Hot Commodity in Abundance

           The Blue Jays 40-man roster, once the trade is approved, will consist of 4 catchers that arguably could all be on major league rosters. J.P. Arencibia, John Buck, and young, highly touted prospect, Travis d’Arnaud should be starters in professional baseball, although some might argue Travis belongs in AAA because of his injury last year. Bobby Wilson is also on the 40-man, but he’s an above average fielding catcher who hasn’t been able to establish his bat at the major league level. Nevertheless, Wilson is a legitimate back up who can catch a game per week to give the starter a rest, without a brutal falloff. A major league club truly only needs 2 catchers, and to be frank, a major league club would have to be completely ignorant to keep more than 2 because of the value they hold caused by the rarity of legitimately good catchers.

            With that being said, Alex Anthopoulos will probably take calls from many teams interested in acquiring a major league catcher. The teams interested:

Texas Rangers:

             Unlike the other possible trading partners, the Rangers did have a better than league average catcher in 2012, but with Mike Napoli most likely moving out of town, the Texas Rangers will be in the market for a catcher.

            The Rangers will probably find Arencibia the most intriguing of the Blue Jays catchers, and not because they’re looking for the best catcher from Toronto—that’d be Travis D’arnaud. If the Rangers are at all interested in acquiring Travis from the Blue Jays, it would cost them Jurickson Profar. Jurickson is an untouchable for Texas, so the idea of trading for D’arnaud seems infeasible. I also don’t foresee Texas “cheeping out” and acquiring Buck rather than Arencibia because Buck has been terribly inconsistent, and less than lackluster since his move from Toronto after the 2010 season.

Conclusion:

            The Blue Jays would want Matt Harrison from Texas in exchange for Arencibia, but a Holland-Arencibia swap seems more likely.

New York Mets

            The Major League average SLG% out of the catcher position last year was .400, and the second worst percentage from catchers on a team came from the Rays at .322. And then there is the Mets… their catchers slugged to a TOTAL of .285, and played to a negative WAR. With no catcher-in-waiting in the system, you have to believe the Mets will make a call to the Alex and the Blue Jays with regards to a catcher.

            With the position the Mets are in, not quite ready to contend, you would believe they’d be willing to take a risk on John Buck—hoping he returns to 2010 form. Or are the Mets tired of pitiful performance from the position and ready to make a big statement. I don’t know if Alex is willing to part ways with D’arnaud to the Mets, but if he is it’d take at least Zack Wheeler, and would somehow involve Ike Davis coming back as well. Although Buck would be worth a shot, I think that just like the Rangers, the Mets would show the most interest in Arencibia, because you know what you’re getting: a 20 HR guy with a mid-low .200’s batting average, and he’d come much cheaper than D’arnaud.

Conclusion:

            Jonathon Niese would be considered fair value for Arencibia, but the Mets may not want to trade away their recently signed starter. A deal could ultimately be formed around a Davis-Arencibia swap.   

Pittsburgh Pirates:

          Although they have a prospect by the name of Wyatt Mathisen they still need a catcher if they seriously want to contend, because Mathisen is a long way away from the Majors and may never make it as a catcher, or at all. The Pirates catchers in 2012 were not good, which was to be expected from them.

            The Pirates have been completely reluctant to trade Jameson Taillon or Gerrit Cole from day one. With that being said, d’Arnaud is out of the question. The last thing the Pirates would want is to acquire a catcher, only for him to perform no better than their catchers of 2012, saying that I don’t see them being interested in Buck. Arencibia is a different story, although Pittsburgh doesn’t match up perfectly, Pittsburgh does have one player with similar value that would upgrade a position that was already upgraded this offseason—twice. Although the Blue Jays have already acquired Emilio Bonifacio and Maicer Izturis this fall, adding a legitimate starting second baseman that could be an allstar, would not only make Toronto's bench very good, it would add depth to the line up.  

Conclusion:

            With the emergence of Brock Holt at second base, a traded based upon Neil Walker and J.P Arencibia seems feasible.

Who do you think should be traded?Leave your comments below.

You can follow me on Twitter,@Canucks_BlueJay.

To connect with the site, Follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook

The Great Blue Jays Catcher Conundrum

Unfortunately for him, JPA's power
is his only valuable asset.

I have spent countless tweets debating this issue. I have even been blocked by a couple of people(although 1 has unblocked me after a couple of months) because of their sincere love for JPA, and my countless arguments against him. It is a great problem to have but unfortunately, it has divided Jays Nation, and has probably kept Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos up countless nights(although I imagine his newborn son has as well). What to do with the Blue Jays catching situation in 2013 and beyond? As we all know, J.P. Arencibia has clearly shown that he will hit you 20+ home runs a year, but he doesn't get on base. Travis d'Arnaud has not shown anything in the Majors, but his minor league numbers are better than JPA's, and he projects to be better. Anyways, I thought I would put all my arguments for my side(Travis d'Arnaud starting) down into a post so the people who disagree with me can share their thoughts in the comment section, and we could debate some more.

When told JPA has proven he can be an everyday Catcher, and d'Arnaud has not:
This is 100% the most valid argument that anybody can make on the JPA side. JP is an everyday catcher, but he isn't a "Division 1" catcher. He isn't Joe Mauer, Yadier Molina or Buster Posey, not that I'm saying Travis is, but d'Arnaud has a better chance to become one of those type of players because he can combine his power(which is basically the same as JP's) with the ability to get on base.

When told JPA is very good because he gets RBI's and deserves to be the starter because of that:
Call me when RBI's mean something and aren't dependant on your teammates and luck.

When told TDA should play 1st in 2013 and JPA should Catch:
Sal Fasano has said in the past that Travis d'Arnaud is one of the best defensive catchers he has seen. Travis is only 23, which means he has a ton of room, as does JP. But if you combine d'Arnaud's offense with his stellar defense, he has a chance to be an all-star for a long time in the AL.I'm not advocating a scenario where JP is on this team as well as TDA, but if somebody moves to 1st, it should be JP. Travis' defense is better obviously, and JP, as somebody who cares about winning, should be fine with the switch to 1st.

When told JP could play 1st, and d'Arnaud  could play catcher:
If no move is made in the off-season to acquire a 1B/DH, then I rather see Adam Lind play the position(DH) next season.  The reason for this being that the Jays need a pitcher, and JP can get you that, whereas Adam Lind cannot. Hopefully this doesn't need to be discussed anymore because AA brings in a player that plays 1B/DH...David Ortiz.


When told you can't get rid of JP because he cares too much about this team:
If a 3rd year player is upset about moving positions, and has a bad attitude about it, then I don't want him on my team. If he really cares about the team, he would do what's best for the team as a whole, which is having Travis d'Arnaud calling games and blocking balls behind the dish. The whole perception is that you can't move JP's position because he is older, and therefore deserves the respect of having a set position of defense. But if he really "cared" about this team like everybody says he does, he shouldn't have a problem with switching positions. So, he clearly doesn't "care" about this team so much that you can't trade him for a valuable piece.

Unlike his competition, Travis has more
 than 1 tool, 4 to be exact( Contact,Power,Arm,Glove).

When told JP did better in AAA, so expecting more from TDA is ludicrous:
Problem is, JP did not. Comparing JP's second year in Vegas and Travis' 1st year in AAA is like comparing apples and oranges. It is so much easier to succeed in the Minors when repeating a level(as shown by Asher Wojo.... this year before being traded), and that is why JPA had a "better" year than Travis at AAA. If you compare JP's 1st year and TDA's 1st year in AAA, it is ridiculous how much better d'Arnaud was. So, that argument is wrong. Oh, and by the way, Travis' 1st year at AAA, is better than JP's  2nd year according to wOBA and wRC+(JP .412/143 TDA .414/147).

When told trading JP would be regretted when d'Arnaud fails to meet expectations:
Travis d'Arnaud doesn't even need to have a wRC+ of 91(JPA's career #) next season to be worth more than JP. If his offense isn't what it is supposed to be, and it fails miserably, it can't be much worse than what JPA's is, and his defense, which won't change because of the league he is in, is still better than JP's.

I say package JP with some other pieces, and get a SP. That is what this team needs the most, and Travis d'Arnaud at his worst will likely produce overall more than JP does. Hand him the reins in April of 2013, and don't look back. They are both very nice guys, but when it comes down to winning, production is the only thing that matters.

Anyways, if you have any other points in favour of JPA that I did not answer, please leave them in the comment section below.

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

Jays Extend Their Starting Catcher

Mathis catching in Tropicana Field
 last week vs. the Rays.

That headline got you excited, didn't it? Too bad the Jays starting catcher right now is Jeff Mathis. The Blue Jays announced earlier this evening that they had signed Mathis to a 2-year $3 million contract with an Anthoption(Club Option) in 2015 for $1.5 million. This is still a pretty big move because it gives us a whole lot of possible options to think about for the catching jobs in 2013. Since Mathis' job is now set in stone, we can assume one of JP Arencibia or Travis d'Arnaud will be moved this off-season. Here are a few possible situations next year when it comes to the backstops.
1. JPA Traded, d'Arnaud Starting, Mathis Backup
This seems like the most likely case as it improves the team all around and if JPA is packaged with one of the Lansing 3 and some fillers, he could bring back a pretty good pitcher. AA has said outright that he is going to acquire a pitcher or two this off-season, so that statement gives this possibility more steam than the others. The big question is whether or not the Blue Jays #1 prospect will be ready for 2013 because he tore his PCL this season, and has been shut down. But the latest we have heard about d'Arnaud is that he will make up for lost time playing in the Arizona Fall League later this year, and should be ready for April 2013.

2. JPA Starting Catcher, d'Arnaud Starting DH, Mathis Backup C
You don't like this. I don't like this. Rogers loves this! AA has been brainwashed to love it. Instead of spending money on David Ortiz or another DH, Rogers could conveniently pay those 4 players less than $3 million for 2013, and still think they get good production. AA said during tonight's game that this case has potential for next season, but I don't see it. My first problem with it is that JPA brings back a pitcher if traded, and Ortiz would love to play in Toronto with his best friend Jose Bautista, and another close friend, Edwin Encarnacion. My second problem is that if you do have these 3 catchers, why not have d'Arnaud,the better defender, play catcher, and JPA DH. You are getting the same offense, but improving the defense. Just makes more sense in my mind. What do you guys think?

3. JPA Starting, Mathis Backup, Travis d'Arnaud starting in AAA
Please no.

4.d'Arnaud Traded, JPA Starting, Mathis Backup
If it brings back Stephen Strasburg,Clayton Kershaw, or Felix Hernandez(Or other players of that caliber), then I'm fine with it. Otherwise, NO!(Mike Trout as well)

Well that basically sums them all up. If I missed any, I'm distracted by watching the Jays game right now, so it isn't my fault.

Which situation do you prefer? Leave a comment in the section below and we could discuss, I really want to know what others think about this.

You can follow me on twitter, @gideonturk.
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.

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

Blue Jays Daily: June 26th 2012

A quick post summarizing all the events in Blue Jays land today that are not big enough to make full posts about.

d'Arnaud Gets Bit by the Injury Bug
Travis d'Arnaud, the Blue Jays #1 Prospect, the MLB's #1 catching prospect, and 20th overall will be out for 6-8 weeks after tearing the PCL in his knee. Yes, he was tearing up the PCL, and has now torn his PCL. The injury occurred last night after d'Arnaud tried to break up a double play. Before the injury, d'Arnaud was just absolutely raking in AAA. He had a triple slash line of .333/.380/.595 to go along with a wOBA of .432 and a 2.6 WAR.

Good New for Alvarez
After receiving a MRI in Florida today, Henderson Alvarez was diagnosed with mild elbow inflammation. Alvarez is scheduled to start on Saturday versus the Angels, and according to John Farrell and AA, he will most likely make the start. Alvarez was decent in April and May posting a combined ERA of 3.56 in April and May, but his wheels fell off in June(Late May actually) as he has posted a 5.40 ERA thus far this month. If you would like to know why he isn`t doing well, check out this article from a while back by Steven McEwen on Runs Batted Out.

Rajai Davis Increases His Value
Rajai Davis continues to increase his trade value for AA and the Blue Jays, as today he went 2 for 4, continuing his hot streak since he took over the starting job in Left Field. He could be packaged with another piece, such as Kelly Johnson, a bullpen arm, or maybe even a prospect or two, in order for AA to get something significant in return. Jon Heyman of CBSsports tweeted today that the Yankees will be looking for a center fielder if Brett Gardner does not return  in July.

Moyer Will Pitch 2 in Vegas
It was announced today that 49 year old Jamie Moyer will pitch 2 games in Las Vegas for the 51's, and then the Blue Jays will have to make a decision on whether or not they would like to call him up or not. If he is not called up, he will be released(Unless he decides to stay on), and I imagine he will retire.

Carlos Villanueva to Start Friday
Jays GM Alex Anthopolous told the Fan590 today that Carlos V will start instead of Jesse Chavez this Friday vs. the Angels of Anaheim that play in Los Angeles(That was fun). Villanueva spot started for the Jays for about 2 months last year, and was horrible late in the season because he ran out of gas. I expect Chavez to be sent down, and Chad Beck to be recalled as Jesse Chavez has no place in Toronto anymore. Beck has lowered his ERA to below 1.00(.99) this week, which is a crazy stat in any league, but in the PCL, that is dare I say Dickey like?

Liriano Becoming a Hot Commodity
Since rejoining the Twins rotation, Francisco Liriano has a 2.41 ERA, .157 opp avg, 0.91 WHIP in 6 starts. Liriano costs half as much as Zack Greinke(Who the Brewers said they will trade if an extension is not reached by the Trade deadline), and is pitching amazing for the past month. He will be going into his 3rd arbitration year this off-season, and could be on the eye of AA and other GM`s across the league.

This is great. Credits to whoever made this!

AA Doesn't Expect Big Moves Until July
AA told Jon Morosi of FoxSports today that he does not expect the Jays to make any big moves until mid-July, if he does make a move at all. he also said he won't rush to get an arm. Knowing his track record, he will surprise us all and make a move in the next few days. Watch, I called it here first!

Vizquel to Retire at Seasons End
Blue Jays Utilitiy man Omar Vizquel told ESPN today in Spanish that this season will be his last, and that he hopes to coach in the future.

That is it for all the stories today. Comments are welcome below

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

Minor League Update: Catchers

#44 J.P Arencibia,Las Vegas 51's(AAA):In 26 games he is batting .238/.306/.366 with 4 doubles,3 HR's, and 12 RBI's. Arencibia has been in a slump lately batting only .167 in the past 10 games.J.P will be called up to "The Show" if one of John Buck or Jose Molina get injured.If not he will be up with the club in September when the roster expands.

#8 Brian Jeroloman,New Hampshire Fisher Cats(AA): In 25 games this season he is batting .325/.455/.525 with 7 doubles,3 HR's and 14 RBI's. Jeroloman is known for his amazing defence but his bat is starting to come alive this season.He will likely end the season either starting in New Hampshire or in AAA Las Vegas.

#25 Travis d'Arnaud,Dunedin Blue Jays(A+):In 16 Games this season he is currently batting .328/.362/.547 with 5 doubles,3 HR's and 13 RBI's. Travis was picked up in the Roy Halladay trade with the Phillies this past December. d'Arnaud will most likely end his season with AA New Hampshire.

Stay tuned for the next Blue Jays off day,as we look into the Blue Jays farm system for great talent at the First base position.