11:05 PM Eastern
For the first time in a long time, we had a good, old-fashioned slugfest at Rogers Centre, with the Blue Jays pounding out five homers on the way to reaching double-digits in runs, but not in hits, and giving them a chance to take the series from the Tribe with a win tomorrow afternoon.
The five homers was a season high for the Jays, the two homers a career high for Marco Scutaro and for (believe it or not) the third time this season, Vernon Wells and Alex Rios went deep in the same game. With their solo shot each tonight, Wells and Rios have now combined to hit as many home runs as Aaron Hill and I have combined. I’m confident, however, that by season’s end Wells and Rios will have far more than Hill and I will.
The Jays took advantage of a pitcher who didn’t have great stuff and was leaving the ball up in the strike zone – they pounded Carl Pavano for seven runs on seven hits over just 4 2/3 innings, and six of those hits went for extra bases. Ricky Romero did a Brett Cecil-style high-wire act through the first five innings, allowing the Tribe at least one runner in scoring position in each inning but the 3rd, but only allowing one run. Once the Jays broke it open, though, Romero hit a speed bump – after a ground single with one out in the 6th, he walked Ben Francisco, threw a wild pitch, gave up a three-run homer to Luis Valbuena and then hit the showers.
Romero picked up his 8th win of the season, but for only the second time this year, has had two non-”quality” starts in a row. The only other time that happened were in his first two starts after coming off the disabled list back in May. The last time he had back-to-back non-”quality” starts, he rebounded with eight quality starts in a row, and it sure would be lovely to see him do that again – especially since he could very well be the Jays’ number one starter in a week or so.
I found out before the game that the July 28th “deadline” on a Roy Halladay trade is a bit of a smokescreen. It’s true, in that the Jays want to know what they’re dealing with by the 28th, since they think it’ll take time to hammer out a deal, present it to Beeston and Rogers and, of course, Halladay himself. But that’s not to say that if a team comes around on the 30th and says that they’ll accept a deal that they’d turned down a few days earlier, the Jays would say “sorry, it’s past the 28th.” Of course they’d still do it.
I also found out that Randy Ruiz isn’t here because he apparently has a tendency to fatten up on those AAA pitchers who are in AAA because they don’t have big-league stuff, but struggles against the more polished eventual big-leaguers. I don’t know how true that is, and I still want to see him given a shot in the big leagues, and I think he probably will sometime in the next couple of weeks. I can’t see the Jays continuing to run Kevin Millar out there, as great a guy as he is, beyond the first week of August or so.
Here’s tonight’s edition of The JaysTalk, for your listening pleasure:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Tomorrow, the series wraps with a day game, and we’re on the air a half-hour early with a short edition of Baseball Today at noon Eastern on the Fan and this very website. I’m not sure what’s going to be on that show – I might try to sit down with Gene Tenace and talk hitting. You’ll be as surprised when you tune in as I will be, I’m sure!
Rational, reasonable comments by people who aren’t looking to pick a fight are always welcome!
Click here to subscribe to Wilner's blog
I’m going to weigh in on the Halliday saga..with what I assume are Roger’s future limits to the Jays salary structure..with the Well’s contract, it will be VERY difficult for this team to ever compete…that eing said..they should keep Roy for next season, hope to “catch lightning..”, and try to compete in the East..failing which there will be an attreactive package for Roy at next year’s deadline…Should Halladay be dealt this year, Roger’s are sending a clear message to the fans of out Toronto Pirates..
MW: Who is Roger? Also, the Toronto Pirates? That statement alone takes out the credibility of anything else you might have said. The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a losing record every season since 1992. They haven’t been able to compete in what was for a good long while the worst division in baseball. There’s ZERO comparison between the Pirates and the Blue Jays.
- craigHi Mike,
Why move Downs? Isn’t he the closer and a building block for the 2010 Jays? Good results, good contract, no obvious replacement…I am confuzzled at the possibility of moving him.
Thanks.
MW: Be not confuzzled. If Halladay is traded, then the 2010 Jays don’t require building blocks.
- geoffrohSo, just to clarify, your assumption is that Delucci is gone, and Snider is in. And Millar is gone and Ruiz or maybe Coats or maybe Dopirak is in, all in the next week and a half.
I hope this happens.
I have nothing against Delucci, but 1 for Toronto is just screaming for an unconditional release.
Coming to the game tomorrow, I won tickets, so its free Admission! Hope R-Zep brings his good stuff to the mound.
GW
- Greg WHey Mike, love the show, blog, etc.
Great game tonight, nice to see the bats coming around, and to see a Jays’ starter get a win without having to pitch a 1 run complete game.
Especially good to see Wells and Rios get around on some balls. Wells looked at some borderline outside pitches for balls that he would’ve swung on and missed a month ago. He’s coming around, but for a while there I thought that he was going to go the way of Jesse Barfield, when it looked like AL pitching just suddenly and collectively figured him out. It’s all about adjustment.
I think that Rolen’s swing is a terrific demonstration of adjustment at work – can’t hit like Bobby Bonilla (reasonable HR output comparison when Rolen was healthy) any more? No problem, I’ll hit like Molitor (short swing, high average, on-base, respectable pop) instead. “The Caveman” (I’m trying) gets full respect from me, not only because he’s a great talent, but because he continues to overcome.
Nice to see Hill go yard too, hopefully he’s turning it around.
Two home runs for Scoot – move him to the 4 spot tomorrow (okay, that was sarcasm).
Somebody mentioned during the television broadcast that Chavez is throwing baserunners out at a 40% pace – very nice. Doesn’t the league average usually hover somewhere around 30%? I still contend that Toronto has never had a bona fide superstar catcher, but I’ll take Chavez over Jason (I throw baserunners out at a rate of 10% and I’m hitting under .230, but, hey – I’m the captain) Varitek anyday.
All things being equal, what’s more valuable – a catcher who hits for a higher average but doesn’t throw out as many runners (Posada), or the inverse (Chavez)?
MW: Your pitchers need to be able to hold runners, because if they can’t, your catcher doesn’t have a prayer anyway. I love the elite-level offensive catcher, though the big-armed ones are certainly fun to watch.
- Terry BradleyHow much longer will Millucci be together?
MW: I’d be surprised if they’re still here by the second week of August.
- ChrisI’m just curious, what does tampa being bad for 10 years have to do with anything? I think their being bad for so long had more to do with having a payroll of 30 million than it did with being in the AL east.
and if you are arguing that they stockpiled high draft picks well let’s look.
shields 16th round
delmon young 1st pick = garza + bartlett
upton 2nd pick
crawford 2nd round
zobrist 6th round
longoria 3rd pick
pena free agent
sonnanstine 13th round
kazmire trade
so only 2 or 3 of their good players were from high draft picks. the rest were from good trades, good drafting, or free agency.
the reason tampa was bad was because their ownership didn’t want to spend any money. their payroll has gone up recently so it is reasonable to assume they can continue their winning ways.
MW: Tampa was bad when they didn’t spend any money, and they were bad when they did spend money (remember Greg Vaughn/Jose Canseco/Fred McGriff/Vinny Castilla?). They always drafted high, they made some good picks, they made some very good deadline trades and they caught lightning in a bottle last season.
- jacobyRuiz “fattens up on AAA pitchers but can’t hit Major Leaguers”? That makes no sense.
Ruiz is in the running for the Triple Crown.. but he is not a better option than Kevin Millar. What a lame answer. I hope that wasn’t JP who told you that bizarre reasoning. If AAA pitching is so bad, what does that say for Travis Snider, who is hitting .220 against such “bad AAA pitching”.
MW: I’m not saying that’s what I think, I’m saying that’s what I was told.
- Kelly PfeifferWhat bothers me more about the Halladay trade situation is that the Jays did not trade AJ Burnett when to me and I suspect the majority its was crystal clear they were never going to be able to resign him.
MW: They missed the boat on that one, for sure.
- J.RIs it not more then self evident that it would be best to deal Halladay soon and for as much as we can get as possible ?
I know this idea is unsavoury as it contains the implicit implications that this year is given up on as well as next year, but aren’t they ? I know you have to play the games to find out who wins, but, the Jays have so many holes next year and those holes will be filled with a lot of the same square pegs as this year.
If things stay more of the same, even with better pitching (Marcum!) Vernon and Rios could still be suffering their power outtages as well as suffering the loss of Scutaro while still suffering Overbay and an older injury prone Rolen.
Sorry to be so overblown, but the words on the wall seem to indicate that after 2010 the Jays will be a far more different team with the arrival of more pitching, Arencibia and possible Ahrens at 3rd. Possibly Justin Jackson at SS? Why not build on that core which is more our future then this team will ever be.
A package from the Phillies would only enforce that core -it just seems logical.
And the alternative seems to be to resign Halliday to hopefully lead the winning staff when he’s age 34 ?
If we are to realistically compete with the RSox and Yanks, we need to do it through the farm, it is once we think we can outspend them in FA to fix our problems that we fall into the trap of winter arms race in the AL east.
Thanks Mike,
Sorry for the rant
MW: It wasn’t a rant. But “still suffering Overbay”? What is it with you people?
- DaveQuick note: just listened to Vegas win in the bottom of the ninth, when Ruiz hit a walk-off three run homer.
MW: What did you think of Russ Langer?
- Kelly PfeifferAlso, what makes people think Rogers will spend more on the team? Radio shows give air time to those who believe Rogers owes it to the fans, but honestly, whats more likely? We not spend in FA – as has been the case the last two years, or, we go hog wild and sign Holliday, Bedard and Valverde?
The trend suggest Rogers will be shedding payroll wheather we want to like it or accept it.
JP needs to do the right thing and do it well.
- DaveI for one can’t wait until Doc is off the market so that the other excess baggage can be marketed (as if JP ever sells off in July – like you that’s my biggest complaint about him)
the list is long.
Barajas can easily go for whatever we can get with Barrett ready;
Tallet and Frasor and Camp are all players that can go with many teams looking for relievers. Tim at MLBTR speculated the Angels might let good of Brandon Wood for George Sherrill – what about Frasor with a little boot kicked in? There are other possibilities.
McDonald (if anyone wants him and if we can pick up some roster filler to back up short), Bautista (same qualifier regarding filling in at 3B…or maybe we just call Inglett for that)
All that is easy and obvious whether we are trying to win in 2010 or not. Beyond that, you can listen on Overbay, Rios, Downs, and Scutaro depending on how you think the return fits in to competing in 2010, but you can wait until the winter too.
One blogger in Seattle mentioned Rios fitting in Seattle – marrow and Clement might make a nice return there. Just idle speculation.
Anyway, all that said, am I not right that the most likely outcome is that we’ll sit on our hands and do nothing significant again?
MW: This year, I don’t think so.
- WillRainI am happy about one thing J.P has done..He actually drafted a host of Canadians in this years draft..A first for him..There have been plenty of Canadian players drafted since he took office in 2001, but only a few from the Jays..
If your the only Canadian franchise wouldn’t you want to find the best Canadian players?..Just like the Montreal Canadians tend to draft French Canadians..
These are some of the reasons why people might find this Riccardi guy arrogant..He hasn’t embraced the Canadian flag..He has only drafted a handful of Canadians and up until this year, none of them in the first 3 rounds..
MW: Ricciardi hasn’t embraced the Canadian flag? I’m not sure what that means. I don’t think the Blue Jays should be Canadian-centric in their team-building. I mean, if it’s a coin flip, then of course take the Canadian, but if you have a chance to get a better player who’s from somewhere else, get the better player. Did the 92-93 Jays resonate with people because of Rob Ducey and Rob Butler?
- ray bThere are concerns about Ruiz ability to hit major league pitching? Let me understand this. There is a guy in AAA who is absolutely raking. No he is not a prospect in the long term for sure. But he is raking there. He has a grand total of about 68 Plate appearances in the major leagues in which he did okay..shoot..he did spectacularly by the standards of jays “lefty mashers of the last two years” http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruizra01.shtml
yes I understand there is an apprehension about his ability to hit up in the bigs.
Its true, ruiz might not be able to hit in the bigs. he might be awful..he might be terrible (you know where im going with this)
Dellucci IS terrible.
Dellucci CANT hit big league pitching anymore..he has proven this over the last couple years. Its basically fact.
people seriously need to think rationally about what they say. when “scouts” or JP use this as an excuse as to why he isnt here…they need to construct some argument as to why others ARE here ahead of him.
this goes for about five other guys that are in the minors that should have a shot.
MW: A fair comment.
- General ZodMike, any chance that when marcum comes back in august, the jays go with a six man rotation??? not a straight six man, but doc would still pitch every fifth day….the other guys would not. im asking because i know they want to control the innings of their young pitchers.
also,wouldnt it be an interesting scenerio if the jays were offered this type of trade……expansion draft like almost…they could take let say..four phillies prospects..but after they pick one..the phillies can then take one out of the pool…and so on until the jays have four?? what do you think…
MW: If I was the Jays, I wouldn’t do that. As far as the six-man rotation, it’s something Cito has mentioned doing later in the year, but with the injuries to Romero and Richmond, they don’t have to watch those guys’ innings, and they don’t have to watch Marcum’s, either.
- General ZodWith regards to the Roy Halladay trade posibility, I am sure I heard in the JP interview with ESPN (I think) that they believe that Halladay will test Free Agency after 2010. I haven’t seen this brought up anywhere else online, so I am starting to doubt that I actually heard it.
To be honost before hearing that I was really hoping that Doc would stay and be the core of pitching rotationg in 2010 onwards, but after hearing that I can understand the reason for moving him and almost feel resigned to the fact he is moving on.
Another thing I was wondering was how much money would be coming off the books with all the contracts ending at 2010? I am sure there are players like Rollins and Overbay etc that have contracts that expire then. Would there be the money available to sign halladay and maybe offer 1 or 2 year deals to players with incentives that would be at least reasonable players while the youngsters (if there are any coming up) get ready for the majors?
MW: Ricciardi did say that in an interview with Jim Rome, and he repeated it on Baseball Today today. That doesn’t mean Halladay is guaranteed to leave after 2010 (should the Jays not trade him first), but it does mean that he won’t give the Jays the chance to sign him before he hits the market. Rolen, Overbay, Halladay, Downs and Ryan all come off the books after 2010, but Hill, Rios and Wells all get increases – still, there’s only be about $44 million committed in 2011.
- AlexIt shocks me that Dellucci is still in this line-up. His numbers at the dish are terrible. 1-25, 3 walks in 8 games.
His last really good year was 2006 where he hit over .290 with the phillies. But in ’07/’08, he’s declined into a .230ish hitter.
…and he’s getting worse.
MW: I thought he’d be released during the all-star break.
- AngeloGood to see the homer explosion last night.
Never mind Millar — who isn’t the greatest — BUT…..
I realize that — to some degree– they have to keep trotting out the “Looch” — but one hit in 25+ at-bats — I guess we now know why Cleveland dumped him.
A Travis Snider working on his hitting up here would be much better and would send the message that we are trying to develop our young talent.
I would have much preferred — over the years — seeing the kids come up — as we are seeing this year — than having these “re-treads” taking up one or two of the 25 spots on the roster.
- Gary RHi Mike,
I agree with some of what craig said.Don’t know If you saw the interview between Ricciardi and Jim Rome but it sounds to me the Jays have no intention on contending in the next couple years. I think the million dollar question was also answered when J.P. said Halladay is probably and we probably won’t be able to sign him. If the team has no interest in spending money they should trade him now for whatever they can get.
If this team were anything like the Pirates they’d be gone by now, lets just be thankful we’re not that bad.
- John McLeanMike, just a quick question, I’m sure someone has already asked you.
Why don’t the Jays give Randy Ruiz a shot? His AAA numbers are incredible. I know it’s a different calibre of baseball, but you see guys like Delucci just wasting at bats on a daily basis. Is it a contract issue with Ruiz, or a positional thing because he plays 1B or DH?
MW: I addressed that very issue in the blog post on which you’re commenting.
- FraserMike
Just wondered why you aren’t on at noon EVERY day? I switch the dial from WBEN 930 to listen to you — and you aren’t there — just because its not a “game day?”.
I must say that I do NOT listen to the FAN much any more — like who cares about hockey in JULY? 12 months of hockey….. yuk!!
I cannot believe that there are that many people out there that are that concerned — especially after 42 years.
And the only time “we” get concerned about the Blue Jays is when something like the “Halliday affair” occurs. So the morning show has “call-ins” to get their opinions — as if they know anything…….
Why can’t the FAN have a warm-up show before games during the week. Are McCown’s ratings that great?
At least SPORTSNET has wisened up and has a pre-game show. NESN has it right — at least an hour before BOSOX games………
MW: HallAday. I’m not on every day because I’m human, and I can’t work all day every day for three months. When the Jays get the day off, I get the day off. And yes, McCown’s ratings are that good. He drives the bus.
- Gary RWhy the mention in the media of trading players like Rolen and Scutaro rather than the anti-dirtbags like Overbay, Rios and Wells? I think Rolen and Scutaro are worth keeping for their ability to show younger players how the game should be played. Lind and Hill are on their way to being dirtbags too. Don’t these four and Snider establish the kind of player Ricciardi will want here in the future?
MW: If you’re going to make trades to get better for the future, you should be trading the players that other teams will want the most (who won’t be part of that future) – like Rolen, Downs and Scutaro.
- Will, OshawaMW – “The perception of the public of Ricciardi’s character is simply that. I’d wager that well over 95% of his critics here, on the air, and elsewhere on the blogosphere have never met the man.”
Mike – I’d wager it’s 99.99%
- MarkHey Mike,
I agree that Millar won’t last as the every day DH… He is a great guy, but isn’t getting the job done…
Any word on Snider coming back to the Big League? As much as he struggled with the bat after his mammoth 2 HR game, I loved his D and he literally won some games for us with those amazing sliding catches and assists in the OF…
If Snider does come up, do you think Gaston will let him hit against Lefties? Eventually he’s going to have to learn to hit against them to be a successful big leaguer..
Go Jays!
MW: I don’t know how Cito will handle Snider when he comes back up (I’m assuming he’ll be back here within a week or two), but I’m hoping he won’t stick him in the 9th hole against righties only and leave him there. He kind of did that with Lind last year, gradually moving him up throughout the course of the second half, and it seems to have paid off, so we very well could see that again.
- VK–MW: Dopirak might [have a future with this club], Ruiz doesn’t.–
I know it’s just how baseball works, but it’s rather incredible that some guys just don’t get a chance. I know it’s not really the same caliber of player, but Stairs never got a full-time shot until mid-late in his career. We’ll never know what could have been with Stairs, because he bounced around and his teams took a long time to find a spot for him.
Ruiz may well have problems with MLB pitching, but the 22 games under his belt in the majors, and those just last season, seem like a small sample size. Perhaps they’re seeing things on tape against the MLB-caliber pitchers that they don’t like? Otherwise, what’s to dislike about giving the guy a shot? His numbers last season in MLB are at least better than what Milluci are contributing.
I know you’re on board with this, I just wonder why it is that guys are written off and others who are washed up seem to get unlimited rope with which to hang the team. Is prior success overvalued? Might it just be, as KLaw asserts, that JP is conservative to a fault in his approach? (I think most of baseball follows, so this is not just a blanket attack on him, and I don’t think many would have done better with his constraints)
MW: I think it’s the same way in sports as it is in real life. Some people get labelled, some people get pigeon-holed, and they can never shake their way out. It’s unfortunate and it’s wrong, but it happens all the time in all walks of life. I think the Blue Jays have been an organization that has let some guys try to shake labels – mostly out of necessity. They gave Chris Woodward a chance to be an everyday player, John McDonald and Marco Scutaro as well. No other team gave those guys a shot.
- JB in Brooklynmichael,
this is too funny. tell me if you think there’s any truth to this in your opinion.
i’ve been watching this lincecum out in san fran. for awhile now (and particularly since he’s grown his hair out as it is currently) and it’s been bugging me that he reminds me of someone & i haven’t been able to put my finger on it who exactly he reminds me of. (and yes a similarity to s. downs is there but that’s not it)
with you being a very solid pop culture guy in my estimation i’m sure you’ve seen the movie dazed & confused. (one of my fave movies of all time) it’s classic 70′s culture (my high school era as it turns out) and i know you’re more acclamated to the 80′s scene it seems but i’m sure you’ve seen the movie regardless.
anyway, i own the dvd & put it on last night after i got back from the ball game & the wrap up on your show.
wiley wiggins who plays mitch kramer in the movie & has the baesball game scene as the pitcher could be lincecum at that age. i’m tellin’ you the resemblance is uncanny michael. but the funniest thing if you watch the movie is that the pitching delivery of the two are also very very similar. it’s hilarious cause’ it’s true……. i’m tellin’ ya.
btw, speaking of your 80′s pop culture affinity i get the impression from some things i’ve heard you say on the radio over the yrs. & the bumper music you have your producer play on your show that you have a particular interest to the once great duran duran era.
if so, let me know cause i actually have a real life baseball related story that involves simon le bon back around the “seven & ragged tiger” era. pretty funny.
MW: I don’t remember seeing the kid pitch in Dazed and Confused, but yes, he and Lincecum are complete dead ringers. And yes, Duran Duran was the best 1980s band of the 1980s.
- darrell bishopMW: There’s no question that Tampa Bay is a good team, none whatsoever. And I haven’t really argued that for about a year now.
Last September you were saying that Tampa would collapse and miss the playoffs. When that didn’t happen, and instead they won the AL East and went to the World Series, you continued to claim they were lucky and over-achieved. Then, less than four months ago, in early April you predicted that Tampa Bay would “suffer a precipitous decline” (based on their unsustainable luck from 2008) and “would surely” finish behind the Blue Jays. And yet, here they are after 95 games, leading the AL in run differential, despite playing an extremely difficult schedule.
This is the first post of yours, that I have read, that actually acknowledges that Tampa Bay is a good team. Good to see.
MW: I did say that they’d miss the playoffs as late as last September, but by then I had acknowledged that they were a good team. Lucky, but good, and good teams miss the playoffs all the time. I did say that they’d finish behind the Jays this year, and that they’d win about 78-80 games, which seems wrong at this point – but you never know!
- the stat ladyMichael,
Now that the Astros have put themselves into the NL central race, do you think they’ll have any interest in Roy?
Do they have the sort of top level prospects to be able to get him?
MW: Everyone is interested in Halladay, but I haven’t heard the Astros mentioned even a little bit. I’m sure they’ll make a phone call. I’m really not up on the ‘Stros top young players, though.
- Uncle Ben“The five homers was(?) were a season high for the Jays”
“With their solo shot(?) shots each tonight, Wells and Rios have now combined….”
“and it sure would be lovely to see him do that again”
Hey Mike, remember you are not a fan of the Jays, just an unbiased observer.
MW: The total of five homers was a season high. I didn’t write “with their solo shot shots”. Why wouldn’t it be lovely to see Ricky Romero throw another eight straight quality starts?
- alexMike, JP re-affirmed on the pre-game show that Roy Halladay told the team that he is going to test the free agent market. Why do you continue to deny that Doc has told the Blue Jays that he is leaving.
I don’t get your position on this one.
MW: There’s a difference between telling a team that you’re going to test the market and telling a team that you’re leaving.
- alexListening to your pregame talk with Ricciardi re: giving Ruiz or Snider a shot and him saying we’d like to exhaust some other possibilities first. Halladay had made mention the spring before this one that this team needs to have more urgency. I think Ricciardi’s approach says it all: as if going through Inglett, Adams, and Dellucci isn’t proof enough of exhausted possibilities, without even considering Millar and Bautista. Last year it was Mench and Wilkerson given an extended attempt to fail ahead of an obvious talent in Lind. The year before that it was Thomson, Oka, Zambrano being given consideration over Marcum and McGowen. Part of the responsiblity of a GM is to know when talent is there and ready, not simply happen into it after exhausting other marginal possibilities.
- Will, OshawaDid J.P. just say on Baseball Today that Halladay told that he was going to test the free agent market in 2010?
MW: Yes, he did.
- JamesAs usual, your show and blog are informative and entertaining. On the informative side I was wondering if you could answer the following questions related to on base percentage statistics.
I’ve heard recently that a sacrific fly does not count towards a players batting average, but it counts AGAINST the OBP. Does this also happen with a sacrifice bunt? And does it stand to reason that if a player strikes out with the catcher unable to hang onto the ball, and reaches first base, then this counts against his average but adds to his OBP? Also, does a player who reaches base on an error benefit in the OBP column even if the plate appearane is not an official at bat?
Sorry for the barrage, but you can probably imagine the conversation I had with my 7 year-old at the dinner table that lead to all of these inquiries…
MW: Sacrifice bunts count against neither batting average nor on-base percentage. Strikeouts count as strikeouts, regardless of whether the batter reaches on a dropped third strike. A player who reaches on an error is charged with an out – so that goes against his average and his OBP. Hope that covers it.
- VavaHi Mike,
There was not much to complain about last night.I will just note that Ruiz hit another homer and now has 22 along with 88 RBIs and a 321 average in Vegas.Meanwhile Delluci did nothing again.What is taking so long to do the obvious?
MW: So you only show up here when there’s something about which to complain?
- PaulThe reasons for Snider staying down a little longer are obvious – the Jays are preventing him from being a Super 2. Normally they say you call a guy up in June to prevent that from happening, keeping him out of the bigs for the first 6-8 weeks. Snider has been gone now about 8 weeks since he was sent down, but he also has the month of service time from last year to consider. I’m sure the Jays FO has the exact numbers all figured out, and we’ll see Snider back up and playing almost every day when the Jays feel they have cleared the hurdle of Snider reaching arbitration a year earlier.
MW: I hadn’t been thinking about the Super 2 clock for a while, but yes, that has a lot to do with it.
- AriHello Mike….Halladay to Boston for Anderson,Buckholz ,Bard and Bowden or Halladay to Philly for Drabek,Michael Taylour,Dominic Brown and J.A. Happ……….are any of these trades enough for doc?
MW: They’re probably both enough.
- Mark from ThoroldMike
I think the broken record from some of these nuts that post here constantly is really wearing thin. Jacoby et al, ST*U. Sorry, but it had to be said.
Frankly, I don’t know how you keep your sanity. Nutjob JP/Rios/Wells/Overbay haters, many fans that constantly try to be “the smartest guy in the room” by stating opinion and rumour as fact, and my personal favourite, idiotic hockey references that don’t apply to baseball. I seriously wonder if a lot of so-called fans actually wish the Jays to lose to validate their distorted points. Unfortunately, I think most of those guys don’t watch other teams and don’t understand that it isn’t perfect everywhere else than here.
Keep going Mike, I’m sure most of us are behind you.
MW: I appreciate it. Sadly, if people like you are part of the majority, it’s a pretty silent one.
- DanHi Mike,
The Rays are a better team than the Jays because:
1) They have SPEED up front. Upton and Crawford are 79/17 in stolen bases so far while Scutaro and Hill are 14/5.
2)They have a credible clean-up hitter, who hit 46 home runs in 2007, 31 in 2008 and has 24 so far this year. With the combination of speed in front and power behind, Longoria has 19 home runs and 72 RBI so far this year.
Since you do not believe in speed and protection, you will never see how much better a team the Rays are over us (The Jays, to be precise).
BTW I heard you say on the radio recently that if Delgado had stayed in Toronto, he would be on the DL
now (as he currently is). Come, come! If Delgado had stayed in Toronto, his life would have taken a totally different path and not even someone as wise as yourself can predict with any degree of certainty that he would be on the DL today.
MW: It’s true. If the Blue Jays had been able to spend the money necessary to keep Delgado, and he had stayed, a new space-time continuum would have been created, and who knows what would have happened? The only thing we know for certain is that if Delgado was a Blue Jay right now, he’d be 38.
- Cito ManHey Mike,
To the first commenter, you also forgot to ask him what the ‘Halliday saga’ is!
That was a ‘VERY difficult’ comment to read without shaking my head.
- MarlsHey Mike,
I think a lot of people were shocked to hear Roy wants to pursue free agency after 2010, including you. It’s information that completely changes the complexion of the whole situation. It should make it easier for a lot of die-hard Roy fans to accept a move and seems to be in the best interest of the organization’s future. Unfortunately, if a guy like Roy, who loves Toronto, doesn’t want to be part of the future of this team past 2010 then what does that say about the future?
MW: It doesn’t say that Halladay doesn’t want to be part of the future in Toronto, it says that he wants to be clear on what all his options are when he makes that decision. Halladay lives in the real world, though, and he realizes just how difficult it is to makes the playoffs in the AL East (unless you’re the Red Sox or Yankees). Unless he goes to Tampa Bay or Baltimore, he’ll have a better chance to make the playoffs on a regular basis anywhere he signs.
- Jeff (from Germany)do you believe that jp will reload as he said in your interview for next year in order to convince halladay will stay? and if offseason starts today what do you do? try to contend or re-build? do you believe that roy told jp out of nowhere that he is going to test fa? i dont blieve it really… its so contradictory to who roy is from what i can hear and see!
MW: I don’t think it’s contradictory to who Roy is, I think it fits right in. He wants to give the Jays as much warning as possible that they’re not going to be able to sign him to an extension this off-season. He has a full no-trade, so they can’t deal him anywhere unless he gives the OK. I don’t recall JP saying that they may re-load in the off-season. If the season ends today, I try to bulk up a bit and see if I can win next year.
- mikeHi Mike,
I always hear people talking about the teams that want Halladay.
We should be talking about what teams have players at the positions the Jays want and would trade.
I would figure they would want a great young pitcher in the majors or on the cusp in the minors and a real DH with a good average and power to start, no?
Love to hear your thoughts.
Brian
MW: My thoughts are that you don’t trade Roy Halladay for a DH. I don’t really care what positions you go after, I’m just looking for the best players in return, and I’ll make them fit (if I’m the Jays). If you’re looking for need, though, the biggest one is at shortstop.
- BrianHey Mike. I went to the 10-6 game and had a blast! I’m going to the game tomorrow because who knows, it could be Halladays last. I heard that he wants to be a free agent when his contract is up. It brakes my heart but I guess I can’t blame him. Is there anything the Jays can still do to keep him beyond 2010?
MW: Not until the winter of 2010.
- Matt visiting TOMike I believe that Halladay is one of the top 5 pitchers in the game. That being said his age and salary will prevent the Blue Jays from realizing anything close to what you and most fams believe he is worth. Hopefully J.P. will realize this and take the best offer out there. I will be shocked if they get more than 2-3 good prospects. With one being a can’t miss type. With the economy the way it is, young, talented players are the most highly valued commodity. The Twins got very little for Santana. Post 36 suggestion is way too much. It will never happen.
MW: The Twins turned down better offers from the Red Sox and Yankees for Santana, which was unfortunate. Halladay’s age and salary aren’t a negative in the slightest.
- Brian“TORONTO — Before this season began, general manager J.P. Ricciardi made it known that the Blue Jays had no plans to trade Roy Halladay. If anything, the team was going to try to work on signing its ace to a contract extension to keep him in the fold beyond 2010.
With eight days remaining until the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, Halladay is now the biggest name available. Ricciardi has been asked repeatedly what changed the organization’s thinking over the past few months. On Thursday, the GM finally revealed that Halladay has indicated that he’s not interested in signing
an extension.
“What’s changed is Roy has told us that he’s going to test the free-agent market,” Ricciardi said during a radio interview on The FAN590 prior to Thursday’s game against the Indians.”
This was posted on the MLB website at 13:51 hours today (2009/07/23). Why would Juan Pedro reveal this information at this time? I mean forget the fact that his own arrogance in what got him in this position anyways ( by position I mean having reporters pressure him about how or why he changed his tune from the beginning of the year regarding trading Halladay ). With the deadline approaching and this trade possibility being the most talked about, why would he say this. Does he really expect to max out his return on this trade opportunity now that he’s shown that he might be more desperate to move him than he’s trying to appear? That comment translates to all the other teams out there as him saying “I NEED to move this guy” as opposed to what he’s been trying to sell which is… “We’re willing to listen to offers”
This reminds me of another terrible decision he made a few years ago. Remember when the Jays didn’t re-sign Carlos Delgado? Delgado had made it very clear that he wanted to stay in Toronto. So much so that he was willing to sign with the Jays for 9 million per year (approximately) as opposed to the approx. 13 to 16 million he was projected to attract. Delgado was considered the top free agent that year. That basically means that he will set the bar for what every other free agent is worth that year. Nobody was going to sign for more that Delgado got. Juan Pedro was so determined to get rid of Delgado that he offered him 8 million as a slap in the face. Delgado went and signed with the Marlins for 52 million over 4 years (13 million per year). As a GM who wants to compete without spending a lot of money why would you let this opportunity pass? By opportunity I mean the chance to sign the best available free agent for a fraction of what he’s worth. Not just did he let a premiere power hitter leave for what apparently was a discrepancy of 1 million dollars (asked for 9, JP offered 8), but he blew the MONUMENTAL opportunity to lower the standard for the rest of the free agent class. This was a unique situational opportunity to control the baseball economy at that moment. Signing Delgado for 9 million would have brought the rest of the free agent class’s asking prices down to a level that the Jays could have competed at. This would have neutralized the overspending practices of the Yankees and other big spenders (at least to some degree). Nobody could have realistically asked for more that 9 million dollars per year. The Jays could have built a competitive team through free agency that year without spending tones of money and still had the premier power hitter at first base.
I guess Juan Pedro didn’t think that one through……………
Back to Halladay….Are the Jays going to trade him this year? Next year? Try to resign him as a free agent for the astronomical amount of money it would require to get him back? Obviously the best scenario at this point would be to try to trade him for prospects. What’s even worse is that it’s not like he’s sitting back and waiting for the offers to come to him. A couple days ago the Mets rejected a trade that HE PROPOSED!!!
Now that everyone knows this situation, the trade offers will be far less lucrative that if he had used his head and kept this information close to the chest.
Yet another MAJOR mistake in J.P. Ricciardi’s stint as the Jays GM. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. He has made a mess of this organization and we should have fired him like 3 years ago.
pls comment…
MW: Sure. You’re completely wrong on almost everything here. First off, I never heard that Carlos Delgado was willing to stay for $9 million per season, and even if he did, the Jays offer was for two years at $12 million. A slap in the face, to be sure, but part and parcel of what was a $50 million payroll at the time. This $1 million conspiracy theory holds as much water as the notion that the Mets rejected an offer the Jays made earlier in the week. Both are completely untrue. You’ll also have to explain how “arrogance” forced Ricciardi into a position where he would have to answer a reporter’s question.
- RealityCheckre: comment 13..
Well this isn’t 92/93..There are some good Canadian ball players out there..Many more now then there was 16 years ago..
I disagree 100%..This is the only Canadian team and we should be looking for the best homegrown talent..I don’t think drafting Canadian born players is a disadvantage considering how many Canadians have been drafted in recent years..
We have some very good ball players in MLB right now and it would be nice to see a few of them in a Jays uniform..
The Milwaukee Brewers have drafted several Canadians over the last 6 years..They have drafted more Canadian born players then Toronto has..
MW: You’re looking for trouble if you draft players based on nationality or any other random thing that has nothing to do with their ability.
- ray bMy mourning period is finally over. It was really hard for me to follow baseball after that 9 game losing streak. Prior to that I had watched/listened to all 41 games and was really enjoying the 27-14 record. At that point, the worst case scenario in my mind was 88 wins. Now I am ready to give an arm and a leg for a .500 season. I am totally hopeless and shocked. I’m like the 7 year old kid who just found out that Santa Claus doesn’t exist. Totally speechless and missing those 27-14 days. Yankees are up by what 11 games and Red Sox by 9.5? Forget it. I am not spending another dime on Jays this year. They don’t deserve my hard earned dollars. They’ve lost a lot of games to some terrible teams(read Nationals and Indians). This year really hurts, there were a lot of hopes until May 18th! Darn, the worst year in Jays history by far.
MW: Not even in the neighbourhood of the worst year in Jays history.
- Beburg ZehriHey Mike..just saw on the Fan 590 web site that Matt Holliday was dealt to St Louis. Again an example of JP getting his “grass cut” by his former employer. The A’s got a stud third baseman. You don’t think that if St Louis was looking for some bats we couldn’t offer a Scott Rolen or Alex Rios?
MW: Neither of them are Matt Holliday. Both are under contract for a longer term and much more money.
- Ron LindemannThe Halladay situation continues to be such a drama. I agree that right now he is the best pitcher in baseball. The assumption that I think has been made too many times is that he will indefinitely continue to be the best pitcher in baseball.
Career statistics of great pitchers usually show a peak around his age or slightly later and then several years of consistency, like 16-11, 14-10, 13-13, 12-8 as the time goes on. It’s obvious the guy is a serious competitor and looking around him now he probably figures that he’s above the situation here and can go farther with another team.
Having said all of that the hype from this has polarized most of the fans to his side and when he is traded (I think he will be) there will be a collective sigh and brutal hammering on Ricciardi.
I sound bitter as hell about this but the whole thing – the story getting out before the all-star break, endless speculation topped off by tears in the broadcast booth just makes the whole thing seem like a painful soap opera. There is young pitching here. Life will go on. It seems pretty unlikely that he will come back here in 2011 anyway and it also seems quite unlikely that next year will be the year the Blue Jays head to the postseason. Maybe they should just get it over with?
MW: Only if they get the right return.
- Rob MWhats all this talk of Tampa Bay catching lightning in a bottle. They have possibly the best starting rotation in baseball backed by speed in the field and on the base paths and loads of power. they did that by drafting and trading very well not by “catching lightning in a bottle” as so many keep saying.
MW: I disagree. Best starting rotation in baseball?
- dave_12MW: I disagree. Best starting rotation in baseball?
We’ll at least the best in the American league
MW: Really? The Rays are 9th in the AL in starters’ ERA, 7th in opponents’ OPS and 10th in WHIP. Seems like a pretty crappy starting staff to me.
- dave_12