Comments on: It was Shannon all along

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:32:15 +0000

I actually agree with the Jays move to let Reed Johnson go…this town has a knack for falling in love with players in all sports who hustle and hide some of their glaring weaknesses (see: Tie Domi, Jerome Williams, Darcy Tucker, Matt Bonner, and I lump Reed Johnson in this category)….This town needs to understand that a guy like Shannon Stewart can be a dangerous spray-hitter that will hit close to .300, guaranteed..Reed Johnson will lay the odd bunt and steal the odd bag…Although I don’t like JP’s deceptiveness in hiding the fact that this was an outfield battle, I do agree with the move..I wish Reed the best of luck, he will be picked up, but I can’t see him being a starter on any contending team in MLB.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:48:38 +0000

It’s kind of funny seeing how many rumors about teams wanting Reed are comming out of the wood works.

Johnson will be by far the most sought after outfielder that got placed on waivers.

Makes you think that if the jays made room for him they could have dealt him

The worst thing is that the Red Sox are interested in him, which means that JP had an in which he could have used to trade for Jed Lowrie !!!!

Getting Jed Lowrie should be JP’s main goal as far as im concerned !!!

MW: Yeah, because Reed Johnson for Jed Lowrie was going to happen.

By: Stoeten

Stoeten — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:29:48 +0000

Mike,
Good thing you’re a pro at having to deal with irrational arguments. How is it possible that so many people are not grasping how important it is to platoon Matt Stairs– who is pushing 40 himself and the backup for two other positions– with someone capable of playing every day?

Seriously. How many different ways can you say it? The Jays need someone who can play every day when either Stairs, Thomas or Overbay goes down, and Reed has proven that he can’t hit RHP. It’s that simple, everyone.

By: Skip

Skip — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:21:18 +0000

I think it came down to the decision this winter for Matt Stairs to get the most LF at bats this year over Reed. Reed lost his starting job and it appears he was the second choice to Shannon over the winter due Stewart hitting righties better. This is a good chance for Johnson to excel somewhere where is needed much more. Who would have thought Shannon Stewart would be back here? Maybe Reed will someday also. I hope both he, Stewart and Stairs all tear it up!

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:53:39 +0000

It’s hard to see Reed go–he was fun to watch and worked hard. Hopefully Shannon excels and JP’s decision turns out to be the right one.

Thanks Reed for the memories, best of luck in the future!

By: Marc

Marc — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:32:56 +0000

Those people that criticize JP because of the Johnson decision assume that it was an easy decision for him to make. I have no doubts that this was one of the most difficult roster moves Ricciardi has had to make since he started here. He recognized Johnson’s commitment to Toronto and his willingness to play the game as a ‘dirtbag.’ This decision effectively came down to Stewart being a more consistent hitter and the fear that Johnson’s injury will prevent him from getting back into ’06 form.
Also, anyone can go back and judge this decision in August and September, and if that was the case we would all be GM’s. Decisions are made on the facts of the present and should be judged as such, not on perfect 20/20 hindsight.

By: Norm

Norm — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:15:34 +0000

On the pitching/defense argument, point taken on last year — however, as you have also commented elsewhere, the injuries to the regulars last year impacted severely on their hitting — including Reed. IMO, they figure to hit better this year anyway, without sacrificing Reed’s defense for a few extra points of BA/OBP from Shannon.

Remember, the ERA is also (partly) a function of team defense — with Eck a downgrade at SS (over Johnny Mac), and now a down-grade in LF, it seems logical to expect the ERA’s to be worse than last year. Can the offense improve enough? We can only hope so.

By: Vern

Vern — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:36:09 +0000

Another great move, getting nothing for a quality player. Why not trade him and try and get something for him?
I will look forward to seeing Reed have a great career in another city.
I think Reed will stay healthy and JP will be kicking himself.

By: Norm McMinn

Norm McMinn — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:55:32 +0000

Forgot to mention — Scutaro might be able to cover a day or two here or there, but I doubt if he is a “full-time” option, either.

Maybe Adam Lind????

Norm

MW: Lind is definitely the first call if an outfielder gets hurt long-term, though short-term the Jays may go with Buck Coats. Still, don’t forget Lind hit .238 last year with a .278 on-base.

By: Norm McMinn

Norm McMinn — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:53:35 +0000

In my opinion, the Jays have made the wrong move. The building blocks of a championship have always been pitching & defense! I agree that Shannon most likely will hit a bit better than Reed, but I’m also sure that Reed’s defense is much superior. I shudder to think what will happen if (when?) Vernon or Alex Rios go down with even a minor injury, and we have to move Stairs to right and play Stew in left full time. Whichever of the two (VW or Alex) is in center will have so much ground to cover they will need a motorcycle!

Seems like JP was looking mainly at the $2MM savings — “penny wise but pound foolish”, as the old saying goes. And I really wonder if John Gibbons truly “had a vote” — frankly, I doubt it, because I think Gibby would lean towards Reed.

Norm

MW: I’m pretty sure Gibbons would have leaned towards Reed, too, but as to the “building blocks” argument: The Blue Jays were 2nd in the American League in ERA last season and had by far the best defense in the league. What did all that pitching and defense get them? 83 wins. You have to hit, too.