12:30 PM Eastern
A spring day game after a night game generally means a pretty slow, lazy morning, but not today.
A report out this morning that the Jays and Alex Rios have agreed on a six-year, $65 million contract extension(with an option for a seventh year that would bring the total value to $80 million) had everyone scrambling to talk to Rios and J.P. Ricciardi. We all managed to get them both, and you’ll be able to hear their comments throughout the day on the FAN590, but both of them said that nothing was in place as of right now, though both seemed to think it could happen very soon.
Ricciardi seemed frustrated by how long the process has taken with Rios, saying that they’ve been talking about this since October, but Rios said that the Jays’ original offer back then wasn’t for six years. Rios said that discussions about a no-trade clause aren’t the main reasons why the deal hasn’t gotten done yet, but that he’d like one. Right now Roy Halladay and Vernon Wells are the only Jays with full no-trades in their contracts.
The Jays play a night game tomorrow at home against the Reds, so I’m thinking around 2:00 pm would be the perfect time for the team to hold a news conference to announce the Rios extension. And could it be done that soon? Well, while we were all gathered around Rios to get his comments, Rod Barajas stood at his locker, facing Rios’, and with a huge grin on his face, pulled out a roll of hundreds and started counting them.
I’m thinking six and 65 is pretty good for both sides. Rios leaves a bunch of money on the table, assuming he stays healthy and continues to produce the next two years. He gives up four years of free agency, which would have to make the Jays happy. If Rios continues at his current rate, he’d be making Torii Hunter money out on the free market pretty easily. Rios gets security, and gets to buy a real helicopter a little earlier than planned, and the Jays get an all-star for under-market for a long, long time.
In the other news, Sal Fasano was released today, which gives him a week to try to hook on somewhere. He was never going to make this team, and there wasn’t anything for him in Syracuse because both Curtis Thigpen and Robinzon Diaz are going to be there. I hope there’s a spot for Sal somewhere, he’s still capable of contributing, and he doesn’t want to hang up the spikes and get to coaching just yet.
And it appears as though Reed Johnson is set to become a Chicago Cub. He’s going to take a physical today, and if he passes, he’ll be running into the ivy at Wrigley in no time. They’ll love him in Chicago, no question.
The live bloggage begins in about 40 minutes!
1:23 PM Eastern
I’m trying to cut up JP and Rios tape and get it to the station as well as do this, so the updates might not come as often.
Halladay struggled through a scoreless first inning, throwing 20 pitches and getting to three-ball counts on two hitters (that’s struggling for him) while allowing a single up the middle to Carl Crawford that Aaron Hill probably gets to. He ended the inning by striking out B.J. Upton on three pitches, though.
Shannon Stewart led off the Jays’ half of the first with a line single to right (off a righty! Sign him up!), but Lyle Overbay followed with a hard grounder to second for an easy DP, and Alex Rios, with an unidentifiable bulge in his back pocket, grounded out to third to end it.
1:37 PM Eastern
John Tolisano made a nice play on a Cliff Floyd grounder up the middle, good throw as he spun towards first to retire the Rays’ leadoff hitter in the second. Halladay then struck out Eric Hinske looking before giving up a single to Jonny Gomes that got just past the glove of a diving John McDonald. Dioner Navarro followed with a shot to right that got up into the jetstream up there, but Rios hauled it down at the wall with a nice, jumping catch.
In the bottom of the second, Frank Thomas led off and fouled off a few two-strike pitches before striking out swinging. Barajas followed with a looper to right that fell in for a hit, but Hector Luna whiffed and Buck Coats grounded to first.
1:50 PM Eastern
Halladay had two line drives hit right back at him in the top of the third – the first, by Andy Cannizaro, tipped off his glove and rolled up the middle for a single. The second, by Elliot Johnson, was a little lower and a little slower, and Halladay was able to glove it and had an easy double play at first. Carl Crawford ended the inning by grounding out to second.
The Jays went in order in their half of the third – Johnny Mac struck out, Tolisano hit a high chopper back to the mound, and Stewart grounded to second.
2:07 PM Eastern
Halladay struck out Carlos Pena, who looked completely overmatched, to start the fourth, then got B.J. Upton on a grounder to second before falling behind Cliff Floyd 3-0, then walking him on five pitches – Halladay’s first walk in a Grapefruit game this spring. His old teammate Hinske helped him out, though, by rolling over and hitting an easy grounder to second and not bothering to run it out.
In the bottom of the fourth – FRANK THOMAS HIT ALERT!!!! The Big Hurt got into a two-strike offering and belted it over the head of B.J. Upton in centre field for a double. For Thomas, it’s his sixth hit of the spring, second for extra bases. He died at second as Barajas lined out to Hinske at third. No, Eric didn’t have to move.
2:50 PM Eastern
Wow. I have been watching baseball faithfully for just over 30 years now, and I have never seen anything like this. Roy Halladay faced 10 batters in the top of the fifth, and didn’t retire a single one. The Jays made five errors behind him, three by minor-league call-up John Tolisano, who is currently looking for a pebble on the infield under which to hide.
Jonny Gomes led off the inning with a home run blasted to left, his fourth of the spring. Dioner Navarro followed with a ground single to left, and then the wackiness began. Andy Cannizaro hit a routine grounder to second with Navarro going. Tolisano gloved it, looked to second, decided to throw to first, then dropped the ball. His subsequent throw to first was late, but at least it was on target. With runners at first and second, Elliot Johnson dropped down a bunt. A charging Lyle Overbay fielded it and threw a blur to third, but just late – bases loaded with nobody out.
Next up was Carl Crawford, who hit a routine double-play grounder to second. Tolisano grabbed it, dropped it, then with only one play left, threw wild to first for his second error on the play and third of the inning. Instead of a run in, runner on third and two out, there were two runs in, nobody out and runners on second and third. Carlos Pena and B.J. Upton followed with legit back-to-back doubles – Pena’s a liner to the right-field corner and Upton’s a grounder down the third-base line past the outstretched glove of Looner.
Cliff Floyd then hit an easy grounder to first that went right through Overbay’s wickets, and he looked to the skies in equal parts disgust, frustration and amazement. Next up, Hinske, who doubled into the gap in left-centre, scoring Floyd. Gomes was next, for his second at-bat of the inning, and still with nobody out. He lined a single to centre, and the throw came home, but Hinske had been held up at third. Gomes kept going for second, though, and Rod Barajas fired down to try to get him, but short-hopped it and it bounced off McDonald and into short centre, allowing Hinske to score on what was the Jays’ fifth error of the inning, and that was it for Halladay.
He’d faced ten hitters, retired none, and all of them wound up scoring – Gomes coming in for the second time when Cannizaro singled off of Connor Falkenbach. The inning might have been over even a little earlier, as Johnson hit a grounder to short with Cannizaro at first, but Tolisano airmailed the relay to first. Can’t assume the double play, though, so Tolisano was spared his fourth error of the inning.
For the inning, the Rays scored 10 runs (four earned) on seven hits and five errors. Sheer and unadulterated ridiculosity, the likes of which at least these eyes had never before seen. To be honest, I’m not even sure it’s worth live-blogging the rest of this game. I have seen enough to know that I have seen too much.
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why would the jays use a five man rotation from the beginning of the season? Usually they use a four man rotation at the beginning of the season and then put in the fifth starter when needed. Besides, Litsch against the red sox is not the best match up
MW: Usually they start the season with a four-man rotation because there are a crapload of off-days early so they can afford to skip the fifth starter a bunch of times. This year, they only have three days off in the entire month of April, so there’s no such luxury.
- aviAvi, do you remember that game at Fenway where Litsch outpitched Beckett?
- Torgen1) Great news on the impending Rios extension. With all the recent talk about Stewart’s popgun arm, it’s good to know we’ll get to see Rios’ Barfield-like cannon for years.
MW: Barfield had a way better arm than Rios does, though Rios has a very good arm.
2) Any talk of Rolen coming back in 4 weeks is wishful thinking. I busted a finger in a beer league game at 3B and had similar surgery. I’m by no means comparing myself to an MLB player but I think the recovery will be at least 2 weeks longer. I hope I’m wrong though.
MW: Don’t ever compare a beer league injury to one that a big-leaguer suffered.
3) Reed is, er was, my favourite Jay. Now that he’ll be patrolling “Bartman corner” I shudder to think what might happen to him (and his back) after crashing into a brick wall a few times. I wish him all the best.
MW: So do I.
- Ian CHi Torgen,
Their going to have to outpitch if their to survive in AL East. They don’t have the offence. Unless of course the $126,000,000.00 man plays to his contract size and Frank Thomas is consistant from day one not when it doesn’t matter. There’s no time to full around in AL East.
- brunoBruno,
This is about the third time you have brought up the Jays offence. We get your point.
Wells had a bad year last year because his shoulder was a wreck. Look for him to bounce back to career numbers.
- Chris JonesHey Mike,
A lot of writers seem pretty concerned by Frank Thomas’ performance this spring.
What do you think? Is it a slump or does it look like his career might be running out of gas?
MW: He looked just as bad last year and wound up being, arguably, the Blue Jays’ best hitter for the season.
- JamesTorgen, I do remember that game, but that was the first time litsch pitched against the Red Sox and the pitcher always has the advantage when that happens.MW, what do you think the jays will do with the potentially available money from burnett and thomas? will they make a run at Sabathia in the offseason? Will they get a lefty power bat?
- aviHey MW,
How was Justin Jackson’s triple yesterday? Was it a shot to the wall or what. Man it would be nice to develop a toolsy shortstop who can take over in 3-5 years.
MW: Didn’t see it. It happened after the 6th in a spring training game. :-)
- PeeWeeHey Mike,
Thanks for the Thomas hit alert, hopefully you won’t have to do it throughout the year.
Do you think this is the year where Thomas posts real low numbers and can never find a groove after a slow Spring Training? I know that he’s bucked this trend in the past but another year added onto an already aged body seems to point to a decline.
MW: No, I don’t. I think it’s way too easy to leap off the bandwagon on this guy, and I don’t believe there’s a good reason to do it.
- MarcAdmitedly, it’s only spring training. But still, when is it ok to start worrying about this continuing power outage?
I think you nailed it when you mentioned the strain the Leafs have put on fans’ minds over the years…
MW: It’s OK to start worrying on April 14th.
- NateMike,
Did you talk to Zaun about his hamstring?
MW: Nope. I didn’t chase him down today, but I’ll try tomorrow. I’m not convinced it’s his hamstring.
- BrentHi Mike
Forget about the errors we can’t even hit off of Hammel. Does anyone really think this offence can stack up to New York or Boston? What ever pitching problems they have they can hit themselves out of it.
MW: Yup, write ‘em off. A line-up that contained such sluggers as Barajas, McDonald, Buck Coats, Hector Luna and John Tolisano couldn’t hit Jason Hammel.
- brunoLet’s keep the comments about Rios’ bulge to a minimum.
Wilner, they going to cram you in that tiny cabana outside the concrete monolith this spring?
MW: A good question. I believe so, and probably starting on April 5th.
- BeauI just keep saying to myself “it’s just Spring training…its just spring training…its just spring training…”
- ChrisAnybody out there see it?
- PeeWeeI know spring doesn’t matter. And I don’t care about the team’s spring record.
But why can’t this team score any runs?
MW: Spring doesn’t matter.
- ChrisI’m really hoping that guys like Wells, Overbay, Hill, Zaun, et al. are able to hit to their expected levels right out of the gate. If they do, then Rolen’s loss will be minimal. My real fear is that Rolen’s swing will take considerable time to get “right” when he does return. We know from Zaun & Overbay last year that hand injuries and swings don’t mix well.
- JJI was at the game in Sarasota last night – Jackson’s triple was a line drive that split outfielders in the right field gap and rolled to the wall. He slid in head first, but could have made it to third standing. He also showed a gun of an arm in the field, but had trouble handling the couple of ground balls that were hit to him last night…
- ToddHey Mike,
I’ll ignore Doc’s 5th inning (although anytime he gets hit a bit I worry about an arm problem)and ask another question. With all the sudden depth at catching, do you see the Jays moving a catcher for help in another area or do you still sense they may move either Diaz or Thigpen to another position? They both seem athletic enough to be good fielders. Jeroloman seems to have risen the ranks quite quickly also plus they drafted Arencibia with their 1st round pick in ’07.
MW: I think Thigpen eventually gets moved out from behind the plate, but I see the other three of them making a go of it at catcher. Eventually, the Jays could move one of Diaz, Jeroloman and Arencibia in a trade, but I doubt it’ll happen terribly soon.
- CameronMike – I was out of the country when the Rios to the Giants talks were going down. I still can’t imagine how that came about. What were your thoughts at the time? I consider Rios to be one of the two or three most valuable Jays and, along with some of these young pitchers, the future face of the franchise. Glad to see he’s about to be signed.
MW: I thought that Rios for Tim Lincecum was a deal the Jays should have made. Check the blog archives if you want to know what my exact thoughts were back then, without any clouding of the memory from present-day me.
- RussellMike,
Arguably Thomas may have been our best hitter last year but we can’t afford a horrid start from him this year.
I think the Jays should do a straight platoon with him and Stairs and hope that he doesn’t reach the required at bats for for his 3rd year option doesn’t kick in.
MW: I think the Jays may eventually do that, with Stewart playing left field every day, just to make sure that option doesn’t kick in. But if Thomas hits like he’s capable of, he’ll be in the line-up every day, because he’ll be helping them win games.
- Chris JonesThis team can’t afford to wait 2-3 months for Frank Thomas to start hitting. This is Boston & New York we’re trying to compete with. He’s to big a part of the offence day to day.
- bruno“It’s OK to start worrying on April 14th.”
Sorry Mike, but I have been listening to you on a daily basis for a few years now, and there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY you would accept two weeks into the season as an acceptable passage of time to determine any offensive woes (and subsequently start to worry). If a caller suggested on April 14th that Stairs & Thomas should be platooning you would shrug it off as nonsense and say it’s way too early to make that decision, especially since Thomas had the best OBP on the team last year. Well, at some point he has to decline, he isn’t going to march into the Hall posting his .421 career mark. It is not crazy to suggest such a decline has begun, and playing in the AL East the Jays do NOT have the luxury to wait and see in April and May while Vernon and Frank kill them in them from the 3-4 hole vs. RHP.
MW: You’re right. April 14th is too early to start worrying if Thomas isn’t hitting by then. I guess what I meant was that if the Jays are 3-8 heading into Baltimore on April 14th, then you can start worrying.
- AriWell here’s hoping JP gets the deal done with Rios. I view it as a win win for all parties. $65 mill for 6 years is definately under market, but Rios gets security so it works for both parties.
I’m sure if Rios keeps improving he’s get 20 mill per year as a free agent. Hat’s off to JP for getting this done.
Now-how about Hill; is that being worked on?
I still hope we sign Sal Fasano as a roving coach-the guy seems fantastic with pitchers.
MW: By the way, it’s “hats off”, no apostrophe. I detest the misused apostrophe. An extension for Hill is being worked on, though I’d be surprised if we saw it happen this season. The Jays don’t talk contract once the season starts, so that would give them less than a week to finish off Rios and get Hill done.
Fasano a coach? Tremendous idea, but he’s not ready for it yet. He said this spring that he would stay home with his infant son rather than coach – he’d only leave the family for a chance to play.
- GerryGlad to hear that Reed is gainfully employed…
- JeremyMike,
So exactly what would have made the Rios for Tim Lincecum trade so good in your opinion?
From his player page:
High strikeout total and a bunch of quality starts….he worked at least 6.0 innings in 18 of 24 starts (75.0%), while allowing 3 earned runs-or-less 19 times (79.2%)…
All great stuff, but he’s a “smallish” guy…do you think he can he continue to put up the numbers for a complete season?
I know you always need pitching, but don’t you think signing Rios will hopefully guarantee some offense in the coming years…offense that’s been hard to sustain (yes, I’ve seen Rios’s numbers this spring…it’s early)
MW: I don’t care about Rios’ numbers this spring. But look down the rosters of major-leaguers who can do things similar to Rios and look at guys who can do things similar to Lincecum. It’s way easier to find the outfielder. Then look at the difference in money. I also don’t care how big Lincecum is, or that his motion makes it look like he’s an arm injury waiting to happen. There’s no real way to predict that stuff. I’ll always take the great arm over the very good bat.
- DJJAYIs there a way to set this up so I don’t have to read the comments from this Bruno joker?
MW: Geez, I just gave you a shout-out the comment before! How much can I do for you? ;-)
- StoetenIn respect to your comment on #24 (“Hat’s off”) — I agree with your feelings about the misused apostrophe, BUT in this case, one could argue that it is not necessarily a misuse. IF the writer meant to say “hat is off to JP”, then it would not be incorrect to replace “is” with “‘s”. Usually the context clearly indicates whether or not the apostrophe is correctly used — but in this case it is not 100% clear — although if I had to guess I’d say it was wrong.
Ciao!
MW: Except that “hats off” is a commonly used colloquial phrase (or used to be). I thought I was being picky, but you’ve got me beat!
- Norm