Today's POTD looks at the Blue Jays new closer and the Molina he was not traded for.

The first thing I look at when assessing the immediate prospects for a team in the coming season is the quality of its core. I define the core of a team as the players whose performance would be most difficult to replace. I settled on seven as the number of players in the core, even though stronger teams tend to have a larger core and weaker teams a smaller one.

ESPN New York says the Binghamton Mets of the Double-A Eastern League will be relocating to Ottawa in time for the 2013 season.  Could this mean there will be a second Canadian affiliate for the Blue Jays minor league system?

So. it's been a while since we built a new Hall of Names team. Will it have been worth the wait? That's your call, but guaranteed for sure, this team is a Good one.

See, this is not a team for someone like Florida RHRP Burke Badenhop, though that name alone might be legendary enough to spur a team or three of its own.  But still, this is not a team for King Bader or Red Badgro, who each reached the major leagues prior to the Great Depression. Nay, this isn't even a squad for Hank (Bad Henry) Aaron.

To be clear, this is also not a team for Ron Fairly, Jim Fairey, Rags Faircloth (yes, he really existed), Jim Fairbank or even the simply-named (fairly-named? No, that would be the aforementioned Ron) George Fair. And there’s certainly no room on this roster for 1947-50 Red Sox/Browns RHP Tommy Fine or former 1980s Seattle reliever Karl Jon Best, for that matter.

And even if it weren't for the homonym spelling error, this wouldn't be a squad appropriate to Don Grate, Mark Grater or Beiker Graterol (although, there's another "great" name!). It's not even for the unfortunately -named and self-proclaimed "ugliest man in baseball,” Johnny "Ugly" Dickshot (nope, I am not making that one up) .... although he would allow us to make a lame remark about "the good, the bad and the ugly."

No, this team is all about being Good. Maybe it's true that only the good die young, or that certain beverages are good to the last drop (call that "last drop" an error, scorekeep!), or that round-headed cartoon characters opine "Good Grief!" (even, or especially on the ball field) or that certain extremely pretentious television hostesses can send an item's sales skyrocketing simply by calling it a "Good Thing" .... But given all that, be a good egg, wish us good luck (or good karma) or if not, good riddance to you and yours, there's a good chance that a good time will be had by all as we meet ....

We have two months' distance from the Yu Darvish extravaganza, and pitchers and catchers are still a week away. What better time to ponder the effect a second-price auction would have on the posting system for Japanese players?

Just a couple things since we're in that fallow period before those sweetest of words, Pitchers and Catchers Report.

Yes, yes, birthdays are celebrated on the date of the arrival -- so your Blue Jays will turn 35 this coming April. But did you know that it was exactly 36 years ago today, 2/6/76, that the AL granted expansion franchises to Seattle (to replace the departed Pilots, ever since brewing in Milwaukee) and to the first-time NLB city, Toronto, future home of your Blue Jays?

It's a little bit like celebrating a child's birthday on the anniversary of his or her conception, so let's make this day an official holiday to Blue Jays Nation, the Feast of the Torontonian Conception, with our patron saints of the holy shortstops, the only two men to reach the big leagues named Concepcion, All-Star Red Davey and later Royal reserve Onix. Netiher ever played for the Blue Jays, but thanks to today's goings-on in 1976, they could have!

Anyone remember hearing the news? Tell your story!

In which three Box scribes discuss the bullpen, the AL Central, and the State of the Franchise. Listen here. (Note: iTunes subscribability in process!)

JaysVision explains the topic for this POTD...

The Toronto Blue Jays honoured Dave Stieb on the 20th anniversary of his no-hitter in Cleveland August 29, 2010.

We've been having a lot of discussions about 2012 and the starting rotation seems to be the biggest question (with honourable mention to LF and 1B). How bad was 2011's rotation and what would it take to improve it?

Relief pitchers in most cases are the left-overs.  In general, teams put their priority players in the starting pitcher spots and if you are not a priority player you are usually a reliever.  This often changes in AA or AAA where players need to change roles in order to succeed.  Some players have bullpen roles due to an unusual delivery, Danny Farquhar, or due to being injury prone, Alan Farina.   As the Jays accumulate pitching prospects, some good pitchers will be forced into relief roles.  They can try to pitch their way out of the pen, or show their worth as a future major league reliever, or make themselves attractive to another team.  There is always an opportunity on a baseball team.

Starting pitchers are the biggest group in our review and the most subject to change.  Invariably by the start of the season there will be a half dozen pitchers on the disabled list including several starters.  We will forecast an excess of starters and hope that within that mix we will find five to stick.

Is today the greatest and most important shared birthday in major league history? No, we're not going to build an all-1/31 team here, though we certainly could, but rather, just take a look at this ....

Today's birthday produced two absolutely no-doubt-about-it slam-dumk Hall of famers in Nolan Ryan (alll-time leader in strikeouts pitched and no-hitters among other categroies, not to mention one of the most improbably successful front-office figures in recent memory) and Ernie Banks (arguably the greatest power-hitting shortstop of all time and the iconic "Mr. Cub" of one of the sport's flagship franchises) -- and oh by the way, a third Hall of Famer who might be the most important player in the sport's history, Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

That's not to mention ...

Today's POTD looks at the 11-time Gold Glove award winner, who signed a minor league deal with Toronto recently.

The Toronto Blue Jays held their annual State of the Franchise event at the Dome Monday night for season ticket holders and it revealed an interesting nugget or two among some of the inane and long-winded soliloquies/questions.

Some fans seemed to be angry, much like the Blue Jays logo of 2004 to 2011.