2011-02-01

2nd Annual 25 Man Roster Challenge

Since we all had so much fun doing it last year, I thought it was a must that we try it again. This year we will open up the challenge to anyone and everyone who wants to compete. If you need a refresher on the rules click here (start from the bottom). Basically all you need to do is pick your Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day 25 man roster. The deadline to do so this year will be Feb. 19, which is the day of the first full workouts in camp. Once all the participants are identified, I will put up a poll on this site so everyone can vote on who they think will be the winner.

If you want to play you have a few options on how to get your ballot in.

  • send me an email: 1bluejaysway@gmail.com
  • make a post on your blog, if you have one and send me a link
  • add your list to the comments section of this post or the reminder post I'll do the day before the deadline

For this year the tie breaker will be the closer. Just in case the braintrust makes the decision to go with the dreaded closer by committee then the closer for our purposes will be deemed to be the first guy to register a save in 2011.

At stake are bragging rights for both the results of the vote and the actual contest.

A few things to consider while compiling your list:

It doesn't matter who plays where, only if they make the Opening Day roster. So whether Bautista plays RF or 3B is irrelevant.

Do we roll with a 4 man rotation to start the year? Or maybe an 8 man bullpen?

If a guy on a Minor League deal, like Corey Patterson, makes the team somebody needs to be dropped from the current 40 man roster.

What do we do with the guys that are out of options? Dustin McGowan, Jo-Jo Reyes, David Purcey, Jose Molina, John McDonald and Shawn Camp would all have to be on the Opening Day roster or potentially be lost on waivers. Unless of course they start the year on the DL.

Those are just a few of the questions you should ponder before submitting your list. Don't feel like you have to spend any time on this. All you required to have in order for your ballot to be valid is 25 names. Feel free to add as much or as little explanation as you see fit.

Hope you can join us and play!
Posted by at
Labels: ,

23 comments:

  1. Ian HunterFebruary 1, 2011 at 7:28 PM

    Here is my submission:

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Litsch
    Francisco
    Rauch
    Frasor
    Dotel
    Villanueva
    Reyes
    Purcey
    Camp

    Arencibia
    Molina
    Lind
    Encarnacion
    Hill
    Escobar
    McDonald
    Bautista
    Snider
    Davis
    Rivera
    McCoy

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Man With The Golden ArmFebruary 1, 2011 at 7:38 PM

    @BJH,
    Thanks for playing. Feel free to edit your list anytime prior to the deadline. You will need to pick a closer for the tie breaker. Chances are it will come into play again this year.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RyanFebruary 1, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    I really think one of the guys on the roster is someone we traded Frasor for, or signed as a FA, so I'll wait to submit my guess.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Peter DeMarcoFebruary 1, 2011 at 8:49 PM

    I'll probably put together a blog on this but my initial thinking is the following:

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Rzepzcynski
    Francisco
    Rauch
    Frasor
    Dotel
    Janssen
    Purcey
    Camp

    Arencibia
    Molina
    Lind
    Encarnacion
    Hill
    Escobar
    McDonald
    Bautista
    Snider
    Davis
    Rivera
    Patterson

    Either Carlson or yet to be signed 3B

    ReplyDelete
  5. Andy McFebruary 1, 2011 at 8:53 PM

    Francisco
    Rauch
    Dotel
    Frasor
    Camp
    Purcey
    Reyes

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Rzepczynski

    Davis
    Escobar
    Snider
    Bautista
    Lind
    Encarnacion
    Hill
    Rivera
    Cibia

    Molina
    McDonald
    McCoy
    Patterson

    (I would love to see Podsednik and Branyan instead of McCoy and Patterson, just for the record).

    PS: Are we allowed to change our list before 19 February?

    ReplyDelete
  6. RyanFebruary 2, 2011 at 1:35 AM

    Consider me confused by the whole Jo-Jo Reyes thing. I get that he is out of options...but he sucks. Bad. He has almost 200 MLB innings of pure garbage under his belt. I think at some point worrying about treating your actual good arms well and not sending them to AAA should take precedence over keeping a mediocre at best pitcher than another team might not even claim.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Man With The Golden ArmFebruary 2, 2011 at 1:44 AM

    @Ryan,
    Totally valid point. But it's all about keeping hold of your assests. Jo-Jo will most likely be treated the way Merkin Valdez was last season. Break camp with the team, pitch a couple of meaningless innings and then get DFA.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Peter DeMarcoFebruary 2, 2011 at 8:55 AM

    I completely agree with Ryan and would be shocked if the Jays kept Reyes while sending someone like Janssen to the minors. As AA said, the Blue Jays wants to be known as team that treats it's players well and manipulating the roster at the expense of deserving players is not the right message to send to others.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The Man With The Golden ArmFebruary 2, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    @Peter,
    It's nice to have some depth finally so these types of good problems present themselves. Not too far back, things were very different.

    http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=2002&t=TOR

    ReplyDelete
  10. andy mcFebruary 2, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    We need another LHRP, and a long man. Reyes is out of options, can go 3+ IP, and Carlson has a reverse platoon split. Reyes gets a shot, IMO. Unless of course, Litsch takes #5 and RZep is in the pen, which would be a waste of his talent.

    ReplyDelete
  11. andy mcFebruary 2, 2011 at 2:18 PM

    Also, there will (should) be openings in the pen by July, after trades. My money is on AA using options on relievers that have them (Carlson, Villanueva, Janssen et al), and calling them up later, to fill in for injuries and trades.

    Vegas is going to be really good too, and fun to follow...

    Litsch/Rzep
    Richmond
    Stewart
    Mills
    Ray

    Mastroianni CF
    Hechavarria SS
    Lawrie 3B
    Thames LF
    Loewen RF
    Cooper 1B
    Jeroloman C
    2B
    DH

    Roenicke
    Lewis
    Villanueva
    Janssen
    Carlson
    Abreu
    Ledezma

    ReplyDelete
  12. XaveFebruary 3, 2011 at 5:11 AM

    Rotation:

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Rzepczynski

    Bullpen:

    Dotel
    Francisco
    Frasor
    Rauch
    Camp
    Purcey
    Villanueva

    Position players:
    Hill
    Lind
    Encarnacion
    Escobar
    McDonald
    Bautista
    Davis
    Snider
    Rivera
    Arencibia
    Molina
    Mastroianni

    And because I think they'll acquire a 3B: Pedro Alvarez???!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The Man With The Golden ArmFebruary 3, 2011 at 7:56 PM

    Heyo!

    Thanks everyone for playing. It's gonna be fun.

    Feel free to make changes to your picks at anytime up to the deadline. I have put a countdown clock in the right margin for your reference.

    Don't forget you will need to pick the closer in case we need to break a tie.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ian HunterFebruary 7, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    Sorry, forgot to put my tiebreaker closer as Francisco (AKA 2Frank).

    ReplyDelete
  15. AntFebruary 17, 2011 at 8:13 PM

    Alrighty, it's been a long time coming...but here we go.

    Lind
    Hill
    Bautista
    Escobar
    Arencibia
    Snider
    Davis
    Rivera
    Encarnacion

    Patterson
    McDonald
    Molina
    Podsednik

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Rzepczynski
    Litch

    Francisco
    Dotel
    Rauch
    Frasier
    Purcey
    Camp
    Janssen

    Seems quite a bit tougher than last year.

    And, it's obviously been a while since using my Nemesis Enforcer account, siiiince I can't seem to remember my password. SOB!

    ReplyDelete
  16. AntFebruary 17, 2011 at 8:13 PM

    Francisco is my closer pick.

    ReplyDelete
  17. LastRow500'sFebruary 17, 2011 at 9:22 PM

    Here's my list

    Bautista
    Escobar
    Hill
    Lind
    Rivera
    Davis
    Snider
    Arenciba
    Encarnacion

    Molina
    McDonald
    Podsednik

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Rzepczynski

    Francisco
    Rauch
    Dotel
    Frasor
    Purcey
    Carlson
    Camp
    Cordero

    ReplyDelete
  18. Jonathan ReimerFebruary 18, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    1 Ricky Romero
    2 Jesse Litsch
    3 Brett Cecil
    4 Brandon Morrow
    5 Marc Rzepczynski
    6 Shawn Camp
    7 David Purcey
    8 Jon Rauch
    9 Jason Fraser
    10 Frank Francisco (Closer)
    11 Octavio Dotel
    12 Jesse Carlson
    13 J.P Arencibia
    14 Jose Molina
    15 Yunel Escobar
    16 Aaron Hill
    17 John McDonald
    18 Jose Bautista
    19 Rajai Davis
    20 Travis Snider
    21 Edwin Encarnacion
    22 Adam Lind
    23 Scott Posednik
    24 Mike McCoy
    25 Jo-Jo Reyes

    ReplyDelete
  19. Jonathan ReimerFebruary 18, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    Might I add, I do not want to see Pods, Jo-Jo or Carlson make the club. Obviously Drabek, Janssen, Villanueva, McGowan and even Marcus Thames represent better options. Expected outcomes:

    - Jo-Jo will play a few games in April and be DFA'ed
    - Drabek will be help back until mid May so as to delay start of his FA one year
    - Janssen will be called up at Jo-Jo's expense
    - Villanueva will be called up with the first injury or Fraser's trade (for a 3B?)
    - McGowan will start the year on injured reserve and remain in Dunedin to build up his arm strength
    - Pods will be our backup OF until a better solution emerges (Bautista moves back to the outfield, pushing Rivera to 4th OF)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Andy McFebruary 18, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    Francisco CL
    Rauch
    Dotel
    Frasor
    Camp
    Purcey
    Rzepczynski

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Litsch

    Davis
    Escobar
    Snider
    Bautista
    Lind
    Encarnacion
    Hill
    Rivera
    Cibia

    Molina
    McDonald
    McCoy
    Podsednik

    Glad they added Pods.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Andy McFebruary 18, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    Francisco CL
    Rauch
    Dotel
    Frasor
    Camp
    Purcey
    Rzepczynski

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Litsch

    Davis
    Escobar
    Snider
    Bautista
    Lind
    Encarnacion
    Hill
    Rivera
    Cibia

    Molina
    McDonald
    Patterson
    Podsednik

    OK, that's it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. OkBluejays.comFebruary 18, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    Romero
    Cecil
    Morrow
    Litsch
    Drabek

    Dotel
    Fransisco
    Camp
    Frasor
    Rauch (closer)
    Villanueva
    Carlson
    Purcey

    Arencibia

    Lind
    Hill
    Escobar
    Bautista

    Snider
    Davis
    Rivera

    Encarnacion

    Molina
    McDonald
    Podsednik

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ian HunterFebruary 18, 2011 at 8:43 PM

    Alright, here's my revised list due to the recent developments:

    Romero
    Morrow
    Cecil
    Drabek
    Litsch
    Francisco-CL
    Rauch
    Frasor
    Dotel
    Villanueva
    Reyes
    Purcey
    Camp

    Arencibia
    Molina
    Lind
    Encarnacion
    Hill
    Escobar
    McDonald
    Bautista
    Snider
    Davis
    Rivera
    Podsednik

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)