Former Jay favourite Reed Johnson has signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a.k.a. Evil Empire West. The California native and Cal State Fullerton ex spent the past two years with the Chicago Cubs and hit .255 as a spare part in Second City last season.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
And what else is happening in this dry post-Winter-Meeting, pre-Spring-Training time of year?
AA signs yet another former first rounder in Wade Townsend according to this
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/02/minor-league-transactions-mench-perez-cairo.html
If just one or two of these kind of guys turn in around, the Jays will look good.
My objection isn't the money. It's the logjam of arms, even accounting for inevitable injuries and poor performance.
On a personal note, I'd also much rather watch the Jays struggle to 72 wins with Dirk Hayhurst in the bullpen than Kevin Gregg.
Who is Kevin Gregg? (rhetorical)..well sort of I had to look him up.
As much optimisim I would like to have for the upcoming year, its moves like this that remind me it could be a long season. Im hoping Accardo steps it up 2007 style.
Love this move - Allows the team to move Frasor and/or Downs, allows Josh Roenoke to close at AAA - and perhaps move Gregg in July or draft picks
next offseason. This is all about building up quality prospects in the system.
Love this move - Allows the team to move Frasor and/or Downs, allows Josh Roenoke to close at AAA - and perhaps move Gregg in July or draft picks
next offseason. This is all about building up quality prospects in the system.
First lets get this off the table: Jose Valverde would like to remind you that offering arb to a middling reliever, let alone a good closer, is a fool's gamble. do that and you WON'T get draft picks because no one is giving up a pick for Kevin-f'n- Gregg.
Second, we have enough arms that if Roenicke needed to be in AAA he would have been.
Third - what team gives up a good prospect for Frasor when THEY could have signed Gregg? Not to say Frasor isn't better, he clearly (to me) IS - but is he ENOUGH better than someone gives up a solid prospect for the difference? I doubt it seriously. Downs maybe but only because he's left handed.
Fourth (referencing a different post) - Even Gregg's "good" season was pretty marginal. His best ERA+ was 127. for reference, Frasor's was 173 last year. Even Shawn Camp's was 124 and against tougher competition.
This is a total "WTF?" moment for me. Even if we are dealing from our depth we have more than enough arms to make this move unnecessary. We now have at least a dozen legitimate candidates for the 'pen
