The Shi Davidi story is an interesting read. He might be making too much of some things but there have been whispers that all was not well in the Jays clubhouse this summer. And as he says, losing creates tension.

All this supports my view that AA will do more than tinker this off-season, I think there will be some significant changes to the roster.

In the Davidi article, Joe Maddon refers to the building of trust.  Players develop it in management when they see competence and forthrightness.  The Maddon/Friedman/Steinberg team have both in spades.  How many promises has Andrew Friedman made that have not been kept? And he has managed to be competent and forthright in a more difficult financial environment than Toronto's.

I see that Dave Martinez is interviewing for the Twins' job.  I am sure that the club could do better than the Gibbons/Walker combination.   

Gibbons was also manager during the 2006-08 years that had high expectations and clubhouse issues (Shea, Lilly). I wouldn't shed a tear if he is replaced this off-season. Mediocre performance and clubhouse issues have followed him twice now. It's probably not a coincidence.

I would much prefer Dave Martinez, but I think AA was so traumatised by the ugly end of the John Farrell era that he's retreated into the safe, unchallenging hands of John Gibbons - and with a docile Media/fanbase, Gibbons is safe for another year.

Fascinating - Davidi continues to be able to get quality access from the clubhouse and be critical of the team's performance, no easy feat.  I think the roster manipulations in part helped keep the starters healthy - one of the stated goals of the strategy - but at what cost?  and what percentage of minor league guys prefer the thought of getting 2 weeks on a bit league roster at the expense of being yo-yoed? 

The more I think about it the more I want us to go hard for Ben Zobrist - his versatility would allow us some of the flexibility of the minor league shuttle without the roster disruptions. 

The Rays hold an option for Zobrist in 2015.  I am sure that they will exercise the option.  I had hopes that they might trade him at the deadline when he wasn't going so well, but they are much too smart for that.

the option is for 7.5 million I believe, so I'm certain it'll be exercised too - but we could get him in a trade, with the Rays needing to cut payroll.  he'd be an expensive piece to trade for at that price, admittedly. 

This will stoke the fires of Blue Jays Nation and really work the fan base into a lather! They have picked up 28 year-old righty Bo Schultz off waivers from Arizona. A 6.18 ERA and 5.5 K/9 rate with Triple-A Reno and a 7.88 ERA in 8 glorious innings with the D-Backs. That'll spike season ticket and flex pack sales!!!

They have picked up 28 year-old righty Bo Schultz off waivers from Arizona.

I assume Alibaba sells ticker tape. Where is everyone else buying their's?

The Davidi article is further proof that the so-called "Rogers media" is far from slavishly pro-Rogers.  The Sportsnet writers can often be as critical and independent as any other writers in town, and equally willing to critique the owners.   In fact the Davidi piece is one of the best critical analyses of why the Jays failed to make the playoffs this year.  It's better than most opinion pieces because it's so well-informed by inside information and hard facts.  This is what Sportsnet can often do:  tough analysis that is based on close contact with the players and team.  It's not written from a distance place of guesswork and knee-jerk opinion, it's based on close observation and inside conversations and actual interviews.

I really hoped the Jays would get Dave Martinez as the manager back when Gibbons was hired just due to the fact he has been working for a great system.  I guess, as 85bluejay said, the Jays were gun shy after Farrell.

AA has said something about needing to change more than just a couple of backup parts - something about attitude or something.  This expands on the why part.

Now, if I was in AA's shoes what would I do?  If I really, really wanted to change things then the super-gutsy thing to do is trade Bautista.  He is entering his age 34 season, coming off a healthy and fantastic year, has a team friendly contract for 2 more years ($14 mil per with 2016 a team option).  His value is probably as high as it will ever be and his leadership in the clubhouse could have been one of the issues - he is the #1 guy there, he was vocal about AA not making trades mid-season, plus he'd bring in some top talent in exchange.  However, AA has said that since he wants to win now that trading Bautista would be counter to that as would trading EE.  So if you eliminate those 2 who is good trade bait?  Lind had about as good a year as one could hope for (while healthy) and is on a reasonable contract, Lawrie must be tempting to trade with his injury issues but was listed as not available last winter according to leaked trade info from Houston iirc, Reyes would save a lot of money if traded but then both middle infield slots would be very weak on offense, Dickey & Buehrle would be good to trade in some respects (free up a slot for Sanchez, save $12-19 mil) but also are good 'win now' guys to have.

I suspect we'll be surprised this winter.  That AA will find a couple of trade partners and we'll see someone go we don't expect while bringing in a replacement we also didn't anticipate.  Hope so as that makes for a very fun winter.

If I really, really wanted to change things then the super-gutsy thing to do is trade Bautista.

The textbook for GMs whose employment status is precarious, as I imagine AA's to be, is to make decisions to win now. That means hanging on to superstars, even ageing ones. And it means trading youth for present value.

I don't know that AA has the rope to trade present value for youth. And I don't know that the fan base has the appetite for a rebuild with the promise of a future run of seasons where the team is sure to be competitive. You cry wolf too often and no one is left to believe you.

Moving Bautista for youth would be a PR disaster. Moving him for similarly valued present talent wouldn't really get you anywhere. Moving him because he's a griper would be, in my estimation, attributing too much of the team's problems to culture and not enough to talent. I can't envision a scenario in which Bautista gets moved.

But I have been wrong before.

Given reports that Reyes has refused to move off of SS, and that he just had healthy season, even while playing of turf, I wonder if he's a trade candidate. You wouldn't get much for him, due to salary, but might be able to take on another salary. And the NYY do have a big hole at SS.

Has Reyes refused to move off SS, or have the Jays simply not asked him?  Ultimately, if they tell him to play 2B, that's what he does.  It's not like we are moving him to play Sil Campusano. 

Allegedly Bob Elliott told McCowan that the Jays have had internal discussions about moving Reyes to the OF, but that he won't move off SS.

I think Adam Lind will be dealt. The talk of keeping DH open for Reyes and others occasionally seems to suggest that having two DH types is pointless (and I'd probably agree). Couple that with Lind's outspokenness regarding management, and he is the first "big name" that I see being moved.

Other than him, tough to say. Happ is a good candidate to be moved if they feel he can be replaced internally by one of Sanchez/Norris/Nolin/Graveman, although he seemed to be turning the corner last season so maybe they will hold on to him as the fifth guy who will be the first to be replaced if someone in the minors kicks the door down. I can't see them moving Dickey or MB if they want to contend.

As far as Reyes, I'm curious to see if the Yankees would do something like Reyes for Gardner. Creates a hole for the Jays, but gives them a LF plus some extra wiggle room to sign a replacement SS (Drew). The Yankees would get a big name to replace Jeter, but I don't know if they have an internal replacement for Gardner, which would probably cause an issue with that type of deal. Only other Reyes deals I can think of are to the Mets for Granderson and to the Dodgers for one of their excess OF's in case they lose Hanley.

3 Jays prospects made John Sickel's sleeper list - Matt Boyd, Miguel Castro, and Tom Robson. 

Also on the list, best baseball-name candidate "Rookie Davis", an A ball pitcher with the Yanks. 

Your October 9 birthday team has a couple of Hall of Famers and a bunch of other good players:

LF- Jimmy Welsh
CF- Starling Marte
RF- Mike Hershberger
3B-Joe Sewell
SS-Fred Patek
2B- Brian Roberts
1B- Joe Pepitone
C-  Brian Downing

The bench is thin with Dave Rowe (who can back up the OF), Felix Fermin (for the middle infield), Gordon Slade (3B).  We don't have a 2nd catcher.

SP- Rube Marquard
SP- Derek Holland
SP- Bob Moose
SP- Randy Lerch
SP- Mickey Haefner

RP- David Phelps
RP- Al Maul
RP- Jim Winford
RP- Bill Pulsipher
RP- Jing Johnson

It's a nice long-sequence offence and a good defence, but thin pitching.