10 Game Report #15 - I Know What I Know

Last 10 games: 5 - 5
Overall: 69 - 81
Projected Finish: 75 - 87

 

Well not too much to get excited about at this point. I mean September wins are fun and all, but they must be taken with a grain of salt.

September really only gives us an opportunity to see the young kids and to reflect on what went wrong.  It also gives us a chance to look ahead and plan towards 2014.  With that being said I give you Part 1 of "I Know What I Know".

 

1. Who will be the Blue Jays starting catcher next year?

I know it can’t be the guy having one of the most historically bad seasons in the history of baseball.  Look, I don’t need to analyze this too much as it has already been done (quite well I might add), but JP Arencibia has eliminated ALL doubt in 2013 as to whether or not he deserves to be a MLB starter.  I had my hopes coming into 2013 (I mean dear god, I actually drafted him as my second catcher in my AL only fantasy league) but he has fallen flat on his face.  It is also not as simple as bringing in a legitimate starter and relegating him to a backup role because (a) his attitude sucks; and (b) he can’t catch Dickey. 

They don’t need Buster Posey or a Joe Mauer, they just need to pick the right veteran guy who can get on base a bit and play adequate defence.  Every year there is a veteran catcher who turns back time and surprises everyone.  So I don’t know how you go about pulling the rabbit out of the hat, but they need a #1 catcher. 

I would also bring back Josh Thole as the backup.  He’s relatively young, he has shown he can hit with the Mets and you need someone to catch Dickey.  I still believe he has some upside and you likely won’t find someone who's better AND who can catch a knuckler.

2. What to do in the outfield?

I know they should do absolutely nothing!  Let Rajai "Family Circus Routes" Davis walk as a free agent, bring back Bautista, Rasmus and Melky.  Plan on Gose being your Davis replacement and 4^th OF who can actually play defence.  These are no sure things, but I am confident that J-Bau has many good years left in him. I am also confident that Rasmus has turned the corner and is just now reaching his potential.  I am less confident about Melky, but maybe the leg issues were related to the tumour...and maybe they weren’t.  But you have to find out and my goodness there are more pressing needs that need filling.  If Melky still sucks come May, you can give Gose a few more starts, bring up Pillar/Sierra or possibly use the mystery man in the answer to question 3. 

On that note, Sierra is not the answer, as I’m sorry, all members of my Blue Jays team must have an IQ over 50 and he consistently demonstrated that despite his talent, he is basically a semi-functioning idiot.

3. Is it worth giving Adam Lind a roster spot?

I know that I feel like the Jays make this mistake every winter....because they do.  The answer is no.  Let’s see, he can’t play OF. He can barely play 1B.  He can’t run.  He can’t hit LHP.  He can sometimes hit RHP.  And this is the guy you want as your DH on a team aiming to make the playoffs? NO, for the hundredth time NO!  I don’t care if his $7M option is a reasonable price.  Spend a few million more and you can actually add a legitimate bat and not tie up a roster spot with a guy who can only do one thing.

There are a lot of options out there.  Just look at the DH/OF/1B free agents:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/02/2014-mlb-free-agents.html

Some of the better ones are PED guys (Cruz, Byrd) which I wouldn’t have problem with, but no way AA is bringing in another Melky.  In any event, sadly I fear that Lind will be back and I fear I will be yelling this at the top of my lungs next year.

4. Should Ryan Goins be in the mix for the 2B job?

I know that some feel this is a viable option, but c’mon we don’t really believe he can hit do we? If you do, I would direct you to his medicore MILB numbers. 
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=572365

He can’t hit, or at least he can’t hit enough to warrant 150 starts.  Therefore, a 2B who can hit for average, get on base and play good defence should be near the top of AA’s priority list this off-season.

What Goins can do is play wicked defence as a backup IF, grind out some ABs during his spot starts and be a viable pitch runner off the bench.  This idea I am very much in support of which brings us to.....

5. What should the bench look like?

I know that unfortunately they signed Iztruis last winter (hmmm I guess I was also wrong about that one) and due to his contract he seems destined to be back. But if you could move Izturis, a R/L infielder bench with Goins and DeRosa would be just swell.

So now that I’ve answered your questions, where are we?  For now, the order is not important at the moment, but my ideal lineup would look like this:

Starters

1. Reyes - SS

2. Your new 2B

3. Bautista – LF

4. Encarnacion – 1B

5. Rasmus – CF

6. Lawrie – 3B

7. Your new DH

8. Cabrera – LF

9. Your new Catcher

Bench

10. Gose – 4^th OF and Pitch Runner

11. DeRosa – IF RHB

12. Goins – IF LHB

13. Thole – Backup Catcher

Let Davis walk as a free agent, and trade/give up on Arencibia, Lind & Izturis.

Obviously 3 holes to fill before you even turn to the pitching is not easy.  But hey whoever said being a GM was easy. 

Next Post: The Pitching....or lack thereof