I can see the Jays going with Lind and Snider alternating between LF and DH, having Stairs cover RF for when Wells or Rios needs a day off and covering first for days off for Overbay.  They might put Lind or Snider at first and Stairs as the DH, or Stairs as the DH and Snider and Lind being in LF/RF.

2009 will be a roster challenge though with the signed players we have already.

CA: Zaun or Barajas (other ones option not picked up) mixed with Diaz.  Jeroloman and Arencibia trying to sneak in as well.
1B: Overbay
2B: Hill
3B: Rolen
SS: Scutaro and McDonald
LF: Lind
CF: Wells
RF: Rios
DH: Snider
UT: Inglett
1B/OF/DH: Stairs

And that is the 13 player lineup.  Snider's slot being the only one open for discussion really (is he ready or not in 2009).  Already signed are Overbay, Hill, Rolen, Scutaro, McDonald, Wells, Rios.  Barajas & Zaun have team options.  Lind, Snider, Inglett, and Diaz have too little service time to have an option other than doing whatever the Jays tell them to do.  No real flexibility I'd say but tons of cost certainty.  Only options for backups are to sign AAAA guys or demote Snider & Inglett.

"Only options for backups are to sign AAAA guys or demote Snider & Inglett."

Or a six man bullpen.  Sigh.  Why are the Jays, with a loaded pitching staff of starters who can work late into games (although now's not the best time to make this claim) and a number of strong relievers, lefties and righties, so married to the 7 man pen? 

Great article John! 

Some random thoughts:

• We are stacked at catcher.  I'd almost dispute that Kratz is a AAAA guy ... he looks like he could make a solid backup and I'm under the impression he's a solid defender.  There are guys with worse minor league numbers and average defensive ability pulling in a big league paycheck.  With Kratz, Arencebia and Jerloman arguably all belonging in AAA next year, what do we do with Thigpen?  Russ Adams v.2?
  
•  I think this depth also makes it appealing to try and deal one of Zaun or Barajas if they can bring back a decent prospect.
  
• We have a serious lack of positional depth in the high minors.  I would attempt to trade all available assetts this year to address this - Burnett, Downs, Eckstein, Barajas ...
  
• A veteran righthanded bat who can spell Overbay at 1st and do a lot of the DHing would look great for next year. 
  

Hopefully we get to take a look at the pitchers next!

Replace Mench or Wilkerson with Sexson (for the league min) and you got your RH DH/1B. When Wells comes back, you have to ask what purpose MacDonald serves. Jays already have the perfect platoon supersubs, and Mench/Wilkerson can be the defensive caddy for Lind plus fill the role of 4th OF. JP has eaten salary before and MacDonald might even have some trade value to a contending team as a late inning defensive specialist...say for example the BoSox (picked them because I read somewhere that Lugo went on the DL). Plus with JMac gone, hopefully JP is forced into finding a SS this offseason, if not prior via a trade. And that's not intended to be a slight to JMac, I love his defense as much as the rest of the fans but his offense is offensive.

I'd much prefer to see Snider forcing the issue than assuming he will be a contributor in 2009, which is how I read many of these possibilities about the 2009 roster. Snider is very young and isn't destroying AA (he's doing well, especially considering his age), but I think it's better to, assuming he does well in Double-A over the rest of the season, to pencil him in for Syracuse next year and let him prove to us that he's ready for the majors. He's going to be facing enormous expectations and I fear that rushing him might not be the best choice for his career.

Each prospect is different in terms of how quickly they progress and how they are able to adapt to new circumstances and challenges, but Justin Upton was a year younger than Snider and doing far better at Double-A (.955 OPS in 259 at-bats; .973 at A+ over 126 at-bats) when he was promoted to the majors and put up a 62 OPS+ over the rest of 2007 and is only at 102 this year. Of course, that's still quite good considering his age and there's no reason to think right now that Upton's not going to turn into a very good hitter, but one does wonder if a bit more time in the minors might have helped him. Furthermore, Upton had an OPS well over .900 at both levels that year and Snider was 'only' at .890 at Dunedin prior to his promotion.

However, JP, LaCava and Dick Scott seem to have a reasonably good read on when their prospects are ready to make the jump to the majors. One of the only cases that seems to be a clear mistake in hindsight was the promotion of Adam Peterson (if you want to count Lind this year and a failure to recognize he was ready, that could be another). Also, for the record, I thought Litsch was probably promoted too soon and he was obviously capable of making the jump.

Random thoughts...

Project Snider for 2010 and make him prove you wrong;

Always be open to the idea of dealing Overbay in anticipation of crowding in 2010 but don't "run him off";

Thigpen should be converted to 3B if he has no spot in the pecking order as a C, or short of that, some other position...either that or traded. He's 25 and that's to young to label him "failed" based on one season;

Diaz best take care of business because the JPA/BJ combo is dropping heavy footsteps behind him. if Kratz has skills, use him to pad a trade;

Zaun and Eckstien should be traded this month if the have no future here;

Aherns may be passed as a 3B prospect by Sobowitski in a years time, though I still like Aherns;

Campbell seems to me like a potentially Frank Catalonotto type as a player who's bat is too good to sweat his 2B defense;

If Chip Cannon still rates a mention at 1B then why not pay some attention to Brian Dopirick. He's probably a flash in the pan but why not bump him up to AA or even AAA and find out?

I still have a lot of hope for J-Jack. He seems to have finally gotten his stroke back. If he can hit even like a reasonable simile of Tony Fernandez he'll be a wonderful asset....but even so he's likely 3-4 seasons away.

Here is footage of Travis Snider winning the HR Derby in Manchester last night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nd11Wgd0gY