Mail Bag

All of a sudden the Jays’ season seems to be in freefall. The revamped defence is turning 27 out games into 30 outs or more on plays not being made. Roy Halladay’s body language is suddenly speaking to us in a foreign tongue and the Jays’ young starters are careening out of control towards the brick wall that manager Cito Gaston relates to innings pitched. But baseball is a game of momentum and streaks and if the Jays can gain some around the strong right arm of Halladay, the rest of the season may still be worth watching. On to the mail bag.

Q: Rick Sutcliffe says that the Jays insisted any team that took on Roy Halladay had to take Vernon Wells’ contract as well, going so far as to say two general managers said this to him. J.P. denied this but given his record on telling the truth, do you think Sutcliffe is on to something? I can't see the Phils offering up top quality prospects and taking on Wells’ contract, Usually taking on such an onerous dead weight as Wells would mean lower-tier prospects going the other way.

Kevin Layman, St. John's

A: That is categorically not true. I asked around and I do believe that Ricciardi may have inquired of several GMs, in passing, as they discussed combinations of prospects for Halladay, whether they were interested at all in Wells. It would have been like the Plasma TV that’s thrown in as a bonus when you buy a major appliance – only this TV had no “on” button.

It may be semantics, but it’s the word “insisted” that’s wrong. You are absolutely right that if that were the case, the package of prospects coming back for Halladay would have been necessarily watered down since taking Wells would have been doing the Jays a financial favour. That lessening of talent coming to the Jays would have been counter-productive for the organization as they were specifically testing the waters in July to see what Halladay was worth on the open market. Why muddy that water?

Q: Just read your August 19th mailbag. Do you really believe the Jays can get Chone Figgins, Brandon Wood and Joe Saunders for Roy Halladay? I think you are building in an assumption that the Angels will underachieve in the playoffs as usual and bow out. Thereby their management will look to make a big change and thus give up major league players for a Hall of Fame pitcher like Roy Halladay? Any chance the Jays could get Trevor Bell as well. That would be appropriate since Trevor Bell's grandfather was Bozo the Clown, and we have clowns running this team currently.

Jason Sinnarajah, Sydney, Australia

A: No, that would not be the Halladay deal. Figgins will be a six-year free agent and he would fit in perfectly in Toronto. The Jays did not realize how much they were going to miss Scott Rolen, but a solid everyday third baseman is a must for this Jays’ team moving forward and clearly there are no internal options. Figgins has a great respect for manager Cito Gaston and he would earn slightly less than Rolen, a contract the Jays were willing to live with if he had not asked for relocation. As for Wood and Saunders, that would be the Halladay deal, along with a couple of prospects.

As for the Bozo the Clown take. It’s true. Trevor Bell’s grandfather for 25 years on television in Chicago was Bozo the Clown. When Bell was drafted as the 37th pick overall by the Angels in 2005, as I wrote in the notes section of the paper the day he faced the Jays last weekend, the greatest headline ever ran in the Chicago Tribune: Prospect has Big Shoes to Fill. In the “small world” category, Jordan Bastian of bluejays.com and MLB.com was telling the story in the press box the other day about how his wife Kelly was actually on TV with Bozo back in the day. Clearly that inspired her later on in life when she was settling on a husband. Seriously, Jordan will be off for a couple of weeks for the birth of his and Kelly’s first son. Congratulations and best wishes of good health to all.

Q: Richard:

While listening to yet another Jays’ loss on Saturday afternoon, Jerry and Alan Ashby had a brief discussion about Wells and his past hamstring problems. They briefly touched on this perhaps being a contributing factor for his decline (also, no Gold Glove for 3 years which might reflect not getting a jump on the ball etc). Watching Wells at the plate this season reminds me of watching my aging father-in-law’s (80 years old) golf swing ... all arms and no body. Not a thing of beauty. Wells swing is very “wristy” and all arms with little lower body power. Hamstring limitations? A guy with square wheels? Might be worth an investigation. Keep up the good reporting and mailbag.

Grant Carter

A: I have a tendency to agree with the radio guys on this one. Wells has always had the reputation as a fast healer and sometimes, especially with leg and groin injuries, that’s not always a wise thing. In the 2000 media guide, following Vernon’s rapid rise through the farm system to the majors in ‘99, he was listed at 6-1, 210 lbs. Right now he is listed at 6-1, 230 lbs. I recall the spring, it must have been around 2003-04, that he showed up to camp after a winter of working out at some elite athlete facility, carrying that extra muscle. Now that may be good for a first baseman or DH, but a centre fielder needs more twitch muscles and long muscles, not bunched up muscles.

Wells has clearly tried to back off the weight training in recent years, but the hamstring injury that sidelined him from July 10 to August 8, 2008 may indeed still be lingering. As for the absence of a Gold Glove for three years, I don’t put any credence in relating that to anything else. The Gold Glove Awards are voted on by coaches ands managers on a piece of paper thrust into their faces before a game sometime in early September. There are three outfielders on the ballot – they could all be centre fielders or left fielders or right fielders – and the spectacular catches and booming bats are what make and impression on coaches. Since Vernon’s bat has less “boom, boom, pow” than the Black Eyed Peas and since he makes tough catches look effortless and doesn’t dive, that explains the lack of a Gold Glove.

Q: Hi Richard,

I love your no-nonsense criticism of the way JP has done his job as Jays GM. Here’s to hoping that the team gets a fresh start under a better GM; JP has run out of chances to turn this ship around. I have a question about these two Jays prospects - No. 1 pick Chad Jenkins (RHP) and third round pick Jacob Marisnick (OF). I pour over the Jays farm system each morning, looking at boxscores and rosters and can’t see them mentioned on any rosters. Do you know where they will start their careers?

Thanks.

Andy Appleton

A: Firstly, I prefer to think of what I do not as criticism, but more as critique. Criticism is inherently negative. Critique usually includes positive suggestions for improvement. That’s how I roll. As for Jenkins and Marisnick, the top two draft picks (out of five) that the Jays managed to sign are both going to report to Instructional League at the Bobby Mattick Training Centre, effectively missing out on their first year as pros. The reason for that is that they, like many of this year’s top draft choices around baseball, did not sign until close to the deadline in mid-August. Since minor league seasons are over at the end of August, there was no time in integrate them with either of the short-season teams. In the old days, there were always dozens of draft picks, including the top ones, that would be signed by the end of June. They would have two months to play in the organization giving the team an opportunity to preview their placement to start the next season. But it’s a whole new ballgame out there.

Q: Hi Richard,

From an avid Blue Jays fan I just wanted to throw a name into the mix for the next GM. How about Dan Shulman? Listening to him talk about baseball and especially about the Blue Jays he really showed a passion for both the game and for the team. He is very knowledgeable both in understanding the economics of the game and the challenges that face the Jays economically and socially. He explained many scenarios on Bob McCown's Fan 590 show and had some very interesting options. Almost sounded as a GM with a vision. Wow, a GM with a vision. Let me know your thoughts.

Sincerely,

M. McLeod, Niagara Falls, Ont.

A: Dan Shulman for GM? Hmmm! I love Dan Shulman because at the end of his time in Toronto, the two guys that David Wells would not talk to were me and Dan. But does that mean Buck Martinez would be back as manager? They always did work tremendously well together in the booth. In any case, I think Dan’s making too much money at ESPN and gets to spend tons of time with his family in between making guys like Dave Campbell (baseball) and Dick Vitale (hoops) look good. He loves his current job and is great at it and that counts for a lot with most people.

Q: Hi Richard,

Firstly I really enjoy reading your column. I wanted to ask for your opinion on the absolute disrespect the Blue Jays have shown towards John McDonald this season. Here is possibly one of the best defensive shortstops in the majors. They started out doing the right thing offering McDonald a contract extension prior to the (2008) season, only to now have him watch the game from the dugout, and trot out to the middle as a base runner in the late innings. With the acquisition of a third basemen that apparently we didn't want, couldn't he be playing now?

I do believe Scutaro proved himself to be more than competent at third last season in cover for Scott Rolen. Add to this situation the very public comments in the media suggesting that with Marco Scutaro (who has played well - can't hold anything against him) becoming a free agent, the Jays must now consider shopping for (wait for it) a shortstop for next season.

My thoughts at the trade deadline were that the one position that the Jays had adequate cover for, and an asset to trade, was at shortstop. Am I to believe that the good play of Scutaro didn't attract any interest from other teams? The Jays have treated a couple of players poorly this season, (Joe Inglett, Jeremy Accardo) but I think what they have done with McDonald is disgusting. What are your thoughts?

Kiwi converted to Blue Jays supporter

A: John McDonald is a great defensive shortstop and a good clubhouse presence. As such, like his mentor Omar Vizquel (but without as much offensive talent), Johnny Mac will be playing in the majors as long as he is still enjoying himself. McDonald signed a two-year $3.8 million extension after the ’07 season and has not been a part of the Jays’ shortstop mix since then, playing behind David Eckstein and now Scutaro. McDonald is a family man of simple needs and, even though he believes in his own abilities as a starter, he can be quite comfortable for the next 5-6 years earning what the market will bear for a superior defender off the bench in the middle infield. That amount ranges from $800,000 to $1.5 million per year.

That being said, I agree with you that the Jays have not always treated him with the greatest respect and that he should be playing every day the rest of this season at shortstop with Scutaro shifting over to third. If the goal for the final month of this year is indeed to develop and study their young starting pitching, you can’t do it giving away two or more outs per game on plays that are not made in the field as they have been doing since Rolen left the scene. Give the young starter guys their best defenders and see what they can do for you. As for Inglett and Accardo, Inglett is a minor-leaguer or a 14th position player that can move around the diamond, while Accardo has really been dissed by the organization for reasons only they know.

Q: Hi Richard:

When the Blue Jays were playing and hitting well everybody was praising Cito Gaston. Why don't reporters and fans blame Gaston when the players are hitting poorly? Personally, I never liked Cito as a manager as he uses either no strategy, or strategy that even a novice fan could employ. As for him making Adam Lind a better hitter, I think he just happened to be manager when Lind matured as a hitter. What are your thoughts?

Marv Rose, Toronto

A: Here we go again with Cito bashers coming out of the woodwork as the GM systematically dismantles any semblance of a major-league contender.

On the opening day of spring training looking at the projected Jays’ lineup if someone had said that on August 25 Gaston would – not have Jesse Litsch or David Purcey in the rotation; not have B.J. Ryan and have Scott Downs down and out for much of the summer lose third baseman Scott Rolen replaced by two guys that play the hot corner like backcourt jai-alai players and lose Alex Rios for nothing but a handshake, where would the Jays be projected. Strategy? We don’t need no stinkin’ strategy.

As for Lind, what does “matured as a hitter” mean? What it means is finally going to the plate with a plan, an approach, an educated guess on what a pitcher is trying to do to you as a hitter. That’s what “mature” means to a hitter and Lind will be the first to admit he had no plan before Gaston and Gene Tenace arrived. You don’t just wake up one day and find out you’re “mature as a hitter.” It’s not like growing facial hair.

Q: Hi Richard,

I, like most Jays fans, feel J.P. must go. Please list your top five candidates for general manager in 2010. My choice would be Bruce Manno assistant GM in Atlanta. Previous to that he was in St. Louis for many years, two very successful and consistently competitive franchises.

Brian Young, Kingston

A: I believe the list of the top five candidates for Jays’ GM will be profoundly different in 2011 than it is now. This is not a plum job for a veteran GM right now or an up-and-coming one looking to establish his credentials coming in from the outside. The Jays need to right the ship and turn it around before bringing in the most sublime GM candidate out there.

The only two experienced GMs that I would bring in right - now if either one would take the job - are Terry Ryan (advisor with the Twins) or Pat Gillick (advisor with the Phils), but I don’t believe either one would take the gig under the current Rogers’ financial guidelines. Therefore, I would appoint young Alex Anthopoulos, currently a Ricciardi assistant, to the position and surround him with good advice from reliable senior guys. A.A. is not quite the smooth media operator that J.P. has become but he would have the opportunity to learn. And he is a straight shooter. If he grows into the job, he could have a chance to stay on. Otherwise, in 2011, the Jays could reach out for a GM stud to take them to the next level and back to the post-season.

Q: Richard, this is a toughie!

I am trying to locate the name and status of a pitcher that pitched for TB, Jays and Yankees, in that order. When he was with the Rays, he set or tied a record for the most losses as a starter. It was somewhere around 19 or 20. I believe it was in the mid 2000 era. The following year he worked out of the "pen" for the Jays. And the year after that he was with the Yankees, out of the "pen". If I remember correctly, he was involved in a bench clearing "shoving and yelling match" while with the Yankees. This is driving me crazy.

Thanks,

Jim, Newcastle

A: I believe the guy you’re thinking of is Tanyon Sturtze. The right-hander was from Worcester, Mass., the same hometown as Jays’ GM J.P. Ricciardi. In fact, Ricciardi is the scout listed as having signed Sturtze. He pitched in 2000-02 for the Rays with a 19-30 mark. In 20-02 he was 4-18 and led the majors in losses. Then in 2003, he joined the Jays as a projected starter, but receded into the bullpen, posting a 7-6 record and a 5.94 ERA, allowing 107 hits and 43 walks in 89-1/3 innings. In 2004 with the Yankees he was involved in a July 25 brawl with the Red Sox emerging from the undercard of the A-Rod Varitek bout with a bloodstained jersey. He is 38 and a free agent.

Q: Hi Richard.

In your opinion, what are some of the best books ever written about baseball - fiction and non-fiction?

Thanks.

Chris M., Collingwood

A: There are tons of them. Here’s a sampling: The Heart of the Game by Thomas Boswell; Tuned to Baseball by Ernie Harwell; Damned Yankees by Bill Madden and Moss Klein; Hardball by Bob Elliott; The Northern Game by Elliott; Collission at Home Plate by James Reston, Jr.; Catcher in the Wry by Bob Uecker; The Ticket Out by Michael Sokolove; Feeding the Monster by Seth Mnookin; Beyond the Sixth Game by Peter Gammons; Ball Four by Jim Bouton; Why Time Begins on Opening Day by Thomas Boswell; Shut Out by Howard Bryant; Heat by Mike Lupica; Bums by Peter Golenbock; The Era by Roger Kahn; The Boys of Summer by Kahn; Moneyball by Michael Lewis; The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty by Buster Olney. There are so many more.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

The first chance to spend the hoarded Alex Rios/Scott Rolen savings came and went and the Jays failed to sign three of the top four draft picks going 0-for-8 with Canadian draft picks and 0-for-2 in compensation for A.J. Burnett.

There were clues in speaking with GM J.P. Ricciardi that even inside the draft room in June, he took a lesser role. The negotiations for signed No. 1 pick Chad Jenkins were handled by Jon Lalonde, for Sandwich pick James Paxton represented by Scott Boras by Paul Beeston and for Jake Eliopoulos by Alex Anthopoulos. Ricciardi said he had input.

Here is a direct quote from J.P. on Tuesday, re the draft: “They took some kids who slid. (Jake) Marisnick, (Kris) Hobson, (Robert) Webb. They took them a little later with the understanding that if the top guys didn’t sign we’d have a little bit more money to sign some guys down below and they’d be able to get those guys. So Jonny (Lalonde) did a really good job. He had a really good game plan going in. We’ll see.”

The “they” that Ricciardi is referring to is, of course, the Jays.

On to the mail bag.

Q: Hi Richard,

So let's review. The Jays saved $65 million in dumping Alex Rios and Scott Rolen for financial flexibility and to reinvest in the club. And instead of signing their young draft picks (James Paxton, Jake Barrett or Jake Eliopoulos) they lose all three. How can they get better if they won't spend the money investing on prospects? I don't think I will be spending my money on the Jays next season.

J. M., Toronto

A: I also find it amazing that they failed to land three of their top four picks in the June draft. They knew Scott Boras, the most difficult agent in baseball, was the agent for Paxton. But if you can’t go over slot for a Canadian kid that throws 97 m.p.h. and was projected to be possibly your major-league closer as early as 2011, then what are you possibly going to spend the money on in the future…unless you were not really planning to reinvest that Rios/Rolen money.

And how about going 0-for-8 in signing Canadian draft picks. I recall how excited everyone was that the Jays finally had focused on drafting some Canadian talent. Then they go Canuck-less when push comes to shove. Go figure.

It almost looks like they are clearing the decks for a sale of the club. The Jays will get compensation picks for not signing Paxton, Eliopoulos and Barrett and if there was a new ownership in place by June 2010, they could make their own decision on whether to spend the money necessary to sign a Top 100 draft pick. They already have six picks in the first three rounds next year, which could increase if Marco Scutaro goes elsewhere. No wonder nobody pays attention to baseball’s June draft.

Q: Hi Richard,

What on earth is going on with the Jays? Can J.P. find any more ways to ruin the Jays? The dumping of Rios for nothing and making of Snider into a "Super Two" player (when two days would have avoided that) join the long list of financial incompetence by JP. The worst though is the failure to sign three of the Jay's top four picks - especially after Rios' contract was dumped to free money up. Have the Blue Jays become another Pittsburgh Pirates type organization? There doesn't seem much hope of a contending team for many years to come.

Andrew M., Willowdale

A: Speaking of Rios to the Chisox being such a great deal, I came home last week and gave my wife some great news: I gave away our car for nothing, but it was a good deal because we were paying $1,500 a month in insurance, gas and monthly payments. If I give away our house, pretty soon we’ll be millionaires. That’s Jay-conomics 101.

As for Snider and the Super-Two controversy, in terms of eventually being arbitration eligible, it was based on a projection and is still a long way off. The fact is that as soon as Rios went to the White Sox, Snider should have been on his way to join the Jays. They were caught in an ethical quandary and ended up doing the right thing. Snider began the year with 31 days of major league service. When he was sent down in May, he had 47 more days. If he remains with the Jays until season’s end, that will be 48 more days. The three stints add up to 126 days. In MLB, a total of 172 days constitutes a full season. The only certainty right now is that the Jays control Snider until he is eligible for free agency following the 2015 season.

Yes, he will likely be a Super Two after the 2011 season (the top percentage of players with two-years plus random days in terms of major-league service time). But if history repeats itself and if Snider becomes an important part of the Jays future, they will likely take care of him with a multi-year deal ahead of time like they did with Aaron Hill, making arbitration somewhat irrelevant. So they promoted him. Good for the Jays. Good for Travis.

As for Toronto becoming another Pittsburgh, never. Toronto women have a much better fashion sense, while the hairstyle of choice in the Steel City is still Mary Tyler Moore.

Q: I will make this question brief as I doubt that you will respond: How do you defend your criticism of Mr. Ricciardi for having the Wells contract on the payroll of the team when you seemed to lavish praise on Mr. Godfrey as being the driving force of a contract that you wrote was a smart move in the days leading up to the deal?

Michael L., Toronto

A: I, unlike Mr. Ricciardi, am willing to admit that I made a mistake. The criticism of Mr. Ricciardi re Wells is more for the GM’s habit of pointing at bad contracts as the reason his hands are tied and can’t compete with the Red Sox and Yankees. (See Ryan, Rios, Wells). Thinking back to the year the Jays signed Wells to the unfortunate contract extension, the North American economy was good, the money was out there and it looked like a player like Wells, projected with Manny-like numbers down the road was worth locking up for Manny-like money. Unfortunately for the Jays, the Manny that Vernon has most resembled turned out to be Lee, not Ramirez.

As for the task of assessing at the time whether the deal would be worth it, it is always up to any major-league organization to make that assessment with their own players using the expertise of their scouts, talent evaluators, right-hand advisors and ownership. That’s what they’re paid for. We as columnists are paid to assess what they tell us and then offer an opinion. Someone that is not willing to change his opinion when proven wrong is doing his readers a disservice.

It is just interesting to me that in the 12 months before signing Wells long-term, Mr. Ricciardi was denigrating Wells to the national media in the States as not being a team leader and being overrated. They made an all-out assault at trading Wells in the winter, then when they couldn’t get the right package in return, signed him to a long-term deal. That chain of events – diss, dangle, sign – made some of us in the media believe that the decision to lock Wells up as a long-term Jay was due more to the influence of M r. Godfrey than Mr. Ricciardi. I still believe that.

Q: Could the Jays make a run in the 2010 season? They have Gaston to manage for one more season. They keep Halladay until the contract expires; maybe they ink a fading veteran like Pedro Martinez as a #2 – he would likely play in Canada – he was decent in his last outing and fill out the rotation with the young arms. Maybe they catch a break with some rookies in the batting order and cross fingers?

Frederick Duquette, La Mirada, CA

A: I think I’m having a flashback. That 2010 building scenario, if the Jays are in fact serious about ever contending, was something they should have done in June, earlier this season when they were just starting to fade. That window of opportunity with Pedro et al slammed shut on J.P.’s fingers a while ago. If the Jays are indeed thinking about trading Halladay in the off-season and are counting on Shaun Marcum coming back to join Ricky Romero and Brett Cecil with other youngsters in the mix, then they need a 2-3 mid-rotation starter for Doc plus a couple of solid, emerging bats, led by, maybe, a shortstop. This organization is not looking to spend the Rios/Rolen/Halladay(?) savings in 2010. Maybe in 2011 when B.J. Ryan’s $10 million comes off the books and new ownership is in place, making it officially J.P.’s 10-year plan.

Q: Hi Richard,

I need you fearless forecast. What do you think the Toronto Blue Jays roster (starting 9, 5 starters and closer) will be on Opening Day 2010?

J.M., Toronto

A: Here goes:

C-J.P. Arencibia
1B-Adam Lind
2B-Aaron Hill
3B-Chone Figgins
SS-Brandon Wood
LF-Edwin Encarnacion
CF-Vernon Wells; RF-Travis Snider
DH-Randy Ruiz
SP’s: Joe Saunders; Shaun Marcum; Ricky Romero; Brett Cecil; Scott Richmond.
Closer-Jason Frasor.

Q: Three of the best Canadian baseball players (Jason Bay, Rich Harden and Erik Bedard) and one great former Blue Jay (Carlos Delgado) are all free agents at the end of the season. With the money saved from the recent salary dumps, do you think it is conceivable for the Blue Jays to take runs and possibly 2 or 3 of these players? I believe they have an opportunity to win and generate more fan support right now, but it is crucial that fans are engaged in the process. Adding two of the above mentioned household names and re-signing Marco Scutaro would, in my mind, re-energize the Jays fan base. What are your thoughts?

Tim Lichti, Tavistock

A: Consider that the Jays went 0-for-8 signing Canadians out of the 2009 June draft, so what are their chances of signing a high-priced Canadian free agent that will be commanding ridiculous B.J. Ryan, Alex Rios, Roy Halladay dollars for 4-5 years?

Bay just became an American citizen, which doesn’t rule him out of coming to T-O but gives a clue as to his intentions. Harden is injury prone and will never be a staff ace. Ditto for Bedard. As for Delgado, he’s pretty much done as a contributor and if he came in as a DH would only have the chance to disappoint and end his career as a homegrown Frank Thomas. The memories of Delgado as a Jay should remain as they are so his number can some day be lifted to the level of excellence with the other great Jays. Don’t spoil that memory.

Q: Richard,

You always seem to have a good handle on the situation in Jaysland and I really appreciate the work you do. My question is this: With the Rios salary dump, the current GM and ownership have lost all credibility. While JP will take the hit in the media, Paul Beeston and Rogers (ownership) are even more to blame for allowing this to happen.

What is Beeston doing in all of this other than, allowing it to happen? It’s a sad day and my usual 10-pack of tickets will be at thing of the past after this year. What ownership and management have allowed to happen, starting with the Doc fiasco and culminating in the Rios salary dump, is just tragic. Why would Beeston allow this to happen?

Respects,

Richard JP French, Toronto

A: I believe Paul Beeston’s first greeting to Ricciardi each morning is: “Hello J.P. How much rope will you be needing today?” If Ricciardi is being set up as the scapegoat, which I do believe, he is being asked to reduce payroll to the bare essentials before a new GM and perhaps new ownership try and rebuild the team and the relationship with the community. There is no new president in place because there is no guarantee Rogers will still be the owners. Beeston is a member of the Order of Canada and one thing that can be guaranteed is that any new ownership will be 100 per cent Canadian.

Q: Hey Richard,

Love the column. My question is in regards to free agent eligibility. How does a player become a 'type A' free agent? I understand that it must be based on performance? For example Zaunie left last year and we didn't get anything for him, but I keep hearing about how Scutaro would be a 'type A' and we can get 2 picks for him if he signs elsewhere (which would be a good deal for us I think). If you could let us know how that works it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Nigel B., Toronto

A: The fabulous Elias Sports Bureau headed by the legendary Seymour Siwoff is assigned the annual task of determining Type A and B free agents using a self-concocted formula based on the previous two years. Players are ranked against others at a similar position – 1B and DH; 2B, 3B, SS; OF; starting pitchers and relief pitchers. The top 20 per cent are ranked and if they are free agents they rate compensation in the form of draft picks. The problem with Scutaro being a Type A free agent is the same as confronted Orlando Cabrera last winter. Marco is a good player, but is he worth another team giving the Jays two draft picks in June, one of which comes from your allotment? Cabrera, a very good player, went all winter without a sniff before settling on a one-year deal with the A’s.

Q: Hi Richard,

Veering off from the Rios rumblings, I have a question regarding Vernon Wells. Everyone is saying that Wells is untradeable, which I understand. But next season (or the one after that) comes around and he's playing up to, or beyond, his potential, would he not be easier to trade? Is his salary the major hindrance or is it the salary combined with the lacklustre play?

Daniel D., Toronto

A-His salary alone makes him untradeable at this point in time. His lackluster play makes him embarrassingly untradeable. In the future, if the top salaries bounce back and his performance bounces back, then he might become tradeable again. But it’s doubtful unless the Jays were willing to eat huge portions of the contract, which may be the only answer down the road.

Q: Hi,

I was just wondering what the chances of Aaron Hill winning a gold glove this year were?

David Ng, Toronto

A: The Gold Glove voting is done by managers and coaches and if they have been paying attention, then Hill has a decent chance. But as a former PR guy, I remember bringing the Gold Glove ballots into the coaches’ room at the ballpark and seeing them filled out in 30 seconds, sometimes by committee, most of the time by previous reputation, meaning the same guys tend to win multiple times. Like I said, if coaches have been paying attention then Hill has a fighting chance. Otherwise, it’s Placido Polanco, Dustin Pedroia or Brian Roberts. Round up the usual suspects.

Q: Richard,

The incident involving Hiroki Kuroda last week (Dodgers’ pitcher hit by line drive by Rusty Ryal of the Diamondbacks) was tremendously scary, and it was great to hear he was released from hospital relatively unscathed. My question is about the play itself. The ball lined off Kuroda's head, shot up quickly, bounced in foul territory and then landed in the crowd. Ryal was thus awarded a rare ground-rule double (the ball didn't leave the infield). If the ball “didn't” bounce foul (that is, just plunked off the pitcher's head and landed in the crowd), would that have been scored a home run? I wouldn't think so, but I keep thinking of Canseco's home run ball off the head a few years back. Can't seem to find anything on the rulebook on this one. Your help here is appreciated. P. S. great mail bag, long time reader.

Geoff Rawlinson, Toronto

A: The number of highlights lately involving head-shots to hitters and pitchers has been scary in and of itself. It’s August and the dog days are here, with tempers being shorter and maybe fatigued reactions being a twitch slower. In any case you’re right about the relief in hearing that Kuroda has been released from hospital.

The ruling even if the ball had bounced directly into the stands off Kuroda’s head would still have been a ground-rule double. Going back to Canseco and the ball off his head over the fence in Texas or the Alex Cora ball at Fenway Park off of (ahemm!) Alex Rios’ glove into the bullpen a couple of years ago, in both cases, if the player had been in the right field corner and the ball had bounced off of him in fair territory and then past the pole into the stands in foul territory, instead of a homer it would have been ruled a double.

Not all body shots are bad things. On August 2, 1984, Cubs; closer Lee Smith entered in the ninth inning with one out at Wrigley Field nursing a 3-2 lead against the Expos. With runners at first and third, Pete Rose lined a ball up the middle off Smith’s ample butt with the ball caroming in the air out to Dave Owen (Spike’s brother) at shortstop. He lobbed the ball over to first base to complete the game-ending double play. Ass-ist to Smith. Just 12 days later, Rose was sneaking down the backstairs of a San Francisco hotel to catch a flight to Cincinnati where he would be a player-manager. It turns out the flight wasn’t the only thing Pete booked.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail Bag

A lot of Rios in this week’s mailbag, but also plenty of other stuff as well. I really still can’t believe that a two-time all-star has been allowed to go to another team on a waiver claim and some people are saying that it is a good deal. In any case, that’s what’s great about sports is that we all don’t have to agree in order to enjoy the same game. On to the mailbag.

Q: Dear Richard, I happened to catch the headline on the Jays website where Riccardi is quoted as saying “he likes where the Jays are headed”. I had to re-read it several times in disbelief. This is the direction we should, as fans, be excited about? All I see is a team that was once at the top of the standings this year and is now in free fall. No longer can we complain that it is because of the big bad American East division as we would be at or near the bottom in all divisions. So, is this the direction JP is referring to? The article again stated that once the Jays got past the impact of the injured pitching staff, he could see the light (I’m paraphrasing). And, he mentioned that Rios and Wells are just having a bad year and that’s it. Therefore, I can only conclude that the direction next year will be as follows, a promising rookie crew of pitchers who may not sustain their success once they have been seen by the visiting teams and a right, centre and left (when Lind isn’t playing) fielder and a couple of first baseman hitting way below what is required and no real clean up hitter. My question to you, if you suddenly found yourself in charge, what is the first and second thing you would do to bring about a new “direction” (assuming you think there needs to be one!).
PS - love the blog, Carrie from Clarkson

A: As Capt. Edward Smith said to the steward during dinner at the captain’s table on April 12, 1912, “I think we’ll be needing more ice.” Coincidentally, the Titanic’s captain also liked the direction he was heading as they steamed across the north Atlantic.

If I was to take over the Jays’ ship heading into the off-season here’s what I would do. I would sit down with Roy Halladay and ask for his help in creating the best deal possible. I would ask for his input in terms of teams that he would like to pitch for. Then I would ask the commissioner’s office for a window of opportunity to allow any of those teams — say from among the Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Angels or Red Sox — to negotiate with Halladay a five-year extension giving him the free-agent type money he will surely get after 2010. If that is successful, then he would be worth far more in terms of a trade and I would ask for a current, young, mid-rotation starter and a speedy young outfielder on the cusp of reaching the majors to bat at the top of the order, plus maybe a couple of young Class-A arms. Second, I would move Adam Lind to first base and allow catcher J.P. Arencibia a full shot at the major-league job. If none of that worked, my third option would be to punt.

Q: Hi, Richard.
Question: J.P. Riccardi is quoted as having made the difficult decision of having to let Rios go on waivers to the White Sox because of the change in the economy of sports in the last year and how this allows the Blue Jays to address multiple positions as opposed to just one. He mentions shortstop and catching as two positions that need to be addressed. Correct me if I am wrong, but are these not the same two positions that he has constantly tinkered with since he joined the Blue Jays and now seemingly with no permanent resolve? How is it possible that 8 years have been removed and he still has not figured out how to address what he describes as our weak spots (and I thought it was the 4th and 5th in our rotation in addition to closer)? And how is it that catching prospects in the Jays organization never pan out — Delgado and Sprague being the rare exceptions, maybe Greg Myers — in the last 20 years?
Martin Keogh, Toronto, Ontario

A: Eight years is normally enough to sign and develop your own players at certain positions. You’re right about catching and shortstop in the Ricciardi era. His first move in December 2001 was to dump incumbent shortstop Alex Gonzalez on the Cubs. Russ Adams and Aaron Hill were drafted in consecutive Junes to fill that shortstop need. Now they are waiting for Justin Jackson who is still at least two years away. In the meantime they have had Felipe Lopez, Chris Woodward, Mike Bordick, Adams, Chris Gomez, John McDonald, Royce Clayton, David Eckstein and Marco Scutaro. Behind the plate they sent J.P. Arencibia to Las Vegas so that he would be ready to catch for the Jays on Opening Day 2010. They picked up the option year on Rod Barajas as a bridge to their catching future. Now they feel they need to dump Rios to save money to spend on a catcher. What happened to Arencibia? How about Brian Jeroloman? These questions have nothing to do with the current North American economy.

Q: This club has deteriorated before our eyes this year. I am not talking about the players, but the organization. You are on the inside. Is there an upside or a plan that this organization is going to show their fans? I know that this is probably a rhetorical question and that the answer is no. No vision, no future, but at least we kept J.P.
Bob James, Calgary

A: “At least” is the exact right turn of a phrase because there is no “at most” to be seen anywhere from Jays horizon to horizon. The only ray of hope is that they actually do re-invest the saved money on some solid talent.

Q: Richard,
Can things possibly get any more asinine than this? Is there no bottom to the asinine barrel in Rogersland? Not even a draft pick for the two-time all star? Bueller? Bueller? Oh right, Bueller's in Chicago.
David McCabe, Ottawa

A: Ricciardi can’t be ripped for not getting at least a draft choice for Rios because baseball is one sport that doesn’t allow the trading of draft picks. That’s to protect bad GMs from becoming worse GMs. So we can say that at least the Jays (perhaps only because of the rules) still have all their draft choices.

Q: Richard,
I just cannot believe what I just heard. How in all that is holy do you let a two-time all-star who is under 30 go for nothing? I mean at least you could have got a bag of batting practice balls in return. This is the stupidest thing I think I have ever seen. Officially the Jays are now the Florida Marlins. What a complete joke. This is just absolute stupidness.
Will Dickinson, Rycroft

A: The Marlins would never trade an established major-leaguer for nothing. If this is a result of the current economy, then why haven’t more small market teams been forced to do the same thing? Maybe because other MLB regimes are proactive and not reactive.

Q: In the Alex Rios transaction I keep waiting for the rest of the deal to be announced but I guess what you see is what you get. Or in the case of Rios a talented player, relatively young and under contract for an extended period is sold off for nothing in return. I find it appalling that at the time Roy Halladay was being shopped similar feelers weren't out for Rios. There are teams in the midst of the pennant race that would have taken Rios in a trade where the Jays would at least get prospects or players to be named later in return. I can think of Minnesota, San Francisco, Chicago as examples. I did not hear of Rios being shopped but I may have missed it. Was this the case? Is there any chance the White Sox have committed to compensate the Jays after the season ends. A real blunder in my mind on Ricardi's part.
Don Pearson, Richmond

A: There was no planning involved in the Rios dump. Every player every year is placed on this type of recallable waivers by their major-league teams. Nobody ever hears about it because they are supposed to be confidential. I honestly believe that there is a possibility someone allowed the Rios waiver claim to leak out to the media to make an uncomfortable situation for Ricciardi and the Jays in retaliation for the way he handled the Roy Halladay trades talks, making it uncomfortable for the Phillies, Rangers and others with added daily pressure from their fans and media to get a deal done. Because, as you point out, if there was a plan, they would have been discussing a Rios trade with other teams prior to July 31. At least they would have got something back. Even White Sox GM Kenny Williams thought he was going to have to give up a player or two and was surprised when they said, “Just take him and his contract. He’s all yours.”

Q: Greetings Richard. Am I the only one who likes the Rios dump? Yes, in a perfect world, we'd have gotten something tangible in return. But frankly, players should be paid for production, not potential. While I hope to high heaven JP isn't the man for the job, the Jays now have freed about $15 million of 2010 salary obligations (Rolen vs. Encarnacion, Rios) in the last 2 weeks. If, and that's a big if, the Jays can in fact spend this money, and spend it wisely, they can easily find one impact bat, if not two, and then again rely on hope and rainbows and sunshine that everyone stays healthy and performs to "expected levels" and maybe compete. But of course if it's JP spending the money, watch out four years and $60 million for a bought out Pat Burrell. Didn't JP lust after him once before? Good riddance to Alex Rios. Give the remaining 150 RF AB's to Snider, and let's start 2010 now.
Cheers,
Josh Silver, Toronto

A: So now, let’s see. If I go out and buy a Lamborghini convertible that I can’t afford and am making payments of $1,500 per month and then find someone to take over the payments and take the car off my hands that I am now up $1,500 per month?

Players are always paid for potential. It’s up to an organization to have scouts with enough knowledge to know what production veteran players still have left and which young players are going to develop into stars.

Q: Richard,
There is obviously confusion in the hierarchy of the Jays as well as Rogers in the direction of the team and also, most importantly, rumblings if Rogers will keep the team.
When you hear rumblings like this do you envision potential local owners for the Jays? Despite the inconsistent Canadian dollar, is there someone out there who might be interested? I cannot see how this can be a bad potential deal for an investor with interest, due to the fact the current ownership received such a good deal on the stadium.
Jody Mattie, Toronto

A: The way the Rogers ownership is running the Jays certainly makes it seem like all they care about is the bottom line and are not interested in putting in the effort needed to create new revenue by creating a winner on the field. If that is indeed the case, can selling the team be far behind? And yes there is local ownership out there somewhere. I don’t believe it would ever get to the point of the Expos or Coyotes. There will always be Canadian ownership of the Jays. And yes, the stadium is a bargain and a key asset.

Q: Hi Richard, Love the mailbag, wish more baseball guys would run one weekly — I always find the best under-the-numbers info comes from here! Which comes to my question: Marco Scutaro. JP has long been obsessed with finding a reliable, consistent, and identifiable shortstop for the Jays (haunted by the ghost of Tulowitzki, perhaps?) and it seems to me that he's stumbled across one in utility-man turned SS Marco Scutaro. My question is, with Scutaro heading for free agency, why isn't there more talk of the Jays extending or pursuing his contract? I seem to recall someone even mentioning the Jays had no intention of bringing him back. He's not a defensive liability. He's hitting nearly .300 but perhaps more importantly runs a .387 OBP (as of Sunday) out of the leadoff spot, seemingly solving THAT glaring lineup problem everyone has been worried about since Reed Johnson departed. He'll likely drive in 65-70 runs this season, with enough pop to manage 12 home runs or so (almost Jeter-type power of the last few years).
Granted he's no spring chicken at 34. But it seems to me he has at least a few good years left to fill the role he fills very well, and I just can't understand JP's comments/actions (IE trying to get Aybar out of the Angels and other SS prospects in the Halladay "deal") about not having solved the SS problem.
Matt Mistele, Waterloo, Ont.

A: The question of re-signing Marco Scutaro is a good one. I think the problem lies on both sides of the equation. Since Scutaro has only been a starting shortstop for one season, how much is he worth as a 34-year-old free agent. The Jays don’t know and neither does Marco. There were some bargains available at shortstop last winter on short-term deals. The Jays will need a two-year shortstop (2010-11) at which time, hopefully Justin Jackson will have figured it out and be ready to play in the majors. Scutaro would be the perfect fit, but he may want a three- or four-year deal. The Jays and Scutaro should be able to work something out.

Q: Halladay seems so well adjusted and methodical (despite Ricciardi's attempts to distract him). I've read that Roy has consulted a sports psychiatrist for a long time and closely follows his theories. Does the Doctor have any superstitions or odd rituals? What are some of the strangest things that pitchers do to prepare?
Chris M., Collingwood

A: His long-distance guru is a guy named Dr. Harvey Dorfman. He discovered Dorfman at the time he was trying to put his career back together after being sent back to Class A back in 2001. Dorfman preaches worrying only about the things that you can control. He taught Halladay to take pitching one pitch at a time and to forget about the one that you just threw and think about the one you are about to throw. Original, huh. Anyway it works for Halladay and you can see him before every game in front of his locker reading the same Dorfman book over and over and over.

As for pitchers and their rituals, they all have them, from the same music in the clubhouse before a start, to having the same guy hand them the ball before warming up, the same seat in the dugout, a towel over the head, not watching their own hitters between innings, the same undershirt every start, etc. I believe Doc is a creature of habit and likes everything the same on the day of a start, but that’s not really a superstition.

Q: Richard,
It looks like things fell apart with Blue Jays this year, but I noticed one part which really improved; the catching. Yes, I am not talking about Rod Barajas, but Raul Chavez. Every time I saw Chavez gunning down the base-stealers, I tried to remember when was the last time we had such a solid back up catcher. He doesn't play every day, but he plays really hard. Although we didn't win the game, I liked his bunt-hit in the bottom of ninth against the Phillies on June 28th. To me, he plays the game as if it's his last. I wish Vernon Wells and Alex Rios would play the game same way. I am not sure about Chavez' contract situation, but hope he will stay.
Yosuke Abe, Vancouver

A: The Jays have done very well with Chavez as a backup catcher. He’s been better for them than Michael Barrett would have been. There are dozens of guys like Chavez on the free-agent market every year. The key is having a starter that can play 125 games.

Q: Three questions for you Richard.
1. Do you feel that Ricciardi has dropped the ball in the past at deadline time? For example, he managed to deal Rolen at his peak value and got two good young arms. However, they've not been in a pennant race the past few years and there were opportunities to trade guys and stockpile the minors with some younger players in the process. Instead the team would find a way to finish strong and you would hear Ricciardi saying in the off-season "Look how we finished, we're capable of being a good club next season" and we go around and around.
2. Who do you see getting the September call up? Other than Snider that is. I'm thinking we'll likely see Fabio Castro. Arencibia is also a possibility. I know that he hasn't had the best offensive season in Vegas, but if he's being touted as catcher of the future shouldn't he get a look at the big league level?
3. Why in the world does Kevin Millar hit clean up when he's in the line up? I mean, it's not as if anyone else would be any good...but Kevin Millar? Yikes!
Pramit Bose, Brampton

A: The Rolen deal was just his fifth in the month of July in eight years and the first he has made on deadline day. He dumped Raul Mondesi in ’02, traded Shannon Stewart for a more Moneyball-type player in Bobby Kielty in ’03, dumped Terry Adams in ’04 and dumped Shea Hillenbrand in ’06, ending up with a decent reliever in Jeremy Accardo.

The reason the Jays finish strong every year is that they are always playing for keeps in September trying to win as many games as they can so they can sell tickets in the off-season instead of using the month to see what they may have down the road.

I don’t think Fabio Castro will get the call because he’s a non-roster player. Arencibia might get called up and allowed to play, but that would go against the philosophy I outlined above. They don’t usually call up more than two or three guys, plus activating some disabled guys. It saves them money not having to pay ML salaries and meal money, plus giving unnecessary days of service that later on might contribute to arbitration eligibility.

I agree with you about Millar. He should just be happy to be here.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Mail bag

With the Jays officially done with any Roy Halladay talks and now pretty much resigned to being out of any wild-card race, look for Travis Snider to soon work his way back into the Jays’ lineup for the rest of the season. He’s a big part of sorting out the puzzle for 2010. Can he be a productive major-league hitter or has he still got huge holes that can be exploited by opposing pitchers? Another interesting follow will be the progress of Shaun Marcum back to the majors post-Tommy John and can he be counted on as a #3 starter in 2010? The Jays’ goal should be to finish at .500, which, given the strength of schedule in the final 50 games, would be a significant accomplishment. On to the mailbag.

Q: Hey Richard,
I have a question about the Cliff Lee trade. Cleveland was willing to accept Philadelphia's second-tier prospects in return for Cliff Lee. Were they on the losing end of this trade or was JP simply asking for too much for Doc? I believe Doc has been a better pitcher over a longer period of time and thus has more value on the trade market, but Cliff Lee is last year’s Cy Young winner and Cleveland didn't receive a single player that was requested in the package for Doc. I would really appreciate some insight on this topic.
Cheers,
Kyle Todt, Waterloo

A: I do believe that the Phillies got the better of the Indians in the trade. I agree that Halladay is the more valuable commodity and that the Jays were holding out for the far better package of Phillies prospects, as they should have. The Halladay contract was already budgeted for and it was not a salary dump for Doc. Meanwhile the Tribe was in a dump mode and were looking for the best offer. The fact the Indians threw in outfielder Ben Francisco stunned me. Of course, it was not chump change the Tribe received in exchange. The Baseball America prospects book rated among Philly farmhands, Carlos Carrasco #2, Lou Marson #3, Jason Donald #4 and Jason Knapp #10. That’s four pretty highly rated prospects. The Jays were reportedly after Dominic Brown #1, Kyle Drabek #5 and J.A. Happ #9. The Indians filled a need with the four young prospects, since they have been in a salary dump mode all summer and need bodies to fill the holes in their system. The Jays aren’t in that same position.

Q: Hi Richard,
Just one question for you: I understand that Randy Ruiz in Las Vegas is 30 yrs old, but he is hitting 324, with 25 HR, 101 RBIs, a 601 SLG%, and a 396 OBP. Given the Jays’ woes with offence, why did they not give him a shot?
Thanks,
Ian Faulkner, Whitby

A: Ruiz, the first-baseman/DH for the 51s in Las Vegas, is an interesting baseball story. The native of the Bronx is 31 and the Blue Jays are his 10th major-league organization since being signed by the Reds as a non-drafted free-agent in July of 1999. In all of that pro time, he has 1,083 minor-league games and just 22 in the majors, all with the Twins as a 30-year-old in 2008. What’s up with that? The fact is it took Ruiz until 2007 to even reach Triple-A at Ottawa. He played in Rochester in 2008 and now with Vegas in ’09. So it’s not just the Jays that have had that opinion of him as  simply a good minor-league hitter. Earlier in the season he recorded his 4,000th minor-league at-bat and will soon club his200th minor-league homer. Why does he not get a shot with the Jays as maybe the RH platoon at DH or at first base? Good question. I would rather have his bat right now than that of Kevin Millar. But there are some guys that seem to be perceived just as career minor-league sluggers. Examples in the Jays’ history include Chad Mottola, Howie Clark, Eric Crozier, John Hattig, Patrick Lennon, Brian Lesher, Luis Lopez, Robert Perez, Simon Pond, Dave Revering, Tony Solaita, Pedro Swann, Andy Thompson, Kevin Witt and Greg (Boomer) Wells.

Q: Hi Griff...love your reality checks on the Jays’ pulse. Nuff of Halladay nonsense. What concerns me greatly about this team are those demoralizing one run losses (9 and 20 the last I checked), worst in the majors. Two Q's here. Why weren't we shopping for a closer...seems to me this would be priority No. 1 going forward post-Ryan. Secondly, what is going on in that clubhouse to so cavalierly shrug off these one run setbacks or more often than not giveaways.
Ray Stockus, Bend, Oregon

A: You’re right about having enough of Halladay talk. Let’s move on. As far as the one-run losses, not all of them are built the same and can be considered demoralizing. I know the ones to which you’re referring, the ones with a lead late in games and the other team comes back to tie and win late. If you could walk into the Jays’ clubhouse after those games, you would see the emotions you’re looking for. These guys do take those losses hard. But it’s an every day game and, as it is everywhere and has been through the history of baseball, the club is a reflection of its manager and Cito Gaston’s philosophy is to shrug off last night and move on to tomorrow. Sometimes that’s tougher to do as a fan than as a player. As for the closer-shopping, I believe the Jays were hoping for one more year out of Scott Downs and then hoping for someone from within the organization to step up. For now, it’s Jason Frasor, but I don’t believe he has a long-term future in the organization. They are hoping that Brandon League or, now, Josh Roenicke can become the next bullpen stopper. It’s not always the best idea to go and get someone else’s well-paid closer, because there is a relatively short shelf-life in that specialty and more teams are successful in creating a closer than in trading for one.

Q: I have a question about the Blue Jays’ management's handling of the trade deadline and Halladay situation. Were they too all-consumed with trading Halladay and getting a beneficial package in return to not realize that they have other assets on the roster that could have been moved to bring some younger prospects or current roster players? I'm one to believe that some of the players on our roster would look attractive (I know some contracts are an obstacle) but seriously, I hate standing pat especially if it's become obvious you have nothing left to achieve this season.
Cam Choscinski, Toronto

A: I believe the Jays were consumed on the Halladay trade front, but I also believe that GM J.P. Ricciardi knew which teams had interest in his other assets like Marco Scutaro, Scott Rolen, Rod Barajas and even Jason Frasor. If Halladay had gone, some of those other dominoes would have fallen, but part of keeping Halladay is keeping hope, because long ago Halladay was promised that he would never be part of a rebuilding process, that the Jays, as long as he was in the uniform, would always be striving to contend. As such, with Halladay going out there every fifth day, they will not go younger to the point of looking three years down the road to contend. I also believe that in the off-season, Alex Rios is a very tradeable asset that could bring back a couple of nice pieces elsewhere. Vernon Wells, because of his contract, is a Blue Jay for life.

Q: Richard, I'll skip my questions about trading Halladay since that's been beaten to death. Instead, I'm curious if there was any trade interest in Lyle Overbay at the deadline and how much is left on his contract? Although Rolen was great, it was good that J.P. was able to unload his contract.
Michael Doko, San Francisco

A: There was not much trade interest in Overbay at the deadline, although his is an interesting discussion in the off-season. Overbay is the type of complementary hitter that isn’t going to turn your season around in the final two months after the trade deadline. He’s a 40-doubles, 70-RBIs, 15 homers, .270 type guy that fits in nicely in the 6-7 hole if you have other bangers that are producing. That’s why he looks bad in the Jays’ mix. As for his contract, he’s due for $7 million in the final year of his contract in 2010.

Q: We travelled to Seattle for Wednesday's game just in case it was Roy Halladay's last with the Jays. Little did we know it would be Scott Rolen's final game with Toronto. What a player he is and what a loss for the team. It is really difficult to figure out the Jays' strategy these days, if indeed there is one. Richard, where does the team go from here?
Ernie Armstrong, Vernon, B.C.

A: It was nice to hear the knowledge and respect shown to Halladay by the Vancouver contingent of Jays Nation. With just small pockets of fans even in the ballpark, as soon as Doc emerged from the third-base dugout and started his march across the outfield to the bullpen, the cheering started, acknowledging this could be the final time. Really nice. As for Rolen, “what a player” pretty much sums it up. This guy is the best defensive third baseman I’ve ever seen and plays all aspects of the game the right way, including being one of the smartest slow-guy baserunners I’ve had the pleasure to witness. Even in making an out on the bases, it would always be a calculated gamble that didn’t leave the Jays in a bad position. The one criticism is the “personal wishes” aspect of his wanting out, apparently, to be closer to home. One would think that for $11 million per annum that you are being paid to play wherever they ask you to play and the sacrifice of being away from home for six months is being covered by the cash. I guess not.

Q: Hello Richard, I would like to ask you if you think the Jays will dismiss J.P. at season's end and is there anybody out there that the Jays could hire to be the new GM. Also which other players do you think the Jays will trade this off season? Keep up the great work!
Gino Leone, Toronto

A: Please remember that I have been wrong before, but here is my best guess on what happens with J.P. New president comes in. He calls J.P. in the office. J.P., not wanting to be in a lame-duck position with one-year remaining on his contract, asks for an extension so that he can be dealing on an equal footing with other GMs. The Jays don’t really want to give him 3-5 more years. They agree to part ways. New prez installs either one of the current assistant GMs because it would be very difficult to get someone with success and previous experience to take this job in the current economic, philosophical climate.

Q: Richard, it's "swell" that J.P. was kind to Rolen, but this doesn't look like much more than a salary dump, nicely covered by the "personal issues" comment. You don't see it that way?
Tim Alison, Meteghan

A: The reason I don’t see it that way is because Roy Halladay is still here and Halladay is the man. The relationship between Halladay and the Jays is one of “never give up.” Their situation is like Butch and Sundance in that cabin in Bolivia planning for the future while the whole Bolivian army waits outside to blow them away. Reality is always a little skewed in the Jays’ front office. Halladay needs defence on the field. Rolen was a big part of that. Rolen asked for a deal, preferably to the Reds, and Ricciardi obliged. The fact that he got a couple of really good young arms is a bonus. The fact that he got Edwin Encarnacion and his $4.75 million commitment for ‘10 was a necessary evil and one that will be divested of in trade in the off-season.

Q: What in the Sam Hill does "whip" mean when I see it in the boxscore or on the TV screen? - and what does it signify?
Edward Uhraney, Mississauga

A: That’s what I like. Old-school ball fans like you. WHIP stands for “walks-plus-hits-over-innings-pitched”. The lower your WHIP, the better pitcher you are according to the new age statisticians. If you can hold opponents to a 1.00 WHIP that means your hits and walks add up to the same as your innings. That is good, yes, but give me good old wins and losses or team wins and losses for a starting pitcher.

Q: Richard,

Why does nobody ever comment on the rampant use of chewing tobacco in the major leagues? Closer J. P. Howell last week appeared to take his cap off to cover up a spit of chewing tobacco on the mound with no comment from the play-by-play announcers?
Alan McLean, Sarnia 

A: For the past decade, chewing tobacco has been banned from major-league clubhouses. Equipment managers used to have cans piled up for their dippers, but studies showed the damaging effects of continued chewing so MLB issued an edict officially banning it. All that meant was the product was not laid out in the clubhouse anymore. Yes, fewer young players today chew, just as fewer people are smoking cigarettes, but if you want chewing tobacco you can still get it. If anyone complains about it, commissioner Bud Selig will just point to the fact that it has been banned from all minor and major-league clubhouses. What else can they do? Even some veteran sports writers and columnists still dip.

Click here to send Richard a question, and he'll answer a selection in his mailbag Wednesdays in this space. **Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Richard. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**