The Trade is Official!

Bud Selig has, after 6 days(although he only received the paperwork on Friday) has approved the mega-deal between the Jays and Marlins that sends All Stars Josh Johnson,Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, John Buck,speedster IF/OF Emilio Bonifacio, and an undisclosed amount of cash(last we heard it was $8million) to the Jays! Going to the Marlins in the trade are Major Leaguers Yunel Escobar, Jeff Mathis, and Henderson Alvarez along with prospects Adeiny Hechavarria, Jake Marisnick, Anthony DeSclafini, and Justin Nicolino. I have nothing really to say other than "RBI's for JOSE BAUTISTA"...cause you know, with Reyes and Melky in front of him, he will lead the league in that meaningless stat, and stop Miguel Cabrera from winning the triple crown again!!!

In other news, Manny Acta is going to be working in TV next year, and they haven't even contacted him, so cross him off the list.

Who do you want to be manager? Leave your comments below.

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Will Alex Give Towers a Call?

            When the majority of you saw this you either thought: Who’s Towers,or that this is just another article about how the Blue Jays should acquire Justin Upton. Well, I hate to break it to you, but those are both wrong. I'm talking about Kevin Towers, GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks

            Although Justin Upton would be a superb acquisition by Alex Anthopoulos, he’s not the first name I’d ask about if I was Alex—it’d be Trevor Bauer. Arizona’s front office and Bauer’s relationship has said to be thinning with Bauer’s unwillingness to change his routines. Does this sound familiar to you? Maybe Yunel Escobar and Colby Rasmus’ names will help you remember that this situation Arizona is in fits right into Alex’s trading niche. Anthopoulos loves to buy low on players that have had problems elsewhere and bring them into, what seems like, a very player friendly atmosphere in Toronto.

            So why exactly would Alex be interested in an unproven pitcher that put up a ERA of 6.06 in 4 major league starts last year, when there are proven pitchers on the free agent market that wouldn’t cost current players or prospects? Because this is Trevor Bauer and he could end up being a front-line starter, some could even push for “ace” potential. He has done nothing but succeed in the minors in 2012, even in the PCL where he put up an ERA of 2.85 and a K/9 ratio of 10.6 in 14 starts, now that’s promise. And let us not forget that he is still only 21 years of age.

            I feel that Bauer could most likely step into a 2013 middle-to-back-end rotation spot, so there is no question that an acquisition of Bauer would fill a hole. It would cost Alex, but wouldn’t create any new holes needed to be filled later because of what Arizona needs. A trade involving Trevor Bauer would cost nothing less than a major league short stop and a promising pitcher going back in return. The Blue Jays have depth in both positions, so it’s possible but may be a stretch. After all, not many pitchers of his caliber get traded so young. I’m really not saying that Bauer is on the block, but if a good enough offer comes around, I see the D-Backs going for it.

            Maybe the Jays and D-Backs talk about Bauer and realize something like this: Maybe not Bauer, but Patrick Corbin also fits nicely into the Jays plans, as does Adeiny Hechavarria with Arizona. A cheap way for both teams to fill holes!

            Tell me what you think and shoot me a comment or tweet!

You can follow me on Twitter,@Canucks_BlueJay.

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Medic! Youth, Energy, & Potential Will Have to Carry the Blue Jays

WARNING: This is an opinion piece created by an observant fan

The heart of the 2012 Toronto Blue Jays has been grit, tenacity and bringing a youthful energy to the diamond every game. This philosophy is being accentuated with the arrival of farm system DL assistance, in the form of: top prospects, pitching help, and support from important bench players. It is safe to say that the disaster of the 2012 season, is working positively toward 2013; and the Blue Jays fanbase should be excited to watch these kids grow up together.

                                                                                    Anthony Gose:

As crazy as it sounds, Gose now appears and holds himself among the great crop of new Blue Jays as the experienced rookie. Gose has learned A LOT in his first three weeks of major league experience. Gose is an obvious example of a defensive stud that just needs to take his licks at the plate and make the appropriate adjustments; all expected of a 21-year old professional athlete. With GM Alex Anthopoulos commenting on how impressed he has been with the quality of Gose’s at-bats and his determination to get better; I have to agree to a certain extent. The speed of Anthony is without question, and with a steady upgrade of his bunt ability Gose will carve a niche for himself until his swing is ready to contend with big-league pitching more consistenly. At a very young 21 years, Gose finds himself with a swing percentage of pitches outside the zone of 32%, just three points above the league average – this is encouraging considering his widely held weakness is a high K-rate. I believe in the potential of his athleticism, patience, determination, and the progress Gose will make under the Blue Jays developmental program.

Moises Sierra:

The most obvious point to be made about Sierra is his schoolyard mentality, one that is going to earn him a few choice words from every manager and coach that he plays under at the major league level. Players that bring grit, swagger, and aggressiveness to the diamond everyday should never have to apologize. Without any doubt, players like Lawrie or Sierra will have to temper that aggression into beneficial team production. Sierra is far from the prototypical stellar OF prospect, yet he possesses raw power, a monstrous throwing arm from RF, and a knack for making things happen on the basepaths. Moises has hit the ball fairly well thus far with the Blue Jays but it will be his baseball knowledge and critical decision-making that will decide his fate. Being the obvious odd man out in the Blue Jays OF, Sierra is doing a service for the Blue Jays displaying his skills to the viewing pleasure of the rest of the MLB.

 

Adeiny Hechavarria:

At the ripe age of 23, Adeiny has been heralded by many baseball minds as the next elite Blue Jays middle infielder and his fantastic ability to make great plays in the field is evidence of that. A young Cuban prospect, Hech has nothing left to prove with his slick fielding glove, soft hands and strong accurate throwing arm. He has found no problems anchoring the infield defence from his shortstop position at any level of competition. Outside of his inflated 2012 numbers in AAA, Hech has showed a dramatic ability to adapt, be patient, and make good plate appearances each time out. With the bat speed and maturity that Hech has shown in a handful of major league games on top of his stellar rise through the minors, the Blue Jays have a valuable SS and every other MLB team knows it as well.

Yan Gomes:

In my opinion Yan Gomes deserves a lot of kudos for the roller coaster ride of position and affiliation changes he has endured. Gomes has been called upon to play first base, third base, catch, and even play some left field. For a team decimated by unlucky injuries, the Blue Jays have needed players with the versatility and laissez-faire attitude of Yan Gomes. The defence of Gomes behind the dish was less than great for a player with a primary position of catcher, but I think Yan has proven to be a satisfactory first base glove. I believe that the versatility, power, and age of Gomes give him a moderate value especially for NL teams looking for those kinds of bench players. The best way for Gomes to prove his worth, while with the Blue Jays, is to do a better job driving the ball when he does get a pitch to hit; he has struggled chasing pitches recently.

                                                                                    David Cooper:

Cooper is the “Rudy” of the 2012 Toronto Blue Jays. There are easy reasons to like and dislike David Cooper as the replacement 1B or DH for the Toronto Blue Jays while Adam Lind continues to have back issues (as a result of poor physical conditioning). Cooper has a particular set of honed skills as a result of being the steadfast 1B in AAA Las Vegas for the past 3 seasons. The plus ability for David Cooper is his short and clean swing that is packaged with a very good batting eye. Cooper does not chase many bad pitches and has driven the ball with authority when gets the barrel of the bat out on the ball. I believe that Cooper needs to improve his running ability and his lower back flexibility if he is ever going to be considered a major league defender. The value of players like Cooper is that he can make the most of his at-bats with the Blue Jays and help become a valuable trade piece because he has MLB experience and moderate results. The value of David Cooper may be measured most appropriately when and if he becomes a trade piece for the type of core player Anthopoulos is looking to add. 

Please feel free to comment below and as always your various opinions are welcome.

Follow me on Twitter: @ntopolie13 

-Nick Topolie

Minor League Roundup (July 16th - July 22nd) - Las Vegas 51s

Minor League Roundup (July 16^th to July 22nd)

Every week I’ll be diving into the Blue Jays system to see how the up and comers have fared in the past 7 days.  I’ll only be looking at the prospects in the system, so, sorry to the Ruban Gotay types out there, you’ll continue to be ignored. 

Its very important to note, that while this is can be a useful exercise, its important to not take the stats put up in the minor leagues as gospel.  Minor league numbers can very often be deceiving, the calibre of competition can frequently vary wildly (often within the same game eve), and frequently skills that allow you to thrive in the minors wont translate at all to the majors (such as being a mistake hitter, or relying on a trick pitch for strikeouts).  Also, minor league teams don’t do advanced scouting, so holes in a players game that can be exploited at the next level won’t become apparent.  So take anything I’m saying here with a healthy grain of salt.

            I’ll be writing up one team per day (Las Vegas on Monday, New Hampshire on Tuesday, Dunedin on Wednesday, Lansing on Thursday, & Vancouver (and lower) on Friday. 

Las Vegas 51s (AAA)

July 16^th – 9-6 Win v. Fresno

July 17^th – 5-4 Win v. Fresno

July 18^th – 11-5 Win v. Fresno

July 19^th – 10-9 Win v. Fresno

July 20^th – 4-3 Win v. Reno

July 21^st – 6-5 Loss v. Reno

July 22^nd – 7-5 Win v. Reno

The 51s returned home to Cashman Field, and promptly hit the ball all over the yard., like they always do.  Its really hard to analyze any of the offensive statistics this team puts up, when the play in this ridiculous offensive environment.  The only factor that makes the stats a little more believable is that in the latter half of the week they were up against the Reno Aces (their cross state rival), and they have some of the best pitching prospects in the PCL, including Trevor Bauer, Pat Corbin, Tyler Skaggs, as well as minor league vets like Barry Enright.  It doesn’t totally legitimize the stats, but at least is something.

Hitters

            Over the past week the 51s have lost 3 of their top hitting prospects in Anthony Gose, Travis Snider, & Yan Gomes due to injuries on the parent club.  However to look at the hitting stats from this week, you’d have no idea (Go Cashman Field). 

Anthony Gose – CF – 21 Years Old

AAA Line – 436 PAs - .292/.375/.432 – 5 HRs, 41 RBI, 77 Runs, 93 Ks, 47 BBs, 29 SBs, 10 CSs,

Weekly Line – 0/1

July 16^th – 0/1

            Gose only got 1 plate appearance at AAA the following week, before getting the call up to the big leagues to fill in after Jose Bautista strained his wrist.  Given that he wasn’t in the lineup this week I don’t have much to say, and its really just the spot for a quick note.

Adeiny Hechavarria – SS – 23 Years Old

AAA Line – 443 PAs - .304/.355/.426 – 6 HRs, 60 RBI, 70 Runs, 81 Ks, 33 BBs, 8 SBs, 2 CS

Weekly AAA Line – 34 PAs – .182/.250/.212 – 1 2B, 1 RBI, 5 Runs, 6 Ks, 3 BBs

July 16^th – 3/5 – 1 2B, 1 1B, 1 Run, 1 K

July 17^th – 1/4 – 1 1B, 1 RBI, 1 Run

July 18^th – 1/4 – 1 Run, 1 K, 1 BB

July 19^th – 1/5 – 1 1B, 1 K

July 20^th – 0/4 – 1 K

July 21^st – 0/5 – 1 Run, 1 K, 1 BB

July 22^nd – 0/5 – 1 Run, 1 K, 1 BB

            Hechavarria has really been buried in a slump since he returned from the AAA all-star game, and this week was more concerning than the last, even though his numbers weren’t quite so dire.  The fact that this ineptitude took place in Vegas, and if he cant hit there, he wont hit anywhere.  I’m still convinced that his stellar defense is still there, but what’s the point if he cant hit.  If he turns out to be the next Rey Ordonez, that just wont play in the AL East.

Travis Snider – LF – 24 Years Old

AAA Line – 246 PAs - .335/.423/.598 – 13 HRs, 56 RBI, 49 Runs, 42 Ks, 34 BBs, 2 SBs, 4 CSs

Weekly AAA Line – 14 PAs - .643/.643/1.357 – 3 HRs, 1 2B, 8 RBI, 6 Runs, 2 Ks

July 16^th – 3/4 – 3 1Bs, 1 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 K

July 17^th – 1/4 – 1 1B, 1 K

July 18^th – 4/5 – 2 HRs, 1 2B, 1 1B, 6 RBI, 3 Runs

July 19^th – 1/1 – 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 Run

*CALLED UP TO TORONTO*

             In his last week in AAA (maybe ever), he proved again what we’ve known for about 2 years now, which is that he can CRUSH minor league pitching.  The question we’re about to find out is whether he can finally take that skill to the next.  As I detailed in the piece that I wrote when he was called up, this is his last shot.  If he fails over the rest of this season he’ll be moving along to the greener pastures of another organization.

Eric Thames – LF – 27 Years Old

MLB Line – 160 PAs - .243/.288/.365 – 3 HRs, 11 RBI, 17 Runs, 40 Ks, 9 BBs, 0 SB, 1 CS

AAA Line – 201 PAs - .322/.403/.509 – 4 HRs, 26 RBI, 26 Runs, 36 Ks, 24 BBs, 1 SB, 1 CS

Weekly AAA Line – .345/.406/.655 – 2 HRs, 3 2Bs, 6 RBI, 3 Runs, 6 Ks, 3 BBs

July 16^th – 0/3 – 1 Run, 1 K, 1 BB

July 17^th – 2/4 -

July 18^th – 2/5 – 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 Run, 2 Ks

July 19^th – 2/5 – 1 HR, 1 1B, 2 RBI, 1 Run

July 20^th – 1/3 – 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 2 BBs

July 21^st – 2/5 – 1 2B, 1 1B, 1 RBI, 1 K

July 22^nd –1/4 – 1 1B, 2 Ks

Eric Thames really likes hitting at Cashman Field.  He utterly demolished the ball this week.  While Thames had been hitting well since his demotion to AAA, the one thing that had been lacking is power.  Coming into the week he only had 2 HRs since the demotion, and he doubled that last week alone.  Even though the HRs were in Vegas, its not like he hasn’t been hitting there all year before that.  This has to be seen as a major positive.

David Cooper – 1B – 25 Years Old

MLB Line – 69 PAs - .292/.333/.431 – 2 HRs, 6 RBI, 8 Runs, 9 Ks, 3 BBs, 0 SB, 1 CS

AAA Line – 283 PAs - .300/.385/.514 – 9 HRs, 48 RBI, 42 Runs, 34 Ks, 35 BBs, 0 SB, 0 CS

Weekly AAA Line – .454/.500/.758 – 1 HR, 7 2B, 7 RBI, 9 Runs, 5 Ks, 3 BBs

July 16^th – 1/5 – 1 2Bs, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 K

July 17^th – 2/4 – 2 2Bs, 1 RBI, 1 K,

July 18^th – 3/4 – 2 2B, 1 1B, 1 RBI, 3 Runs, 1 BB

July 19^th – 2/5 – 2 1Bs

July 20^th – 1/5 – 1 2B, 1 Run, 1 K

July 21^st – 2/6 – 2 1Bs, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 2 Ks

July 22^nd –4/4 – 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 1B, 3 RBI, 3 Runs, 2 BBs

 By far the easiest way to see if the 51s are at home is to look at David Cooper’s hitting line for the week.  He’s a full blown MVP candidate when hitting in the heat and elevation of Vegas (.389/.464/.701), but anywhere else he turns into the worst hitter I’ve ever seen (.172/.270/.242).  This week he was in Vegas, so he was a great hitter.  Really doesn’t matter, he’s not a prospect at this point, and I’d be shocked if we ever see him in the big leagues again.

Yan Gomes – C/3B – 24 Years Old

MLB Line – 48 PAs - .214/.271/.476 – 3 HRs, 9 RBI, 6 Runs, 15 Ks, 2 BBs, 0 SB, 0 CS

AAA Line – 274 PAs - .340/.392/.584 – 11 HRs, 47 RBI, 37 Runs, 58 Ks, 20 BBs, 3 SBs, 0 CS

Weekly AAA Line – 8 PAs, .375/.375/.500 – 1 2B, 1 K

July 16^th – 2/4 – 2 1B

July 17^th – 1/4 – 1 2B, 1 K

*Called Up To Toronto*

             Yan Gomes got the call back up to the big leagues after Brett Lawrie jumped down into the pits of hell while in New York.  At this point Gomes is a nice asset to have in the minor league for depth.  He can get the call to fill in for a pinch to fill in if the team has a need at third base, catcher, or first base.  I’m not sure that he’ll ever deserving of full time at bats, because he just swings and misses too often.  Presumably he’ll be back down when we know that Lawrie is fully back healthy.

Moises Sierra – OF – 23 Years Old

AAA Line – 388 PAs - .298/.366/.481 – 16 HRs, 58 RBI, 59 Runs, 77 Ks, 34 BBs, 7 SBs, 6 CSs

Weekly AAA Line – 24 PAs - .333/.385/.583 – 2 HRs, 6 RBI, 4 Runs, 6 Ks, 2 BBs, 1 SB

July 16^th – 3/3 – 3 1Bs, 2 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 SB

July 17^th – 0/4 – 1 K,

July 18^th – Off

July 19^th – 0/4 – 2 Ks

July 20^th – 1/4 – 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 BB

July 21^st – 1/5 – 2 Ks

July 22^nd – 3/4 – 1 HR, 2 1Bs, 3 RBI, 1 Run, 1 K, 1 BB

            Sierra had a solid week when considering Vegas.  He’s had a pretty solid developmental year for a raw latino outfielder.  His upside is probably a 4^th outfielder longterm, and I see no reason to change that, but the 2 home runs this week is certainly nice to see.

Pitching

There continues to be next to no talent in the 51s pitching staff, specifically the starting rotation.  Their rotation at the moment is Scott Richmond, Jesse Chavez, Nate Robertson, Sean O’Sullivan & Sean Hill.  That’s pretty pitiful, even for a AAA rotation.

David Carpenter – RH Reliever – 26 Years Old

MLB (Hou) Line – 30 Games, 29.2 IP, 0-2 W-L, 6.07 ERA, 1.921 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9

AAA Line – 8 Games, 11.1 IP, 1-0 W-L, 1.59 ERA, 0.874 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 0.9 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9

Weekly AAA Line – 1.2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 3 Ks, 1 BB, 0 HR

July 21^st – 1.2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 3 Ks, 1 BB, 0 HR

            A  new addition to my minor league recaps, after the trade with the Astros last week, and he’s probably the piece from that deal that will be sticking around the longest with the Jays.  He doesn’t profile as more than a middle reliever, but he could be quite a capable one.  He hasn’t had a lot of success this year in the majors, but his minor league track record shows that he could be a very useful minor asset going forward. 

His debut into Vegas went pretty darn well.  Striking out 3 of the 7 batters he faced, and avoiding a home run.  I think he’ll be up with the big team pretty soon.

Jesse Chavez – RH Starter – 27 Years Old

MLB Line – 8 Games, 20.1 IP, 0-1 W-L, 8.85 ERA, 1.574 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 2.7 HR/9

AAA Line – 14 Games, 73.2 IP, 8-2 W-L, 3.67 ERA, 1.113 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9

Weekly Line – 3.1 IP, 1-0 W-L, 0.00 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, 5.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 0.0 HR/9

July 16^th – 3 IP, Win, 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 Ks, 1 BB, 0 HRs

July 20^th – .1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 Ks, 0 BBs, 0 HRs

            Jesse Chavez sucks.  He’s a passable AAA starter, but he just doesn’t have the stuff to compete at the major league level.  He’s back in Vegas now, and he had one very good start (if one without any missed bats, which shouldn’t shock anyone). In the next one he sustained an injury and had to be lifted from the game after just 1 batter, because he was hit in his leg by a comebacker.  Not sure how long this will keep him out of the lineup, but it really isn’t likely to matter

Joel Carreno – RH Starter – 25 Years Old

MLB Line – 6 Games, 15 IP, 0-2 W-L, 6.60 ERA, 1.800 WHIP, 5.4 K/9, 6.6 BB/9, 3.0 HR/9

AA Line – 7 Games, 36.1 IP, 1-4 W-L, 4.71 ERA, 1.128 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9

AAA Line – 10 Games, 36.1 IP, 2-5 W-L, 8.92 ERA, 2.119 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 6.7 BB/9, 1.7 HR/9

Weekly Line – 4.1 IP, 0-0 W-L, 2.09 ERA, 2.09 WHIP, 8.37 K/9, 10.5 BB/9, 0.0 HR/9

July 18^th – 1 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 1 K, 0 BB

July 20^th – 3.1 IP, 1 Run, 3 Hits, 3 Ks, 5 BBs

            Joel Carreno took a major step forward this week.  When he came in to replace the injured Jesse Chavez he still walked 5 people in his 3 innings of work, but this time he didn’t accompany them with the 2 home runs he did last time out.  I don’t think I could damn someone with any fainter praise than that.  He’s contracted full blown Steve Blass disease.  He’s not coming back from this.          

            I’ll be back tomorrow to check around at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.  Hope you enjoyed it, and see you then.

            You can follow me on Twitter, @Mentoch.To connect with the site, Follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook.

Minor League Roundup: Las Vegas 51s

By:Ewan Ross
Every week I’ll be diving into the Blue Jays system to see how the up and comers have fared in the past 7 days.  I’ll only be looking at the prospects in the system, so, sorry to the Ruban Gotay types out there, you’ll continue to be ignored. 

It’s very important to note that,while this can be a useful exercise, it’s important to not take the stats put up in the minor leagues as gospel.  Minor league numbers can very often be deceiving, the calibre of competition can frequently vary wildly (often within the same game), and regularly, skills that allow you to thrive in the minors wont translate at all to the majors (such as being a mistake hitter, or relying on a trick pitch for strikeouts).  Also, minor league teams don’t do advanced scouting, so holes in a player’s game that can be exploited at the next level won’t become apparent.  So take anything I’m saying here with a healthy grain of salt.

            I’ll be writing up on one team per day (Las Vegas on Monday, New Hampshire on Tuesday,Dunedin on Wednesday, Lansing on Thursday, & Vancouver (and lower) on Friday.  Since it’s the first week I’m doing this, I’m a day behind, but I’ll catch up by rolling the Vancouver recap together with Lansing on Friday. Next week we should be on a regular schedule.

Las Vegas 51s (AAA)

July 12^th – 6-3 win @ Sacramento

July 13^th – 1-0 win @ Sacramento

July 14^th – 7-1 loss @ Sacramento

July 15^th – 12-5 loss @ Sacramento

It was an abbreviated week for the 51s, due to the AAA All-Star break. They came out of the break with a 4 game series at the division leading Sacramento River Cats (Oakland A’s affiliate), who play in the one ballpark in the PCL’s southern division which isn’t a band box, and thus you can take these stats with a little more legitimacy then when the 51s are at home.  They split the series by winning the first two, and then lost the weekend games in blow-out fashion.

Hitters

Travis D’Arnaud – C – 23 years old

AAA Line – 303PAs - .333/.380/.595 – 16 HRs, 52 RBI, 45 Runs, 1 SB, 1 CS, 59 Ks, 19 BBs

D’Arnaud didn’t appear in any games this week, but the only reason I’m placing him here is for a news update. In case you missed it d’Arnaud tore his PCL while trying to break up a double play in the last week of June,and was expected to miss 6-8 weeks.  The timetable seems to have been shifted back, slightly, which signals the end to his minor league season.  It is expected he’ll be added to the team’s Arizona Fall League roster to make up for any losttime, and I imagine there’s still a chance he could break camp with the team next spring (though that’s obviously not assured).  D’Arnaud remains the club’s top prospect, and is generally considered the best catching prospect in the game, that isn’t likely to change even despite his injury set back.

Anthony Gose – CF – 21 years old

AAA Line – 436PAs - .292/.375/.432 – 5 HRs, 41 RBI, 77 Runs, 29 SBs, 10 CS, 93 Ks, 47 BBs

Weekly AAA Line –.357/.500/.714 3 RBI, 2 Runs, 4 Ks, 4 BBs, 3 CSs

Futures Game – 1/1– 1B, BB

July 12 – 2/4 – 21Bs, 1 Run, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 CS

July 13 – 0/4 – 3Ks, 1 CS

July 14 – 1/3 – 11B, 1 BB

July 15 – 2/3 – 13B, 1 home run, 1 Run, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 CS

The top prospect left in the 51s line-up(now that D’Arnaud is done for the year) had about as good a week as any minor leaguer could ever dream of.  He started the week by starring in the Futures Game in Kansas City, where he singled and worked a walk in his two at bats, and also showed off his sparkling defense in centre field by robbing Cardinals prospect Oscar Tavares with a diving web gem.He finished the week by being called up to the major league roster Monday night after just 1 at bat. In between, he showed the reasons why he was in the Futures Game, and deserved the call.  He continued to show increased discipline at the plate (4 Walks), and contact rate.  The only bad part of his weekly line was his 3 failed stolen base attempts. Despite having excellent speed, he’s still not the polished base stealer that you’d like him to be. 

Adeiny Hechavarria – SS – 23 Years Old

AAA Line – 412PAs - .318/.366/.449 – 6 HRs, 59 RBI, 66 Runs, 8 SBs, 2 CSs, 76 Ks, 30 BBs

Weekly AAA Line –.176/.176/.176– 1 Error *Includes All-Star Game

AAA All-Star Game –0/4

July 12 – Off

July 13 – 1/4 –1B

July 14 – 1/4 –1B, Error

July 15 – 1/5 –1B, 2Ks

            It was a very boring week for the enigmatic Cuban shortstop.  He got the opportunity to play the entire AAA all-star game, but strangely only touched the ball 3 times defensively, and none let him show off his skills (1 was in a rundown, and 2 were receiving throws at the bag).  He continues to show that his hitting skills are not translating well away from the friendly confines of Cashman Field (Over 200 points of OPS difference).  His defense is certainly major league ready,but I really don’t think his bat is anywhere close (nor do I really think it ever will be).  I’ve thought all along that if any team wants to give you something of value for Hechavarria, the Jays should look at doing it, and the rumblings earlier this week that he could be included in a Justin Upton package got me very excited.

Travis Snider – LF – 24 Years Old

AAA Line – 236PAs - .322/.415/.548 – 10 HRs, 49 RBI, 45 Runs, 2 SBs, 4 CSs, 41 SOs, 34 BBs

Weekly Line –.250/.437/.583 – 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 Runs, 4 BBs, 6 Ks

July 12^th– 0/2 – 2 Runs, 2 BBs, 1 K

July 13^th– 0/2 – 2BBs, 2Ks

July 14^th– 2/4 – 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 K

July 15^th– 1/4 – 1 1B, 1 RBI, 2 Ks

            A strongweek for the Lunchbox Hero, but this really isn’t anything new.  We know that Travis can crush AAA pitching,especially if he doesn’t have to face left handed pitching.  He faced entirely right-handers this week,and did what he does.  There really is nothing left for him to prove at this level, and it is really just a matter of time before he gets the call back up to the majors (which might be his last opportunity with the Jays).  It has to be discouraging for him to see Anthony Gose get the call up, especially when it’san injury to a corner outfielder that created the opportunity. However if Rajai Davis continues to slump as badly as is, I don’t think he’ll have to wait much longer.  I was late to get on the #FreeTravisSnider bandwagon, but I think its time now.  The big league club is severely lacking in left handed options, which was especially apparent when they faced righty crusher Justin Masterson on Friday, and we had to watch Davis flail away.  It is time to stop this 8-man bullpen nonsense, and call Snider up.  The team needs Travis to put on his big boy pants, and find out whether he’s a major leaguer or not. 

Eric Thames – LF – 27 Years Old

AAA Line – 173PAs - .310/.399/.483 – 3 HRs, 22 RBI, 22 Runs, 1 SB, 1 CS, 30 Ks, 22 BBs

Weekly Line – .266/.312/.533– 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 Run, 7 Ks

July 12^th– 2/5 – 1 1B, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 3 Ks

July 13^th– 1/3 – 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 K

July 14^th– 0/3 – 1 BB, 3 Ks

July 15^th– 1/4 – 1 1B

Thames has been carrying a very hot stick the last little while, and last week was no different.  However, I fear that it’s the type of hitting that just isn’t going to translate to the next level.  He remains an all or nothing hitter, as evidenced by the 7 strikeouts last week. He’s also very much a platoon player, and as mentioned, the 51s didn’t see any lefties in Sacramento.  However the parent club is badly lacking in a lefty option off their bench (or platoon mate for Davis), and if the team doesn’t think that Snider is that guy, thenthey could do a lot worse than calling up Thames.  He’s 27 years old, and this is the player who he’s going to be.  He has some pop in his bat, while lacking plate discipline.   This is who Thames is, and I think he could help the big league club out in a depth role if given another chance (and protected against lefties).

David Cooper – 1B – 25 Years Old

AAA Line – 252PAs - .274/.365/.474 – 8 HRs, 42 RBI, 59 Runs, 0 SB, 0 CS, 30 Ks, 32 BBs

Weekly Line –.142/.200/.142

July 12^th– 0/3 – 2 BBs, 1 K

July 13^th– 0/4 – 2 Ks

July 14^th– 1/4 – 1K

July 15^th– 1/3 – 1 Run, 1 BB, 1K

It was a truly awful week for the51s 1^st baseman.  His numbers are entirely a creation of Cashman Field; he has a stunning 600 point difference in his home/road splits this year. He’s had his chance in the majors, and with Lind back and hitting again I doubt we’ll see him again this year barring an unforeseen injury, or a cup of coffee when the rosters expand in September.

Yan Gomes – C/3B – 24 Years Old

AAA Line – 270PAs - .341/.394/.585 – 11 HRs, 47 RBI, 36 Runs, 3 SBs, 0 CS, 57 Ks, 20 BBs

Weekly Line –.214/.352/.428 – 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 Run, 3 BBs, 8 Ks

July 12^th– 1/2 – 1B, 3 BBs, 2 Ks

July 13^th– 0/4 – 2 Ks, Passed Ball

July 14^th– 0/4 – 2 Ks

July 15^th– 2/4 – 1 1Bs, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 Run, 2 Ks

            Gomes isn’t doing himself any favours by striking out in almost half his plate appearances this week.  It’s not likely to matter,because unless someone gets hurt there just isn’t room on the Jays roster for another right handed bat (basically Ben Francisco is occupying the roster spot he could have).  He didn’t have an awful week all things considered, but when AAA righties are striking you out that frequently, I just don’t see him having a chance against major league pitching,which is largely what we saw when he got his chance earlier. 

Moises Sierra – OF – 23 Years Old

AAA Line – 365 PAs- .302/.370/.479 – 14 HRs, 54 RBI, 57 Runs, 7 SBs, 6 CSs, 71 Ks, 32 BBs

Weekly Line –.090/.166/.272 – 1 3B, 1 BB, 3 Ks

July 12^th– 1/5 – 1 3B, 1 Run, 3 Ks,

July 13^th– 0/3 -

July 14^th– 0/3 - BB

July 15^th– Off

            Sierra had an utterly dreadful week, and continues to be a player I have almost no faith in at all.   He is a fringe major leaguer down the line at best, and weeks like this do nothing to change my opinion.

Pitching

There really aren’t any pitchers left on the 51s roster, given the pandemic that has struck the Jays rotation,but there are two guys that I’ll mention.

Chad Beck – RH Reliever – 27 Years Old

AAA Line – 32Games, 33 IP – 12 Saves, 1.36 ERA,1.061 WHIP, 4.6 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.5 HR/9

Weekly Line – 1.1IP – 0.00 ERA, 0.752 WHIP, 0 Ks, 0 BBs

July 12^th– .1 IP – Save, 0 Runs, 0 H, 0 Ks, 0 BBs,

July 13^th– 1 IP – Save, 0 Runs, 1 H, 0 Ks, 0 BBs

            Beck got a cheap 1 out save on Thursday, bailing out Jerry Gill, and then a more typical one the following night.  After that he got the call up to the big league roster, and despite outstanding results this year (considering where the 51s play) I have my doubts how effective he can be in the majors.  His lack of a true out-pitch is going to be a problem at the next level, but he’s shown an ability to keep the ball on the ground.  So he could be a capable pitcher in low leverage situations, but anyone who strikes out less than 5 per 9 innings in AAA is going to have problems.

Joel Carreno – RH Starter – 25 Years Old

AA Line – 7Games, 36.1 IP, 1-4 W-L, 4.71 ERA, 1.128 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9

AAA Line – 8Games, 32 IP, 2-5 W-L, 9.84 ERA, 2.125 WHIP, 7.0 K/9, 6.2 BB/9, 2.0 HR/9

July 14^th– 3.1 IP – 4 Runs, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks, 2 HRs

            Carreno,who’s had a couple opportunities in the big league rotation, almost certainly won’t be getting another one.  He got absolutely lit up again on Saturday.  Hewent into the All-Star break after failing to get even out of the 1^st inning, and wasn’t much better coming out of it.  He has completely lost the strike zone.  Since being sent back down to Vegas, he’s walked 18 hitters in his last 11.2 innings, and when his pitches are finding the zone, they are frequently leaving the yard (5 HRs over that span).  Even with the rotation as ravaged, we won’t be seeing Mr. Carreno any time soon.

I'll be back tomorrow to take a look at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.  See you then.

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