Toronto Blue Jays Sweep the Baltimore Orioles…Plus our BlueJaysRant Reader Poll
With their third straight win over the Baltimore Orioles (29-62) since the second half of the season began, the Toronto Blue Jays (47-45) look to be revving up for a final run at the last wild-card spot. However, before you get too excited, bear in mind that the chances are very, very slim, and any hope of a wild-card spot will require a lot of luck and a lot of help – but, it is possible.
Despite their slim chances, the Jays are going to give Toronto fans something to cheer about this year, and a whole lot of hope for next season – and that’s what the fans need – real hope.
The young rotation is learning quickly and developing at a similar rate. The offense is showing the power needed to win, and with some consistency, they could be on deck for something exciting next year.
Alex Anthopoulos has borrowed the Midas touch from King Midas himself (Google it) in his acquisition of Yunel Escobar – who is showing the Atlanta Braves that they were too impatient with him. Since coming to the Jays, Escobar appears to have found his bat – hitting .462/1hr/5rbi with Toronto. The homerun stroke, being labelled in the smashing category, became Yunel’s first major league grand slam and first of the year. What’s even more exciting for Toronto is the ability that Escobar has shown on both sides of the ball, giving the Blue Jays a lot more breathing room with their decision to slowly develop SS Adeinis Hechavarria.
With all the positive energy flowing around the Jays and their future (remember, in addition to Hechavarria the Jays still have Brett Wallace and Kyle Drabek in the minors!), it must be an exciting time for Toronto Blue Jays fans.
But the question remains…
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Reader Poll: Jays Will be Sellers at the Trade Deadline – Where will Overbay Go?
Yes the Jays won last night – against the dreadful Baltimore Orioles – but that won’t stop Toronto from being sellers at the trade deadline. It is widely expected that Lyle Overbay is on the block and will be one of the first Jays to be moved.
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Reader Poll: Did You Like the Braves/Jays SS Swap?
The Toronto Blue Jays traded SS – Alex Gonzalez (17hr/50rbi/.259avg) for the younger and highly touted, yet potentially flawed, Yunel Escobar (0hr/19rbi/.238avg)?
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Blue Jays Mid-Season Report Card: Closer/Relief Pitchers & Overall Team
The Toronto Blue Jays have been a pleasant surprise to this point in the season.
It is safe to say that very few baseball people projected Toronto to be sitting just one game under .500 (44-45) at the mid-way point of the campaign; especially without their former Ace, Roy Halladay, pulling their collective butt’s out of the fire every five days.
Finishing our bluejaysrant.com Mid-Season Grade Report…We will now focus on the contributing Blue Jays relief pitchers, the closer and the overall team gade.
CL – Kevin Gregg: Signing with Toronto last off-season for a more definitive chance to be the closer paid off for Gregg, as it didn’t take long for him to usurp the position from Jason Frasor. Since taking over the reins Kevin has had a solid, although sometimes shaky, half season – saving 20/23 opportunities, with a 37k/18bb ratio, a 3.67era (down from his previous year of 4.72 with the Cubs) in 34.1IP. Not bad, but not great either. Looking forward, it appears as though Gregg has secured his position for the remainder of the season, and should be on pace for roughly 35 saves. The only downside to Kevin Gregg’s revived pitching prowess – he may have pitched himself out of town by the trade deadline, where the coveted closer’s role may not be available. Grade C +
RP – Jason Frasor: There is not much to like with the 2010 version of Jason Frasor. His horrible campaign started with 2 blown saves in his first 5 attempts – that’s not good. As a result, he lost his closer role to Kevin Gregg and has gone on to become a dreadful the set-up man. Frasor currently posts a 4.67era (down from last year’s 2.50era) and should be on the trading block as this story is being published. The upside to Frasor is his ability to strikeout his opponents (when he feels up to it), which is evidenced by his career 362k/170bb ratio. Although his stats don’t look too appalling, many of his mistakes were a direct cause of Blue Jays losses. Grade D -
RP – Scott Downs: It is a shame that Downs can’t compete with the one thing that can slow him down – time. Scott has been terrific this year, posting 3 wins, 2.65era and a stellar 29k/8bb ratio and is on track for another strong finish. Unfortunately for the Jays, Downs’ contract runs out after this year, he’s 34 years old and will more than likely be dealt to a contender for youth. Grade A
RP – Casey Janssen: A solid campaign is underway for Janssen as he continues to refine his game. Casey is sitting pretty with a 4-0 record, with 1 hold and a 4.10era and a 39k/12bb ratio at the half-way point of the season. His ability to mix up his pitches to keep hitters off-balance will ensure that Janssen remains a Blue Jay after the trade deadline and more than likely see him promoted to set-up duties or potentially the team closer (pending a Kevin Gregg trade). If given the opportunity to be the staff finisher, Casey would be a steal for fantasy squads and an exciting player to watch in reality. Grade B+
RP – Shawn Camp: This is the fourth year in a row that Camp has dramatically improved as a player. His era has lowered from 7.20 to 4.12 to 3.50 to this year’s 2.53! What’s even more impressive is Camp’s ability to get the outs with hitters in position (1.04whip in 2010); and his exemplary 29k/9bb ratio. The only downside to watching another solid reliever in the Jays bullpen – is that greater the chance that Camp will be trade bait. At 35 years old, Shawn no longer fits into the plans of GM Alex Anthopoulos – which is to get younger, cheaper and controllable pitchers. Yes, Anthopoulos is acquiring talented youth in return for excellent pitchers such as Camp, but Jay’s fans waited for years to see this type of pitching in the bullpen. If Camp goes, Jay’s fans will need to wait again. Grade B+
RP – Brian Tallet: It has been written on this site many times before; Tallet is a serviceable short relief pitcher – on a AAA team. Yes, Brian has had a few good games, but overall he has had a horrible Blue Jays career. Using 2010 as a reference point, Tallet currently sits 1W-3L, with a 6.59era, a 1.63whip and an abysmal 31k/24bb ratio. Trade him, demote him or release him. Grade F
RP – David Purcey: The young Purcey appears to have a great future ahead of him. Resting at the All-star break with a 2.12era and 15k’s in 17IP, look for David to get an increased role once the likes of Camp, Frasor and Downs are moved. A small sample size thus far, but it’s been good. Grade B-
OVERALL TEAM – The Toronto Blue Jays (44-45) have been fun to watch this season, they are hitting homeruns at an MLB leading pace, the pitching has shown flashes of brilliance and the youth on the team is learning the ropes right before our eyes. Of course, it isn’t all good, as Toronto have lost a ton of close games and can never maintain both the bats and the pitching at the same high level on a game-by-game basis. With poor seasons from a few key Jays, it’s interesting to ponder where they would be if those players were hitting at normal levels. Alas, the pieces didn’t fall into place for the 2010 Blue Jays, and now many of the veteran players have been tagged to be moved out. Yes, we are only at the mid-season mark and there is a slim chance that the Blue Jays can roar back into wild-card contention from the 10.5 game deficit, but that is highly unlikely. Your best bet is to enjoy Blue Jays baseball for what it is and watch what Alex Anthopoulos can acquire for our expensive and aging veterans. Grade C -
Blue Jays/Braves Swap: Gonzalez for Escobar…Plus Extras!
TSN.com is reporting that the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves have agreed on a 5-player deal.
The Jays will send SS Alex Gonzalez, and minor league LHP Tim Collins and INF Tyler Pastronicky to the Braves for SS Yunel Escobar and LHP Jo-Jo Reyes.
At first glance it may seem as if the Jays are losing a top level producer, however upon closer review – this is a shrewd move by Jays General Manager Alex Anthopoulos - who appears to be making another positive step forward for the Jays organization.
If you take into account the outrageous overproduction of Alex Gonzalez in the first half of the season, it’s a safe bet to assume that he was not going to be back with the Blue Jays after his 1-year contract expires at the end of this year.
This was an easy deduction by GM Anthopoulos, who realized if Gonzalez were to stay, that the SS would demand big-time money or if he wasn’t going to remain a Jay, then Gonzalez would parlay his stats into a regular gig with a contending team next year.
So the Jays GM did what the previous GM (J.P Ricciardi) never did – he used foresight to make a bold move to acquire something from essentially nothing.
As for the Jays return in Yunel Escobar, Escobar has a tremendous glove, he’s 5 years younger than the departing Gonzalez, and despite an off year (to date), Yunel has 10-15hr/70-85 rbi potential in addition to an ability to consistently hover near the .300avg mark.
This appears to be the first of many moves for Toronto, as they look to get younger and to acquire high-end prospects or draft picks from their veteran players.
Don’t be surprised to see the likes of Kevin Gregg, Lyle Overbay, Jason Frasor and Scott Downs to be moved.
Blue Jays Mid-Season Report Card: Starting Pitchers
The Toronto Blue Jays have been a pleasant surprise to this point in the season.
It is safe to say that very few baseball people projected Toronto to be sitting just one game under .500 (44-45) at the mid-way point of the campaign; especially without their former Ace, Roy Halladay, pulling their collective butt’s out of the fire every five days.
Continuing our bluejaysrant.com Mid-Season Grade Report…We will now focus on the contributing Blue Jays Starting Pitchers.
#1 – Ricky Romero: With former staff Ace Roy Halladay being moved to Philadelphia and Shawn Marcum returning from a serious injury, Romero came into this season as the undisputed number one pitcher…by default. However, as the number one, Ricky has been dominant in most outings. Yes, he has made some mistakes that have cost him, but that happens to every young pitcher. Where Romero has shown him to be worthy of the top spot is in his ability to forget those mistakes and continue to attack batters without fear. Sitting with a record of 6-6/3.71era/1.32whip/108ks in 116IP, Romero should improve this level of pitching throughout the remainder of the season. If he can lower his era and whip by a touch, and take a breath every now and then, look for Romero’s stats to hover around 14w/3.50era/1.25whip/190ks by season’s end. Grade B-
#1A- Shawn Marcum: Marcum, making his return to the Blue Jays after a stint on the long-term DL, was bringing the hopes of a front of the rotation starter with him and he hasn’t disappointed. Posting a record of 7-4/3.44era/1.16whip/88ks in 107IP, Marcum was well on his way to a statement season before inflammation in his surgically repaired shoulder put him on the sidelines to start July. The word is that Shawn’s arm is fine and that Marcum will be back soon after the All-Star break. When he returns, expect more of the same from the first half, and also expect to see Marcum set new career highs over previous totals in IP (159), wins (12) and K’s (123). Grade B -
#3 – Brett Cecil: Cecil has been a nice surprise this year. He was expected to be a very good major league pitcher, he was expected to fill in nicely as a number 3 and he was expected to show some ability to climb to a higher level. Check, check and check. Going 8-5/3.97era/1.16whip/67ks in 93Ip, Cecil has pitched well all year to the delight of the Jays management and to the Jays fans. Cecil has had a few hiccups along the way, but that is to be expected for a young pitcher. If Brett can master his control, and raise his k/bb ratio even a bit, look for Cecil to have an outstanding second half. Grade B -
#4 – Brandon Morrow: A mystery, a riddle, a puzzle is how most should describe the pitching of Brendon Morrow. A strike-out machine with the talent to be an Ace on any major league team, Brandon just can’t maintain his excellence. Bare with me on this, Brandon had 2 horrible starts, followed by 4 great starts; the flip-flopped from bad to good to bad; then put together 7 terrific starts and then finished at the mid-season break with 2 poor outings. Not even 26 yrs old (he will be on July 26th) Brandon’s overall numbers (5-6/4.86era/1.46whip/111ks in 100IP) show an ace or a bust in the making. My bet is on the former. Grade C +
#5 – Brian Tallet, Dana Eveland, Jesse Litsch and Marc Rzepczynski: Undefined to this point in the season, so we will bundle the four pitchers who had at least 1 start of five innings or more.
This 5th spot in the rotation has been a revolving door of bad. Let’s start with Brian Tallet who, for Jays fans, unfortunately meets the requirements for both starter and reliever. Tallet has been a huge disappointment this season. After going 7-9 last year and showing an inkling of hope as a 5th starter, Tallet has regressed so far this year that he looks like a AAA player – at best. Sporting a very ugly 5.60era (as a starter) Brian’s real weakness is shown in his 10 walks and 17 earned runs in only 5 starts. We can go on, but Tallet has a slot in our Relief pitcher report card, so we’ll go easy on him…for now.
Dana Eveland has also been slotted as the number 5 in the Jays rotation, and now he isn’t even slotted with the team. Dana is an enigma-type player who, in his first three starts, went 2-0 with 1.93era (4 earned in 18.2IP). However, Eveland followed those starts with 11 earned in his next two games. Then, once again, Eveland switched over to Dana-the-good to shut-out the Chicago White Sox before falling apart for his last three games with the Jays…Dana now toils as a spot reliever in Pittsburgh.
Marc Rzepczynski barely qualifies to be graded as a starter; however in his 1 start (of 5.2IP) Marc gave up 4earned, yet struck out 7. A young pitcher who got smacked around a bit, but also fought back has shown enough to indicate he has potential yet to be seen.
Finally, Jesse Litsch is the current number 5 in the Blue Jays rotation. In fact, all of the interim pitchers listed above, at the number five slot, were essentially keeping the mound warm for Litsch’s return. Now that he’s here, Jesse has shown that he is either not fully recovered major surgery that held him out for over a year, or he is still really, really rusty or the injury and time off has ruined his arm. In 2008, prior to the injury, Litsch was 13-9/3.58era/99ks in 28 starts. In 2010, a different story or at least a different version of Litsch is ringing the gong, to the tune of 0-4/6.54era/12ks in 6 starts. We won’t say Jesse is washed up, but as of today, he is not the same pitcher that the Jays management had envisioned for his return.
The number 5 rotating-rotation spot – Grade F
Look for bluejaysrant.com to finish our Mid-Season Grade Report with the Toronto Blue Relief Pitchers and the Final team grade – tomorrow (Thursday/July 15).
Blue Jays Mid-Season Report Card: The Outfield/DH
The Toronto Blue Jays have been a pleasant surprise to this point in the season.
It is safe to say that very few baseball people projected Toronto to be sitting just one game under .500 (44-45) at the mid-way point of the campaign; especially without their former Ace, Roy Halladay, pulling their collective butt’s out of the fire every five days.
Continuing our bluejaysrant.com Mid-Season Grade Report…We will now focus on the contributing Blue Jays Outfield starters and the Designated hitter.
Blue Jays Outfield/DH:
LF – Fred Lewis: When Lewis was brought in many people thought he would be a part of a revolving door in left field or, at best, a stop gap until someone better was brought in. However, through solid play, Lewis has managed to secure his spot on this team. Currently on pace to better his career high in runs scored (81), homeruns (9) and rbi (40), the talented left fielder has been a pleasant surprise as the Jays lead-off hitter. Amassing 23 multi-hit games, a .276avg and by sprinkling in 10 stolen bases, Lewis has managed to make life difficult for opposing pitchers at the plate and on the base paths. If he could raise the average a bit more his grade would be higher. Grade B
RF – Jose Bautista: This career journeyman is showing the baseball world that you should never assume what a player is or will be. At the half-way juncture of the season, Bautista is leading all of major league baseball in homeruns (24) and he is not only on pace to shatter his previous high in rbi (63), but shatter previous conceptions of his abilities. If Bautista can maintain this level of hitting, he will finish the year with roughly 110r/40hr/110rbi/5sb – spectacular numbers. The only downside to this multi-position talent is the lack of batting average (.237). Grade A
CF – Vernon Wells: The captain of the Toronto Blue Jays has been re-invigorated, re-energized and re-incarnated as his 2006 self. By hitting 19 hr/49rbi with 5sb’s in the first half of the season, Wells career looks to be headed north…again. His teammates look interested in his swings, management looks pleased that he is earning his contract and the fans are cheering. Wells is always outstanding in the field and will win another gold glove. If Wells can lower his k-rate, up his average and on base percentage, he can be a top-tier outfielder. Grade B+
DH – Adam Lind: If this was Lind’s first taste of the big leagues we could cut him some slack, but we have seen this rookie act before (2007). Adam was the main man coming into this campaign. His power was huge, his ability to drive in runs was huge and his average was (for continuity sake) huge…but that was last year. This year, those abilities have fallen to the wayside and the promising slugger is disappointing everyone associated with the Blue Jays. The most depressing statistic of Lind’s 2010 season is a miserable .214avg. If Adam wants to stay north of the Mendoza line, he will have to put together a series of multi-hit games (something I think he can do). Unless he learns the mystery behind his awful start, Adam will only have the opportunity to learn the mystery of how Nestle gets the caramilk in the Caramilk bars. Grade F
Look for bluejaysrant.com to continue our Mid-Season Grade Report of the Toronto Blue Jays Starting Pitchers – tomorrow (Wednesday/July 14) and the relief pitchers and the overall team grade (Thursday/July 15).
Blue Jays Mid-Season Report Card: The Infield
The Toronto Blue Jays have been a pleasant surprise to this point in the season.
It is safe to say that very few baseball people projected Toronto to be sitting just one game under .500 (44-45) at the mid-way point of the campaign; especially without their former Ace, Roy Halladay, pulling their collective butt’s out of the fire every five days.
Nevertheless, here they are sitting only 12.5 games out of first in the AL East and 10.5 games out of the AL wild-card. I say only, only because it was expected to be a much larger gap by this point.
Is the lead by the Yankees and Rays insurmountable, probably, yet with a collapse by a team here and there, in addition to a strong second half, the odds of making the play-offs can be lessened (but don’t count on it).
Here is the bluejaysrant.com Mid-Season Grade Report of each offensive contributing Blue Jays infield starter.
Blue Jays Infield:
C – John Buck: Did anyone expect Buck to come into Toronto and win the starting role outright by now? John has put together the best half season of his career with starters’ minutes hitting .272 – 30 points above his career average and knocking in 13hrs/41rbi. If Buck can continue this pace he will have a stellar break-out year and finish somewhere around 20hr/85rbi/.270! The only knock I can see is the amount of balls that get by Buck on a regular basis. That may be partly the result of youthful pitchers but, as a veteran, John needs to be responsible for keeping the young roster relaxed and he must manage their pitches better. GRADE B -
1B – Lyle Overbay: If there was a grade for the first 2 months of the season, Overbay would’ve scored an F, however in the last 40 days, Lyle has begun to salvage his year. Raising a horrendous average from .171 (April 30) to .212 (May 31) to .234 (June 30) to .250 (July 11), Overbay has progressively and methodically worked through his hitting woes. Unfortunately, when he hits for average his power numbers drop and when Lyle was hitting for power his average stayed below the Mendoza line. In terms of defence, Overbay is solid but not spectacular. Grade D
2B – Aaron Hill: Crash and burn is the only way to describe Aaron’s season thus far. Coming off an outstanding performance last year (36hr/108rbi/.286avg) Hill, more often than not, electrified Blue Jays fans with his performance on a near daily basis. Now, the power is still there but the rest has disappeared. Despite his problems, I wouldn’t give up on Hill just yet, and it will come as no surprise when Aaron right’s the ship and sails across the season finish line with an average above .260. Until then, Aaron’s power stroke and above average defence will be his only saving grace. Grade D+
3B – Edwin Encarnacion: It’s tough to grade a guy who missed the beginning of the year due to injury, was sent down to the minors due to poor play, and even though he has the most AB’s for the 3B position, seems he doesn’t belong. Edwin can’t hit for average and has played some dreadful defence on one hand, but on the other hand, he can still crank out the homeruns (10). Edwin is a weak link on this roster and is making the call for prospect Brett Wallace that much easier for Alex Anthopoulos and the rest of the Blue Jays management. Grade F
SS – Alex Gonzalez: Wow, Marco Scutaro who? It was a safe bet to say that the Toronto Blue Jays fan base was disappointed to see Marco Scutaro leave after a terrific campaign with the Jays last year. When (another) Alex Gonzalez was said to be joining the Jays, he arrived with little fanfare. Now at this point in the season, it’s safe to say that Gonzalez has earned the respect of his teammates and the hearts of many Blue Jays fans. Hitting at a career clip (17hr/50rbi/.259avg), Alex is on pace to crush his previous high in homeruns (23) and rbi (79). Gonzalez has also been excellent on defence, as he works well with Aaron hill, making double-plays look easy. If his average could ever rise, he’d be considered a top-tier short stop. Grade A -
Look for bluejaysrant.com to continue our Mid-Season Grade Report of the Toronto Blue Jays outfielders and designated hitter tomorrow (Tuesday/July 13), followed by the Jays Starters on (Wednesday/July 14) and finally the relief pitchers (Thursday/July 15).
Jays Bounce Back – Bautista Smacks Homerun Derby Selection Committee in the Face!
After an awful first game against the Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox which saw the Blue Jays fall 14-3, Toronto claims the second part of the three game set 9-5 and hope to make it back-to-back victories and back-to-back series wins today.
Once again the Jays reminded us all, what they can do when the team is clicking.
Despite early problems by Brandon Morrow, the combined relief pitching of Shawn Camp, Jason Frasor, Mark Rzepczynski and Kevin Gregg had a good night along with the Jays impressive power hitters.
The most important homerun of the evening, at least on a personal level, had to have been Jose Bautista’s Major League leading 24th of the season.
Jose not only smacked a fastball out of the park, he managed to indirectly smack the homerun derby selection committee in the face – showing the world that they were simply fools to not select him for the All-Star homerun festivities.
In regards to Jason Frasor’s shut out inning of work, it appeared to be a test or audition by the Blue Jays management with rumours swirling that the Red Sox have interest in acquiring middle relievers. If it was a test, Frasor put on a very good performance ending his duty for the night with three strikeouts.
Kevin Gregg closed the door for his 20th save.
As for the bats beyond Jose Bautista, Adam Lind had a very good night going 3-4/1r/1hr/2rbi, Alex Gonzalez showed his old club their mistake by letting him go as he went 2-5/2r/1hr/3rbi and Fred Lewis came through again with a 2-3/2r/2rbi night. Aaron Hill, Lyle Overbay and Edwin Encarnacion each collected a hit as well.
The Blue Jays (44-44) and the Red Sox (50-37) will meet in the rubber match tonight with Jesse Litsch (0-3) looking to rebound against Daisuke Matsuzaka (5-3) in the last game before the All-Star break.
Brewers to Trade Brett Lawrie to Blue Jays…Jays to Move Others
If you have been reading the newswires across the internet and your local papers – then you are already aware of the multiple reports citing the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers scouts arer attending each other’s farm teams.
The Jays have a surplus of young arms in their stable, a definite need for the Brewers, and the Jays have serious interest in Canadian born catcher and first-round pick Brett Lawrie.
Lawrie, who is currently hitting .293/6hr/41rbi in Double-A, is just what the doctor order in Toronto as the catching prospect would deliver the goods after veterans such as Jose Molina and John Buck move on.
As for other potential moves, look for Toronto to continue looking at moving older bats for youth. These older bats include Lyle Overbay, Jose Bautista, Alex Gonzalez, Jose Molina, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs among others.
There has been little talk of Vernon Wells being shopped, but you have to imagine that he is also on the block, and that there may be some interest in the newly appointed All-Star.
With three weeks before the first trade deadline, you know the one without waivers, the moving and shaking is about to commence.
For Jay’s fans, be prepared to see your favourite Blue Jays wearing a different uniform by season’s end.
