Toronto Blue Jays http://www.bluejayslocker.com Daily Blog for Toronto Blue Jays Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:53:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.5 en This time RF likely belongs to Travis Snider for the Toronto Blue Jays http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/this-time-rf-likely-belongs-to-travis-snider-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/this-time-rf-likely-belongs-to-travis-snider-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:53:15 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/this-time-rf-likely-belongs-to-travis-snider-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/ Any talk of Jose Bautista starting in RF while Travis Snider starts in LF is foolish talk. Quite simply, the Blue Jays can’t afford to do that because the offense would suffer. You can’t have Alex Gonzalez, Jose Bautista and John Buck all getting regular at bats if you want the Blue Jays to score runs in 2010. 22-year old lefty swinging Travis Snider should start in RF for the Blue Jays all year in 2010 sink or swim. Snider played in 77 games for the Blue Jays in 2009 and he was 58 of 241 (.241 avg, .748 OPS) with 34 runs scored, 9 homers and 29 RBIs. He did have problems making contact as he had 78 whiffs but that is the price you have to pay if you want Snider’s power. Snider also played in 48 games in AAA-ball last season in which he was 59 of 175 (.337 avg, 1.094 OPS) with 32 runs scored, 14 homers and 40 RBIs. Snider will need to improve his defense in RF as he made 3 errors there last season while showing below average range. Snider also didn’t have any assists in RF last season as runners challenged him quite a bit last season.

29-year old righty swinging Jose Bautista is going to battle for the RF job in 2010 for the Blue Jays this spring but they should keep him coming off the bench. Bautista played in 113 games for the Blue Jays last season in which he was 79 of 336 (.235 avg, .757 OPS) with 54 runs scored, 13 homers, 40 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. Bautista didn’t make any errors in 36 games in RF last season for the Blue Jays in which he showed good range. He also had 3 assists in RF last season showing off a good throwing arm.

28-year old lefty swinging Jeremy Reed could also get some P.T. in RF as a defensive replacement. Reed played in 8 error-free games last season in RF while showing slightly below average range.

PROJECTED GRADE IN RF IN 2010: C

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/this-time-rf-likely-belongs-to-travis-snider-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/feed/ The Toronto Blue Jays need Vernon Wells to bounce back in 2010 http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/the-toronto-blue-jays-need-vernon-wells-to-bounce-back-in-2010/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/the-toronto-blue-jays-need-vernon-wells-to-bounce-back-in-2010/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:38:36 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/the-toronto-blue-jays-need-vernon-wells-to-bounce-back-in-2010/ The Blue Jays need 31-year old righty swinging Vernon Wells to bounce back in 2010. Wells played in 158 games for the Blue Jays last season in which he was 164 of 630 (.260 avg, .711 OPS) with 84 runs scored, 15 homers, 66 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. He has a career batting average of .280 with a .799 OPS in 1,236 major league games so the Blue Jays know that he’s a lot better than he showed in 2009. Wells only made 1 error in 155 games in CF last season while showing below average range. Wells had 6 assists while in CF last season as he still has a strong throwing arm.

28-year old lefty swinging Jeremy Reed will likely make the team as a backup outfielder in 2010. Reed played in 126 games for the Mets last season in which he was 39 of 161 (.242 avg, .605 OPS) with 9 runs scored and 9 RBIs. Reed played in 12 error-free games in CF last season while showing outstanding range.

28-year old lefty swinging Joey Gathright will try to beat out Jeremy Reed for a bench spot in 2010 this spring. Gathright played in 37 games last season for the Red Sox & Cubs in which he was 8 for 30 (.267 avg, .579 OPS) with 9 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. He also played in 83 games in AAA-ball last season in which he was 108 of 332 (.325 avg, .752 OPS) with 50 runs scored, 0 homers, 20 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. Gathright played in 15 error-free games in CF last season while showing below average range. It will be interesting to see if the Blue Jays decide to go with speed (Gathright) or defense (Reed) off the bench in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CF IN 2010: B

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/the-toronto-blue-jays-need-vernon-wells-to-bounce-back-in-2010/feed/ Left field will belong to Adam Lind in 2010 for the Toronto Blue Jays http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/left-field-will-belong-to-adam-lind-in-2010-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/left-field-will-belong-to-adam-lind-in-2010-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:29:33 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/left-field-will-belong-to-adam-lind-in-2010-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/ There has been talk about having 26-year old lefty swinging Adam Lind DH in 2010 but I think that it’s more likely that he will play in LF. Lind played in 151 games for the Blue Jays last season in which he was 179 of 587 (.305 avg, .932 OPS) with 93 runs scored, 35 homers and 114 RBIs. The Blue Jays are expecting another huge year out of Lind with the bat in 2010. Lind made 1 error in 55 games for the Blue Jays in LF last season while showing awful range. He didn’t show much of an arm either as he only had 1 assist there.

22-year old lefty swinging Travis Snider will likely be the starting RF for the Blue Jays in 2010. But, if Lind DHs he will likely start in LF in 2010. Snider played in 56 games in LF last season for the Blue Jays making 1 error while showing below average range.

29-year old righty swinging Jose Bautista could start in RF if Snider starts in LF in 2010. Bautista played in 42 games in RF last season for the Blue Jays making 1 error while showing below average range. Bautista had an amazing 8 assists while in LF last season showing off a big gun.

28-year old lefty swinging Jeremy Reed will likely get a lot of P.T. if he makes the team as a defensive replacement late in game in LF. Reed played in 50 error-free games for the Mets last season while showing outstanding range. He also had 1 assist in LF in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE LF IN 2010: A-

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/12/left-field-will-belong-to-adam-lind-in-2010-for-the-toronto-blue-jays/feed/ The Toronto Blue Jays place Scott Richmond on the 60-day D.L. http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-scott-richmond-on-the-60-day-dl/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-scott-richmond-on-the-60-day-dl/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:16:29 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-scott-richmond-on-the-60-day-dl/ The Blue Jays have placed 30-year old righty starting pitcher Scott Richmond on the 60-day disabled list. Richmond pitched in 27 games (24 starts) for the Blue Jays last season and he was 8-11 with a 5.52 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. Richmond has pitched in 32 games (29 starts) in his two years with the Jays and he is 9-14 with a 5.27 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. The Blue Jays will take their time with Richmond as they have a lot of candidates for the starting rotation in spring training.

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-scott-richmond-on-the-60-day-dl/feed/ The Toronto Blue Jays claim Casey Fien off waivers http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-claim-casey-fien-off-waivers/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-claim-casey-fien-off-waivers/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:12:51 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-claim-casey-fien-off-waivers/ The Blue Jays have claimed 26-year old righty reliever Casey Fien off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Fien pitched in 9 games (0 starts) for the Tigers last season and he was 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP. He also pitched in 42 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last season in which he was 2-1 with 14 saves, a 3.41 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Fien has a good arm so it was worth the risk for the Blue Jays to take a chance on him.

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/03/04/the-toronto-blue-jays-claim-casey-fien-off-waivers/feed/ The Toronto Blue Jays are likely going with inexperienced players at DH in 2010 http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/22/the-toronto-blue-jays-are-likely-going-with-inexperienced-players-at-dh-in-2010/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/22/the-toronto-blue-jays-are-likely-going-with-inexperienced-players-at-dh-in-2010/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:35:02 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/22/the-toronto-blue-jays-are-likely-going-with-inexperienced-players-at-dh-in-2010/ 32-year old righty swinging Randy Ruiz and 26-year old righty swinging Brian Dopirak will likely battle for the DH job in spring training. Ruiz has the edge based on how well he hit for the Blue Jays at the end of the 2009 season. Ruiz played in 33 games for the Blue Jays last season and he was 36 for 115 (.313 avg, 1.019 OPS) with 25 runs scored, 10 homers and 17 RBIs. Ruiz also had a strong season in AAA last year as he played in 114 games in which he was 148 for 462 (.320 avg, .976 OPS) with 81 runs scored, 25 homers and 106 RBIs. Ruiz was finally rewarded last September for a solid minor league career. Ruiz has played in 1,088 games in his minor league career and he is 1,249 of 4,103 (.304 avg, .909 OPS) with 685 runs scored, 192 homers and 807 RBIs.

Brian Dopirak has yet to play in the major leagues but that should change this season. He played in 139 games in AAA-ball last season and he was 173 for 546 (.317 avg, .921 OPS) with 77 runs scored, 27 homers and 102 RBIs. Dopirak has now played in 795 games in his minor league career and he is 855 for 3,346 (.281 avg, .826 OPS) with 416 runs scored, 145 homers and 543 RBIs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE DH IN 2010: C

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/22/the-toronto-blue-jays-are-likely-going-with-inexperienced-players-at-dh-in-2010/feed/ The Toronto Blue Jays place Jesse Litsch on the 60-day D.L. http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-jesse-litsch-on-the-60-day-dl/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-jesse-litsch-on-the-60-day-dl/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:37:05 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-jesse-litsch-on-the-60-day-dl/ The Blue Jays have placed 24-year old righty starting pitcher Jesse Litsch on the 60-day disabled list to make room on the roster for Jose Molina. Litsch is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery that ruined his 2009 season. He pitched in 2 games (both starts) last season for the Blue Jays and he was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Litsch has now pitched in 51 games (50 starts) in his major league career and he is 20-19 with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. The Blue Jays are going to take their time with Litsch in his recovery as he is a solid pitcher when healthy.

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-place-jesse-litsch-on-the-60-day-dl/feed/ The Toronto Blue Jays sign Jose Molina http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-sign-jose-molina/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-sign-jose-molina/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:05:50 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-sign-jose-molina/ The Blue Jays have signed 34-year old righty swinging Jose Molina to a 1-year, non-guaranteed contract. His contract will pay him $800,000 bucks if he makes the Blue Jays and the team has a club option for the 2011 season worth $1.2 million bucks. Molina played in 52 games for the Yankees last season and he was 30 for 138 (.217 avg, .560 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 1 homer and 11 RBIs. He has now played in 554 games in his major league career and he is 341 for 1,449 (.235 avg, .609 OPS) with 151 runs scored, 20 homers and 136 RBIs. Molina will battle Raul Chavez for the backup catcher job in spring training. It doesn’t hurt to bring in a veteran catcher to battle for a job in spring training.

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/19/the-toronto-blue-jays-sign-jose-molina/feed/ Edwin Encarnacion will likely hold down the fort at 3B for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/15/edwin-encarnacion-will-likely-hold-down-the-fort-at-3b-for-the-toronto-blue-jays-in-2010/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/15/edwin-encarnacion-will-likely-hold-down-the-fort-at-3b-for-the-toronto-blue-jays-in-2010/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:29:20 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/15/edwin-encarnacion-will-likely-hold-down-the-fort-at-3b-for-the-toronto-blue-jays-in-2010/ 27-year old righty swinging Edwin Encarnacion will be back at 3B for the Blue Jays in 2010. He played in 85 games for the Blue Jays and Reds last season and he was 66 for 293 (.225 avg, .730 OPS) with 35 runs scored, 13 homers and 39 RBIs. The Blue Jays really hope that Encarnacion hits more to his career norms of .260 with a .789 OPS. The Blue Jays would also like Encarnacion to tighten up his defense in 2010. He played in 85 games at 3B last season for the Reds & Blue Jays and he made 11 errors in only 85 games there while showing below average range.

29-year old righty swinging Jose Bautista will be the Blue Jays’ backup 3B and 4th outfielder for the Jays this season. He played in 26 games at 3B for the Jays last season and he made 3 errors there while showing good range. If something happened to Encarnacion, Bautista would likely take over as the starter at the hot corner.

35-year old righty swinging John McDonald didn’t look too comfortable in 10 games at 3B for the Blue Jays last season as he made 2 errors while showing poor range. His bat would be a liability if he had to play too much at 3B for the Jays in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 3B IN 2010: C-

]]> http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/15/edwin-encarnacion-will-likely-hold-down-the-fort-at-3b-for-the-toronto-blue-jays-in-2010/feed/ The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping for solid defense at shortstop in 2010 http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/15/the-toronto-blue-jays-are-hoping-for-solid-defense-at-shortstop-in-2010/ http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/15/the-toronto-blue-jays-are-hoping-for-solid-defense-at-shortstop-in-2010/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:45:54 +0000 chinmusic http://www.bluejayslocker.com/2010/02/15/the-toronto-blue-jays-are-hoping-for-solid-defense-at-shortstop-in-2010/ The Blue Jays signed 33-year old righty swinging Alex Gonzalez to start at shortstop in 2010. He played in 112 games for the Reds and Red Sox last season and he was 93 for 391 (.238 avg, .634 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 8 homers and 41 RBIs. Gonzalez has random power and if he gets enough at bats he will likely hit around 15 homers and hopefully hit around .250. Gonzalez made 7 errors in 112 games at shortstop last season but he showed pretty poor range. He still makes a highlight reel play once in a while but overall he’s starting to fade a bit defensively.

35-year old righty swinging John McDonald will be the backup shortstop again in 2010. If the Blue Jays were smart they would have just let him start and spent the money they used on Gonzalez somewhere else. McDonald played in 73 games for the Blue Jays last season and he was 39 for 151 (.258 avg, .655 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 4 homers and 13 RBIs. McDonald is a wizard with the mitt at shortstop. He played in 33 games at shortstop for the Blue Jays last season and he only made 1 error while showing off out of this world range. I have little doubt that if McDonald could have just hit well enough to start at shortstop that he would have won multiple Gold Gloves at the position.

GRADE FOR THE SS IN 2010: C-

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