11:35 PM Eastern
I mean, he’s not great or anything, and I’m still not sure how much value he adds to the club in an overall sense, but you didn’t think he was going to go hitless the rest of the season, did you? I think some of you actually did.
Bautista came through with a pair of pretty big hits today, driving in a couple of runs, in helping the Jays get up off the mat and come back to win after trailing 6-2, though the biggest play of the game was Robinson Cano’s horrible backhand flip to Derek Jeter on Lyle Overbay’s grounder in the 7th. What should have been an easy double play instead opened the floodgates to the three-run inning that got the Jays back in the game, and now they’ll have Roy Halladay going in an attempt to take the series Sunday and get back to within two games of the third-place Yankees in the last game the Jays will ever play at The House That Ruth Built.
Brandon League was incredible, and seems again to have turned the corner to the point where he’s going to be a dominant reliever for a long time, Scott Downs was Scott Downs, and B.J. Ryan had some fans gnawing their fingers to the bone, but got the save thanks mostly to a tremendous defensive play by Bautista. With runners at first and second and none out in the 9th, Alex Rodriguez smashed a shot to Bautista’s right, and Jose picked it beautifully right off his right hip. The hard work done, he hustled to third for a force out, then threw to first to just (probably) nip Rodriguez coming down the line.
The question I have is, given all of Cito’s defensive machinations going into the 9th, what was Bautista still doing out there? Gaston replaced Gregg Zaun behind the plate, David Eckstein at short and Adam Lind in left to up the D - why wouldn’t he insert the game’s best defensive third baseman? Just what is the deal with Scott Rolen, anyway? He was activated off the D.L. on Tuesday, but has sat and watched four of the five games since he’s been active. After tomorrow, at least, he won’t be taking up a roster spot if he’s not ready to go - but if he’s not ready to go, why is he taking up a roster spot?
Rough day for Travis Snider. There are going to be a few of those, but they’re part of the process. This, too, shall pass, and Snider is going to be a big part of things down the road.
Here’s today’s edition of The JaysTalk, for your listening pleasure:
Remember, at 7:05 PM Eastern tomorrow, long after The JaysTalk is done, it’ll be the final August edition of The Blue Jays This Week. We’ll have Yankees bench coach Rob Thompson (the other one), who grew up in Sarnia, Ontario, Blue Jays alum Juan Guzman, and we’ll hear from the young phenom Snider, as well.
Rational, reasonable comments are always welcome!
Click here to subscribe to Wilner's blog
Mike,
Today’s game exemplifies the reason for which the Jays should look for some pitching help outside of the organization. A.J. Burnett will not be a Blue Jay next season. Shaun Marcum is in AAA and Dustin McGowan’s health is an uncertainty. I do not think that the club will want the likes of John Parrish (and Scott Richmond or possibly, Brett Cecil)holdng down the fort. Signing a pitcher like John Garland to be the team’s third or fourth starter would make a lot of sense at the right price.
MW: At the right price (which is about that same price for which Kyle Lohse signed this spring), then Jon Garland would be a great acquisition.’d like to see them sign Pedro or Pavano, though.
- Jake RothHe made a nice play but if you talk to Pittsburgh fans, they would advise Blue Jays fans not to get used Bautista’s fine glove work.
Mike, I think the Blue Jays should ignore free agents like Giambi and Ibanez. They will cost too much (in years and money) and Ibanez will cost you a draft pick. I think Snider will be Giambi in a few years. The glaring weakness is the offensive output from other positions outside of second base. Available guys could be Julio Lugo, Gerald Laird or Jarrod Saltman by trade. Then you have guys like Furcal from free agency.
It’s funny reading the internet and the rumour is there is a trading battle between the Angels and Diamondbacks for David Eckstein. Cito must be shocked there are teams interested in him!
MW: Why would you want Julio Lugo? Snider may well be Giambi in a few years, but that’s in a few years, which is why I’d sign Giambi now. I don’t think either he or Ibanez will cost too much in either years or term. You’re definitely right about Bautista. In the overall, he’s an average defender at best at third, and poor in the outfield.
- Jim BMike, I thought you were a big fan of expanding the playoffs?
MW: You thought wrong.
- andrewHey Mike,
Brandon League has been pitching really well recently. I was wondering where you think the Jays will have him next year? Will he remain as a reliever or maybe groomed into a starter?
MW: I think that he will be a huge part of the bullpen next year.
- DavidLeague for closer in 2011?
MW: Could be. And eligible for free agency after 2012.
- simonOn the radio today you were a proponent of finding a young 3rd baseman for not much cost. I was wondering what your thoughts are on the Jays aquiring Dallas McPherson this offseason on free agency. He would cost nothing but money (and not much of it) and could potentially be a 30-40 homerun guy in the bigs (he currently has 40 in AAA this year). Of course he could end up being Russel Branyan, but for the cost I think even Russel Branyan production would be great.
MW: I’d love to have Russell Branyan. As for McPherson, why do you think he’d cost nothing but money? Don’t you think the Marlins might want value in return? Depending on the cost, though, he’s a terrific guy on whom to take a flyer.
- PeteHow long is Brandon League under contract for? He’s a pitcher that I’ve liked for a long time but was always scared about his lack of control. However, he really seems to have fixed that; he made the middle of the Yankees order look stupid. So is he going to be around here for a while? I heard a rumour that he was one of the players offered to Seattle for Raul Ibanez, for whatever that rumour is worth. Are the Jays at all considering moving him, or do you see him as their closer once BJ’s contract is up (or before that, should they trade away BJ)?
MW: See above. I don’t believe he was one of the players offered for Ibanez. The Mariners wouldn’t have backed away if that were the case.
- BrendanBrandon League is the best thing to happen to the Jays since sliced bread.
- KyleI’m guessing the reason Cito left Bautista in is because Rolen hasn’t exactly been playing a lot lately, may or may not have lingering effects from his injury (probably at least a little sore I’d guess). So Gaston might’ve just figured it wouldn’t really be an upgrade, especially with Rolen on the bench all day and Jose, not just in the game, but also, I assume, at his highest confidence level since becoming a Jay. Not that either man’s fielding ability should be hugely different from being in the game already or not.
But I was also wondering if the decision could have had anything to do with Cito thinking “What if they tie it up and this game keeps going”, choosing to leave Bautista’s bat in. (Imagine that! It’s ok now, he’s no longer the worst hitter of all time) I’m not suggesting this was the main factor or line of thinking, and you have no idea what Cito’s thinking anyway, but just thought it might have crossed his mind and throwing into the burning ring of discussion.
Also… after reading yesterday’s… I’m trying to come up with something to say about Jean Tennis. Nice to have him back, along with Sea-Toe.
Oh and did you see how amazing that Derek Jeter is? He carried his team to several championships, years, even decades, before even being born.
Thanks, hear ya later
- Dilly (it's a nickname) in Dundas (not the street)“why wouldn’t he insert the game’s best defensive third baseman? Just what is the deal with Scott Rolen, anyway?”
Not sure if you were able to notice this on TV, but my brother and I thought that Rolen was standing remarkably close to Burnett at the start of each inning, as if he didn’t want to have to make a long throw to first. Which doesn’t make sense, because it’s his left shoulder that bothers him.
Also, I was watching Snider very closely all night, and I was a little disappointed with how the Jays handled him in the dugout. He sat at the end of the bench by himself, and no one really went over to talk to him and sit down next to him for awhile. I would have liked to see someone like Vernon trying to make Snider as comfortable as possible in his MLB debut.
MW: Rolen has done that his entire career, I think. I found it really weird the first time I saw it, back in Spring Training. He stands almost right on top of the pitcher when the first baseman is throwing the ball around the infield.
- AriMike,
have you heard of the Red Queen theory?:
It’s an evolutionary theory that in a nutshell says evolution is necessary just to hold your ground.
Most of your callers, at this point, seem to suggest ways to improve for next year. In a division with the Yankees and Red Sox who will also make moves to make themselves better for next year (evolve)is it going to matter?
I think the only way the Jays can make the playoffs is to change the chessboard they play on by getting a division or league change. Are there any grounds the Jays could appeal for a division change? (besides not being able to keep up with the Yanks and Red Sox.)
Thanks.
MW: I think a balanced schedule would help, but the Tampa Bay Rays have shown, if nothing else, that it’s possible to compete for a playoff spot while playing in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees. The Jays have to improve for next season, because so will the Yankees and Red Sox, of course, and probably by a lot more. If they don’t do anything, they’ll fall back. The difference is that if they were in another division with the teams ahead of them not necessarily going to spend a big whack of money to improve in the off-season, they could tread water in the winter and expect to be able to compete next season.
- JasonHey Mike,
I know your time is valuable, but I’m going to ask you a question that you have more than likely answred already. Is there a story behind Barrajas’ nickname being The Captain?
I’m a regular reader of your blog (doeas that make me a blog’o'phile or a blog’o'phite?) and I haven’t been able to find the answer to my question. I’d go through all the archives to try and find it, but, i don’t know if you have noticed or not, it’s really quite long.
Thanks Mike, keep up the great work
MW: It’s definitely long, but all you have to do is go back to the blog post from when Barajas was signed, it’s all there for ya! I’ll even help - he signed January 24th.
- GibzHi Mike, Travis Snider didn’t look too impressive yesterday. He’s hitting 1 for 7 so far which is .143. I know it’s too early to assess his major league ability and hope he improves. We as fans have heard alot about him and how he’s supposed to be an up and coming star.
PS, don’t you find that BJ Ryan’s saves are way too nervous to watch. I’ve lost alot of confidence in him even though he has only had 3 blown saves, it just seems that most of his saves are not very pretty. Do you think he’ll be traded in the off season, and if so for who?
MW: Please don’t judge Snider based on two games, or even on what he does in September. Ryan certainly hasn’t been as dominant this year than he was in 2006, but he’s less than 18 months removed from a surgery from which it takes 18 months to fully recover and he’s still getting the job done far, far, far more often than not.
- MarkHello, Mike. Love your insightful analysis of the game and My BlueJays. After yesterdays performance, I think it’s safe to say, we’ve got our ‘Closer’ of the future. Mr. League reminds me of a dominant Mr Henke, in his prime…just my opinion, mind you. I’m thinkin , if we’re out of it next year, and a team in contention needs a closer because theirs is injured….Mr Ryan may be had in a trade… just another opinion. Thnx for your diligence. It is appreciated by many, I’m sure. Bye, for now.
MW: League has had many, many outings like yesterday’s in his career, and many trips back to the minors in-between.
- Karl ThomsonMike, I don’t understand why you feel that BJ could be moved this off-season (granted, any player can be moved). But why would the Jays want to move him now? It doesn’t make sense for a lot of reasons but most prominently:
a) why would you move him now after a year in which he was not healthy and his peripherals are way up, his perceived value way down; and
2) who is really ready to take over that role? BJ is pretty good at his job when healthy so I think removing him makes next year’s bullpen weaker.
And, in my opinion, the Jays aren’t necessarily so rich in pitching depth right now that they can afford to take-away arms for bats. They do have a good staff, so keep it that way. Bullpen arms are like rolling dice, who knows what will turn up next spring.
MW: I detailed all the reasons that I think Ryan could be traded in the comment to which I assume you’re responding. Ryan’s perceived value around the bigs is NOT way down just because he’s making Jays fans nervous, and Downs, Accardo and League (and maybe Janssen) are all ready to take over.
- Paul OMike,
Who is this “Greg Zaun” character?
MW: I’m not sure.
- TimI’ll give Snider 30 ABs before I decide if he was brought in a year too early or not. So far a good game and a bad game.
I missed the 2nd half of last game. Jays were down 6-2 and I left home for some shopping. Couple of hours later Uncle Sidney called me and gave me the news. I think it was one of the sweetest wins of the year, arguably the sweetest considering it was in Yankee stadium and Jays kinda crushed N.Y’s tiniest of hopes of making the playoffs.
MW: Shopping? And I’m not going to address the ludicrosity of your opening sentence.
- BeburgMan, Joe Girardi is managing his bullpen as if he’s on gunpoint and it’s a matter of life and death. I am wondering what will he do in a world series game? Maybe send couple of his startes to the bullpen? lol. He needs to chill.
MW: He believes he’s already in the World Series.
- BeburgDoes this sound like a reasonable lineup for next year?
Inglett 2B
Hill SS
Rios RF
Wells LF
Snider DH
Lind RF
Overbay 1B
Rolen 3B
Barajas C
MW: Aside from the fact that you mean LF beside Lind and CF beside Wells, no, that’s not a reasonable line-up for next year. I don’t think Travis Snider is going to be a middle of the order hitter for the Jays next year.
- MarkMike,
What’s all this talk about BJ Ryan not being back next year? Isn’t he an important part of the Jays’ bullpen.
MW: He is, but it’s an area of strength, one would think that he can generate a not-insignificant return, he makes almost double as the rest of the bullpen put together, and there are three or four ready replacements already in place.
- mikeMonday is the trading deadline for playoff rosters. JP indicated the Jays may be active. Will Burnet be one of them?
MW: Tonight is actually the roster eligibility deadline, not Monday. I don’t think Burnett will be one of……what? That’s just a horrible sentence.
- JimHello Mike,
Yesterday a caller asked you if you could figure out the Blue Jays. You said you could not and that nobody else could either.
Actually, the Jays are quite easy to figure out. They have no power hitters. They will NEVER score runs on a consistent basis because they HAVE NO POWER HITTERS. At the “power positions” they HAVE NO POWER HITTERS. They have NO DH. They are an NL team trying to compete in the AL.
One more thing: You recently “quoted” the “great Roger Daltry.” He is not great; he’s only the second best singer in his own band. And the lyric you “quoted” (from a GREAT album)was written by the GREAT Pete Townshend.
MW: Roger Daltry may not be great, but Roger Daltrey is. And while he might not be the best songwriter in his own band, he’s a better singer than Townshend. The Jays actually have a few power hitters, but none of them are hitting for power this year. That’s one of the things that’s impossible to figure.
- Evan WhiteBrandon league is very fun to watch. A 95-100 mph fastball with movement is unhittable it seems like. As far as rolen not being put in the game at the end, maybe he is still recovering? Who knows, Jose Bautista could be our third baseman for next year if Rolen isn’t healthy. JP traded Diaz for him because we need some insurance for 3B, good move.
MW: Except that Bautista isn’t that good.
- CurtMike
JP can’t even try to hide the fact that Rolen has been a bust. Like using that Glaus didn’t like the turf as reason to get rid of a big bat they desperately need.
In retrospect would it not have made sense to put Glaus as DH given as the Jays really haven’t had a solid DH.
JP gets too starry-eyed with players that have nothing left just because they’ve done some stuff in past. (Eckstein, Rolen)
His basis for the rolen trade was that he scouted Rolen and always liked him. His starry-eyed-ness blinds him from the reality that Rolen has no more pop and is an injury machine. In the very meaningful and not rhetorical words of Barack Obama “we need change.”
MW: Ricciardi isn’t using the “Glaus wanted off the turf” to excuse Rolen’s bad season - he mentioned that about Glaus when the Rolen trade was made back in December. They couldn’t plan to use Glaus as the DH because they still had that Frank Thomas guy. His basis for the Rolen trade was that, when healthy, Rolen was the best third baseman in the game, and all indications were that he was healthy again, and Glaus wasn’t, and Glaus wanted out. As for Eckstein, he’s doing exactly this year what he’s done his entire career - how do you come up with “has nothing left”?
- HowardWe all know that trades should happen from areas of strength to help or fill areas of weakness.
With this in mind, why not attempt to trade BJ Ryan in the offseason? This says nothing about my confidence in his ability to do the job - he’s great. It just looks like League is ready especially when complemented by Downs, Carlson, and next year, Janssen, Accardo, etc. Heck include Jason Frasor in the deal to try and get even more.
The rotation will be more than fine even with AJ gone so maybe BJ can get us a big bat, an offensive shortstop, or almost-ready for the show prospects.
Some possible trading partners could include Arizona, Colorado, Mets, and the Angels if they don’t resign K-Rod.
MW: You even made it sound like you came up with the idea all on your own. Well, that’s not fair, maybe you did - but read back the last couple of days’ worth of comments. I don’t think Ryan can get the Jays a big bat or an offensive shortstop, though.
- ronIts nice to see brandon rebound from the game winning homerun he gave up.
Bautista looked very nervous during his previous at bats. Its nice to see him get the chip off his shoulder.
I hope scott rolen does not play until next year because watching him offensively has been frustrating and demoralizing. If he is perfectly healty, are we going to see the scott rolen we saw during the first couple of months he played? His offense has been dreadful, personally i would rather look to upgrade the 3rd base position. Hank blalock is not a bad idea but he too has been injury frequent. Jays need more pop in thier lineup, bring in a healty blalock would certainly offer some.
What do you think about bringing in blalock as a utility 3rd baseman with scott rolen? I believe he will be cheap.
MW: I don’t think Blalock will come that cheap, but with the Jays having to pay Rolen almost $25M over the next two years to play third base, and with Joe Inglett and Marco Scutaro, I don’t think they’ll go out looking for a third baseman in the off-season. I hope Rolen’s home run today wasn’t too frustrating and demoralizing.
- JaysfanHello Mike,
Let me first say that this has nothing to do with BJ Ryan performance Yesterday even though he got the save.
Do you think the Jays should explore trading BJ in the off season? It just seems like the jays have more than capable guys (Downs,League Accardo) who are chaeaper.
MW: See above - about a dozen times.
- Corie JHi Mike;
Great win by the Jays ballclub yesterday with excellent contributions from Bautista(like him over Rolen),and Eckstein, and Zaun and I really hope for the fans and the Jays defensive sake that Johnny Mac stays with the club, As he won’t garner very much in trade value, go jays go, thx.
MW: The fact that some people prefer Bautista to Rolen, especially after being ready to run Bautista out of town, is one of the many sources of my frustration with answering these comments.
- robert sMike
Now that the Blue Jays are in a life and death struggle for third place, perhaps they will live up to everyone’s perception of a J.P. team. “Dead in the water until they are basically eliminated’. And in September, they shine. Thus, giving the illusion that ‘next year will be different’. They will be healthy, and competetive. Therefore, J.P. should get one more year at the helm. Hopefully, everyone realizes this ‘broken record’ for what it is. Every team has injuries. This is just another excuse to buy more time for a very average GM. This is a third or fourth place team that requires some creative and massive overhauls. Another year of J.P.’s leadership would be just another year of failure.
MW: Yeah, it’s a real hallmark of a J.P. team, especially that 1998 J.P. team.
- BrianScott Rolen is the best defensive third baseman in the game? Um, what? How can you justify that? Sure, he used to be, but definitely not now–he even said it himself. What about Adrian Beltre?
What a great deal, him for Glaus. But anyway, you may want to actually read what you write before you post.
MW: Rolen’s better than Beltre - at the very least, it’s a coin flip. When did he say it himself?
- John from Victoria, BCBunting in the first…
Mike, let the ranting begin.
MW: What a horrible, horrible move.
- ThomasMike, do you think that Roy Halladay has a better shot at the cy young than Francisco Rodriguez? I dont think so. By the way what does you top 3 picks for cy young look like?
MW: Me top 3 picks for cy young is Lee, Halladay and then either Rodriguez or Matsuzaka. I think the fact that Halladay will have pitched almost 200 more innings than Rodriguez is meaningful.
- gregSo why wouldn’t you expand the playoffs in baseball?
MW: Because the regular season has to have meaning.
- andrewMike
How many 300 plus hitters does a team need to be a real contender?
MW: None.
- John WHey Mike.
Love the blog and the JaysTalk, but I’m frustrated - as it sounds like you sometimes are - by callers who ask you questions that you’ve answered several times that week. Although the situation is always changing in the glorious game, you’re forced to repeat yourself over and over again (e.g. Burnett will opt out or Jays need a big-hitting DH). Any chance of getting a search function on the blog or a list of topics covered in the archived shows so that those who aren’t up to date can find exactly what they’re looking for?
Keep up the great work.
Spencer
MW: That wouldn’t help with the callers asking the same question. Thing is, you can’t count on people having listened to every minute of every show, so that’s going to happen.
- Spencerhey mike, quick question. everyone talks about the jays adding a couple bats to contend… or at least improve next year… apart from the DH spot, where would you add a bat?
MW: I think a big DH will be enough, considering the fact that they’ll have Lind all year and, presumably, Wells and Hill, but I could stand to add a bat at shortstop or third base, though the latter is problematic.
- arjHey Mike,
Will Beck not pitch with Dunedin in the playoffs or would he be joining the team too late?
MW: I’ll try to find out for you, and put the answer in tonight’s blog post.
- JeffI think we should trade Ray Holiday because he’s is the best pitcher in majors. Sign Capt. Rod for big $ becuse he’s great clutch backcatcher, get Reed Johnson back, if we have enough room in the salary cap. I think he might be an unrestricted free agent, who can win games with his heart. Cito’s a real good coach, who will win us a world series if AJ decides to stay. We should of fire JP and he should trade Overbay cuz he doesnt can hit.
I apoligize. I have no idea what made me do this. I’m going to say I feel giddy (did I just use that word?) and silly after the big win. Sorry sir, it won’t happen again.
MW: I like this guy.
- Dilly in Dundas (not the street)I can’t believe I’m saying this but I like Manny in Dodger blue and I would love to see him in Toronto next year I also agree with you on Pavano but, I think the Yanks are going to pick up the option (yikes) what about Mark Mulder is he done?
Would you trade Mac, League, and a lower end prospect for Michael Young?
MW: In a heartbeat, but the Rangers never would. I don’t think there’s a chance the Yankees pick up a $13 million option on Pavano after he’ll have given them about 150 innings of work for the first $40 million - they HATE him there. Mulder’s pretty done.
- toddYou know that you used the word “bases” instead of “basis” in your response to question #24, right?
Guess they’re going to have to take that grammar police badge away from you, huh?
MW: Sheesh. I’ll go fix it.
- ShawnEck for Beck — clearly the Jays are the winner of that deal — they get an extra “B”!
Seriously, though, I’m glad to see Eckstein moving along so that he can feel “useful” again. It was pretty obvious that he no was no longer figuring in Cito’s plans — albeit he did use Eck as a DH today, a sad commentary on our RH hitting bench players!
MW: No longer figuring? That would imply that, at one time, he did.
- NormMW: I have never liked seeing offense and defense spelled with a “c”, so I don’t do it.
_________________
Sometimes its better to just admit your error and move on. I mean, you are always correcting others on their grammar or spelling. Is it now your position people should just spell or write whatever way feels good?
I have noticed that loyal Rogers serf that you are, you have never mispelled “Rogers Centre” and I challenge anyone to justify why we spell CENTRE the way we do.
MW: I have never misspelled “misspell” either. And it’s interesting that you would bring up the fact that I work for Rogers in reference to the fact that I spell the word “centre” correctly.
- ProkopecMike-
I’ve followed your blog all year; this is the first time I’ve posted. I think you do an awesome job of keeping fans informed on what’s going on with the Jays and MLB in general…where else can you find a way to talk to a baseball insider on a regular basis? It’s amazing what gets taken for granted sometimes…but that’s not why I’m commenting.
There are no guarantees in baseball. However, the Jays have as close to a pitching guarantee as there has been in the game over the last several years: Roy Halladay. If the Jays start him twice on three days rest before the end of the season, he’ll get an extra start. I read a couple of weeks ago that he was willing to start on short rest if it was in the best interest of the team, and I remember him campaigning last year to start on short rest at the end of the year so that he could pitch in the final game.
Taking a look at the schedule and the announced upcoming starters, he won’t be pitching this Thursday against Minnesota. He’s set to start Friday against Tampa, and he had a low pitch count outing (for him) today against the Yankees, with 103. They weren’t “taxing” pitches, for the most part, so I think it’s reasonable to say that he could have gone another inning. Let’s suppose he has an efficient start against Tampa, against whom he has pitched well, especially early in games. In no way am I suggesting that Cito pull Halladay early against Tampa, to allow him to start on three days rest on Tuesday against the White Sox, when the Tampa game might be lost as a result, but if Halladay ends his Friday start with 95-100 pitches and he pitches well, would you start him Tuesday against the White Sox? That would line him up to start Sunday, 9/13, against the Red Sox, a day after a doubleheader, and a day before an off day that would put him on extra rest if he were not to start on short rest before it. Additionally, the game after the off day is against Baltimore, a team that the Jays might not necessarily need Halladay to pitch against in order to win the game.
Of course, as I said, there are no guarantees in baseball, so there’s no way to know if the Jays would beat Baltimore with Halladay on extra rest, but I feel they have a better chance to beat Boston in two weeks with Halladay, and if the Jays want to find an extra win or two in September, having Halladay start an extra time strategically is a good way to do it!
Thanks for the space Mike.
MW: Thanks for finally leaving a comment. If the Jays were in a pennant race, they might consider starting Halladay on short rest once or twice, but they’re not, so there’s no reason to take the risk.
- JeffI don’t want to take credit for starting all this talk of trading BJ, but c’mon i might’ve started a little spark about it ;)
anywhoo, I went few the blog the last few days trying to find any question relating to BJ by typing in “ryan” in the find bar just to make sure i didn’t repeat a question…. on that note keeping in mind (as you stated) the low value that closers like Valverde have been traded for, (Gagne and Lidge) <- (they don’t really count b/c of their up and down seasons), who and what do you think the Jays could get for Ryan,
i guess when assessing that question you’d have to look for a team in need of bullpen (closer) help who can afford his salary. You’ve mentioned talks of the Indians, but why not the New York teams? the Mets bullpen problems have been well documented and the Yankees were of course initially interested in signing BJ but he did not want the setup role behind Rivera (he doesn’t have a no trade right?).
(BTW what else do you think the Jays would have to give up along with Ryan for Johnny Peralta?)
Thanks Mike
MW: Gagne wasn’t an up and down guy when the Red Sox traded for him (1.05 WHIP, .192 opp BA, 29 K in 33.3 IP), it seemed his injury problems were in the past, kind of like Ryan. I don’t think the Yanks would pony up for B.J., and I’m not sure the Indians will, either, but it wasn’t a bad suggestion. I’m not sure what they’d have to add, but I don’t think Ryan alone would get it done.
- BikramMike
JP did use the “Glaus wants off the turf” excuse last Wednesday. A caller came on and started justifiably ripping him about how bad the Rolen trade was and the only defense he could find was to say that the caller didnt know the “inside story” about how Glaus didn’t like the turf. All I’m saying Mike is that he should admit when he makes a mistake and stop coming up with BS excuses. Its the same with overbay. He always goes on about how “Lyle is a big part of our ball club.” No hes not. maybe a big part of the reason the ball club loses. Overbay has been awful for two years. Then when someone calls in and criticizes overbay’s lack of care for the game he goes “oh Lyle’s cut from a different cloth” whatever that means. He has too much pride to admit hes wrong and as a fan that makes me angry.
MW: Only because you’re looking for it, I don’t think you’re right at all. Even if it is true that acquiring Overbay was a mistake, which it isn’t, would you applaud Ricciardi if he came on the radio and said “we need help at first base. Signing Overbay to that deal was a mistake, and if given the opportunity to do it over, we wouldn’t have done it” while Overbay is still on the team? That would be incredibly stupid, and I think you’d be even more upset with Ricciardi if he did that. He did say that Glaus didn’t like the turf on the show on Wednesday, but he also said it in January when he made the trade.
- HowardWhy the hell would you go after pavano? I would rather see scott richmond take his spot on the roster. I don’t see what is so good about pavano. This guy left like 15 of his breaking balls out over the plate against toronto and they couldn’t capitalize. yea, he is going to be cheap but personally i think he is done.
do you honestly think rolen can overcome the injuries and live up to the expectations? yea he had a homerun which was nice to see but thats like saying mcdonald got a homerun, do you see signs of continual improvement. I don’t, maybe I’m wrong?
thanks.
MW: It’s not quite like saying McDonald hit a home run. I definitely don’t see signs of continual improvement from Rolen, but that might be because he’s only played twice since they activated him. I think he can get back to being the hitter he was in 2006 - what were the expectations? I’d go after Pavano because he’s cheap, and before he started getting hurt every other week he was a pretty dominant pitcher for a couple of seasons. And because he’s cheap.
- JaysfanHello Mike,
What do you think of the Blue Jays going after Rocco Baldelli and maybe trying to sign him to a minor league deal hoping he can acheive his potential?
MW: I wouldn’t go near Rocco Baldelli with a ten-foot pole.
- vjHi Mike,
Was just checking out the boxscore on the Fisher Cats last game, and noticed that Arencibia wasn’t in the lineup. Has he already reported to Arizona, or is there something going on?
Also, in a previous post, you mentioned Dopirak being a minor league free agent. Does this pose a potential problem in the Jays keeping him?
MW: I’m thinking it’s probably because Arencibia was a catcher and that it was a day game after a night game. Catchers tend not to play every day. If the Jays don’t put Dopirak on the 40-man roster in the off-season, then he’ll be a minor-league free agent again this winter.
- NB Jays fanMike
Gord Ash was GM in 1998 and he was equally average. It is time that the Jays try someone else. Both Ash and J.P. were failures.
I happened to be listening to the postgame show. I can’t believe that you still think Bonds could have helped this team. No one can know for certain, but the Giants are doing better without Bonds than they did with him last year. As, for collusionm remember Bonds isn’t the only old ballplayer who wasn’t picked up, i.e. Piazza. Remember Bonds is old, slow, and a ‘cancer’ as a team mate. Only a desperate GM could even consider the possibility of picking Bonds up. This is simply the case where the risk wasn’t worth the potential benefits.
MW: Yeah, Bonds really showed that his offense was slipping last season when he only hit .276/.480/.565. He couldn’t possibly have helped any big-league team, especially the Blue Jays. I’d much rather have Fred Lewis in left field than have him.
- BrianHi Mike<
I’ve heard you comment many times that you think Roy Halladay is more deserving of the Cy Young then Cliff Lee but the voters only focus on Win- Lose record. Although I’m a big Doc fan i think the stats show that Cliff Lee is having a better year then Doc. He has a better E.R.A and more wins. the only advantage Doc has in innings pitched and strikeout neither being crucial stats.
MW: I haven’t said that Halladay is more deserving than Lee. Well, I did at the all-star break, but that was barely halfway through the season. As for their seasons - Lee’s ERA is, indeed, a quarter-run better (2.43 to 2.69). The fact that he has more wins is meaningless. Lee has posted a spectacular WHIP of 1.074, Halladay’s is even better, at 1.043. Halladay has eight complete games to Lee’s three, and Halladay has pitched 211 innings over 29 appearances (28 starts) to Lee’s 185 1/3 over 26 appearances (all starts). Strikeouts don’t thrill me, either, though they do voters (Halladay has Lee 178-145), but I don’t see how you think innings pitched isn’t a crucial stat. To me, it’s just about dead even.
- gord44Would you rather the Jays sign Ibanez or Burrell and Why? If they do trade Ryan who do you think they could get in return.
Jay
MW: I was going to make some crack about signing Burrell and Why, but I don’t even know who Why is.
THIS WAS GOOD. VERY GOOD. LIKE PITCHING, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH HUMOUR…
- AlexFrom Post 47:
Hello Mike,
What do you think of the Blue Jays going after Rocco Baldelli and maybe trying to sign him to a minor league deal hoping he can acheive his potential?
MW: I wouldn’t go near Rocco Baldelli with a ten-foot pole.
I couldn’t agree more with you Mike. I am a huge fan of Rocco since he came up to the big leagues and had a very solid rookie season but lets not be fooled by a hot spell. Rocco if healthy can hit a baseball, but that is a VERY VERY VERY big if. So far in his career he has had knee surgery, TJ surgery, multiple hamstring injuries, and even a disease where his body can’t produce ENERGY. He seems like a very good guy who just seemingly can’t catch a break. I wish him well, but hope if he does reach his potential it will be with another time because financially he is not worth the risk.
Also, people need to remember that there is no chance Rocco takes a minor league deal.
MW: I’m a big fan of Rocco as well, but wouldn’t go near him because of that mystery disease that prevents his muscles from recovering from injury the same way a healthy person does. It’s too bad, he could really have been something.
- Dave JDaltrey is a power-hitting, microphone-swinging rock and roll frontman with a big, bawling voice. His weak post-Who career testifies to his lack of “greatness.” Let’s say he enjoyed solid run-support with the Who. Preference for this singer or that singer is a subjective matter, but for hitting notes, carrying a tune and making pleasing sounds to the ear, Townshend is inarguably superior to Daltrey. Listen to Townshend’s version of Behind Blues Eyes from his Scoop album. Daltrey himself said the reason the Who never did an MTV Unplugged session was because his voice wasn’t suited to the format.
AS for the Jays having a “few power hitters,” that is dead wrong. Other than Wells and Rios, who? Rolen’s shoulder is beyond repair; his power hitting days are over. In this post-steroid era, Overbay’s once okay power is a thing of the past as well.
MW: Well, they have a few hitters who should hit for more power than they have this year. I’ll be surprised if Wells, Rios, Lind, Rolen, Hill and Overbay don’t all hit more homers in 2009 than they will wind up with in 2008.
- Evan WhiteHey Mike,
If I were holding the magic beans, this would be my starting lineup for the 09 season. Then again, if this were my starting lineup, I’d be all out of magic beans… have a good week Mike.
Alex Rios: RF
Aaron Hill: 2B
Vernon Wells: CF
Michael Young: SS
Jason Giambi: DH
Adam Lind: LF
Lyle Overbay: 1B
Scott Rolen: 3B
Joe Mauer: C
MW: If that’s your line-up, then perhaps you’re a little too hopped-up on magic beans. Michael Young hitting 4th? Joe Mauer 9th???? And how do you propose the Jays acquire those two, anyway?
- TimMike you are good
You said that Snider would not be called up in September, You were right on, as he was called up in August
Lucky You
Bob
- Bob de JongMW: If that’s your line-up, then perhaps you’re a little too hopped-up on magic beans. Michael Young hitting 4th? Joe Mauer 9th???? And how do you propose the Jays acquire those two, anyway?
Hey man, thanks for responding… actually wasn’t required. It was just a list of players, no specific batting order. I guess its better for you if my posts are a little better thought out. Sorry for wasting your time. : )
MW: Very rare is the comment that’s a waste of my time, and yours wasn’t one.
- TimHaving watched one at bat from Travis Snider the other day, I’d say this guy is the real deal…
Honestly though… he looked a lot like Canseco with some of his swings. I was surprised at his size for such a young kid.
MW: He definitely generates a lot of power with those legs. I’m assuming you watched the one major-league at-bat in which he has gotten a hit.
- Ron EHe actually struck out… but the at-bat was good, he didn’t look overmatched and the swings looked so good.
MW: I saw a single to right.
- Ron E… I assume we’re talking about a different at bat??? I don’t understand… oh well, I guess we agree on the main point. The guy’s got the look of a guy with a lot of potential! No reply necessary!
- Ron E