Jeff Sackmann has distilled extremely useful statistics on minor league catchers from his minorleaguesplits.com website, and reported them in today's THT. First off, to have this information publicly available is a real stride forward.  For Jay fans, the news on Curtis Thigpen is not great.  76.1% of prospective basestealers succeeded in 92 attempts off Thigpen.  He did however throw well in the Arizona Fall League, and earned the start in the championship game over Landon Powell who has one of the stronger arms in the minors.

Ken Rosenthal reports that, "an agreement between the Jays and Wells is close, according to major-league sources".

Here's a little winter-time baseball memory exercise for Bauxites. Complete the following thought -- and explain your answer. (For me, this will be easy.)

Baseball Memory: I can't explain it -- he didn't play for my hometown team, he wasn't a Hall of Famer, there's no obvious defense, but when I was a kid, one of my favorite players in all of MLB was ...

Jeff Blair writes that the Jays have offered a contract to Vernon Wells that would place Wells among the "top-10 highest-paid players in the major leagues and likely exceed the average annual value of the free-agent deal Alfonso Soriano signed with the Chicago Cubs this winter."

"We have made a formal offer," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Tuesday.

Ex-Jay Derek Bell turned 38 earlier this week. On the same day, not an "ex-Jay" but really a Jay, that is, Jay Bell turned 41. Neither is the best major league player to have been born on Dec. 11 (okay, okay, this should have been posted earlier!), but they are two of the 36 MLB alumni to bear the last/family name "Bell" (or at least to have that as part of their last/family name -- hello Albert Belle, Mark Bellhorn and others); another three have had the middle name "Bell," and per Hall of Names standards, they will be referenced only if necessary.

That said, let's "ring in" a new Hall of Names team that may a-peal to many of you as we meet ...

It's decision day for arbitration eligibles. Who will be non-tendered? In other news, the Rangers signed Eric Gagne to a 1 year contract, while PECOTA likes Matsuzaka 4.01.

What you got?

As I combed through last year's photographic leftovers, this photo of John Gibbons chatting with Bengie Molina caught my eye:

John Sickels has been posting top 20 prospect lists over at his website. The Jays top 20 prospects list is his most recent one.  His summary:

The Blue Jays In One Sentence: Toronto has two outstanding bats, but the system drops off quickly after that, as the pitchers with the best stuff lack command, and the pitchers with the best command lack stuff.

Okay, it's official: the 2007 Toronto Blue Jays cannot lose. Why, you ask?

My new secret weapon:

The sandwich round of the 2007 draft is going to be a long one.

EDIT (4:45 Fri): The order of the sandwich round was incorrectly presented earlier. It is correct now (I think).

Gil Meche for 5 years at $11 million per annum to the Royals.  The Mariners send Rafael Soriano to the Braves for Horacio Ramirez. And all is quiet, so far today, on the home front. 

Today, we have a "you supply the punch-line" joke.  What do you call it when John Schuerholz and Bill Bavasi spend 20 minutes in a room together alone?  Please keep it G-rated.

Jeff Blair reports that the Jays have reached an agreement with Matt Stairs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"I expect I'll be doing the same thing with Toronto that I've done most of my career: play a little first base, DH to spell off Frank (Thomas), and be a bat off the bench late in the game."

Ted Lilly apparently will not be pitching for the Blue Jays next season, narrowing his decision to the Cubs and Yankees.

Jason Schmidt cashes in today - 3 years, $47 million.


UPDATE (9:45 pm): Lilly to the Cubs is official now.  Four years, $40 million.

Chip Cannon was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Arizona Fall League today.  Cannon dominated the top 10 offensive lists in the league, and led the Phoenix Desert Dogs to the league championship.  Congratulations to a Box favourite.

The old thread has enough miles on it, so here's a new one.

those gentle voices I hear
explain it all with a sigh