Jays sign DeRosa, Make me look Good...

The best feeling in the world is being right. AA fulfilled my wish/prediction of signing Mark DeRosa to be the 25th man on this 2013 team by agreeing to a 1 year MLB contract worth $750K, with an Anthoption for 2014 at the same value. Sam Dyson was DFA'd to make room for DeRosa on the 40-man. My words on DeRosa from January 10th...

Lastly, Mark DeRosa. He is the best of the 2(in my opinion). At 37, he is getting up in there in years, and has stated that he isn't certain what his future holds for him(although he has also stated he'd prefer to re-sign with the Nats). Throughout his career he has been on base against lefties over 36% of the time, and, in 2012, that number was close to 33%, not so bad for a bench player. He can do everything a utility infielder needs to do, and, once John Gibbons gets fed up with Adam Lind's inability to hit a southpaw, he can be a nice platoon partner with him. He can play basically every position on the diamond(nobody said he can do it well), so defense isn't much of a problem with him either. I like him.
After starting with 15 possible names, I've narrowed it down to 2 players who are a fit for the Blue Jays' 25th roster spot(of course, there are minor league free agents and players signed to teams that I didnt look at). AA said what he wanted, and after that whole process, Mark DeRosa makes the most sense as the utility infielder/platoon partner for Adam Lind in my opinion. 

Basically, Mark DeRosa will play very few games in 2013.He's the 25th man  for a reason. he is a good bat to platoon with Lind if needed, and, theoretically, Gibbons can even play Melky Cabrera in center versus lefties, with DeRosa playing left. This would allow Colby Rasmus to avoid lefties, something he needs to do almost as much as Adam Lind does.

Honestly, for the 25th man, he's great. If he truly is a great "clubhouse guy", who cares how he hits? I know I don't, and I'd gladly pay to see him against lefties rather than Lind or Rasmus. Marginal victories are worth a lot, and DeRosa might just be the guy who gets us some.

The Jays are going to play meaningful games in September, do you actually care if the 25th roster spot is occupied by Mark DeRosa? The answer should be no.

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Interpreting the Ninja: 25th Man Style

Alex has many nicknames...

The Jays are contenders. The Jays have 24 men on their roster(projected). The Jays need a 25th man.

After the R.A Dickey press conference on Tuesday, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos spoke to the media about some team related things, and one of them, was the state of the 25th man on the roster. I'll let MLBTR do the quoting.

The Blue Jays are looking at ways of adding a right-handed bench player capable of playing multiple infield positions. That said, they’re considering leaving the spot open because players will inevitably become available toward the end of Spring Training when teams need roster space and out of options players get traded.

So, I decided I'll look into the remaining "right handed bench players capable of playing multiple positions" on the free agent market. Using the MLBTR database, I came up with 15 infielders (not catchers) left on the market. Then, I took away the player likely to retire(Scott Rolen), and all first baseman who don't play other infield positions(Carlos Lee, and Juan Rivera). The list is now down to 12. To narrow it down even more, lets take away all infielders who only play one position(infield position). This eliminates another 4 candidates (Jason Bartlett, Alex Gonzalez, Freddy Sanchez, and Bill Hall), bringing our total down to 8. 

The remaining candidates that fit AA's criteria are Ronny Cedeno, Alberto Gonzalez, Yuniesky Betancourt, Ryan Theriot, Ryan Raburn, Brandon Inge, Mark DeRosa, and Miguel Cairo. The problem with some of those free agents is that they will cost money, money that the Jays don't have apparently. AA has stressed that they are past their budget, and signing a FA to a major league contract isn't likely to happen. So, we can also eliminate players who are likely going to receive a major league contract. Out of those 8, I could only say that I'm confident that Brandon Inge will get a major league contract, which I'm not even certain will happen because of his terrible 2012 that was filled with injuries, and not performance. So, let's just remain at 8. Now, lets analyze the remaining players, and see which could be fits for the Jays.

AA wants a right hander for the simple reason that they usually can hit lefties, something that Adam Lind struggles mightily at. So, lets get rid of Ronny Cedeno, Alberto Gonzalez, Yuniesky Betancourt, Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn because they possess the same talent (or lack their of) as Lind. That leaves us with 3 players: Theriot, Cairo and DeRosa. Cairo is 38 and had a horrible year last season, so lets knock him away as well. Down to 2.

Ryan Theriot is a 33 year old second baseman from Louisiana that also plays shortstop and could roam left field if needed. He spent 2012 with the Giants putting up decent numbers offensively,and his defensive numbers were way off his career average, so there might be some reason to worry that his defensive is falling from how it used to be(league average). His speed is nothing special, although he would be a nice 2nd pinch runner off the bench behind Rajai Davis. Definitely a good option for the final spot.

Is DeRosa the best fit as 25th man?

Lastly, Mark DeRosa. He is the best of the 2(in my opinion). At 37, he is getting up in there in years, and has stated that he isn't certain what his future holds for him(although he has also stated he'd prefer to re-sign with the Nats). Throughout his career he has been on base against lefties over 36% of the time, and, in 2012, that number was close to 33%, not so bad for a bench player. He can do everything a utility infielder needs to do, and, once John Gibbons gets fed up with Adam Lind's inability to hit a southpaw, he can be a nice platoon partner with him. He can play basically every position on the diamond(nobody said he can do it well), so defense isn't much of a problem with him either. I like him.

After starting with 15 possible names, I've narrowed it down to 2 players who are a fit for the Blue Jays' 25th roster spot(of course, there are minor league free agents and players signed to teams that I didnt look at). AA said what he wanted, and after that whole process, Mark DeRosa makes the most sense as the utility infielder/platoon partner for Adam Lind in my opinion. He would likely only require a minor league deal(although it will likely have to be incentive laden), and fits the exact criteria laid down by the Ninja himself.

Have a different name in mind? Let me know your opinions below in the comments section!

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Remaining Platoon Options

There are not many holes on the Blue Jays roster. At the end of the day, if the Jays enter 2013 with the personnel that they have right now, they would still be considered favourites to win the pennant. In my opinion, there is only one thing that needs to be improved, and that is the DH spot. Many have turned on Adam Lind, the club's current DH because he hasn't been a productive hitter since his Silver Slugger winning 2009(-1.5 rWAR since 2010).What people fail to realize, is that Lind would be a very serviceable player , if he were to only face righties. This year, he had a 116 wRC+, and a .343 wOBA vs right handed pitchers, both of which are both well above average. Unfortunately, Lind is among the worst hitters in the MLB when it comes to facing lefties (48 wRC+, .245 wOBA). In order to utilize Lind the best way possible, you would have to get him a platoon partner, to start at DH when the Jays come up against a left handed starting pitcher. In this article, I will explore the options that the Jays have in terms of acquiring someone to platoon with Lind, whether it be via free agency, a trade, or a waiver claim.

Option 1 would be to take the internal route, and use someone who is already in the organization. This option actually wouldn't be too bad. The choices you'd have are: Rajai Davis and David Cooper. First, let's explore Davis. Davis, similarly to Lind, is accused of not being able to hit. When you look at his stat-line, the accusation is understandable. But the fact is, the only reason his stats look so bad is his inability to hit righties(and a breaking ball). Against lefties, Rajai has been great, boasting a 114 wRC+ in 2012, which is superb, to those not familiar with the stat. I would have no problem with Rajai being slotted into the DH spot vs LHP. 

The final option would be David Cooper. I really like Cooper. He is a pure hitter who has shown the ability to hit for gap power, and I feel that if Cooper is in the lineup, his bat could help you win day in and day out. With that being said, for this situation, I would rather use Davis, as he can use his legs to make things happen on the base paths. Cooper is the guy that I would use if Lind struggles vs RHP, or if Lind gets hurt. Sometimes it's impossible to put out the ideal lineup though, so Cooper will probably be used in this spot sometimes as well. (If he even makes the MLB team out of Spring Training.)

If the Jays do decide to go this way, I think it'll actually make a nice rotation. The 2 players' (Davis,Cooper) average career wOBA vs LHP is .334, which is actually quite above average.

The Jays could also sign a free agent for the role. The only free agent that really makes sense for the Jays is Scott Hairston. He is known for being able to crush lefties. His career wOBA vs LHP is .353, and sports a wRC+ of 119 as well!

The Jays are stuck with Lind because nobody wants him, and his salary is too big to just stick in the minors. By only using him against righties, the Jays can at least get some value out of him. Combining him with a player like Hairston would create the best possible scenario for a team in this situation. 

Potentially, the Jays could get their man via trade, and I am not saying it can't happen happen, but I have learned that trying to speculate about what trade will happen when AA is your team's GM is just too hard to do. 

If you guys think I missed anyone (FA, or internal), feel free to let me know in the comments. I am always welcoming feedback. I hope you enjoyed. Go Jays! 

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The Announcements Continue!

Continuing the theme of this wonderful Monday, the Blue Jays announced yet another move was made official, as Melky Cabrera has OFFICIALLY signed a 2 year $16 million deal with the Jays...Here's your proof.

In case you haven't read a trillion articles on the signing like I have, it's an awesome deal for the Jays. They will be paying about $2MM/WAR, which is crazy good, considering the league average is $4MM/WAR...So, ya. He is going to regress, but he will still be a definite upgrade over the replacement level(or even below) talent we've had playing left for so many years now. Nothing really else to say other than the 2013 Jays line-up looks something like this, and it's going to be an awesome year!

1. SS Jose Reyes
2. LF Melky Cabrera
3. RF Jose Bautista (ALL THE RBI's)
4. 1B Edwin Encarnacion
5. DH Adam Lind
6. 3B Brett Lawrie
7. CF Colby Rasmus
8. 2B Emilio Bonifacio/Maicer Izturis
9. C J.P. Arencibia

Yes,we do!

That is quite the lineup. It has speed, it has power, it has righties, it has lefties, it has switch hitters, it has everything! Here's to the rest of the off-season going fast so we can get started on this season already!

Leave your comments below.

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The 3 Most Overrated Free Agents... With Predictions!

Earlier this week I did a piece on the 3 most underrated free agents. I mentioned I'd do an article on the top 3 most overrated free agents. Well, here I am. Let's get the list started.

3. Nick Swisher, Right Fielder. 

You have got to love Swish. He's got a great sense of humour, and he always would play games with the bleacher creatures of Yankee Stadium. I don't think that people understand how inflated his stats are after playing half of his game at Yankee Stadium, though. During Swisher's term as a Yankee, he has averaged around 25 home runs. I can't even count the times when he has hit a home run that has barely gone over the short porch in right field in New York. It seems like a weekly occurrence. If I were to conservatively estimate, I'd say about he hits about 5 "Yankee Stadium Home Runs" every year. So now we must look at his stats, if we took 5 home runs off of them. He becomes a guy who hits 15-20 home runs a year. Add that to his .260 batting average, lack of speed, and mediocre defence, you are really getting an average player.

Prediction: Nick will end up as a Seattle Mariner. With the fences moved in at SafeCo, it'd be the right idea for the M's, just the wrong player. 

2. Kyle Lohse, Starting Pitcher.

16-3 with a 2.86 ERA is good, right? Yes, it's good. There are just a few things that make me second guess Kyle Lohse. One of those thing is his 2012 WAR. It's quite fascinating, actually that someone who led the league in win percentage, and had a sub-3 ERA had a WAR of just 3.9. It's telling you that Lohse was lucky. He doesn't have a put-away pitch. Stuff-wise, he's not great, based on his 6.1 K's per 9 innings, which is actually quite bad.

Another thing that made me second guess Lohse is the lack of continued success. If I'm the GM of a MLB team,  I am not locking up Kyle Lohse long-term. When you look at the stats that matter, you'll see that Lohse's 2012 wasn't too different from his 2011. I can see him becoming the pitcher that he was when he was younger. Nothing much more than average. If I'm signing a pitcher long-term, I'm signing a guy with at least 2 years of success, not one who had a good ERA, but doesn't have the peripherals to back it up.

Prediction: Lohse signs with the Boston Red Sox. Lohse in the AL East will be a disaster, in my opinion. 

1. Marco Scutaro, Infielder. 

I love and respect what Marco Scutaro did for the Giants this postseason. For that same reason, he's overrated. I think teams will look solely at what he did in October, and not realize that he's nothing more than a solid utility infielder. When was the last time that Marco Scutaro was a solid starter at a single position for an entire year? I personally would say it's when he played for the Blue Jays, in 2009. I'd also say that that was the only year that he was a solid starter.

If you look at just this year, when Scutaro was a Rockie, he was quite terrible. He was a below replacement player. There was certainly a switch turned when he was traded to the Giants, but I don't think it's something that you can come to expect for years to come.

Don't get me wrong, Scutaro is a valuable player to have on any team, but for the amount of money I predict he'll get, no thank you. There are many similar options out there for cheaper, such as Jeff Keppinger and Freddy Sanchez.

Prediction: Scutaro re-signs with the Giants which will earn him a nice paycheque. He will be valuable to the Giants, as a utility player, but he won't be worth the contract that he'll receive. 



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Breaking:Jays Sign Maicer Izturis, Trade for Jeffress

Just minutes ago, Jon Heyman of CBS tweeted that the Jays have signed Maicer Izturis to a 3 year contract worth $9 million, with an Anthoption for a 4th year worth $3 million.

The deal was first whispered about last night when Mike Wilner of the Fan590 tweeted that he was hearing that the Jays were close to signing a middle infielder to be a backup. Later, Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports tweeted that an executive believed the infielder to be Maicer Izturis. And, they were correct. If you are surprised about the length of the deal, you are not alone. It makes a little sense considering that the 32 year old is just a utility infielder(hopefully), and the position doesn't really matter, as long as the player isn't bad on defense, and could play the three infield positions(2B,3B,SS). We don't know what the deal brake down will be like, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was back-loaded, so the Jays payroll would be smaller in 2013. Maybe Rogers has that tight of a budget? It could be the reason why AA made the contract longer than 1 or 2 years. Izturis has a career wRC+ of 94 and a career OBP of .337. Not too shabby. Izturis is basically the same hitter against lefties and righties, although he has been marginally better against lefties in his career.

And, Joshua Kusnick, who is a MLB agent, just tweeted that his client, Jeremy Jeffress has been traded to Toronto. The righty is 25 years old, and averages 95.5 MPH on his fastball. AA likes the relievers that throw fast!

Like the deal(s)? Lets us know below in the comments section!

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Update: It is $3 million per year. So, my theory about the deal being backloaded is not happening.

Update #2: AA spoke to the media about Izturis and said that right now he is the starter, but a lot could change between now and opening day. If he is the starter, I'm fine with it. He isn't that bad, and 100% better than KJ, so there isn't such a big problem there.

List of the Blue Jays Minor League Free Agents

Matt Eddy of Baseball America released the complete list of minor league free agents today. There are 549 players eligible for minor league free agency, 31 of which finished the year in the Jays organization. For the complete list, click here.

Toronto Blue Jays
RHP: Scott Copeland (HiA), Michael Dubee (AA), Evan Englebrook (HiA), Wes Etheridge (AA), Cody Evans (HiA), Jerry Gil (AAA), Chris Jakubauskas (AAA), Stephen Marek (AA), Sean O'Sullivan (AAA), Yohan Pino (AA), Chorye Spoone (AA), Ronald Uviedo (AA)
LHP: Willie Collazo (HiA), Frank Gailey (HiA), Bill Murphy (AAA), Nate Robertson (AAA)
C: Joe Bowen (HiA), Ryan Eigsti (AAA), Tuffy Gosewisch (AAA), Luis Hurtado (AAA), Brian Jeroloman (AA), Paul Phillips (AAA)
2B: Jonathan Diaz (AAA), Luke Hughes (AAA)
3B: Kevin Howard (AAA)
SS: Brian Bocock (AAA)
OF: Jack Cust (AAA), Francisco Leandro (HiA), Ricardo Nanita (AAA), Danny Perales (AAA), Kipp Schutz (LoA)

Nothing to get excited about...
It will be interesting to see if Jeroloman gets a job to compete for a backup position at the MLB level, as that's what we've been hearing he is destined for, for the past I don't know how many years. Same goes with Jon Diaz, who the most recent Blue Jays manager(He who shall not be named) referred to as a young John McDonald. Did somebody say utility infielder?


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The 3 Most Underrated Free Agents...With Predictions!

The 2012-2013 Off-season has started, and it should get heated in the next few weeks. It's sure to bring excitement to all of us fans, well probably not fans of the Blue Jays, but for the rest of you, I'm sure it will be awesome. During this fun-filled time of year, I will be writing articles not only about the Blue Jays, but also some about the MLB in general. In this piece, I will be ranking the 3 most underrated players in this years free agent class.

One thing that I must say before I start my list is that I there are 4 things that I look for in an underrated player. These things are: Potential, tools, consistency, and of course, stats. For each player, those 4 things will be broken down. Let's get started.

3. B.J. Upton, Center Fielder

Potential: B.J. Upton has the most potential on this list; by far. He was a big prospect when he was coming up through the Rays system, and has shown some brilliance over the years. Some things have held him back from reaching this potential, like lack of hustle, and injuries. If he gets straightened out and remains healthy, I have no doubt in my mind that he can be a top 5 center fielder in the league.

Tools: Upton is one of the most toolsy players in all of the MLB. He covers a lot of ground in centre(though he has had only one positive year of DRS), has a great arm and can hit for tremendous power(.208 ISO in 2012), but, because having three tools is too mainstream, B.J also has a sick set of wheels. If healthy for an entire season, he does have the ability to steal 45 bases.

Consistency: This is why many people doubt B.J. Upton, and it's also why he's number 3 on this list, not number 1. Upton is prone too have prolonged slumps. I have a belief that these slumps aren't physical. Upton sometimes isn't focused. He loses concentration, and when that happens, he doesn't hustle, which is the key reason why he has been benched many times in the past.

Stats: It's possible that the most overlooked thing about Upton are his stats. Despite his abysmal .298 OBP this year, his OPS was a respectable .752. What his OBP lacks, he makes up for it with his speed and defence, which is evident in his WAR, a very nice 3.1.

As a conclusion, I like to think of B.J. Upton as a homeless mans' Mike Trout.

Prediction: Upton signs with the Washington Nationals, making a very nice outfield consisting of Bryce Harper, Upton, and Jayson Werth, moving Mike Morse to first base, to replace the departing Adam Laroche.

2. Rafael Soriano,Right Handed Closer

Potential: Soriano's potential has already been reached. He's a hard-throwing pitcher, who has a knack for clutch situations. Remarkably, he's still not considered an elite closer, after 2 years of being superb. 

Tools/Makeup: Soriano's primary pitch is a four-seam fastball in the 91-94 mph range. He pairs it with a sharp slider in the low-to-mid 80s. He used to frequently throw a two-seam fastball and cut fastball, these pitches seem to have mostly disappeared in 2012. (Credit for scouting report goes to @KennedyMLB.) 

Consistency: After looking it over, I can come to the conclusion that Soriano has been a very consistent reliever. After being just above-average for the early stages of his career, he has come into his own. When he has been in the closer role, I would say he has been a top 3 closer over the last 3 years. (Kimbrel has obviously been the best.) 

Stats: Soriano looks even better once you look at his stats. The most surprising stat to me is his stellar  career WHIP of 1.046. In 2010, his WHIP was 0.802, an unheard of number...Especially in the AL East! Another stat worth noting is that his K's per 9 innings is consistently around 9, a number that is difficult to achieve for a 32 year old pitcher. 

Prediction: Soriano signs a 2 year contract with the New York Yankees. This one will go down to the very end of free agency, and Rafael Soriano's agent Scott Boras will suck every dollar out of the Yankees. Although Soriano won't be used as a closer in the 1st year of his contract, it'll be 100% worth it. 


1. Freddy Sanchez, Second Baseman. 

Potential: Like Soriano, unless there's a drastic change, Sanchez's potential has already been achieved. He is a scrappy player, who has been an All-Star, and won a batting title. He didn't play this season due to injuries, but will be ready to play come 2013. That's why he's overlooked. 

Tools: Freddy certainly has the glove tool. Not only does he have the glove tool, but he has the hustle tool(sounds familiar for second baseman, doesn't it?). He's a man who respects the game, and does whatever it takes to win. Power is something that has never been his forte because he is not a largely built individual, another thing that seems to make people overlook him. But, most second baseman don't have power, so he fit's in a lot of different line-ups.

Consistency: Apart from recent injuries, you're not going to find many people who are more consistent than Freddy Sanchez. Since 2005, there hasn't been a year where he has batted below .271. He goes out there every inning with the same exact goal, and nothing stops him from achieving it. He has no issues off the field, and he's a guy who you want on your team, in any role. 

Stats: Since 2005, he hasn't had a WAR below 0.9(not the best, but aside from that outlier, it hasn't been below 1.5). His career OPS is .748, which is something that you would think isn't ideal, but from a second baseman who doesn't hit for power, you would take that any day of the week! Other than that, there is nothing about Sanchez's stats that pop out at me, because stats aren't what make him the player that he is. He is defined by his hustle fine defence. 

Prediction: Freddy Sanchez signs a one year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. I made this prediction in another article that I wrote, and I stand by it. He would allow Hechavarria to mature, whether that's getting AAA at bats, or spending 2013 as a bench player. 

Stay tuned for a list of the top 3 most overrated free agents! 

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4 Bold Predictions for the Offseason

1. R.A. Dickey will become a Boston Red Sox. (Sock?)

For the Red Sox, this will go down as an absolutely dreadful trade. Shortstop prospect Xander Bogaerts, and pitching prospect Matt Barnes will be sent the Mets way. I think that Dickey will take a large step back in 2013, with American League hitters figuring him out rather quickly. His ground ball rate will take a huge hit, facing the lineups in the AL east, which will make him prone to the long-ball. On the other side of the trade, the Mets receive 2 All-Stars. Xander Bogaerts will perennially hit 20-25 Home Runs, hitting over .300, with an OPS around .900. Matt Barnes will make a very nice number 3 starter behind Matt Harvey and Zach Wheeler. Barnes' fastball hits 97 mph on the gun, and its movement makes it very hard for hitters to square up. He can throw his change-up in any count, which is possibly his best weapon. 

This deal will eventually turn the Mets into contenders, in my opinion. As for the Red Sox, could it be the curse of the Dickey? 

2. Justin Upton becomes a Pittsburgh Pirate, Travis Snider becomes an Arizona Diamondback. 

Also going to the Diamondbacks in this deal are Canadian Jameson Taillon, and Starling Marte. This one will be the biggest blockbuster of the entire offseason. Upton is a star, but he hasn't reached his full potential just yet. Justin could become someone who will hit 40+ home runs, 110+ RBI, and .290+ batting average. He will be the best player in the deal, and there's no debate. However, I cannot say that the Pirates would win this deal. They are getting 3 players whose ceilings are through the roof! (No pun intended) Taillon is possibly a top 5 prospect in all of baseball. He's a freak of nature, at 6-6, 220 pounds. He has hit 100 on many radar guns, to go along with a filthy curveball. Starling Marte is one of the best pure athletes in all of professional baseball, as we witnessed this season in his brief debut with the Pirates. He steals bases, plays good defence in the outfield, and he hits for power and average. He could blossom into a true 5-tool player. As Jays fans, we all know about Travis Snider. Many Jays fans were heartbroken when he was traded, I was not. No matter how many times we were told he was fixed, he was never patient enough at the plate. He would swing at breaking pitches down and away, and if a fastball was anywhere above the letters, he'd take a whiff at it as well. His defence isn't stellar by any means. He really doesn't have a plus tool. Overall, if this trade were to happen, I'd say it'd be a tie. 

3. Alex Rodriguez remains a New York Yankee

I think that this would happen, because it wouldn't be logical to the Yankees. If they were to somehow get rid of A-Rod, they would have to pay about 15 million of his contract each year. Now, the Yankees would have to find a 3rd baseman to replace A-Rod. Let's say they'd pay this new player 10 million dollars a year. A 3rd baseman who is making that kind of money, would probably have very similar stats to A-Rod as it stands right now. So, now you end up paying around the same money, (maybe more) for a 3rd baseman who isn't significantly better than Alex Rodriguez. There's also the odd chance that A-Rod finds his swing again, and we all know that he's a very talented player, and could still be an elite hitter. 

4. David Ortiz signs a 2 year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays can't afford to have Adam Lind as a DH next year, if they really want to contend. David Ortiz has said that he wasn't very happy in Boston, indicating (in the middle of this year) that the clubhouse is completely depleted. Not only was his team terrible this year, but it might be terrible for years to come. If Papi wants any shot at winning the World Series, coming to the up-and-coming Blue Jays would make a lot of sense. He would be lethal behind Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, creating possibly the best 1-2-3 punch in all of baseball. A 2 year contract worth 20 million dollars would make sense, although he wants in the neighbourhood of 2/28, so AA might have to go over a bit.

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Yu Know Who!

Yu Know Who!

So the Winter Meetings are over and done. The Angels and Marlins made headlines like never before, and baseball as a whole is on track to spend close to $1.3 Billion this offseason. However, while many expected that this was the offseason the Blue Jays would break out and spend big on a free agent, and that really hasn’t been the case. Not yet at least. While the Blue Jays did managed to make a great trade to obtain their new closer, who should become a core player of the Blue Jays, they haven’t really been players for some names that many fans would’ve liked to have seen become Blue Jays – Prince Fielder for example. You can check out www.JaysfanswantFielder.com to see how badly some fans want a big name. These fans feel that in order to win, you need to spend, and everybody knows that the Rogers own the Blue Jays, and could quite possibly be the richest owners in baseball, so why not spend? Anthopoulos has said that the money is there if he needs it, but has also gone on to say that he does have specific “payroll parameters” to work within. Sounds contradictory, but in reality, it isn’t.

While the Jays have been making great strides forward since Alex Anthopoulos came on board, they still have so much room to improve, which is amazing when you consider how much they have improved since this time last year. Brett Lawrie is now everyone’s favorite new Blue Jay, we can look forward to a full season of Colby Rasmus in centerfield, and we have Kelly Johnson back to solidify the middle infield. No doubt that without the flux these positions went through last year, a solid presence will immediately benefit this team. But fans want the Jays to spend and the Jays have said payroll will rise as attendance rises. A real chicken and egg stagnate. So now with Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, CJ Wilson, and Mark Buehrle signed on with their new teams, and the with market for Prince Fielder essentially being reset, that could very likely explode at any time, and then the Jays will truly be out of the Fielder chase. So that means there are no big free agents left for the Blue Jays to sign, right? Yu gotta be kidding me.

Enter Yu Darvish, who was posted today from the NPB, the Japanese version of the MLB. In the NPB he owns a career record of 93-38 (a .710 winning percentage), 18 shutouts, and an ERA of 1.99 and a WHIP of 0.98 over 7 professional seasons. In 2011, his ERA was 0.83 compared to a league average of 2.95. In short, he is a phenomenal young pitcher on the rise. Many people like to compare him to Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice-K) from the Boston Red Sox, but a scouting report from May 2011 has this to say.

Darvish’s most contemporary Japanese comparison has been Boston Red Sox starter, Dice-K. The comparisons between the two pitchers should stop after “country of origin.” Dice-K’s tumultuous major league career is not an indication of the kind of potential Yu Darvish possesses. Major league teams knew exactly how good Dice-K could be. His talent was not on the rise when he made the jump to the major leagues. He was a legend in Japan during high school, and had a solid professional career. By the he switched to the majors, he was a crafty veteran with a well-documented scouting report.

High words of praise, which likely reflect their workloads, and not necessarily their careers as they were both be 26 when they made their MLB debuts. Still others go on to state that a comparison to the original Japanese legend, Hideo Nomo, would be more apt. In my own view, Yu Darvish is a young, controllable player, in a high impact position, with an incredibly high ceiling, and I get the sense he has only touched his potential. Also known as Alex Anthopoulos’s ideal acquisition.

For the Blue Jays, this represents a rare opportunity. They have the chance to acquire a front-of-the-rotation starter, with low miles on his arm, who has had a history of success (even against MLB players), who can be controlled for the next four, five, even six years, and they won’t have to give up any draft picks or any valuable prospects to make it happen – only money. A lot of money. Which begs the question – Will the Blue Jays really put forth a serious bid to obtain Yu Darvish. Thanks to the current system in place, MLB teams have to bid for the rights to simply negotiate with the Japanese players, and then get to sign a contract from there. Dice-K’s winning bid from the Red Sox was more than $51 million dollars, and then signed a contract that was also worth more than $51 million, bringing the total cost of acquiring Dice-K to almost $103 million, and Yu Darvish is expected to top that. We all know that the Blue Jays have the money to make a serious run for Darvish, but there are so many questions beyond that. Is the money available? Do the Blue Jays view Darvish as being worthy of such a large investment? Will they be contending soon enough to make such a large investment worthwhile?

For his recent openness, Anthopoulos has been characteristically vague. When asked how Darvish compared to Dice-K, he replied: “I wouldn’t get into specifics about how good I think a player is going to be or isn’t going to be. Maybe after players are signed and things like that I would be a lot more (open) to commenting about abilities and things like that. But there’s no doubt it he’s a very talented player.” For those unaware, Anthopoulos made a trip to Japan earlier this year to scout Darvish, and it’s hard to imagine he didn’t love what he saw in him. He has every quality Anthopoulos covets, unlike the free agents available in the US, and as previously stated, unlike free agents in the US, can be obtained without losing precious picks or players.

So what are the Blue Jays to do? Well, I am no GM and I may be a little trigger happy, but I can’t see any reason why the Blue Jays shouldn’t make every effort to make Yu Darvish a Blue Jay. The Blue Jays have been big spenders in the international free agent market the last couple years, spending $10 million to obtain Adeiny Hechavarria, and were short on obtaining Aroldis Chapman despite offering $23 million, not to mention all of the spending the Blue Jays have done on the draft in recent years, which thanks to the new CBA will be severely cut down. So the chances of the Blue Jays finding an international free agent of this quality again, likely won’t be happening soon, which is why the time is right, and the time is now. I will say it again. The Blue Jays should make every effort to obtain Yu Darvish. Forget Prince Fielder, forget trades, forget everything. For the next four (business) days, the Blue Jays efforts should be spent making sure that their bid is the winning bid.

If you aren’t sure, just YouTube "Yu Darvish." I'm sure you'll get plenty of results.

Or should I say "YuTube?" Yu decide.

Yu can follow Brandon on Twitter @Bam_86

Alex Anthopoulos’s Holiday Wishlist for the Winter (Wonderland) Meetings

For many GMs in baseball, Christmas comes twice a year: December 25^th, and then the Baseball Winter Meetings, this year being held in Dallas on from December 5-8. And much likes Christmas, some get coal and some get diamonds. Anthopoulos has a knack for getting diamonds. In 2009, he traded away Roy Halladay for a trio of top prospects and managed to suppress many fans rage at losing the best pitcher in baseball, a very impressive first big trade. Last year at the winter meetings, he shipped off Shaun Marcum to the Brewer’s for everyone’s new favorite Blue Jay, Brett Lawrie. But its Christmas time again, what does Alex Anthopoulos want this year?

His most immediate needs are obvious. Fill the holes at second, backup catcher, and in the bullpen left by departing free agents. Those are the easy ones, but what does AA really want? Like a lot of what Alex Anthopoulos does, it’ll be hard to predict. Rumours have attached the Jays to just about every free agent available and every top trade target, which means either the Blue Jays have been very active (they have) and/or agents have caught on to the Blue Jays new policy of not commenting on any deal and not denying any rumours attributed to them. Every agent can use the Blue Jays to drive up prices now, and I would expect all of them will. As a fan, this can be frustrating, even frightening at times (thank you Marlins – saved from the Bell) but it certainly hasn’t been boring. So digging through the rumours, what should we believe he’s after? It’s obvious. Alex Anthopoulos covets young, controllable, high-ceiling talent, so there is little doubt that is what he’s pursuing, but which trade targets and free agents does that include?

The Unrealistic

As everyone knows, Alex has blown the baseball world away with the deals he has pulled off, and it isn’t impossible he blows us away again. He doesn’t have any more “untradeable” contracts to shed, and doesn’t have to find the best deal for the best pitcher in baseball, so the best way to blow away the baseball world this year is to acquire someone believed to be untouchable. The early rumours said that Joey Votto was available, but lately Reds’ GM Walt Jocketty has said the Reds will not trade away their best player. Votto grew up a fan of Toronto, and as a native Ontarian, he would likely welcome a chance to “come home.” He fits the mold of Anthopoulos’s dream player: Young, under control for 2 more years, and a proven high-ceiling talent who can still improve. What’s more is that the Jays should have the stuff to get a deal done, but I believe that Walt Jocketty would have a tough time selling this trade to the fans, and I can’t see it getting done. Sorry guys, but Votto really just isn’t going to land in Toronto this year.

The Unexpected

There are a host of new GMs coming to this year’s Winter Meetings who are looking to make an impact with their new clubs and could provide an unexpected option for Alex Anthopoulos via his preferred trade route. Alex Anthopoulos has acted very quickly before when the right deal has been presented, and if an unexpected deal that lines up with what AA is looking for, we could all be blown away with another patented Alex Anthopoulos announcement from the Winter Meetings. Keep in mind that the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, and the Houston Astros all have new guys in charge, and everybody wants to make an impact in one way or another. All of them have been charged with taking a team that missed the playoffs and turning them into a winner. Deals will need to be made and things can happy real fast when everyone is gathered together.

The Rumoured

According to Shi Davidi, the search for bullpen arms has become more real than ever after Anthopoulos was prodded by Paul Beeston and confessed to examining free agent closers and closers available through trade, stating “We’re looking at free agents and trades. We’re legitimately looking at both options.” Although he gives nothing away, one can extend this to believe that they likely have been discussing options such as Papelbon, Madson, and Bell, but that options like Andrew Bailey or Huston Street are most likely. Another popular rumour is the Jays looking to acquire front-end starters, and names like Gio Gonzalez, John Danks, and Wade Davis have all been floated around, but I have to believe that Gio Gonzalez likely tops Anthopoulos’s wishlist and I could see a deal involving both Andrew Bailey and Gio Gonzalez commanding a high price, but one that AA and Billy Beane would both walk away from happy.

The UnRumoured

What has probably surprised me most is the names that haven’t been attached to the Blue Jays yet. There are free agents out there right now that would be fantastic additions to the Blue Jays, at a reasonable price and would help the Blue Jays win now, but the biggest one of all is Mark Buehrle. His resume speaks for itself in how he could help the Blue Jays. Every season since 2001 he has logged over 200 innings, he has a career ERA of 3.83 to go along with a WHIP of 1.282, he is an incredible defensive pitcher, and is the veteran the Blue Jays could use to mentor a young rotation, while saving innings from a bullpen that was really overworked last year. Not to mention he has averaged 15 wins a season over his career with the Chicago White Sox. I could go on. The question that needs to be asked is: How much does Buehrle want? He made $14 million a year the last three seasons with the White Sox and is likely due a raise from there, but how much and for how long? If I’m Anthopoulos, I’m buying Buehrle’s agent (Jeff Berry of CAA Sports) dinner at the Winter Meetings and finding out. I would imagine that a 3 year deal at $16-$18 Million should get it done. Throw in an option year, and I think Buehrle is a great addition to the rotation. But there are reasons the deal probably won’t happen. As a veteran, Buehrle would likely want to go to a team that can compete for a World Series now, (which the Blue Jays could) and would likely ask for a full no-trade clause, and I doubt AA wants his options limited. However, the biggest drawback and really the only negative is that the rotation is already one of the Blue Jays strong points, and they have even more talent waiting in the minors, not to mention that Yu Darvish (if he is EVER posted) is probably the preferred target (young, controllable, HIGH-potential).

The Waiting Game

Anthopoulos also has to fill the gap at second base, and there is a big question mark beside Kelly Johnson’s name. He has until December 7 to decide on whether or not to accept arbitration from the Blue Jays, and until then, the Blue Jays don’t fully know the situation they are in. I personally wouldn’t mind having Johnson back at second for one year contract with an option for a second year, but Anthopoulos probably would prefer the two draft picks, as they are more valuable than ever, but with such a thin pool of available high-quality second baseman, I think that AA should forego the draft picks and lock up Johnson now. This allows him to focus on other opportunities that may not be around for long, and jump during an opportune time at the Winter Meetings.

This offseason is flying by, and pretty soon we will all find out what the Blue Jays got in their stockings, but I’m willing to bet that it’s not a lump of coal. Sorry about that Angels fans. What do you all think? What does your wishlist look like? Let's hear what everyone thinks in the comments or let me know on Twitter.

You can follow Brandon on Twitter - @Bam_86