10 Game Report #10 - Is this the #EndofJays? & Trade Deadline Suggestions

Last 10 games: 1 - 9
Overall: 45 - 55
Projected Finish: 73 - 89

They have lost six straight coming out of the All-Star break and seven straight overall.  They lost three straight to Tampa when they had chances to win late in each game.  They then got thumped by the Dodgers, suffered a bullpen meltdown against those same Dodgers and lost again night when they were one strike away from winning.  Is this the equivalent of a baseball apocalypse?

It's over.  I mean this time it's really over.  Obviously mathematically it is still possible for the Jays to go on a huge run, but it ain't happening.  Time to take stock and build/regroup for 2014.  With that being said, the non-waiver trade deadline is only six days away.  AA has suggested nothing is brewing, but that is typical AA.  The Jays should be sellers right now and capitalize on the fringe assets that are not part of their future.  I would listen on offers for anyone, but these are the guys that should be floated out there in my opinion.

Casey Janssen - I love Casey.  He has been a very effective closer. I still think he could be a good 4th starter if they ever were willing to give it another go.  That being said, now is the time to move him.  You telling me the Tigers wouldn't love to have him in their bullpen?  Package him up with Melky and a prospect.  Maybe just maybe that is enough to pry away Nick Catellanos? 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/detroit-tigers-top-prospect-nick-castellanos-161300743.html

Or how about the Pirates?  Could a similar package net young Jameson?

What could go wrong? He's Canadian!

Mark Buerhle - If people are talking Bud Norris and Ervin Santana than surely there is market for the bulldog.  Might not get much and the Jays would have to eat some of his contract, but he could be very effective for an NL team down the stretch.

Anyone else from the bullpen not named Dustin - Bullpen arms are fungible. Even elite ones. Cecil, Delabar and co. have been great, but would you be surprised if Cecil regressed next year or Delabar had arm problems? Of course not. They Jays have packaged up some arms before at the trade deadline and that worked out pretty well.

Rasmus in July!

Dickey & Johnson - [insert sophomoric joke].  But only if the offer is really sweet because otherwise you would be selling low on both.  I still think the Dickey trade will ultimately pay off.....I think.  I also think Johnson has almost no value right now so you might as well keep running him out there and hope he figures it out.

Melky Cabera - Damaged goods at this point, both from a physical standpoint and a baggage standpoint.  But someone might take a flyer.

J.P. Arencibia - Likely not movable at this point.  I've addressed this previously.  Sigh.

http://jeffsoutoftheblue.blogspot.ca/2013/07/dissapointing-deuce.html

Adam Lind - Hey look everyone it's the real Adam Lind!  Nice of you to join us Adam.  Sadly the window to move him for value likely closed 6 weeks and many whiffs ago.  But maybe, just maybe, someone would like to have his bat for a stretch run?  No you are diluting yourself!

Rajai Davis - Expiring contract, huge threat on the base paths, effective against LHP.  If I'm a playoff team, I'm targeting Davis.  Doesn't really fit on this team as long as Bonifacio is here.

Mark De Rosa - Little to no value except maybe as a throw in as part of larger package.

Colby Rasmus - No I wouldn't trade him, but I would try to sign him long term.  If that fails, you need to move him, but that could likely wait until the off season.

So there's my list.  Of course everything depends on the offers.  The key is to not stand pat, but instead explore ways to improve for 2014 and beyond, because it may not be End of Jays, but the 2013 ship has sailed.

Don't do what Donny Don't does - Righting a Wrong

 

I once booed the Blue Jays all time HR leader.  I once booed the Blue Jays all time RBI leader.  I once booed the Blue Jays all time best hitter. I mean he wasn't all those things in 1997, but before he left town, Carlos Delgado would own the Blue Jays record book.

 

Sometimes when we are "young" - which really just means younger than we are in the present - we do stupid things.  Some stupid things are major transgressions in the eyes of others, but one personally does not view it as that big of a deal. Other stupid things are minor transgressions in the eyes of others, but for whatever reason it bothers the guilty individual for an extended period of time.  This one is the latter.

 

Booing a ballplayer might not seem like a big deal as it happens every night in ballparks across the continent.  Except I never boo the home team.  In fact, I think I've only done it once and it happened to be King Carlos. 

 

It was 1997 (I think) so I would have been 21 or 22 years old. I was at a game with a buddy from university and his older brother.  Well his older brother started laying into "Two Five" early on.  Delgado was going through a tough patch and us Jays fans were starting to realize what it meant to be a mediocre baseball team after being only 4 years removed from back-to-back championships.  Let's just say us fans did not handle this new reality all too well.  So I joined in and booed "Two Five".  In fact we heckled him pretty good for an inning or two.  To make matters worse, we were behind the Jays dugout and at one point after a K, I swear Carlos looked up at us and gave an icy cold stare.  Not my finest moment.

 

For whatever reason, this event always bugged me.  It was just so stupid and immature.  Not only was he the team's best player, from all accounts he was likely the team's best human being.  Arggh.  So silly.

 

Anyways, that was why when the schedule came out this year, the very first game I checked off to attend was Sunday July 21.  That was the day Carlos got his due accord from Toronto and got his name up on the Level of Excellence.   It was also the day I got to cheer and clap.  It was the day I got to make amends for a previous transgression.

 

So thank you Carlos for many wonderful seasons.  On many nights you were the lone bright spot for the team and you were a lot of fun to watch. It is too bad the team never went anywhere while you were here, but we loved you anyways.  Oh and by the way, I'm really, really sorry I booed you 15 years ago. 

 

 



All-Star Blogerama-rama

There is still something really cool about watching the Opening Lineups get introduced at the All Star game.  It brings out the twelve year old boy in me.

American League
LF Mike Trout (R)
2B Robinson Cano (L)
3B Miguel Cabrera (R)
1B Chris Davis (L)
RF Jose Bautista (R)
DH David Ortiz (L)
CF Adam Jones (R)
C Joe Mauer (L)
SS J.J. Hardy (R)
RHP Max Scherzer

National League
2B Brandon Phillips (R)
RF Carlos Beltran (R)
1B Joey Votto (S)
3B David Wright (R)
LF Carlos Gonzalez (L)
C Yadier Molina (R)
SS Troy Tulowitzki (R)
DH Michael Cuddyer (R)
CF Bryce Harper (L)
RHP Matt Harvey (R)

That is some serious talent.  Always a thrill to check out the best players in the game.  I mean Harper is batting 9th!
 
Are the selections perfect?  No
Should the game determine home field advantage in the World Series? No
Am I going to complain like so many others do every year? No

Who cares, settle down, appreciate a gathering of the games best stars and enjoy A GAME.

1st Inning

Matt Harvey versus Mike Trout.  Holy Cow!  Last year I gave away Trout in my keeper pool just before he was called up and became the best player in baseball....I will never ever live that down.  This year I snagged Harvey in the draft, but no .......it doesn't even out.  I still have nightmares.

1st pitch double! Cano gets hit by pitch?  What the hell is going on Harvey?  Is it the orange shoes?

2 quick outs and here comes Jose! 2 on, 2 out.....and Harvey whiffs him.

Bottom

Scherzer - tremendous talent, seems like a good guy, F-ed up eyes:

BTW, Cano out and Pedroia is in.  Geez it is easy managing an All Star team.

Here comes Joey Etobicoke....Joey is the best

http://jeffsoutoftheblue.blogspot.ca/2013/03/wbc-time-joey-is-bestoh-no-not-again.html

and the best goes down swinging.  Sigh.

2nd Inning

Harvey takes down Ortiz, Jones and Mauer, 1,2,3.  That's my Keeper!  I also have Votto, Bautista and Pedroia....yeah my team is loaded.

Bottom

Chris Sale on and he gets Wright, makes Cargo look silly and gets Johnny Bench Yadier Molina to pop up.

3rd Inning

Here comes Kershaw.  It appears Trout may get the only hit of the night.  Is Kershaw's hiccup delivery more pronounced tonight?

Bottom

Jays fans - Who would you rather have right now?  The perennial starting SS for the NL all-stars or Bisons SP Ricky Romero?

4th Inning

Hey a hit!  Cabrera with a double off Pat Corbin.  Wait who?  Wow this Corbin guy is having a really nice year.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/corbipa01.shtml

But he gives another hit off Votto's glove and the AL has something going with Joey Bats up who hits a sac fly for the game's first run. AL 1 NL 0

Bottom

Beltran with the NL's first hit and it comes off King Felix.  Hmmphh, they are both washed up.

McCutchen on to run for Beltran!!!!  He steals 2nd!  I love you Andrew.

David Wright cracks under the pressure of the All-Star game and grounds out to end the inning.

5th Inning

Did Rick Sutcliffe just say you have to give a lot of credit to Robinson Cano for Cespedes hitting all those bombs in the HR derby last night?  Because Cano picked Cespedes after everyone else declined? Damn maybe the All-Star game is for crazy people.

Tulo fields one like Romero might at SS and it eventually leads to a run. AL 2 NL 0

Bottom

Matt Moore.  That is all.

6th Inning

Um this just happened during an interview with King Felix about the Kings Court:

"It's crazy, the best section we got, they are very loud, they start yelling K-K-K"

Wait what?  There is a white supremacist section at Mariners games?  That doesn't sound right at all.  MLB should put a stop to that immediately.

Bottom

Here come your All-Star relievers!  Grant Balfour on to pitch and I think Cecil is warming up.

Cutch comes to the plate with a man on and 2 out.  I prefer his yellow shoes to everywhereyoulook orange ones. Damn yellow shoes strikes out.

7th Inning

EE to face Chapman throwing 101 mph.  JUST WALK AWAY DON'T STAND ANYWHERE NEAR THE PLATE!

Double play, I don't care, EE didn't die and that is a victory.

Bottom

Man this has been a bit of a boring game.  I am actually going to switch to the FOX broadcast to liven things up. Buck! McCarver! Nonsense! Only on FOX!

Hot Damn!  Machado is a beast at 3rd.  And Brett Cecil comes into the game?  Switching to FOX has paid off.

Cecil strikes out Dom Brown on 3 pitches......and gets pulled.  Goggles!!!

Wait now it's Delabar to face Posey?  What the hell is going on?  This is amazing!

Delabar K's Posey!

8th Inning

RBI double for Kipnis.  AL 3 NL 0

Neil Diamond looks lost. 

Bottom

Enter Sandman.  The Man, The Legend, Mariano Rivera. Even a Yankee hater like me is loving this.

I wonder if he will throw the cutter?

OH MY GOD!!! TIM MCCARVER JUST READ OUT LOUD THE LYRICS TO ENTER SANDMAN.  I CAN DIE NOW.

9th Inning

Ok game over right?  Rivera got the save? I'm tired, just end this thing.

Prince Fielder triple, now I've really seen everything.  These past few innings have been wild, but I'm calling it a night.

Final Score AL 3 NL 0

Not a very exciting game for the first few innings, but the latter half certainly provided some better moments.  Could we see a parallel with your Toronto Blue Jays as they enter the latter half of the season?  Here's hoping......cause hope is all we got. Remember:

http://jeffsoutoftheblue.blogspot.ca/2013/04/words-to-live-by.html

10 Game Report #9 - Open letter stress relief #mailedinpost

Last 10 games: 4 - 6
Overall: 44 - 46
Projected Finish: 79 - 83

Dear All,

I am very, very tired.  Work has been overwhelming of late, and consequently I am tired.  I need some rest.  As such, I have also been a bit of a bear to be around.

I also haven't had much time to focus on this blog or my beloved Blue Jays, save for two exceptions.

Friday night I got a chance to go to the game with some friends and witness the Jays shutout the Twins four/zip.  Being at the Dome reminded me why I love going to games.  Good friends, ballpark food and some beers.  The cliched crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd and thrill of victory.  Along the way we made some new friends from down south and got a chance to see the roof open in the 2nd inning.  It was the perfect game and it was a much needed break from work after a hellacious week.

I'm currently in the middle of another crappy week, but again last night I was reminded why I love baseball and the Jays.  I had a pile of work to do at home last night, so I sat in front of the TV with the game on reading and drafting documents.  I of course had done this many many times before, but last night felt different.  Doing something I hate while at the same time doing something I love.  Odd, but somewhat enjoyable.  It got a little nervous in the 9th, but the Jays pulled out a victory.

Unfortunately these two victories are a bit rare as Toronto has gone 6-10 since the great streak.  It has been a very inconsistent performance of late.  One start Dickey is great, the next start he is garbage.  Some nights the bullpen continues to shine and then it blows up.  Adam Lind....well I told you the real Adam Lind would show up eventually. 

The team needs wins almost as bad as I need a break from work and the associated stress. 

But as I write this, the team is currently getting no-hitted through 5 innings by a rookie making his MLB debut......sigh.*  So the losses continue to pile up and my stress continues to build.

I know there are better days ahead on both fronts, I just don't know when.

Sincerely,

Lewis

* I realize that stating work has been overwhelming, while writing a blog entry WHILE AT WORK is a tad conflicting , but I have been on this file non-stop and I just needed 20 minutes to vent and spew some garbage thoughts. Ok?  Thanks!

Dissapointing Deuce

I really dislike J.P. Arencibia.

I didn’t always feel this way.  Heck, even as recently as Spring Training I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  But then he whined about getting an Opening Day start (which was a clusterf*ck), started striking out at prodigious pace and generally looked lazy behind the dish.  I had hoped this would be his break-out year, but I was wrong.

It has become clear he is a detriment to the team.  Not because his defence is suspect, not because he doesn’t take a walk.  Not because he strikes out too much and not because he is “not smooth” behind the plate.  Not because he clearly has some “me first” issues and not because he just mouthed off about certain Toronto media personalities.  It is not just any one of these things; it is all of these things combined.  The total package is not much of a package*.

As for the media brew ha-ha, I think my brother- in-law tweeted it best.

Nice to see J.P. Arencibia stepping up and contributing idiotic comments while Bret Lawrie is injured and unable to. Team player. #BlueJays

So what to do?  Changing catchers mid-year is not a recipe for success. It is probably the hardest transition for a team to make.  Selling low on Arencibia is also a bad move, although sadly,  I am not at all certain this is his true low point. 

It might be different if we had a prospect knocking at the door, but for better or worse, the Jays made the trade for Dickey and now the good ship D’Arnaud has sailed.  In any event, I’m not so certain D’Arnaud will find consistent success at the major league level.  He is an injury risk and catching in the big leagues is really, really hard.  The Mets also have a history of screwing things up.

Unfortunately I think you have to stay the course with J.P., work in some more at-bats for Thole and re-evaluate your options in the off-season.  Jump on it if something better comes along before then, but that is likely not going to happen.  Who knows, maybe A.J. Jiminez will continue to rake in the minors and you give him a shot as a September call-up.

In the meantime, J.P. can only hope his partner in stupidity returns soon so that the media attention will shift to 'stupid things Brett says'.....hmmmmmm....what a great idea for a game show....

*btw, google imaging "small package" showed me some really unsettling results

10 Game Report #8 - Halfway home

Last 10 games: 6 - 4
Overall: 40 - 40
Projected Finish: 81 - 81

 

Who would have ever guessed that the Blue Jays would turn the sinking ship around and make this an interesting season?  Oh right.

http://jeffsoutoftheblue.blogspot.ca/2013/04/10-game-report-for-crying-out-loud.html

So we are halfway home*, and the boys in blue have an opportunity to make this a hell of a summer and take a run at the postseason.  To do it, all they have to do is continue playing like they have the past 50 games.....and not the first 30 games.  

Midterm grades are in and they tell an interesting story. Remember, you cannot fail out at this stage so the lowest possible grade is a D (unless your initials are "RR").  And to make it confusing, yes better players are held to a higher standard and graded harder.

* I realize they have now played 82 games, but I uh.....well I was out of commission so this post was delayed two days.

A
Cecil - I've said this many times, but I am so damn happy that Brett has rebuilt his career in the bullpen.  I think they sky is the limit for him.  A true fireman.

APerez - Talk about coming out of nowhere!  Arms and hips flailing all over the place.  He hasn't given up a run in over 15 innings.  I'm not confident it will continue, but hey it is a hell of ride.

A
Jansenn - 17/18 in save opportunities. 2.03 ERA.  Gibbons has not been afraid to use him in tie games, the anchor of a dominant bullpen.

A
Wagner - This is bit of a ridiculous bullpen when a guy who throws 100 mph and has an ERA under 2.00 is clinging to a roster spot.

A
Delabar - Another power bullpen arm?  Clearly a team strength right now.  Seems to walk the leadoff guy almost every time he comes in and then strikes out the side.  Fun to watch.

A
Lind - What can I say?  Hell of a turnaround from the past few years.  What this means though is that he is either extremely dumb and was unable to work with the previous hitting coaches or he is incredibly lazy and he was out of shape the past few years and not taking care of himself.  He just got injured again....looks like lazy wins this round.

A
Encarnacion - The Parrot Walker is having another extremely solid year.  AA was very smart to lock him up.  Always hoped he had this in him.

A
Davis - Did you know Rajai is hitting .321 and has 21 steals in only 131 AB's and he has only been caught twice?  TWICE??  This is a spectacular season for Rajai.

A
Reyes - Obviously his injury was a huge blow.  His return has, and will continue to be, a huge lift.

A -
Loup - I don't trust him as much as the other bullpen guys above him on this list....which means he is still almost completely trustworthy.

A-
Rogers - A poised young electric arm who impresses each time out?  In a trade for a crappy, mischievous manager?  Um yes please!  Where do I sign?

B+
Bautista - Every time I even begin to doubt him, he does something crazy and lifts the team on his back like he has the past few days.  Let's not forget that he is coming back from some super scary surgery.  In Jose We Trust!

B+
Rasmus - For years we hoped for more and once we gave up on the chosen one, he finally slowly starts delivering.  With Gose breaking my heart in Buffalo, it's Colby's job for the foreseeable future.

B
Kawasaki - The thing is, he can't really hit or field all that well.  But other than that, he is having a great year.

B-
Oliver - They don't really need him anymore.  I can't believe I just wrote that after the season he had last year.  Still very nice to have the veteran arm around.

B-
Happ - It will be very interesting to see what kind of a role he fills once he gets healthy again.

B-
DeRosa - The thing is, he can't really hit or field all that well.  But other than that, he is having a great year.  Wait don't we already have that guy?

C+
Cabrera - Professional hitter, but his XB power has been non-existent.   Hopefully he gets healthy and shows everyone the real Melk Man, but I'm not sure what that means.

C+
Dickey - His 2nd last game was a Maddux masterpiece. 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/20/introducing-the-maddux/

He could own this town if he turns things around.  He won again today and I'm expecting a big 2nd half.

C+
Buerhle - The Bulldog has been pretty much as we expected.  Which is a real rarity on this team.

C
Wang - I sense Wang Chung may not be "fun" much longer......if only we had a healthy replacement ready.

C
Iztruis - He dug himself a huge hole early on with his struggles, but his D has settled and his hitting is improving.  Could be a key for the 2nd half.

C
Lawrie - They rushed him back early on and he never seemed comfortable.  That and he is too amped, dumb and stubborn.  Not a great combo.  Hell of a weapon in the field though.

C-
Johnson - He's back and "healthy".  Unfortunately he can't seem to crank it up into the mid and high 90's like he used to and he is overusing his breaking pitches.  This may not end well.  See: Halladay, Roy

C-
Bonifacio - So fast.....and.....well that is all we have seen thus far.  For the love of everything baseball - It's not that hard to bunt Emilio.

C-
Arencibia - 9 walks and 90 strikeouts.  You have to hit a lot more than 15 HR's to be valuable with that kind of K/BB ratio.  Or play good defence.  Let's just move on.

D
Morrow - A healthy Morrow circa 2012 would be unbelievable right now.  Sadly I am not holding my breath.

D-
Blanco/Thole - So....I guess the backup catcher role has not been an area of strength this year.  They can't get much worse.

F
Romero - The only good thing that ever came out of Buffalo was wings.  Success can be pretty fragile sometimes.  I'm still hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.

Incomplete
Santos....if he ever gets healthy this bullpen will be busting at the seems with talent.  McGowan.... 6 innings??? Do they ever intend to use him?
Lincoln & Jenkins - good bullpen depth in Buffalo.
Ortiz - sad that his career may be over, but thank goodness he is no longer in the rotation.

There you have it.  They have split another two games since the 80 game mark.  So we are now into the 2nd half at 41-41. 

As dumb dumb Brett would say.  LEEEETTT'S GETTT ATTTTER!!