Holy Potato

So, it has been forever since I put finger to plastic and wrote something here. There are 3 reasons for that.

1. My family and I are moving. Just down a floor in the same building, but it still sucks.

2. I am an idiot, who by way of being an idiot, tore my achiles tendon.

3. I was in Timmins, Ontario for a week. I love it there.

With that out of the way, let's move onto some Jays stuff. I haven't watched the Jays since about mid-August. I have been paying attention to boxscores and line-up configuration thanks to Yahoo and Drunk Jays Fans.

So, I have a mojor axe to grind with the way Cito has been running this team.

Since August 20, Kevin Millar has started in 9 games. That is roughly 9 too many. Millar should have been released near the end of August, so that another team could sign his clutch-ness and leadership for the playoff run.

The fact that Travis Snider has not been playing RF every day is ridiculous. There is no need to sit him against lefties. HE SHOULD BE PLAYING EVERY DAY. They might as well leave him in the minors and use any one of the lefty hitting OF that can't hit lefties floating around baseball. Luis Gonzalez is still a free agent. Maybe he can hit 5th behind Millar.

And how terrible is Edwin Encarnacion? Very. That's how terrible he is. He can't hit. I thought that is what he COULD do. He can barely field either, so that's a plus. It is always nice to employ a baseball player who can't hit or field, but the Jays got plenty.

Phillips has been up for over a week and he still hasn't been used yet. If he can hit, he can be our back-up catcher next season. I'm very upset about the lack of playing time for him.

This is how the line-up should look the rest of the way.

1. SS - Marco Scutaro
2. 2B -Aaron Hill
3. LF - Adam Lind
4. DH - Randy Ruiz
5. RF - Travis Snider
6. CF - Vernon Wells
7. 1B - Lyle Overbay (Including lefties)
8. C - Rod Barajas (Phillips against half the righties)
9. 3B - Jose Bautista (Encarnacion about 40%)

There is no reason not to put guys in spots that they may be in next season. If the Jays are to contend next season, Snider must be a middle-of-the-order threat. Randy Ruiz can be replaced next season with a big time slugger, but why not use him in the clean-up spot? He has power and actually a pretty good hitter. Better than Vernon, anyways.

Encarnacion better be traded in the off-season and Baustista non-tendered. Neither has any value at all, and if either player sees signigicant time in Toronto next season, I won't be responsible for my actions.

Free Agents After 2009:
SS Marco Scutaro $1.1M
IF John McDonald $1.9M
1B/D-Bag Kevin Millar $850K

Non-Tender Candidates:
3B/OF Jose Bautista $2.4M+

Trade Candidates:
3B Edwin Encarnacion $4.75M in 2010
LHP Brian Tallet 2 more years of control
LHP Scott Downs $4M in 2010
RHP Brandon League 3 more years of team control
RHP Jeremy Accardo 3 more years of team control
1B Lyle Overbay $7M in 2010


Jose Bautista's at least $3M dollars in 2010 can be spent much better, as seen with the way contracts were handed out this past off-season.

So, with many holes to fill and not much in AAA ready to step in and make any kind of impact, the Jays will need to be creative to fill their holes. My suggestions are as followed.

1. Try to trade for J.J. Hardy. Milwaukee has soured on him. He is a great defender at SS, so even if he doesn't come back around to his mid 20's homers and .275+ average he is extremely valuable. Now, I know the Brewers know how valuable he is, but they have a better option (in their opinion) in Alcides Escobar. If Hardy can hit 15-20 homers and hit .250+ while playing great defense, he would be a very valuable Jay, if hitting in spots 6-8, as he is not a high OBP player. My trade proposal begins with pitching. Scott Richmond, Brian Tallet, David Purcey. If they want relief, offer Scott Downs. Or Jeremy Accardo or Brandon League. Try to get Edwin Encarnacion in there. Maybe they saw something they liked in Cincinatti and be willing to take him in return as well. A rotation member for the Brewers would be a nice pick-up for the Brewers for a guy who has become a spare part in a sense. Scott Downs or any 2 of the others, and the Brewers bite.

2. Sign Chone Figgins. Offer him up to 4 years at up to $10M per season. Play him at 3B, and lead him off. He has become a plus defender at 3B, so no more holding your breath they way I do when Edwin throws to 1B. He also adds an element to the Jays line-up that they lack: speed. It seems like forever since the Jays have had a 40 SB threat. Alex Rios swiped the occasional bag, but he was never a guy that the other pitcher really seemed to worry about. Figgins leading off would be dynamite. It may be a tough sell to get him to come to Toronto, but I have heard reports that he is a Cito fan, and if any one offensive player is worth over-paying for, it is a guy who can change the entire look of your team.

3. Sign a high-OBP catcher to start. Rod Barajas drives me crazy. His sub .280 OBP is pathetic and I don't care how many homers he hits. Gregg Zaun should should never have been his back-up, and I propose offering him or Jason Varitek the chance to be the starting catcher next season. Kyle Phillips would back up (if he gets a chance to show anything this Spetember). If J.P. Arencibia shows improvement in plate discipline, then he comes up and splits time with the veteran.

4. Sign or trade for a lefty mashing 1B. Lyle Overbay can destroy righties and plays a great 1B, all he needs is to never face a lefty if his team hopes to contend. Troy Glaus is a FA and mashes lefties, but he hates the turf here. Maybe Randy Ruiz can be that guy. Or Brian Dopirak if he has a strong spring.

5. Find a DH, ideally a right handed power hitter. Whether Randy Ruiz can do it for a full season remains to be seen, but the Jays want to contend they cannot go into the season with him as their go-to DH. I would love to see the Jays sign Carlos Delgado. Coming off an injury and nearing the end of his career, the true GBOAT can no longer play 1B well enough. His value is very low, so $5M guaranteed should get a deal signed. If not Carlos, than Jim Thome is a power hitting option. Some right handed options that are available: Jason Bay, pushing Lind to DH. Or Vlad Guerrero, who would be a great signing and more likely than Bay, who will command a ton due to lack of a injury history.


With these changes, the 2010 starting 9 would be:

C - Jason Varitek/Gregg Zaun
1B - Lyle Overbay (vs RHP) and Ruiz/Dopirak (vs LHP)
2B - Aaron Hill
3B - Chone Figgins
SS - J.J. Hardy
LF - Adam Lind
CF - Vernon Wells
RF - Travis Snider
DH - Vlad Guerrero

The way I would construct the bench would be simple.
Back-up catcher - Kyle Phillips
Overbay platoon - Randy Ruiz/Brian Dopirak
Middle Infielder - Jerry Hairston Jr.
Outfielder - Marlon Byrd

Hairston and Byrd would be great signings, as both can play the OF against tough lefties if Snider needs to sit. Hairston would also be an acceptable SS, 2B, or 3B if there are injuries to the starters. Byrd, in particular, can push Wells to improve and to be the productive player he should be.

I would construct the line-up as follows:

1. Chone Figgins
2. Aaron Hill
3. Adam Lind
4. Vlad Guerrero
5. Lyle Overbay and Ruiz/Dopirak
6. Vernon Wells
7. Travis Snider
8. J.J. Hardy
9. Jason Varitek/Gregg Zaun

With Hill and Lind establishing themselves as legit threats, addind Guerrero and Figgins would make this team a threat to any pitcher. Wells is not likely to have another season as dreadfull as this one next year, so maybe he can re-emerge as a threat. Having Varitek or Zaun at the bottom allows a solid OBp guy to turn the line-up over and keep rallies going.

The pitching staff is something that doesn't need help. Roy Halladay is amazing. Shaun Marcum should be back 100% next season and Ricky Romero is a solid #3 starter. Brett Cecil and Marc Rzepczinski could round out the rotation. Scott Richmond and Brian Tallet will be around as well, as well as the mid-season return of Jesse Litsch and Dustin McGowan could return as well.

The bull-pen should be a strength as well, as some younger guys could force their way up mid-season. Tim Collins and Danny Farquhar made it to AA this season and could be ready after some AAA time next season. Having a group that could include Zach Stewart, Accardo, Camp, League, Downs, Roenicke, Carlson, Tallet, Richmond, Frasor is a great group if used in their proper roles. I would like to see Frasor given the closers role and Downs in the set-up role. Working backwards, it allows guys like League and Roenicke not to be put in high-pressure situations, where they don't belong.


Well, enough ranting. There is a season to finish.