I'm getting more and more intrigued by the thought of Dave Martinez as our manager.  Maddon/Martinez are not afraid to do the unconventional like starting Hawpe against a lefty with neutral platoon splits and starting a team of RHB's against a change up artist like Marcum.  And in the opening to yesterday's game on Sportsnet, Maddon gave Martinez a lot of props for being one step ahead of him with potential moves.  And I love my 'spos (and so does AA).

BTW, was anybody amazed at the way Jennings closed on Snider's gapper to end the game yesterday.  It looked like he was running on a conveyor belt (in the same direction).  No, I guess everybody had long since turned off the TV by then.

Jeff Francoeur takes one for the team

I find myself disproportionately interested in HBPs. How do they happen? Certainly, inadvertent pitcher wildness is at the root, at least most of the time. There is a high degree of randomness over who gets hit and when, to be sure, but some hitters just seem to get plunked more than others. He is tied for the team lead which I imagine he will own outright soon enough.

Are some hitters targets? Manny Ramirez has 4 HBPs in 37 PAs for the White Sox? Are these a "welcome back to the AL" message? And Jose Bautista is seeing -- and not enjoying -- more and more inside pitches, almost as if AL pitchers are tired of giving up homeruns to him.

Are some hitters just electing to not get out of the way, to make themselves offensively useful any way they can? Brett Wallace has a 34/5 K/BB ratio for the Astros but has taken 7 for the team in his 116 PAs (to help prop up an unimpressive 212/293/308 slash line). Juan Pierre, a starter of dubious value, seems to have decided that he'll do whatever it takes to stay a starter, even if it means not getting out of harm's way 18 times. Too bad he has no alternate strategy to prop up his SLG.

And of course there have been many Ron Hunt types over the years, including Hunt himself (50 HBPs one year as an Expo), who seemed to be going to the plate almost trying to get hit. Craig Biggio wore his body armour en route to his annual 20 HBPs -- though his stats certainly did not need the help for much of his career. Don Baylor, as his hitting skills started eroding, decided he would lean his massive, non-body-armoured frame into oncoming traffic, drawing a career high 35 HBPs at age 37.

Drabek has pitched 162 innings this year, compared to 158 in 2009.

There are now 15 teams with worse records than the Jays.  If one (or two?) of those teams pass us, our first round pick will be protected in the 2011 draft.  That means we could sign a type A free agent without losing a pick in the first 50 or so.

That could play a role in offseason plans.  And the name I want to throw out there is Victor Martinez.  He would seem to be the perfect compliment for Adam Lind and JP Arencibia.  He could play more first base as JPA grows into the catcher role and provide an upgrade at first base (over Lind) the rest of the time.  The Sox don't want to sign him for more than two years because they don't need him at first and think he can't catch for more than that.  We don't need him to catch for more than 2 years (according to plan), but do need long term solutions for first base.

Am I crazy?

Among Snider, Lewis and Wise, "The main guy that needs to play is Snider," Gaston said today.

per Lott twitter.

Cito's the best!

Drabek would be doing it with roughly double the number of AA starts under his belt than Litsch had.

VMart would likely get plenty of playing time at catcher - breaking into the league at that position is usually a slow process and I wouldn't expect JPA to come in and start 120 games just like that.  Bringing him in as part time DH, part time catcher (maybe even some first base) seems like a good idea to me.

I'd really like to see Mastroianni as that fourth outfielder. 

I agree that JPA doesn't have to catch the majority of the games.  I'd like to see him DH and play first a bit to make up the difference.  I'm not sure you keep Buck around if you're planning on trading him in July though, his current value can only go down.  I have to believe he's having a bit of a career year.

And it seems every catcher we bring in is "good with (young) pitchers".  Zaun, Barajas, Buck, Molina.  I'm thinking this is a trait held by the majority of catchers who still have jobs.

The Jays could sign Buck to a long term deal and plan to trade him later but they won't.  Teams won't take the risk.  What if Buck gets hurt?  What if he stinks?  The risk is too high.

I would be shocked if Buck is back next year.  This is his big chance to cash in and he will be looking for a three year deal.  Also you would be buying high and I don't think AA is about that.  I think he will look for Buck v2, on a one year deal, who he can sign more cheaply and hopefully get a pick for or work a trade.

Also you would be buying high and I don't think AA is about that.

Makes you wonder if Bautista will have to play for an offer next year.  He is probably having a career year too.

Vernon Wells signed his extension after a 129 OPS+ year.

Lyle Overbay signed his extension after a 125 OPS+ year.

Aaron Hill signed his extension after a 107 OPS+ year.

Adam Lind signed his extention after a 144 OPS+ year.

Not exactly a great record of value buying.  All career years (except for Hill who's had two poor years and one excellent year since, and VW who had one marginally better year earlier in his career and is at 128 this year).