Blue Jays Team Report
INSIDE PITCH
Back in 2001, newly hired general manager J.P. Ricciardi, a scouting and development guy, said that he could accomplish more with less, that an Oakland “Moneyball” approach was the right one for the Blue Jays organization.
Ricciardi promptly went out over the next two years and got rid of all the top people involved in Toronto’s scouting department, one that had one of the best track records in the major leagues.
Soon, scouting and development gave way to a patchwork series of expensive free agent signings coupled with the signings of rehab pitching projects, none of which paid off.
Alex Anthopoulos, who was hired by Ricciardi and succeeded him in October, does not intend to make the same mistakes, mistakes that have left the Blue Jays in the wake of the Red Sox and Yankees in the American League East.
Anthopoulos holds the belief that scouting and development is fundamental to success, and in his short time on the job, he has added a significant number of scouts and aides to the payroll.
Only when the roster is filled with sufficient homegrown talent will he be inclined to fill in the blanks with free agent talent.
It is a view he has expressed over and over, and is one that is not popular with the paying fans, who would rather he had gone out and overpaid for the likes of outfielder Jason Bay(notes).
But that’s the new Blue Jays way. No Frank Thomas(notes)-type deals are on the horizon.
In the player draft this June, the Blue Jays will be back to the days of looking to hit a home run or two by signing high school players—a greater risk that could yield greater rewards.
By comparison, Ricciardi preferred to draft college players in the early rounds, safer picks with a lower ceiling.
“We talked about maybe changing up the philosophy,” Anthopoulos said recently of their drafting plans. “Really, competing in the AL East, knowing we’re trying to get to that 95-win-and-over mark and knowing that we want to get All-Stars all over the place, we were going to have to maybe take a little more risk and go high ceiling.”
Anthopoulos believes the Blue Jays made a big step forward when they traded ace right-hander Roy Halladay(notes) and received three first-round prospects in return.
“We’re on the road to getting back to where we were back in the World Series years,” Anthopoulos said at the Halladay news conference. “And, really, this is the start of it for us.”
The start of a long, slow climb.
NOTES, QUOTES
—rhp A .J. Burnett will always be perceived by Blue Jays fans as a traitor for opting out of his contract and signing with the Yankees. But in describing what kind of pitcher he traded for in obtaining RHP Brandon Morrow(notes) from Seattle, GM Alex Anthopoulos brought up Burnett. “You know, he reminds me a lot of A.J. Burnett(notes), in terms of his delivery and the stuff,” Anthopoulos said. “He can throw very hard. It’s 98-99 (mph), it’s as if he’s playing catch, and it’s a power curveball in the low 90s similar to what Burnett did.”
• RF Travis Snider(notes), only 21, did not come through as expected in two stints with the Blue Jays last season. The left-handed-hitting slugger batted .241 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 77 games over 241 at-bats. He also struck out 78 times. Still, new GM Alex Anthopoulos isn’t writing off the Blue Jays’ first-round pick of 2006. “We love Travis Snider,” Anthopoulos wrote in an online discussion. “We think he’s going to be an impact, middle order bat.”
• GM Alex Anthopoulos said he has smoothed over the hard feelings held by RHP Jeremy Accardo(notes), who believes he was ill-served by the Blue Jays last season when he was bounced back and forth between Toronto and Class AAA Las Vegas. In 26 appearances with the Blue Jays, Accardo was 0-0 with a 2.55 ERA, allowing 23 hits and 17 walks in 24 2/3 innings. “I spoke with Jeremy and had a great talk with him,” Anthopoulos said. “All he wants is to feel he has a legitimate chance to be on this team, and I assured him that he would have that opportunity.”
• Former Cubs general manager Ed Lynch has been hired by the Blue Jays to be part of their scouting department. Since stepping down from the Chicago GM post, Lynch has served as the Cubs’ Arizona-area scout.
• It might seem to be a longshot and not be part of his scouting-and-development philosophy, but GM Alex Anthopoulos did not dismiss the possibility of signing free agent 1B Carlos Delgado(notes), who has spent the bulk of his major league career with the Blue Jays. Anthopoulos said he had been contacted by Delgado’s agent.
By The Numbers: 54—Victories in the major leagues by the five pitchers who are the leading candidates to be in the Toronto rotation at the start of the 2010 season: RHP Shaun Marcum(notes), 24; LHP Ricky Romero(notes), 13; LHP Brett Cecil(notes), 7; RHP Brandon Morrow, 8; LHP Marc Rzepczynski(notes), 2.
Quote To Note: “We are in the AL East. To get to the playoffs, it looks like we need 95 wins as a floor.”—GM Alex Anthopoulos.
ROSTER REPORT
The Blue Jays began the offseason with plenty of change. Paul Beeston removed “interim” from his title to become team president and CEO. General manager J.P. Ricciardi was replaced by his former assistant, Alex Anthopoulos, 32. Anthopoulos subsequently dealt RHP Roy Halladay for prospects, likely kicking off a rebuilding year.
Biggest Needs: The Jays have a big hole at the No. 1 spot in the rotation after dealing Halladay.
Arrivals: RHP Brandon Morrow (trade with Mariners), OF Joey Gathright(notes) (minor league free agent from Red Sox), LHP Sean Henn(notes) (claimed off waivers from Orioles), INF Jarrett Hoffpauir(notes) (claimed off waivers from Cardinals), INF Mike McCoy(notes) (claimed off waivers from Rockies), SS Alex Gonzalez (free agent from Red Sox), C John Buck(notes) (free agent from Royals), 3B/1B Brett Wallace(notes) (trade with Phillies/A’s).
Departures: RHP Brandon League(notes) (traded to Mariners), SS Marco Scutaro(notes) (free agent, signed with Red Sox), INF Joe Inglett(notes) (waiver claim by Rangers), RHP Roy Halladay (traded to Phillies).
Free Agents: C Rod Barajas(notes), DH/INF Kevin Millar(notes).
The Jays probably will not pursue Barajas because they think that J.P. Arencibia may be ready to be promoted next season following the All-Star break. They might be willing to go with backup Raul Chavez(notes) and a cheaper alternative than Barajas. They have zero interest in Millar.
Arbitration-eligible: RHP Jeremy Accardo, RHP Shawn Camp(notes), RHP Jason Frasor(notes), RHP Casey Janssen(notes), RHP Shaun Marcum, LHP Brian Tallet(notes).
Frasor is the most valuable asset on the list and could be the Jays’ closer in 2010, having taken on the role after LHP B.J. Ryan(notes) was released. They have interest in bringing back the others with perhaps lukewarm interest in Accardo, a reliever who spent most of the season at Class AAA Las Vegas.
In Limbo: With the exception of 2B Aaron Hill(notes) and LF/DH Adam Lind(notes), the rest of the players on the Jays’ roster can all be had for the right package. Although they’d like more production out of 1B Lyle Overbay(notes), they can live with his $7 million salary for 2010, the final year of his contract.
Medical Watch:
RHP Shaun Marcum (Tommy John elbow surgery in September 2008) should be able to compete for a rotation job in spring training.
RHP Jesse Litsch(notes) (Tommy John elbow surgery in June 2009) might be healthy by the 2010 All-Star break.
RHP Dustin McGowan(notes) (right shoulder surgery in July 2008, right knee surgery in July 2009) had to shut down his throwing program in October. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready for the start of the season.
RHP Rob Ray (right shoulder strain) will be ready for the start of spring training.
CF Vernon Wells(notes) (arthroscopic left wrist surgery in November 2009) is expected to be fully recovered before spring training.
3B Edwin Encarnacion(notes) (left wrist surgery in October 2009) is expected to be ready for spring training.
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