Esmil Rogers: Welcome to the Blue Jays Bullpen



Who is Esmil Rogers? A recent Toronto Blue Jays off-season acquisition who is slated to be in the bullpen as a relief pitcher for 2013. I've never heard of him before this winter. While recognizable faces like Brett Cecil and JA Happ seem to be fighting for a roster spot, newly acquired Esmil Rogers is out of options and supposedly a lock to start the 2013 season in Toronto.  So really, who is this Esmil Rogers that we're guaranteed to see in a key 2013 relief role?

 
Esmil Rogers, from the Dominican Republic, signed with the Colorado Rockies Dominican Academy as a shortstop in 2003. Esmil the infielder, however, struggled with a .203 BA over 3 seasons.  Recognizing that Esmil had superior arm strength, his DSL coach converted Esmil into a pitcher (similar to current Jays reliever Sergio Santos).  It's reported that Rogers initially struggled in his pitching role after being promoted to the Casper Rockies going 2-6 in 15 starts (63.1 IP) with a 6.96 ERA in 2006.  A frustrated Rogers strongly considered walking away from baseball entirely at that point, and was talked down off a ledge by current Baltimore reliever Pedro Strop (his friend and roommate at the time). According to Meagan Golden of TribeVibe, Esmil described the intervention as follows:

“[Strop] hit me two times in the face, in my eyes,” Rogers said. “I started to cry, saying, ‘I don’t want to play baseball anymore.’ He told me, ‘You can throw 95 mph, and you want to go home?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He hit me again and said, ‘You’re not going anywhere. You have to pass through me.’” Rogers then spoke to his brother Eddie on the phone: “My brother said, ‘What are you going to do? You’ve never worked. The only thing you can do is play baseball.’”

 
After further consultation with friends and family, and engaging in some serious soul searching, Rogers rededicated himself to his prosthetic craft and focused on improving through training. Rogers became a top-ranked AAA starter by 2009, and received his big-league call-up September 12, 2009. Rogers made his Major League debut for the Rockies against San Diego allowing 2 runs on 3 hits in 4.0 innings.  He would go on to pitch 184 2/3 innings over the next 3.5 seasons in Colorado.  The Rockies then sent Rogers and his 6.77 career ERA to the Cleveland Indians for cash in 2012. Although Rogers possessed a 96 mph fastball rumoured to touch on 99,  both a lack of consistent control and under-developed secondary pitches may have led Colorado to their decision to move on.  Cleveland, however, felt they were scouting a prospect with unfairly inflated numbers associated with the atypical long ball produced by the thin air in Colorado.  Indians management felt that Rogers' numbers could benefit from a more favourable pitching climate in Cleveland.  Judging from the immediate turnaround in his stats-line, Indians scouts appear to have been correct. Over 53 innings with Cleveland during the second-half of 2012, Rogers ERA more than halved to 3.06.  His WHIP also halved to 1.11, and he essentially maintained a K/9 of 9.2.  The 26 year old appeared to have been reclaimed as a success.

Enter Toronto Blue Jays. After the 2012 seasons end, Alex Anthopolous was forced into acquiring Mike Aviles from Boston as compensation for the affected departure of John Farrell. In typical fashion, AA coupled his transient acquisition with marginal prospect Yan Gomes, and shipped the package of Gomes and Aviles to Cleveland in return for Esmil Rogers. Toronto was in need of power-pitching relief, and neither Gomes nor Aviles really had a place in Toronto anyway.  Although Esmil has a career 5.95 ERA at this point, the Jays are currently counting on Esmil's more recent Cleveland numbers to be a true indication of what he really is, and are hoping that they've stolen a hidden gem from an unsuspecting trade partner. Although Cleveland had received Rogers for only cash, and had flipped that into a needed utility-guy in Aviles, so it really seems to be a win-win situation for both teams.

So... Esmil Rogers is out of options, and will reportedly be given a guaranteed job in the bull-pen to start 2013.  He will be joining Sergio Santos as another converted shortstop that Jays fans are counting on to protect the win column of our newly constructed all-star starting rotation. Hopefully the home-run friendly Rogers Center is closer in climate to Cleveland than to Colorado.  Hopefully Esmil can continue to produce his 2012 later-half results, and he and Santos will combine the kind of numbers that make shortstops nation-wide a new scouting target for relief pitching help.

Farewell Salute to Jessie Litsch

 

With all the major Blue Jays off-season roster news heading into 2013, one significant headline may have flown under the radar of many fans.  That is the disappointing departure of Jessie Litsch from the Blue Jays organization. My piece yesterday about the miraculous recovery of Steve Delabar reminded me that there's an (ex) Blue Jay who's fallen on hard times, and is hoping for a miraculous recovery of his own. Jessie has become the fluke victim of serious medical complications, and has been forced to become a free-agent while rehabbing his damaged shoulder.  Although Jessie is hoping to return to baseball someday in the not-so-distant future, he may have played out his final days with the Blue Jays without fans really getting a chance to salute him.

 Jessie Litsch is the first baseball player that made me feel old. When I was a youngster, Major League Baseball players were men playing a mans game.  The youngest of the young were still  grown men in my eyes. Watching the affable Litsch breaking into the league in 2007, I remember thinking, "I really like this kid, I hope this works out for him. Wait a second... I'm calling a baseball player a kid... uh oh, I'm getting old".  Yup, watching Jessie, the enthusiastic youngster with a baby-face, I realized I was getting old.

I remember 22 year old Jessie Litch's major league debut May 15,2007.  Roy Halladay was out with an unexpected appendectomy.  Jessie, the former Tampa Bay Rays batboy who still looked young enough to be a batboy, got the call and raised some eyebrows as he played much more mature than he looked. He went 8.2  solid innings allowing only 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run in his Major League debut. Manager John Gibbons was clearly impressed:

"That was a dominating performance," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "The kid was outstanding. He works fast, throws strikes. And you saw the defensive plays behind him — it's the same thing when Doc is pitching." There was no bigger compliment on the club at that time than to be compared to Roy Halladay.

 

Litsch endeared himself to fans quickly with his unbridled enthusiasm: "It is the best day of my life," Litsch said. "It's awesome. It's a great deal and I love this feeling. I'm very, very happy with myself right now."

Although Litsch was shipped back to the farm a few games later, he had already made himself a household name with TO fans. Over the course of the season, he was again returned to the majors when AJ Burnett went down with an injury, and Litsch continued on to post a solid line for his rookie season: 7–9 with a 3.89 ERA and 50 K/36 BB over 20 starts.

Litsch returned with the big-league club to start 2008. On May 24, 2008, Litsch showed off his whole tool-box as he pitched the first complete game shut-out of his career.  He had fans believing by that point that he was going to be a big part of the Blue Jays club for years to come. The 23 year old finished that 2008 season with 13 wins, a 3.58 ERA and 179 innings pitched. We had every reason to think the Jays farm system had produced another star pitcher.

In an unfortunate twist of fate, however, Jessie requiredTommy-John surgery in 2009.  From that point on, Jessie struggled to return through a number of injuries and set-backs with his hip and shoulder. Although he was able to produce respectable numbers through 75 innings in 2011, He never quite seemed able to return 100% healthy.  He suffered the worst set-back of all when receiving a 'platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection' in February 2012.  His shoulder became infected in connection with that injection and the cartilage in his shoulder was completely destroyed as a result. Jessie is now the subject of experimental treatments and rehab, and is reportedly struggling to simply return to a condition in which he is able to perform daily routine activities with his shoulder. It's unfair for someone like myself to speculate on his chances for a return to baseball.  But I do know that Litsch was forced into free agency as of October 10, 2012, and is not technically part of the Jays organization at the moment

 
Jessie Litsch was one of my favourite players these past few years, and one of the guys I've been rooting for.  He was a bright-spot during some times when the Jays were lacking bright-spots, and he kept my interest piqued as a fan with his positive can-do attitude and professional approach.  It's really too bad to know Jessie is struggling with his health, and I hope that Jessie can overcome the adversity he's facing and later tell a Steve Delabar type story of recovery.  If that story happens though, there's no guarantee it will unfold in a Jays uniform.  So in place of applause during an on-field hat's-off salue that Jays fans don't get to give him, I'd like to salute his departure from the Jays with this article as a thanks. Not like Jessie will ever read this post... but just in case:

Thanks for all the entertainment Jessie, and I (we as fans) wish you all the best with your recovery.

Steve Delabar: Blue Jays Feel Good Story of 2012

Ever seen "The Rookie" featuring Dennis Quaid as former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jim Morris (if not, maybe you should)? Steve Delabar's story is a lot like that... except with a shattered elbow surgically repaired using a metal plate and screws.  Of all the injuries a pitcher is likely to return from, you wouldn't think that one would top the list. But that's exactly what Delabar has done.  Not only has he returned to pitching action, this aberration of sports medicine is throwing harder than ever. 

Before his injury, the former 2004 San Diego Padres draft pick with a fast-ball in the mid-high 80's (at the time), seemed like his career might have plateaued progressing no further than single-A ball. Plateaued, that is, until his career seemingly ended with a horrible in-game injury in 2009. His elbow, which shattered mid-pitch in 3 places, had to be surgically repaired using a metal plate and 9 screws. For someone who may have been struggling with his career in 2009 anyway, I'm sure rehabbing that injury with expectations of a return to the minor leagues was far from Steve's wildest imaginations. He embraced his forced-retirement, and went to work as a substitute teacher in his hometown of Elizabeth, Kentucky. 

While enjoying leisurely pursuits, like assistant coaching high-school baseball and playing slo-pitch softball, Steve did rehab his arm. He adopted a new training program introduced for the high-school players by the high school head coach he worked along-side at the time. In short, this velocity improvement program strengthens the shoulder without the traditional injury risks associated with throwing... because it doesn't involve throwing per-se.  The program is based on not releasing the ball, but keeping a grip on the ball throughout the delivery. As Delabar progressed through his rehab training, not only did he match his pre-injury velocity of mid 80's, he progressed to the point he was pitching into the mid-90's; a feat he had never before accomplished. Seattle Mariners scouts caught wind of Delabar's astounding recovery, and signed him to a minor league deal. In no time, he shot through the Mariner's farm system, and on Sept 11, 2011, he pitched his very first major league game.

I was apparently so tightly wrapped-up in the microcosm of the Toronto Blue Jays that I completely missed the fairy-tale feel-good story of 2011 that Seattle fans were witnessing.  By skimming Seattle news headlines from that time though, you can see that Seattle fans were totally appreciative of the medical-miracle they were witnessing. Armed with a solid mid-90's fast ball, and hard splitter, Delabar didn't just make it - he was impressive at the MLB level. Alas, after less than a year with Seattle, Mariners brass had decided that Delabar was giving up the long-ball a little too easily, and handed him to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for promising outfielder Eric Thames; which is where Steve Delabar's feel-good story enters on the radar of Jays fans. Any Jays fans who hadn't done their homework at the time of the trade got the full-story on August 13th 2012; Steve etched himself into the TO record books by striking out 4 batters in a single inning. Not only did he make the Blue Jays books, but he had a new MLB record by doing it in an Extra-inning; no one in MLB had ever struck out 4 batters in a single extra inning before.

So here we have a reliever in a Blue Jays uniform with a Hollywood comeback story and a MLB record (a positive one).  In less than 2 full major league seasons, he has some respectable numbers with an ERA 3.7 and WHIP of 1.11. But get this: his K's per 9 innings...is 12.2. Brandon Morrows K/9 innings is 9.6 if you need a measuring stick. At 28 years of age, the sky is the limit for Delabar right now if he stays healthy. Even if he never plays another day, he'll already have an incredible story. Even if he falls flat on his face, and his numbers sky-rocket into the stratosphere, he's done enough to have a movie made about him (at the very least a made-for-TV movie starring some 'Saved by the Bell' characters). But how much further could we reasonably expect to see the tale continue to unfold before our eyes? Given his great numbers and relative youth, Jays Fans could potentially have front-row seats for the continuation of this great story in 2013. How would Delabar look sporting a World Series ring? With the team he's playing on in 2013, the prospect is not one of total fiction. This is one of the stories I'm most looking forward to following in 2013.  So watch for the late-reliever with the gruesome-looking scar on his throwing elbow (Steve had a the outline of his surgery scar enhanced with a tattoo). I can't wait to see this guy coming into the game in relief of RA Dickey... how poetic would that be?

On a side-note, I came across an interview where Brett Cecil has admitted he's currently trying Delabar's velocity improvement program. I'm really looking forward to seeing the results.

Learning Curve: Ammendments to Prior Posts Re. Happ and Cecil

So, new to this blogging thing, I haven't been citing sources or using hyperlinks yet. I can't tell you where I got my previous contract info from now because I didn't keep track of my sources.

Due to new-found info, I have to ammend my previous posts regarding  Brett Cecil and JA Happ. Gregor Chisholm of mlb.com reports that Happ has a 2013 option, and Cecil does not. Soooooo... I have to invert my prior statements.  It looks like Happ may be the one starting his season in AAA, and Cecil (hopefully) will be starting the season with TO.

I'm really rooting for Cecil to be successful in that lefty relief capacity.  I really think he has the tools to be great at the major league level, and would hate hate HATE to see him lost to another team via waivers. Having seen him pitch that complete game shut-out, I can imagine him stretching into extended appearances, or long relief.

Happ seems like an awful expensive contract for a AAA call-up option. So regardless of that contract option, I think we'll see alot of him in 2013, even if he does begin the season in Buffalo.

And now that I've figured out the hyper-links to other sites, I will be trying to cite my sources going forward.

Observation #4: DeRosa Picking up Where Vizquel Left Off?

Die-hard Jays fans know by now that Mark DeRosa is signed for that final bench spot on the 25-man roster at a guaranteed $750K. With severely diminished stats at 37 years of age, he's being touted as more of a mentor/cheer-leader than on-field contributor. He's not expected to make too many appearances due to TO's deeper than usual bench this year. However, something similar was said last year, and Omar Vizquel (that 25th man) ended up with 153 AB's over appearances in 60 games. So although it's nice to say we just need someone with a strong presence in the club-house, we do need production from that individual. The difference in making or missing the play-offs could potentially prove to be as little as a single win.  None of the 60 games that 25th man will appear in can be taken for granted on a play-off serious team. And some of those appearances will likely come in the form of tight-game/extra innings pinch-hit type appearances.

My grand-father was a man I revered; a once naval-boxer that allegedly could break a man's ribs with a single punch. I knew he was a fine physical specimin back in his day.  But I recall horror when, in his 60's, he once tried to throw a stray ball back into a pick-up game in the yard... it went straight into the dirt not 3 feet from where he stood. I'm so proud of what he accomplished in his life-time, but it was awful to publicly witness the ravishing effects of age on a man like that. I then had to explain to all my friends after what a great man he was to save face. Take 45-year-old Omar Vizquel's feeble slide into Jose Molina on September 2, 2012 - a game ending play at the plate. Omar has everyone's utmost respect as a guaranteed future Hall-of-Famer, and his mere presence on the team was intended to inspire greatness. It wasn't just the poor-mechanics of that ill-executed slide, but the snails-pace rounding of third and 'dash' to home from a once-outstanding speedster that framed a scene of debilitating aging effects. Maybe that's an unfair example to characterize the entirety of his 2012 Toronto contributions with. But it's the sort of incident that can sabotage the impact of a mentor, and serve as an example of why that 25th roster spot should go to a completely capable individual. When DeRosa comes in with a game on the line, are we going to be reassured by his abilities or embarrassed for him? His stat lines don't suggest that he's a Raul Ibanez type of veteran; the type of veteran that you can hope to come off the bench and pinch-hit in the ninth for a game-winning homerun. That type of 25th guy will cost, oh, about $2.5 million.

I'm thinking back to the days of "The Trenches" (reminded by Tao of Stieb); Toronto's bench players that were more than just bench players.  Derek Bell, Ed Sprague, and Turner Ward were all under 30 years of age in 1992.  Young guys with enthusiasm and energy that were dying to contribute in any way they could.  They were physically capable of whatever they were thrown into, and were dying to make the most of every opportunity.  They were mostly unproven, and we didn't know at the time whether they were going to be all-stars someday, or disappear altogether. The old veteran leadership came from the players like Dave Winfield, who came into the game with a bang for real. Not to say that this is 'The' correct formula for success, but I would rather see young underused guys coming off the bench chomping at the bit than an old overused guy that's not what he used to be. Tao of Stieb actually referred to DeRosa's new role as "Mice Nuts" - too small to be significant. On last years’ Jays maybe that's true.  But this year we're expecting every game to count.

I'll feel bad if DeRosa (or Vizquel) were to ever read this post (not likely though). Don't get me wrong, I respect them for their respective career accomplishments, and I'd definitely ask for their autograph if I met them. But in hoping to see my favorite team playing October baseball, DeRosa's stat-lines for the last 3 years suggest 'the old gray mare, she's not what she used to be', and we know there’s been some injuries involved that have relegated him to a bench-role by necessity. There are some much younger guys available (maybe already in the Jays farm system) that could fill a similar role in "The Trenches", except be expected to steal a base in a pinch-run situation.  We've heard reference to DeRosa's behind-the-scenes speech making abilities, but there are some great motivational speakers for hire who could do that job for a lot less - without taking up a spot on the 25 man roster.

In keeping with the spirit of this blog, I'm going to once again defer to AA's superior judgement because... I have no choice. I'll assume AA got exactly what he was looking for because we know he's looking at a bigger picture than the rest of us. I'm going to rooting for Mark every at-bat... but I'll likely be chewing my fingernails off in the process.

Observation #3: Brett Cecil Knows How to Handle a Crying Baby

The only observation I'm qualified to make about Brett Cecil?That he's not afraid to hold a crying baby. During the 2012 Jays Winter Tour, an unprompted Cecil reached out to hold my 10 month old girl and said, " ...may I?". Instantly her face started to contort with the tell-tale warning of "...I'll cry!". Brett said to us: "No, it's okay really, I have a little one too; I'm used to holding a crying baby". And he received the hand-off anyway, even though she was now wailing and drawing the attention of everyone around. In the first words I've ever spoken to a Toronto Blue Jay, I said to Eric Thames, "That's going to be a great shot to have on bluejays.com". Thames was already busting a gut at Cecil of course. I like to think he was laughing at my line... but I think Cecil was just a worthy spectacle at that point - lots of people were laughing. He held her for a few more photos and let everyone know he wasn't embarrassed though.

In the past, when I've been handed a crying baby, my first reaction is probably to recoil.  There's a bit of panic attached to being at fault for making someone else’s infant cry. But as a new parent, I became somewhat immune to indignities caused by holding a crying baby. My wife and I, as parents, appreciated Cecil's eagerness to follow through with that less-than-ideal photo op. After waiting in line for hours (for their delayed flight to arrive), it was great to have a unique story to tell with a picture to back it up. My little girl was not actually that emotionally distressed... it was a slight hand-off resistance phase she was going with everyone, and she always became composed again 2 seconds after being handed back.

So Cecil's calm demeanor said to me that he's an actual hands-on Dad. And I don't know too many new hands-on Dads who say they are at the top fitness levels of their lives during those initial fatherhood stages. I'm pretty sure after being a Dad for 22 months I'm currently in the worst physical condition of my life (although there is no professional impetus for me to be in-shape).

Cecil, the 2007 supplemental 1st round draft pick, led the Jays staff in 2010 as a 15 game winner, so expectations were high for 2011. However, 2011 didn't quite pan out as expected, and as a result, Cecil's poor conditioning and reduction of fast-ball velocity through 2011 have been rehashed ad nauseam. A Nov 27, 2011 post on the Tao of Stieb blog pointed to what I'm hypothesizing now; about the possible father-hood factor as Cecil had recently become a father prior to the 2011 season.  I think the conditioning side can draw some sympathy, but I'd also like to point out though that in the midst pitching through lost velocity, Cecil actually pitched the first complete game shut-out of his career. After pitching that CG shut-out against Texas on July 24th 2011 (his second CG in 4 consecutive starts), Ron Washington was quoted as saying, "we couldn't stay back on the off-speed stuff. He kept us off-balance. You have to give him credit." So despite lost velocity, Cecil still obviously has the tools outside of his fastball to pitch well. 

Cecil did reportedly commit to an intensive conditioning program prior to the 2012 season, but unfortunately, many within the Jays organization believe he may have lost too much weight too fast (over 30 lbs in a few short months). The extreme nature of the off-season conditioning before the 2012 season may have messed with his mechanics adversely. Jays coaching staff have said in the press that it could take time to adjust to the mechanics of a new physique, and as a result, his 2012 year was mostly a struggle to regain mechanic stability.

The 2013 Jays starting rotation is going to be difficult for anyone to crack.  There are many staff aces in MLB that wouldn't even get a sniff of the starting rotation if added to that Jays roster right now. So unfortunately for Cecil, that makes the bull-pen his best chance at present. It looked like he was going to get a real chance with Oliver's pending retirement and a possible need for a lefty-specialist.  However, Oliver has announced his 2013 return (sporting career best numbers) and Cecil is one of the few bull-pen pitchers with an option on his contract. Cecil will likely begin his season in AAA Buffalo. All on-line reports, though, indicate Cecil has maintained his conditioning and has improved fast-ball velocity out of the pen (I read in one interview that he actually incorporated Steve Delabar's velocity program into this off-season approach... those results will be interesting). He's proven he's got the tools to be an above average major league contributor, and he has displayed the determination and eagerness to embrace whatever role he's given. I'd love to see this guy go down to AAA and put up the kind of numbers that warrant him being the first pitcher to be called-up in 2013. 

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/photos/gallery.jsp?content_id=26351556&c_id=tor&imgId=10

The Significance of the Fred McGriff Trade

 

Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez were both dealt to the San Diego padres on December 5th, 1990. In return, Toronto received Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. The obvious significance is that Toronto received 2 key components of their back-to-back World Series victories.  In hind-sight, this is arguably considered the best and most important deal in Blue Jays team history.  

The significance for me?  On paper, at least at the time, it should have been considered the worst deal in Toronto team history. 

In 1990, "Crime Dog" Fred McGriff was coming into his prime and proving himself to be an MVP calibre player. He had just finished his 3rd season with over 30 home runs (35 HRs in 1990), and he had just finished his first season with a .300 AVG and .400 OBP. At only 27 years of age, he appeared to still have his best years left ahead.  He was exactly the first baseman that every team dreams of, and there was no obviously equivalent alternate 1st base option. John Olerud got his first real playing time in 1990, and stats were ok... but a .265 average from a rookie doesn't exactly scream, "Make way for the new guy!".

 

Additionally, Tony Fernandez, coming into his prime at 28 years old, was a 4-time gold glove short-stop with a proven ability to consistently produce near a .300 AVG.  Should they lose Fernandez, Toronoto had no obvious SS replacement, as Manuel Lee had not demonstrated to that point in his career that he was capable of Fernandez-quality play.

In comparison to McGriff, Joe carter was 3 years older.  Carter's career average and power numbers projected to be lesser. At the end of 1990, Carter was coming off a season with a .232 AVG, sub .400 SLG and 24 HR season. Nothing in the stat lines suggest he could be packaged for an MVP quality candidate. With regards to Alomar's stats line, quite frankly, he should have been considered a nearly negligible component by the average fan.  A young prospect that COULD one-day play as well as Fernandez.  Similar averages. No gold-gloves.

 

I had no opinion at the time.  At 10 years old, I knew I liked Fred McGriff because I had his baseball card. Had I been equipped with baseball knowledge and an understanding of stats-lines at that time, I would have lost my mind I'm sure.  Looking at those stats in hind-sight, I can't believe anyone in Toronto would even remotely consider that trade... let alone a Hall-of-Famer Pat Gillick.  But he pulled off a statistically terrible deal that ended up as the Jays best trade of all-time.

 

As a rabid fan, armed with a couple decades of distant baseball knowledge, I sometimes feel like I can judge my favourite teams actions and transactions with a fair degree of insight. It's fun to predict and project, and analyze moves and their value. But the McGriff trade is a clear demonstration that what's obvious to me is not necessarily the truth, and that the people employed by the Blue Jays generally deserve patience and understanding in all things Blue Jays.  Because obviously there are variables not visible to the average fan (or the press), and the right moves might actually be the ones that would cause me to lose my mind as a fan. Hence, the significance of this blog title.

Maybe I should have called this blog 'Hiring Gibbons', but I'll stick with 'Trading McGriff'.

Observation #2: No Press Conference for Josh Johnson or Mark Buehrle?

Both RA Dickey and Jose Reyes have been formally introduced now as members of the Toronto Blue Jays. So where are the introductions for Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson? Are they less important? Keeping in mind that Buehrle is a 4 time all-star/4 time gold-glove winner with a perfect game under his belt.  And Johnson has been projected by many to be the Jays true staff ace in 2013.  Is Toronto just too far to travel from Florida for a 16 second jersey fitting? Dickey travelled from Nashville; he was the last guy acquired but the first one introduced. Odd? Buehrle's been in the fold so long now that I know how to spell his name no problem... he's had enough time. 
 

I'm a little concerned by the lack of introductions after all the hyped winter acquisitions. Bonifacio understandable since he only officially signed yesterday. But no Cabrerra?  No Izturis? Why introduce Reyes and Dickey but not the others?  

 

My thoughts return to initial November reactions from Josh Johnson's agent Mark Sosnick suggesting that maybe Anthopolous would still "flip" Johnson in another deal. Also, I haven't read that Buehrle found a solution for the family pit-bull that's banned from entry to Ontario.  However, I have seen lots of commentary expressing their disappointment with their departure from Miami, and I can't help but wonder if maybe these guys are holding out behind the scenes asking AA for a trade. Until they're formally introduced as Toronto Blue Jays, you have to wonder if they're still being shopped as a favour.  And it makes sense that all the other moving parts (Izturis, Bonifacio, Cabrerra) could still be in play for further package deals.   

 

My paranoia began immediately after the November Miami fire-sale. John Buck was very outspoken about his affection for Toronto. He was glad to be back and was publicly reassuring the other guys. You'd think someone would have responded, "Great to see you too Buck!".  When the sentiment was not publicly reciprocated, I thought, "Uh oh... I bet he's just passing through". Bingo. Buck was packaged for Dickey. There's no sense in welcoming a guy if you're only going to send him packing. 

  

 In a Larry David-esque social etiquette judgement, I'm going to say all new players should be introduced at the same time. That way, nobody knows which players are/are not in play for further trades. I assume this would be the ideal situation. Unless AA is trying to pressure some of these guys to commit that is. Maybe by introducing Dickey and Reyes, he's saying to Buhrle and Johnson, "Come on guys, look who we got onboard... you know you want in on this".  I bet if he gets Buhrle and Johnson's buy-in, the need for trade-chips is gone, and all outstanding inpats will be introduced.

 

Maybe I'm just super-paranoid... but I'll rest easier once ALL the introductions are made.



Observation #1: Happy with JA Happ

Gotta Love Him. Period.

Why? Because Jays fans are likely going to see a lot of him this coming season. After signing a one-year $3.7 million contract for 2013, he has official 'long-reliever' status. And the long reliever (either Villanueva or Tallet) has ranked in the top-5 for Jays innings pitched each of the last 4 years.

The long reliever needs lots of innings to stay stretched-out for spot-starts. Traditionally these guys get their innings in mop-up roles. The new-look Jays, however, are sporting a starting rotation where each starter has the potential for 200+ innings per season.  Knock-on-wood, there's no reason to believe this group of starters will allow the need for a mop-up role, as they all have the ability to go 7 strong innings every night. Regardless of the need, Happ still needs regular innings to stay ready though, so we may be seeing him in later innings and tight games.

Happ is making just under Janssen's $3.9 Million for 2013, but greater than Oliver's $3.0 Million or Santos at $2.75 million (according to Baseball Prospectus). On paper, he appears to be a VIP in the bull-pen judging by salary. He has no options on his contract, so we can expect him to be a staple, and if struggles arise, he won't likely be working them out at AAA.  

Happ didn't show relief pitching as a strong point after coming to TO in late 2012. However, he did demonstrate the ability over the last 3 games of the season to be a dependable starter, and you have to think that can translate into a long-relief role. For the record, I remember his complete game shut-out against the Jays on June 27, 2009, and I remember wishing at that time the Jays could have him on their roster. Well, now they have him. They're going to use him a lot, and we have to be happy about it.

A Jays Junkie is Born!!!

April 2nd, 2011 @ 2:25PM NST - 5 minutes before Kyle Drabek's first pitch of 2011: My first child was born.  I remember I had been eagerly awaiting Drabek's first appearance of the season. Not in the way I eagerly anticipated the arrival of my daughter... but eagerly awaiting just the same. In fact, during the harrowing drive to the hospital that morning, I joked with my laboring wife that it would be nice if we could be done with the delivery by 2:30PM so we could catch Drabek's start in its entirety. She's a Jays fan too, so she appreciates humor of that nature... I think. So after the whole intense delivery ordeal, our newest family member arrived safely and right on time at 2:25PM with 5 minutes to spare until game-time. And the delivery room television, as it turns out... had only basic cable. No Rogers Sportsnet. No Blue Jays game. Oh well... our little girl was happy and healthy, and all was as it should be. Drabek went 7 strong for a win against the Twins, allowing only 1 hit and 1 ER despite the absence of my viewership. This marks the day I realized I sometimes bookmark important times in my life by noting what the Jays are doing.

 

October 23rd, 1993 @ 12:39AM AST - Nearly 4 hours past this 13 year olds bedtime: a Jays Junkie was born.  Joe Carter hit his infamous blast off 'The Wild Thing' Mitch Williams, and the Blue Jays were endeared forever to an entire generation of fans.  I had been a casual Jays fan as long as I could remember, and the 1992 World Series win had cemented that emotional endearment. But after my attention was ensnared by the 1992 World Series, 1993 was the first season I really followed from opening day. I was excited by the return of Fernandez, and I understood the ramifications of borrowing Rickey Henderson. And after following the Jays from Day 1, the exhilaration I was rewarded with as a fan was so much more with the 93 World Series than with the 92. And I follow from Day 1 ever since looking to again experience that same sense of pride knowing I was there right from the start.

 

January 18th, 2013 - The day we had successful ultrasound results to confirm my wife is 12 weeks along expecting our 2nd child: This Blog is born.  AA has given us an off-season to remember. I have been clicking refresh on Sportsnet.ca constantly awaiting Jay’s updates.  Because every time you forget to check, it seems like something big happens. I have read everything I can read, and there's just not enough Jays coverage on the internet to satiate my appetite. I have taken to speculating on what could be next, and have driven my poor brother-in-law nuts with blog-type emails. He politely suggested I need a blog.  And this season, since I know I'll constantly have something to say, I need to start this blog to give that poor guy's e-mail inbox a break. Also I have a new 'Word of the Day' calendar that requires a forum for practice. And so it begins. I watch it all, I have an opinion, I'm entitled to it, and I'm entitled to express it.

 

April 2nd, 2013 - My daughters 2nd Birthday: An opening day pitch will be thrown for the Toronto Blue Jays. Who will throw that pitch? That could be a topic for some speculation as the date draws closer. Regardless, I can't wait for that day. Daddy hopes he'll be allowed to slip away from the birthday party by 8:30 PM NST... but it'll be a great day regardless. Go Jays Go!