An interview with Cavan Biggio

Here's a scrum for our boy Jay at the all star game. Not much groundbreaking stuff but enjoy!

Interview with Dwight Smith Jr.

In what can only be described as yet another instalment of prospect porn, here is our latest featuring OF Dwight Smith Jr. In repeating the AA level, Dwight posted an unremarkable .265/.332/.433 triple slash line with 15 HR and 12 SB.

In 2016, he patrolled all three outfield positions but the overwhelming majority - 91 of his 126 total games – were spent in LF. The left-handed hitter was taken 53^rd overall out of high school in the 2011 draft.

Not sure if he was eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason or not but, in any event, he wasn’t selected. He is currently not listed as being on the 40 man roster. A move up to AAA for 2017 is most likely in his future and Bisons fans should see plenty of Smith Jr. in a corner OF spot at Coca Cola Field.

Our man on the field, the one and only Jay Ballz, caught up with Dwight for a brief chat in which they discuss:

• Eastern League competition
• The pressure that comes along with being a first-round pick
• What it’s like to play in front of a packed Olympic Stadium in Montreal
• His observations from spending time in big league spring training camp
• What superpower he would choose if able

This interview was done in May shortly after Bautista got decked in the jaw by Odor. We apologize for the delay in posting it. (Not really. It's a stupid blog post and it’s free, so deal with it.)

Interview With Rowdy Tellez

"You're your own best coach." Rowdy Tellez. Which sounds like something Brett Lawrie still says.

Our boy Jay Floyd caught up with the slugging first baseman last week. He is the youngest player on the AA New Hampshire team at the time of taping. They discuss:

• Eastern League competition and what it's like to face the future aces of other team's staffs;
• Going to Giants' games and cheering for Barry Bonds;
• Being a late round pick and using it as an incentive.
• His habit of taping the other team's catcher's shin guards twice before every at bat;

On the whole chip on your shoulder thing: We get it. Baseball is a ridiculous grind every damn day, all season. These guys need to use absolutely everything they can to get up and produce every day. But man, this guy's agent probably sends out a note to all 30 teams saying, "Don't waste a pick on my guy, he's going to USC." Then, everybody passes until round 30 and the Blue Jays throw $850,000.00 your way, which is early 3rd round money. Classic backfire.



Had an equipment malfunction, so here's the answer to the last question:

Interview With Matt Boyd

In Buffalo, mgr Gary Allenson says #BlueJays said to scratch Matt Boyd from start today and “back him off two days.” Jays need Sat. starter.

— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) June 25, 2015

Should have probably posted this interview sooner as it was recorded way back in late April. Our boy Jay Floyd caught up with the left hander when only the true die hards knew who he was. Matt Boyd was just a guy who finished off the 2014 season in AA New Hampshire giving up 33 earned runs in his 10 starts.

Well, now take a look at his game logs for the 2015 season. That's fun!

In this 8 minute interview they cover:

• his offseason surgery to have a bone chip removed from his pitching elbow which Matt describes as "Nothing too serious. No. No."
• when asked about his out pitch, he states he has four out pitches
• his repertoire which consists of a 4 seam fastball, change up, curve and slider

Not sure if this guy gets the call up for the weekend start or not but figured you might want to get to know him a little better.



Photo embedded courtesy of Blue Jays From Away

Follow Jay Floyd here

Follow Matt Boyd here

Interview With LHP Daniel Norris

Much virtual ink has been spilled over the name Daniel Norris these past few days, a second round high school pick who happens to throw a baseball with his left hand. But if you recall, it hasn’t always been that way. When he was taken 74th overall in 2011, the so-called draft experts were saying how it was a steal to get him there and that he was the best high school lefty talent available in the entire draft. Then he goes to rookie ball and hangs up a 7.97 ERA in 10 starts with a 1.629 WHIP. Not exactly world beater stuff right there.

As an organization, if you are going to get in the habit of taking a lot of high school players in your draft classes then you must be willing to wait for them to develop. This isn’t always easy to do, and the Blue Jays deserve some praise in this specific case. Patience is only half of the equation, really—you also need some great coaches at the lower minor leagues levels who have the right approach. Seems to have worked out pretty swell as he is now being mentioned as a potential trade chip for guys like David Price, Cliff Lee and Jeff Samardzija.

Daniel Norris was recently named to the Futures Game roster, representing the American side. This is a premium showcase for young, developing talent and it is quite an honour to be involved in this game.

From the most recent Baseball America Podcast:

I am very interested in seeing Daniel Norris because Daniel Norris, I give him massive loads of credit. There are not many guys who’ve pulled off what he did. Daniel Norris for the first, I don't know seven pro months of his career, was terrible. I don't mean bad, I mean getting his brains beat in pretty much every time out, what's wrong with him, for a guy who got a whole lot of money how is he as bad as this, you know, what's the problem? And he didn't go into a funk, he worked with his coaches, he got better and then it was like the light switch turned on. And the funny thing is he always had stuff even when he was giving up two hits an inning, even though he was walking a lot of guys. The light switch got on and he's gotten better and better and better, and now he's very much the Daniel Norris that everyone thought he was gonna be coming out of the draft. I give him a lot of credit, a lot of guys when it goes bad like that gets really hard to pull out of it. Daniel Norris pulled out of it.

If you are wondering when exactly the light switch turned on, we’ve got that for you. Who better to ask than the gentleman who watched him pitch every game last year: Our boy Jesse, the radio broadcaster with the Lansing Lugnuts.

Q: Can you pinpoint the exact time in which Daniel Norris turned the corner last year?

A: Absolutely. May 13th, and up another level on August 4th.

The game logs for the 2013 season can be found here.

Our lead minor league reporter Jay Floyd was able to catch up with Daniel Norris last weekend in Trenton and spoke to the 6’2, 180 lbs pitcher. In a wide-ranging interview, they discuss:

FSL all-star experience
AA debut
Learning to pitch to the ballpark
Draft experience
Pitch repertoire
Pregame meals
Attention to hydration on the days before he pitches and on game day
Favourite baseball movie
Trade rumours
Faith in God




Follow Daniel Norris @DanielNorris18
Follow Jay Floyd @PhoulBallz
Follow Jesse Goldberg-Strassler @jgoldstrass
Follow us @1BJW

Interview with Sean Nolin

We are unloading the clip, so to speak, on the interviews from last year we had stored away for safe keeping. Below you will find one from a consensus top-10 prospect in your Toronto Blue Jays' (ridiculously totally somewhat) thinned-out farm system.

They say that in poker, timing is everything. This rock-solid interview was done on July 19, 2013, almost two full months after Sean Nolin was called up to the show. Our top minor league guru extraordinaire, Mr. Jay Floyd of PhoulBallz.com, Phillies Nation TV, the Shore Sports Network and other outlets wasn't shying away from the elephant in the room at all. "Jay Ballz", as he's nicknamed, asks the tough questions. Jay Ballz listens to the awkward responses. Jay Ballz takes it all in stride. 

In this latest masterpiece you will hear:

• His motto: "wish high, think high" (just not with the fastball, okay, champ?)
• How he was notified by a fan in the stands of his MLB promotion
• How he has been trying to call his own games more often
• What it's like to throw to top catching prospect A.J. Jimenez
• Him defending the honour of our boy Jesse Goldberg-Strassler from his days in Lansing
• How he grew up a Yankee fan and how there might be some added fire when he pitches against the dreaded Red Sox

If you skip ahead to the 2:06 mark you can actually hear what it's like to have your childhood dreams smashed/destroyed/lit on fire right before your very eyes.

Why the hell this guy was brought up to the Major Leagues only to be farmed out the very next day is still a mystery to us. One option burned for a whopping .001 days of MLB service time. We realize that things went south in a hurry last year in terms of arms, but this particular roster move still blows the mind. 

And not in a good way. 

Please don't think that we are down on what the future has in store for this player. We think that he could someday be a decent back-of-the-rotation type guy and he does throw a ball with his left hand. The tale of Sean Nolin's MLB debut and the soul-crushing aftermath should serve smartly as a cautionary warning to the brain trust the next time they think about rushing a young arm up to the show. 

It does appear your Toronto Blue Jays learned this lesson rather quickly since they slammed the breaks on bringing up Marcus Stroman in the garbage time of the season, known more formally in these parts as "September."

Fisher Cats Batting Practice Footage

Here's some batting practice footage shot last month of several Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats players.

Clips include Andy Burns, Kevin Nolan, Ryan Schimpf, Jon Talley, Gabe Jacobo and more.  Check it out in the media player below.

Fisher Cats' Alvarez Sizzles Despite Loss

In an area behind home plate populated by pitchers who were charting pitches for both teams, disbelief took over in the 2nd inning, as the likes of Kei Igawa, Zach Stewart, Rey Gonzalez and others all looked at one another to confirm what the radar guns some of them were holding had just displayed.

Making his 4th Class AA start for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 21-year-old Henderson Alvarez had his electric fastball register at 101 MPH. It may have been his fastest pitch of the day (others reach 96-98 MPH, but cracking 100 wasn't a regular occurrence) and the impact of Alvarez's fastball definitely missed the 4,707 in attendance at Trenton's Waterfront Park, as the facility is not equipped to post such data for the paying crowd to see, but plenty of folks have started to take notice of the right-handed Venezuela native anyway.

Alvarez, who stands 6-feet-1-inch tall and weighs 195 pounds, gave up 5 runs in the opening 2 frames of Sunday's contest against Eastern League East Division rivals the Yankees affiliate Trenton Thunder. After serving up a 2-RBI single to designated hitter Cody Johnson in the home half of the second inning, Alvarez settled down considerably, retiring 8 straight Thunder batters, before a single by Johnson in the 5th and a rising pitch count forced Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano to make a call to the bullpen.

On the day, Alvarez took the loss, allowing 5 earned runs, 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 batters in 4 1/3 innings.

Last season, Alvarez was recognized as a Florida State League All-star when he went 8-7 with a 4.33 ERA in 23 games as a member of the Class A advanced Dunedin Blue Jays, and represented the Blue Jays in the MLB Futures Game.

This year, Alvarez began the season on the disabled list. After being activated, Alvarez made 2 starts with Dunedin, prior to being promoted to New Hampshire. Overall, in his 4 starts with the Fisher Cats, Alvarez has posted a 2-1 record with a 3.22 ERA, 6 walks and 16 strike outs in 22 1/3 innings pitched.

With the help of righty hurler Rey Gonzalez, who translated, I spoke with Henderson after Sunday's defeat in Trenton. Check out the media player below, to listen to the full interview.



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I`m not sure why I did this but I think it works in a who gives a fuck kinda way

Exclusive Interview with Travis d'Arnaud

Blue Jays Prospects from Ryan Kelley on Vimeo.

Our boy Jay has been very busy over the last couple of weeks pounding out exclusive content that hopefully made the sun shine just a little brighter for you, wherever you may be. Having seen merely 3 Fisher Cats games over a span of 4 days, he was able to get 7 solid interviews with various team personnel. The final installment of this series is with catcher Travis d'Arnaud. At the time of the interview, Travis was still on the DL with concussion like symptoms.

Since his return he has posted 2 multi hit games, one of which came against his former organization.

Date	Level		Pos	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	SO	BB
May 12	AA	@ Reading	C	4	2	0	0	1	0	0
May 10	AA	vs. Portland	C	3	1	0	0	0	1	0
May 9	AA	vs. Portland	C	3	0	0	0	0	1	0
May 8	AA	vs. Binghamton	C	3	2	1	0	0	0	0

We here at 1BJW are following this young man's progress very closely this year and envision him taking a huge leap forward under the watchful eye of his manager in New Hampshire, the one and only Mr. Sal Fasano. It's very hard to predict when a player of this caliber will get his shot in The Show but if everything goes his way, we can see a possible scenario where he enters Spring Training next season with a legit shot at heading north with the team to Toronto.




I think I can speak for everyone when I say we all totally look forward to the next time the Fisher Cats travel to Trenton to play the Thunder - which is June 3, 4 and 5 - and all the interviews, photos, videos and insight that follows in the weeks after.  

Make sure to show Jay some love by following him on Twitter HERE

1BJW Adeiny Hechavarria Interview

Blue Jays infield prospect Adeiny Hechavarria is off to somewhat of a slow start offensively, but that shouldn't stop scouts, media types and fan alike from getting excited about the slick fielding 22-year-old.

Signed as a free agent out of Cuba last year, Hechavarria made his affiliated professional debut with the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays before being promoted to the Double A New Hampshire FisherCats. Combined in 102 games at 2 levels last year, Hechavarria posted a .242 batting average with 18 doubles, 4 triples, 4 HR, 41 RBI and 13 steals.

In 24 games this season, still with the FisherCats, Hechavarria is batting .216 with 5 doubles, 2 triples and 1 HR. He has been successful in 3 of his 4 stolen base attempts as well.

Currently on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster, Hechavarria had a hit against Yankees hurler Andy Pettitte last September, when the lefty great was rehabbing with the Trenton Thunder during the Eastern League playoffs.

Highly regarded for his defense, Hechavarria was formerly the starting shortstop for the Cuban National Team.

During New Hampshire's visit to Trenton last weekend, I had the opportunity to speak with Adeiny, with the help of New Hampshire coach Danny Solano, about his defense, his language barrier, the process of signing with Toronto and plenty more. Check out the media player below to listen to the full interview.



And as a bonus...here's some footage of pregame fielding warm-ups featuring the talented shortstop.



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Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay.com on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Fisher Cats Fall Again in Trenton

With a packed house on fireworks night at Trenton's Waterfront Park, the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats dropped their third straight game, as the division rival Thunder (Yankees affiliate) took down the club from New Hampshire by a score of 4-1.

Right-handed Fisher Cats starter Joel Carreno, a 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic, surrendered 4 earned runs over 6 2/3 innings and took the loss.

The Thunder got the scoring started in the 2nd inning, when Bradley Suttle led off with a single, advanced to second base on a wild pitch then came around to score on a Corban Joseph single.

New Hampshire tied things up in the 4th inning when Thunder starter Manny Banuelos uncorked a wild pitch that allowed center fielder Anthony Gose to score.

Suttle, Trenton's third baseman, grabbed the lead back quickly in the bottom of the frame when he drove a ball to deep right field, out of the park and into the Delaware River to put the Thunder up by a score of 2-1.

Trenton wrapped up the scoring in the 5th inning when 9 hole hitter Addison Maruszak mashed a two-run homerun to deep left field.

Lefty Kei Igawa, who came on in relief of Thunder starter Manny Banuelos earned the win. The Fisher Cats now have a record of 11-9, while the Thunder improves to 10-12. The two teams go back at it on Sunday in the series finale when Cats right-hander Zach Stewart takes on Thunder lefty Shaeffer Hall.

Gose, the New Hampshire center fielder, had 3 of the team's 5 hits in the loss. He also stole 2 bases for the losing squad. Listen to exclusive postgame audio from Gose in the media player below.



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Be sure to follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter by clicking here.

Interview with Gustavo Pierre

Our boy Jesse is back at it with another interview from chilly Lansing. This time around it's with SS Gustavo Pierre. For some more detailed info on Gustavo head over to the team at Jays Journal. They got you covered.

What we can add is that this player works his tail off. He is the quintessential definition of a raw player, both with the stick and the glove. His error total in a full season of Minor League ball might reach eye popping totals but we are completely confident if he keeps working hard the skills are there to one day play in the Big Leagues.

Jesse offers some additional insight and an encouraging comp:

He’s tall, but an Edgar Renteria type with great range. The stick is like his glove – it shows great potential but has a ways to go. Looks like he could be good for 15-20 homers in the Majors.

In the interview Gustavo talks about being signed as a 16 year old out of the Dominican and mentions that the Rangers and Phillies were in on him prior to deciding to sign with the Blue Jays. He also mentions that playing baseball in the cold sucks.

Check it:

Interview with Carlos Perez

Image courtesy of MiLB In Focus

Our boy Jesse caught up with the all world catching prospect Carlos Perez this weekend and was kind enough to let us drop it here first, for you all to enjoy.

But before you do, check out his stats courtesy of First Inning. Feel free to get excited. I did.

Basic Statistics
Year	Age		Team	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	HBP	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2008		Rookie	DSL Blue Jays1	239	180	25	56	10	2	0	29	6	50	27	5	.311	.469	.389	858
2009	18	Rookie	GCL Blue Jays	161	140	17	40	11	3	1	20	2	15	24	2	.286	.354	.429	783
2010	19	A-	Auburn	278	235	44	70	11	8	2	41	6	34	41	7	.298	.396	.438	834
2011	20	A	Lansing	25	22	4	9	1	1	0	4	0	3	3	0	.409	.480	.545	1025

Extended Statistics
Year	Age		Team	PA	AB	ISOP	BB%	K%	BABIP	GB%	LD%	RC	RC/27	wOBA	wOBA+	OPS+
2008		Rookie	DSL Blue Jays1	239	180	.078	20.9%	11.3%	.366	47%	8%	32	6.55	.400	132	160
2009	18	Rookie	GCL Blue Jays	161	140	.143	9.3%	14.9%	.339	48%	11%	19	4.62	.342	117	140
2010	19	A-	Auburn	278	235	.140	12.2%	14.7%	.354	52%	15%	40	6.28	.371	121	140
2011	20	A	Lansing	25	22	.136	12.0%	12.0%	.474	42%	37%	5	9.00	.450

Here's what Jesse had to say about Carlos after watching him for just 25 at bats:

Excellent line drive stroke, solid plate discipline, and a quick release to second base.  Easily recognizable as a terrific prospect.

In the interview itself you will gain some valuable insight on how people born in the Caribbean deal with "spring" in the Northern USA. Also, the MVP for his team the last three years reveals he grew up playing as an outfielder. He talks a little bit about being signed by the Blue Jays and how no other team was in on him as an 18 year old.

  

Now my math skills are not what I would consider strong but if he was drafted as an 18 year old and has managed to play full seasons in 2008, 2009 and 2010 then he can not be 20 years old right now. It`s just not possible, is it? His age is conveniently left blank in the stat table above and the always trustworthy Baseball Reference has him playing 2008 as a 17 year old. Which makes sense to me. But I'll admit I`m probably looking way a little too much into it.

If you are not following Jesse on Twitter for whatever reason, well, you should be. And while you're at it give Paul a follow. 

Two rock solid guys traveling around with the Lugnuts all season.

Young Studs

Just in case you missed it, the team over at Jays Journal put together the list of all lists when it comes to your Toronto Blue Jays prospects. There is no other list in existence of the internet that is as detailed and complete. Whether or not you agree with every ranking is completely irrelevant. The amount of time and effort that must have gone into compiling a masterpiece of that magnitude is what you should be focusing on.

In hono(u)r of St. Patty's and all it's glory, I thought what a great opportunity to point out the fact that a whole bunch of players in our Minor League system are fairly young. Like needing fake ID to get into the bar young.

Check out all the players from the Jays Journal Top 50 list - including the near misses - that will begin the 2011 season at the age of 20 or younger.

Henderson Alvarez 04/18/1990
A.J. Jimenez 05/01/1990
Marcus Knecht 06/21/1990
K.C. Hobson 08/02/1990 
Anthony Gose 08/10/1990
Drew Hutchison 08/22/1990
Carlos Perez 10/27/1990 
Michael Crouse 11/22/1990 
Griffin Murphy 01/16/1991 
Jake Marisnick 03/30/1991
Christopher Hawkins 08/17/1991
Kellen Sweeney 09/14/1991
Dickie Thon 11/16/1991
Justin Nicolino 11/22/1991
Gustavo Pierre 12/28/1991
Shane Optiz 01/10/1992
Mitchell Taylor 05/11/1992 

The newly affiliated Vancouver Canadians play every home game in British Columbia where the drinking age is a much more civilized 19. When their season starts at home on June 17th, every name from this point on would not be able to legally have a drink in Canada. 

Brandon Mims 06/18/1992 
Aaron Sanchez 07/01/1992
Deivy Estrada 08/22/1992 
Noah Syndergaard 08/29/1992
Adaric Kelly 12/01/1992
Santiago Nessy 12/08/1992

Unless of course they decide visit Alberta, Manitoba or Quebec where the age of majority is only 18. These guys wouldn't even be able to get served there. 

Gabriel Cenas 10/16/1993
Adonis Cardona 01/16/1994

I remember the time I got busted using fake ID at a bar. That was pretty embarrassing. Thanks very much for your time.

The Faceless / Handless Wonder

Your Toronto Blue Jays dipped into the international free agent market again today signing Francisco Tejada a 17 year old "toolsy" OF from the Dominican. Click here for the info I was able to find on the young man. That's all I got. No pictures, no stats and no videos.

While I was searching, I did come across these:

And my personal favorite:

Love the knee pads sweetheart.

Conclusion:

I think it's fair to say that the J-Force is lacking a little bit with respect to in game entertainment. Just saying.

Go Nuts! Lugnuts!

We are happy to report that our boy Jesse will be back in the booth calling some baseball for his third season with your Toronto Blue Jays low A affiliate Lansing Lugnuts.

Hopefully we can get our hands on some top prospect interviews - before anyone else - for you all to celebrate and rejoice in after the roster gets assigned.

This right here is a straight re-post from The 2-2 Pitch which was originally written in September of last year.

When given the chance to make an update Jesse chose to stand behind his original prediction but adds:

"I’m sure that the rumors will start up about whether Deck begins the season with us or Dunedin this year, and there may very well be other fluctuations to come, but I still feel comfortable with that guess – regardless of how wrong it turns out to be~!"

This came about because of a terrific question sent in by a fan on the final LugCast of the regular season.

Here are my predictions for the 2011 Lansing Lugnuts...

Lineup:
C Carlos Perez
1B K.C. Hobson
2B Oliver Dominguez
SS Gustavo Pierre
3B Andy Fermin
LF Marcus Knecht
CF Jake Marisnick
RF Michael Crouse
DH Lance Durham

Key question: Lance Durham and K.C. Hobson are both left-handed hitting first basemen. They shouldn't both be here, and yet Hobson is a virtual Lugnut lock while Durham has spent the last two years with Auburn. Where else would you send him?

Bench:
C Jack Murphy
OF Stephen McQuail
OF Markus Brisker

Key question: How many struggling 2010 Lugnuts -- i.e., Ryan Schimpf, Balbino Fuenmayor, Eric Eiland -- return for 2011?

Rotation:
RHP Deck McGuire
RHP Drew Hutchison
RHP Daniel Webb
RHP Casey Lawrence
RHP Asher Wojciechowski

Key questions: This is a prospect-laden rotation, albeit totally right-handed. Does Sam Strickland slide into the rotation to give the Lugs a left-handed arm? Will we see talented 18-year-olds Aaron Sanchez and Noah Syndergaard sooner or later?

Bullpen:
LHP Sam Strickland
LHP Michael Kelly
RHP Scott Gracey
RHP Danny Barnes
RHP Milciades Santana
RHP Dayton Marze
RHP Drew Permison

Key questions: Once again, these are all newcomers with the exception of Gracey and late addition Barnes. Who else returns from the disappointing 2010 bullpen? A recommitted Brian Slover? A healthy Dustin Antolin? Aaron Loup or Matt Wright, just to make sure there are some more lefties in the pen? By the way, the numbers were just brilliant for Marze, Santana, and Permison last year. Hopefully they'll keep it up.

To follow Jesse on Twitter click here

Back to the Future: Blue Jays Edition

I blame this cheesy movie trilogy which has been on the tube the last couple of weeks and as a result I have been thinking quite a bit about what your Toronto Blue Jays will look like entering the year 2015.

I am basing this list on the following assumption: Players who were 18 or younger on June 5 preceding the signing of their first contract must be protected on the 40 man roster after five minor league seasons. Players 19 and older must be protected after four seasons.

My futuristic 40 man roster looks a little something like this:

Pitchers:

Ricky Romero
Kyle Drabek
Brett Cecil
Zach Stewart
Marc Rzepczynski
Brad Mills
Robert Ray 
David Purcey
Josh Roenicke
Luis Perez
Joel Carreno
Deck McGuire
Henderson Alvarez
Asher Wojciechowski
Chad Jenkins
Matt Daly
Alan Farina
Drew Hutchison
Dayton Marze
Griffin Murphy
Sean Nolin 
Nicholas Purdy
Deivy Estrada
Drew Permison

Catchers:

J.P. Arencibia
Travis d'Arnaud
Carlos Perez
A.J. Jimenez

Infielders:

Mike McDade
Adeiny Hechavarria
Brett Lawrie
Gustavo Pierre
John Tolisano 

Outfielders:

Anthony Gose
Travis Snider
Jake Marisnick
Darin Mastroianni
Eric Thames
Marcus Knecht
Michael Crouse

A few things to consider:

I have to assume the following guys were either lost to free agency or traded during the 2013-2014 seasons.

• Jose Bautista
• Adam Lind
• Aaron Hill
• Rajai Davis
• Yunel Escobar
• Brandon Morrow
• Jesse Litsch
• Scott Richmond
• Jo-Jo Reyes
• Carlos Villanueva
• Casey Janssen

Naturally, we could re-sign or extend any of them. It is also fair to assume that if we traded a couple of these guys then we would have possibly got players in return that would need to be on the 40 man. I can't account for that. Sorry.

There is a shit load of fringy type guys that need to be added to the 40 man by the start of the 2013 season. In 2015 they would most likely be in their final option year. I don't think these guys will make it that far but they could always turn it around in 2011 or 2012.

• Kevin Ahrens
• Justin Jackson
• Eric Eiland
• David Cooper

These are the players that need to be added by the start of the 2014 season. They would still probably have 2 option years left entering 2015.

• Kenny Wilson
• Markus Brisker
• Ryan Goins
• Ryan Schimpf
• Sean Ochinko
• Yan Gomes

Entering final year of contract: Ricky Romero making $7.5 million with an option for 2016 at $13.1 million. He is the only player currently under contract for the 2015 season.

Entering final year of team control before being eligible for free agency: Travis Snider*, Brett Cecil (not 100% sure on this one), David Purcey, Adeiny Hechavarria. These guys would be considered bait.

*I'm wondering if him being optioned to New Hampshire for 2 weeks in July after his wrist injury rehab was completed will push this date back to 2016.

Samuel Dyson is an interesting case. Technically he would need to be on the 40 man roster to start the 2015 season. However, it is rumored that he needs/had Tommy John surgery and will miss at least a year to recover. I believe the braintrust can ask the commissioners office for an exemption and thereby receive another year of team control. I am not positive on this. Perhaps someone out there is.

My projected 40 man roster is same as the current Blue Jays 2011 roster breakdown, which is 24 pitchers / 16 position players. I acknowledge my roster is without a DH and a little crowded at catcher and in the OF. It's called depth. It's a good thing.

The following 2010 high school draftees would not yet need to be on the 40 man roster in the year 2015, so for the purposes of this list they won't be.

• Dickie Thon Jr
• Chris Hawkins
• Kellen Sweeny
• Aaron Sanchez
• Noah Syndergaard
• Justin Nicolino
• Mitchell Taylor
• Shane Opitz
• Brandon Mims

I'm also fairly confident international free agents Gabriel Cenas, Adonis Cardona and Jairo Labour are not required to be on there just yet either.

We will probably select a player in the 2011 Amateur Draft that can move through the system in under 3 and a half seasons and jump right on the 25 man roster. A junior or senior from a division 1 college a la Deck McGuire. That window narrows considerably in the 2012 Amateur Draft.

Now if only I could get my hands on a Grays Sports Almanac, I may be able to tell you if this collection of players is good enough to make the playoffs in the 2011 to 2015 time frame.

Weekly Round Up: Double Shot

You see what I just did right there?

Missed last week's round up due to the 3 day bender I went on after the Vernon trade was officially completed. Much has happened in Blue Jay land. Check it.

Consider this your required reading.

Consider this your required listening.

Consider this your required viewing. This one was a close second place.

Courtesy of Kirby Arnold:

Wakamatsu, still considered one of baseball's best young managerial prospects, said he had coaching opportunities with four teams before going with the Blue Jays under new manager John Farrell.
"People asked me, 'Why not Baltimore, why not Milwaukee, why not Oakland?'" he said. "The impression I got from (Blue Jays general manager) Alex Anthopoulos, (assistant GM) Tony LaCava and everybody in the front office really blew me away. I felt really good about Johnny Farrell. It felt like the right fit and I think I needed something like this to rekindle myself.

Great read on the Wak.

Courtesy of Shi Davidi:

Hill, with six seasons under his belt, is now the longest-tenured Blue Jay while Bautista — who is eligible for free agency after the 2011 season but is believed to be engaged in talks on a long-term deal — embodies many of the qualities the team would like to have going forward.
The longest-tenured player on the team is reliever Jason Frasor, who made his debut in 2004, but the heart and soul of the pitching staff is now left-hander Ricky Romero.
Those four players, along with starter Brandon Morrow, first baseman Adam Lind and outfielder Travis Snider, may all end up shouldering some of the burden in Wells' absence.

So.....ah.....which one is it then? Hill or Frasor

Courtesy of Robert Emrich:

MiLB.com: You're moving to an organization that has an established second baseman at the big league level in Aaron Hill. Has the idea of switching positions been discussed at all?
Lawrie: I've been working out at third -- they've wanted me to play some third. I felt comfortable over there, I think I am going to go into Spring [Training], where third is where I'm going to be put at.

This interview via an MLB.com reporter was posted on MiLB.com an hour before..... 

Courtesy of Jonathan Mayo:

2. Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays: Toronto got the top Canadian prospect from the Brewers in the Shaun Marcum deal and he's another one still learning the position after being drafted No. 16 overall in 2008. Lawrie can flat-out hit and should have power and speed at the big league level. He may never win a Gold Glove, but a Jeff Kent-like evolution isn't out of the question.

This one was posted on MLB.com. Nice to see the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing in other organizations as well isn't it?

Courtesy of Jonathan Mayo:

3. Kyle Drabek, Blue Jays: Doug's kid had a pretty good first season in Toronto's organization after coming over from Philadelphia in the Roy Halladay deal. He was the Eastern League's Pitcher of the Year and made his big league debut in September. With one of the best breaking pitches in the Minors, Drabek also throws a lively fastball and a changeup that's improved considerably. A strong competitor, he's ready to take on the AL East as part of the Jays rotation.

Mayo also liked two of our catchers, and a shortstop. Throw in a top 60 list and you got yourself a couple of busy weeks.

Courtesy of Justin Bopp:

Courtesy of WAR Graphs:

Courtesy of Sporting News:

But the 33-year-old lefthander readily admits he will not miss facing the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays in a third of his team's games this season.
"Face it, that had has much to do with it as anything," Tallet said. "Let's be honest. It's a brutal division."
So brutal that it can wear on teams such as Toronto, which enters every season as a long shot to contend. The Blue Jays have won at least 83 games in four of the past five seasons but have yet to finish closer than 10 games out. That can put a drag on players.
"You start to accept (you're not going to win)," Tallet says. "And that's the worst thing a player can do."
Tallet isn't the only refugee from the AL East hoping to find comfort in the NL Central. All six clubs have added at least one player whose most recent team resides in the AL East:
Reds: Fred Lewis, Blue Jays.
Cardinals: Tallet, Blue Jays; Lance Berkman, Yankees.
Brewers: Shaun Marcum, Blue Jays.
Astros: Bill Hall, Red Sox.
Cubs: Matt Garza and Carlos Pena, Rays; Kerry Wood, Yankees.
Pirates: Lyle Overbay, Blue Jays.

Take note fellow fantasy pool players. These guys are nice candidates to reap the rewards from moving from the AL to the NL.

Courtesy of Jim Caple:

28. Blue Jays

Toronto tried to improve its old logo a couple years ago. It failed.

Does anybody out there actually, you know, like the new logo? This guy clearly doesn't either.

Courtesy of Ben Badler:

The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with 16-year-old Dominican lefthander Jairo Labour for $350,000.
Labour, who is 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, became eligible to sign when the 2010 international signing period opened on July 2, but he developed into a better prospect later and has run his fastball up to 92 mph. Labour, who is from Azua, is a good athlete with a solid delivery and feel for spinning a breaking ball. 

A little prospect porn sprinkled in for ya. Everybody loves prospect porn. 

Courtesy of Bernie Puchalski:

After two years, he was promoted to assistant scouting director in 2003, but decided to take a step back to become the scouting coordinator with the Toronto Blue Jays because he worried what would happen if the Montreal Expos made their rumoured move to the United States.His ascent through the Blue Jays' ranks was dramatic. He became assistant general manager in 2005, vice-president of baseball operations in 2006 and, finally, the team's general manager in 2009.
"If there's one word you leave here with today, it's humility," he said. "There's more power in humility than you will ever believe."
Because of that humble nature, he drives around Toronto in a Honda CRV.
"I've got a raise, but I'm not changing the way I live.
"I don't need to."

Stay grounded. Stay focused. Do whatever you gotta do man, just win me a World Series before I die.

Courtesy of Jeremy Sandler:

But money probably means something — especially when the MLBPA pushes its members to go for the maximum — and a big contract would help Bautista help a lot of kids.
Taken together, unless the Blue Jays are right now willing to pay him premium power hitter money for several years to come, Bautista is likely going to take his chances and see what the market will bear.

The more I think about it, the more I don't see an extension being done with J-Bau at any point this season. And there is really nothing anybody can do about it. Consider that he has been playing/waiting his entire career to become a free agent and his 2010 season slash line of .260/.378/.617 looks a little video gameish. Perhaps his agent is driving the bus on this one or as the article suggests the MLBPA, either way, I say he plays out his final year of arbitration and takes his chances on the open market. Wouldn't you? 

Courtesy of Kevin Goldstein: 

Five-Star Prospects
1. Kyle Drabek, RHP
2. J.P. Arencibia, C
Four-Star Prospects
3. Brett Lawrie, 2B
Three-Star Prospects
4. Travis d'Arnaud, C
5. Deck McGuire, RHP
6. Carlos Perez, C
7. Adeiny Hechavarria, SS
8. Zach Stewart, RHP
9. Anthony Gose, CF
10. Aaron Sanchez, RHP
11. Asher Wojciechowski, RHP

Nine More:
12. Eric Thames, OF: As of now, this spot might be low, because he could be solid, everyday corner outfielder.
13. Dickie Joe Thon, SS: This $1.5 million fifth-rounder has the tools to rank higher, but he needs more polish.
14. Adonis Cardona, RHP: The Venezuelan teen got a $2.8 million bonus, but he's raw, but he also has an absolutely huge arm.
15. Noah Syndergaard, RHP: A teenage righty with length and projection, Snydergaard needs to tighten up his secondary stuff.
16. Henderson Alvarez, RHP: Scouts love his stuff, yet wonder why the results rarely match.
17. Jake Marisnick, OF: A tremendous athlete, but he's far away from being a tremendous baseball player.
18. Griffin Murphy, LHP: He possesses a good fastball, better curve, and--like many young Jays pitchers--tons of projection.
19. Kellen Sweeney, 3B: The younger brother of Ryan has the same pretty swing from the left side of the plate.
20. Chad Jenkins, RHP: This 2009 first-round pick had a so-so full-season debut, but looks like future innings-eater.

BP weights in on the much improved farm system. I tend to take this list a little more seriously than the one BA puts out. What about y'all?

Courtesy of You Don`t Know Dick:

Need a clue that something with the Jays and Young could be in the works? Vernon Wells was asked during a Tuesday conference call where he’d been when Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos called to ask him to waive his no-trade clause, to consent to go to Anaheim in trade.
“I was at the Mavericks-Lakers game with my wife and, ironically, with Michael Young and his wife,” Wells said. “I got the call at halftime and missed most of the rest of the game.”
Ironically? Why would Wells use that word for something that was merely coincidental?

Hate to point of the obvious here Dick but Vernon didn't go to college. Just relax. This is not a "clue". This is obviously a writer for a sport in it's offseason trying to make up a story out of absolutely nothing in order to sell some papers. As always, a trip into the comments section provides some interesting reading. My favorite is courtesy of Adhoc: 

a teachable moment for Griffin

Hey Griff - Even if Wells used the term 'ironic' because he knew the Jays were looking to acquire Young, it would still be a coincidence; there's nothing ironic about it. Have you been studying at the Alanis Morissette School of Irony?

Courtesy of  Jeremy Sandler:

But baseball sources confirmed to the National Post that Toronto also included a cash payment to the Angels.
Jon Heyman of SI.com, who broke the news of the money changing hands and is one of the most reliable insiders in the business, pegged the amount at US$5-million.
All cash transfers greater than US$1-million must be approved by the commissioner’s office.
When confronted with this information on Wednesday, Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos offered only a cryptic reply.
“We agreed for the deal to be that deal, that was the deal that was announced,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything more to it. I think people are trying to read way more into this, like way more. There’s not. There’s no smoking gun. There’s no conspiracy theory.”
In truth, the only conspiracy comes from the two teams involved in their attempts to keep the money quiet.
This is what Anthopoulos said last Friday when directly asked about dollars changing hands in the deal:
“I guess what I would tell you is the deal that was consummated is the deal that we announced, which is  a 2-for-1 deal,” he said. “And that ultimately was the final transaction of Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera.”
Why Anthopoulos or his Angels counterpart Tony Reagins would try to cover up the payment is more of a mystery than anything else.

Alright, seriously now. I was starting to embrace the lack of commenting from the braintrust PRIOR to a transaction taking place.....but are we also suppose to except them not commenting on transactions AFTER they are completed as well? WTF is going on here? 

Courtesy of Tom Valcke:

Toronto Blue Jays legendary closer Tom Henke leads the 2011 class of inductees who will be enshrined on Saturday, June 18^th in St. Marys, Ontario.  “The Terminator” will be joined by Kelowna, British Columbia native Allan Simpson, the founder of Baseball America, the monthly publication commonly referred to as the Bible of the baseball industry, and posthumous inductee George “Dandy” Wood, born in Pownal, Prince Edward Island, who played almost 1,300 games in the major leagues back in the 1800’s, but whose Canadian citizenship was only uncovered a year ago.

Bob Elliott, an icon in baseball journalism, will be presented with the Jack Graney at the ceremony as well.

God damn this song was fucking awesome. Terminator, Terminator, you can bring him in now but he's even better later. Been singing it for the last hour now.

Courtesy of Ian Harrison:

As they delightedly discussed the deal on Twitter, Jays fans called their GM the “Silent Assassin” for trading a supposedly untradeable player without even a whisper of rumour beforehand. Anthopoulos didn’t comment on the moniker when Canadian Press reporter Shi Davidi informed him of it during a conference call last Friday night.
Talk? Come on. That’s not how the Silent Assassin rolls.

Actually, in fact, that's how the Blue Jay Hunter rolls dude.

Around the Winter Leagues: Blue Jays

It's hot stove season, but there's still plenty of baseball action going on around the world. Below, we'll take a look at how Blue Jays prospects are doing in various Winter leagues.


In the Venezuelan League-

Outfielder Darin Mastroianni posted a .365 batting average with 1 homerun, 18 RBI and 11 steals in 37 games for the Aguilas. Mastroianni batted .301 with a .788 OPS in 132 games for Double A New Hampshire during the 2010 regular season.

Ronald Uviendo, who the Blue Jays acquired from the Pirates in exchange for Dana Eveland this year, is pitching for the Leones. In 17 games (10 starts), the 24-year-old Uviendo has a 4-2 record with a 2.39 ERA. With Double A New Hampshire, after the trade, Uviendo went 5-3 with a 5.31 ERA in 25 games.

20-year-old first base prospect Roan Salas, a native of Venezuela, has played in just two games with the Aguilas. In those games he is 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Righty hurler Nestor Molina is 4-2 with a 2.77 ERA and has struck out 25 batters in 26 relief innings for the Cardenales. Right-handed opponents are batting .196 against Molina, while left-handers have hit at a .343 clip against him. Molina was signed as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2006 at age 17.

Also on the Cardenales roster is catcher Jonathan Jaspe. The switch-hitting 25-year-old has a .244 average with 2 homers and 5 RBI in 19 games. Jaspe batted .238 in 61 games for Double A New Hampshire in 2010.

David Cooper, a lefty hitting first baseman that also played with New Hampshire in 2010, struggled in 6 games as a member of the Bravos. Cooper went 3-for-17 (.176 avg.) with no extra base hits.

Right-handed pitcher Wes Etheridge, acquired by Toronto this off-season, posted a 1-2 record and a 2.76 ERA in 6 games (3 starts) with the Caribes. Etheridge, a 12th round draft pick by Milwaukee in 2007, spent the 2010 regular season pitching for Maui in the independent Golden Baseball League.

The man with the best name of the bunch, Balbino Fuenmayor, has a .268 average with 1 homerun and 5 RBI in 18 games. Fuenmayor is a 21-year-old first baseman who resides in Venezuela.

Jesus Merchan, a 29-year-old infielder, has posted a .308 average with 2 doubles and 3 RBI in 14 games for the Navegantes. The former Phillies prospect batted .310 in 44 games at two levels of the Toronto system in 2010.

Henderson Alvarez, who pitched with the High A Level Dunedin Blue Jays this year, has looked good in 10 starts, despite not earning a win for the Tiburones. Alvarez has a 0-1 record with a 2.13 ERA with just 1 homerun allowed. The 20-year-old is a native of Venezuela. 

In the Puerto Rican League-

Willie Collazo, a 31-year-old lefty pitcher, has posted solid number for the Gigantes. In 7 games, Collazo is 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA and has held opponents to a .213 batting average. Collazo, a native of Puerto Rico, also pitched 2 relief outings in the Venezuelan League this year.

In the Dominican League-

Joel Carreno, a 23-year-old righty pitcher, posted a 2-1 record with a 3.25 ERA and 24 strike outs in 27 2/3 innings for the Leones. Carreno went 9-6 with a 3.73 ERA at High A Dunedin in 2010.

Starting pitcher Luis Perez is 2-5 with a 4.23 in 11 games for the Leones. Perez, a lefty, has an unimpressive 21/17 strike out/walk ratio. In 28 combined games between Double A and Triple A this year, Perez had a 10-11 record with a 5.40 ERA.

Ivan Contreras, a 23-year-old second baseman, is just 0-for-2 with 6 runs scored and 5 steals, appearing primarily as a pinch runner in 21 games for the Gigantes. Contreras played in the Angels system during the 2010 regular season.

Right-handed hitting outfielder Moises Sierra has a .273 average and a .909 OPS in 18 games for the Gigantes. The 22-year-old has been appearing as a reserve player lately. Sierra batted .211 in 20 combined games for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and High A level Dunedin during 2010.

Jonthan Diaz went hitless in 11 games with 1 RBI for the Gigantes. Diaz, a 25-year-old infielder, batted .239 with 2 HR and 43 RBI in 127 combined games at Double A and Triple A during the 2010 regular season.

Edwin Encarnacion who batted .244 with 21 homers in 96 games with the Blue Jays in 2010 is on the Aguilas roster. In 15 Dominican League games, Encarnacion is batting .246 with 3 homeruns and 11 RBI. The righty hitting Encarnacion is also just 1-for-12 (.083 avg) against lefty pitchers...the lone hit was a homer.

Adam Loewen has a .355 batting average with 2 homeruns and 7 RBI in 9 games with the Toros. Loewen also batted .333 with 5 homeruns and 19 in 14 games in the Arizona Fall League. The left-handed hitting Canadian was once a Major League pitcher, but is on his way back up through the ranks as an outfielder, after injuries ended his pitching career.

33-year-old righty pitcher Winston Abreu, signed by Toronto in late November, has looked excellent in 16 games for the Toros. The former Major Leaguer has not allowed an earned run in 14 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .143 batting average.

In the Mexican League-

22-year-old outfielder Jon Del Campo, who played in 28 games with High-A level Dunedin in 2010, went hitless in 3 games with the Venados. The switch-hitter Del Campo is a native of Mexico and was a 20th round draft pick in 2006.

In the Australian League-

24-year-old pitcher Shane Benson allowed 2 earned runs in 2 innings for the Blue Sox. Benson only appeared in one game back in November.
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