Blue Jays mailbag

Within the space of a few recent emails in the wake of the surprising Zack Greinke trade to the Brewers, I have been accused of labelling Alex Anthopoulos both a genius and an idiot depending on reader interpretation, while I myself have been called just one of those two.

Let me make it perfectly clear, the answer (for both) lies somewhere inbetween. I am told that I promoted the trade of Greinke to the Jays and suggested it was a distinct possibility when in the wake of the six-player deal between the Brewers and Royals, the strong implication from Greinke was that the Jays were never in the mix. First examine the “no-trade-to-Toronto” clause. I have been around the game long enough that when someone says that a team was on his no-trade list, that can be changed in a heartbeat if that ends up being where he wants to go. But Greinke thought the Brewers were closer to winning which makes sense in the shallow waters of the NL Central. The fact is the Jays had called the Royals prior to the winter meetings and asked about the Cy guy and were told approximately what it would cost in terms of players and prospects. Anthopoulos considered it too much, but still had an eye on the Royals. He treated it like any other team, looking for his opening, any chance the Royals would come down off the “Drabek, Snider and two prospects” stance. To paraphrase re the Greinke trade from Monty Python's “parrot” skit. “It's not dead, it's just sleeping.” It never happened and Melvin's call to Royals GM Dayton Moore ended the suspense. Anthopoulos is always aware when young controllable talent is there. The 27-year-old Greinke is talented and signed for two more years. But the price was not right.

One of the apparently objectionable words that I used in a column after the trade was that A.A. was “schooled” by Brewers GM Doug Melvin. That was taken in some quarters as a huge insult towards the Jays GM. Certainly, as a 34-year-old personnel boss, three months into his second season Anthopoulos acknowledges he does not know it all when it comes to his job. On this occasion, he learned something from Melvin about the art of the deal, about persistence, about building and not being satisfied when your goal is to win and win now. Anthopoulos would admit that he has a lot to learn, but he has said as long as he does not repeat the same mistake twice then he is learning. . . or being schooled. His history is of learning. A.A. learned something when trying to deal Roy Halladay and discovering his options were one, the Phillies. He learned something at the trade deadline in July when he couldn't move any of his relievers though he tried. He learned something from the way the Jeremy Accardo episode turned out, wherein he promised his disgruntled reliever in the off-season things would be different that he would have a chance to earn a job in the bullpen and in the end it was more of the same. He learns something every day. Hey, sports is about dealing with human beings and a constanly changing landscape. If your idea of good journalism is being the first to tweet a rumour then that's good. We're into opinion and analysis here. I learned a long time ago that the best way not to fall out of a tree is to never go out on a limb. Even I can admit we're all still learning. On to the mailbag.  

Q: I read your article about the Jay's pursuit of Zack Greinke and about how Jay's GM A.A. is a genius by acquiring Brett Lawrie and taking the Brewers out of the Greinke equation. It would have been a good article had you not been dead wrong. As I'm sure you've learned by now, the Shaun Marcum acquisition was a primary factory in Greinke waiving his no-trade clause in a deal with Milwaukee. Looks like A.A. isn't such a "genius" after all. You owe a big apology to all the Jays fans for lack of good observation.
Best regards,
NWilding

A: Good start. The Brewers have clearly decided to go for it in 2011 in the very winnable NL Central. So the follow-up effect of the Marcum trade with the Jays on Milwaukee — rather than ending their search, rather than filling their needs, satisfying their desire for a top-of-the-rotation starter, instead of ending all those things, the Marcum trade led to the next dramatic Brewers move, the acquisition of Greinke. The Brewers used four more of their minor-league inventory of top prospects to pry the Cy guy away from the Royals. In those two key trades for starting pitchers, the Brewers dealt four of their top nine and five of their top 21 prospects according to Baseball America's 2010 rankings. The follow-up trade after Marcum with the Royals came out of the blue off a Melvin phone call. It was initiated and consummated quickly all within the first few days after Greinke changed agents and it became known that he really, really wanted out -- and not only that he wanted to go to a contender. Royals trade talks with the Brewers had been dormant, just as they were with the Jays after GM Alex Anthopoulos's  only call prior to the winter meetings. However a second call from Brewers GM Doug Melvin to his Royals counterpart Dayton Moore, got the ball rolling again. So why not the Jays? It wasn't the no-trade it was the nolo contendo. All no-trade clauses can be worked out as happened with Milwaukee. But the Jays' public strategy has been to downplay their ability to contend in 2011 and just let it flow instead of making promises to fans that they end up not being able to keep. Players can read (uh, most of them). The Jays stance: if contending in 2011 happens, it happens and, make no mistake, they are potentially talented enough to contend for a wild-card led by their young starting pitching and with two other teams the Yankees and Rays struggling in the offseason, it might happen. But there are no promises. However that was not the type of up-front attitude to attract Greinke. That and the fact that the Jays are in tough in the AL East with the Red Sox and Yankees. As for the column in question that suggested A.A. had a solid strategy of eliminating the Brewers from the Greinke hunt, nobody is more prepared going into trade talks than Anthopoulos. He knows what other teams need before any discussion. He knows what they have to offer and he knows what third teams can become involved if he brings them in. But there is the human factor to consider in all of sports and the only thing that is predictable is the unpredictable. Lawrie was a player of interest to the Royals as well as the Jays. Anthopoulos took him off the table as a potential chip. Even the best chess players lose occasionally. The unexpected is what makes baseball's off-season the greatest and most discussed in pro sports. 

Q. Richard:
If regards to the Brewers acquisition of Zack Greinke, if you had to affix comparable Blue Jay players names to the prospects given up by Milwaukee, who would they be?
Thanks,
Paul, Guelph

A. To jump-start any serious conversation with the Royals would have taken Kyle Drabek, Travis Snider then two more top prospects, likely catcher J.P. Arencibia and a top minor-league starting pitcher. GM Anthopoulos was not willing to part with this package for two guaranteed years of Greinke, so the conversation never got off the ground, although interest from the Jays was not dead. 

Q. Hi Richard,I love to read your blog and articles. So much knowledge in baseball. I am wonder why the Jays signed EE for 1B/DH instead of a more power hitter and mentor type of veteran like Jim Thome. I think he fits well as a DH and backup for Adam Lind. Also, do you think the Jays will move AA to 3B and bring in a 2B? what's available in the farm system other than the newly acquired Brett Lawrie.
Thanks,
Oliver Chiu, Markham

A. Edwin Encarnacion's problem has never been in catching ground balls. It's after that. His problem has been in throwing the ball consistenly across the diamond. He would make a great play on the third-base line one inning and then short-arm a routine grounder the next, bouncing it for an error or sailing a throw past the first baseman with a rising fastball. With Lyle Overbay gone and Adam Lind still learning the position, the Jays could not bring Encarnacion back as a third baseman without endangering fans in the box seats. But after deciding on Lind as first option at first base, the Jays decided to look for a righthanded hitting complement to Lind that would be a DH first and a first baseman second. That combo of skills left Manny Ramirez out, since he is strictly a LF/DH.
Jim Thome is a wonderful human being and a potential Hall-of-Famer, but he is physically done as a first baseman, especially if he had to play more than half his games on artificial turf. Anthopoulos is now stressing flexibility with the DH position. Part of the reasoning is the nine road games in inter-league play where if your DH can't play a position he is simply a pinch-hitter. That's a terrible disadvantage. As for third base, I assume you mean Aaron Hill to third. Other than Lawrie, who at 20 is still likely a year away from the majors, the Jays have Adeiny Hechavarria also still a year away. It would have taken the acquisition of a free agent starting second baseman to move Hill over to third. 

Q. Mr. Griffin
Should Jays fans start being concerned that AA hasn't replaced any of the relievers that have left, especially at closer? I thought any combination of Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier or Grant Balfour would have signed.
DeShaun Kozak, Uxbridge, ON

A. I am surprised, along with you, that with the entirely predictable contracts for quality relievers and with the Jays' closer role wide open, that they were not able to come to terms with guys like Crain or Wheeler. There are still some free agent relievers out there that may come at bargain prices in the new year. With former pitching coach John Farrell as manager, with Bruce Walton and a slew of pro scouts on board, one would hope the Jays know what they're doing in the bullpen. Maybe not. As of now, Jason Frasor and Shawn Camp would have the best chance to close. They need more.  

Q. I was wondering why the Jays decided to bring back Edward Encarnacion, and why it is they are looking to use him as part of a first-base platoon? Why not instead plug him in as the everyday DH and let Adam Lind learn how to field the position, considering, as it is has been said, the Jays don't look to be contenders in 2011 anyway. I would also like to know, based on 2011 being somewhat of another write-off season for the team, why it was that Lyle Overbay wasn't retained? Was it because of contractual reasons? It seems to me that in keeping Overbay for at least one more year (until the much-talked-about 2012 dawn-of-a-new-era that Jays fans are awaiting with anticipation) the Jays would not only have temporarily solved their first-base problem, but wouldn't have needed to re-sign E.E. (not the greatest of fielders), and if you're going to platoon Adam Lind for his first year as a first-baseman anyway, why not do so under the tutelage of Lyle Overbay? Wouldn't Lind ! and Overbay have made a better 1B/DH platoon for 2011? That would also have meant one more left-handed bat in the line-up, which as it stands now is lopsided with mostly right-handed hitters.
Darrell Holtze, Guelph

A. Lind will likely be the everyday 1B and Encarnacion will be the DH, but both men will work out pre-game every day at first, taking grounders and making feeds. When Lind needs a day off or is banged up, or if they determine he can't play the position well enough, or if it's a tough starting lefthander, then Encarnacion will play the position. If Encarnacion was a lefthanded hitter, the Jays would likely have gone in another direction.
As for Overbay, in order to move forward, the Jays could not return the same veteran players and then all of a sudden declare themselves contenders a year later in 2012. The contract was never an issue with Overbay, although I am surprised all he was able to sign for was one year $5 million with the Pirates. But there were a lot of free agent first basemen on the market. Lind is not going to platoon at first base, especially if he improves defensively during the spring. Encarnacion will be the primary DH as of now. The Jays do need one more lefthanded bat for balance, with just Lind and Travis Snider right now.

Q. When the Jays are ready to compete for a title in 2012 (probably 2013), one thing I think we worry about is having a true #1 starter. Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow are fine starters - but probably project more into a #2 type for a championship caliber team. Drabek has great stuff but he probably fits in the same mold.  Now that Greinke is off the market, what top of the line starters are likely available in free agency in 2012 and beyond? (Assuming they don't get locked up over the next few seasons).
R S, Toronto

A. Every No. 1 starter had to begin his career further down the pecking order in his team's rotation. The guy with the best chance at becoming a No. 1 for the Jays at the moment is Morrow. He has the best stuff on the staff and if he would show the same bulldog peronality on the mound as Romero and Shaun Marcum, then he would be the man. Anthopoulos said at the winter meetings that his goal for the Jays is to have five No. 3's or better in the rotation. The list of potential free agent starters following the 2011 season is slim, including Mark Buehrle, Gil Meche, Wandy Rodriguez, Edwin Jackson and C.J. Wilson. Not a great list. Starters are a valued commodity, especially after the Giants' World Series win.

Q. Hi Richard,
First off, I just need to re-iterate what has been said many times before: Your blog is entertaining and insightful, and I definitely appreciate the effort you put into it. I've got a few questions for you, hope you're game.  (If I'm rehashing old ground on these questions, I apologize).
First question: Now that Alex A. is no longer the 'new kid on the block' in GM circles, could it be a little more difficult for him to make deals?  He's made some pretty astute deals (getting Yunel and Gose come to mind), and I'm just wondering if opposing GMs may have developed a sense of "wait a minute.... what's he up to?" when talking to Alex.
Second question: While I agree with AA's big picture strategy which may result in a slight step down in the wins column next season, I'm still a little perturbed by the fact that Marcum's gone with no tangible replacement. And now that Greinke's gone to join Marcum on the Brewers (and not replace him in TO) I'm even more distressed. It seems that one obstacle to acquiring Greinke may have been that TO was on his no-trade list. At this point my Canadian inferiority complex kicks in... why would you NOT want to come to TO as a baseball player?  Is there some kinda hidden bad rep? Is it a lack of recent success?  Is it the taxes? Is it the unparalleled diversity, relative harmony, gun control and free healthcare?
Thanks for your time,
Hope you and yours have a good holiday!
Daryl Humes, Seattle

A. First Answer: Yes, I do believe that opposing GMs have changed their attitude from a year ago when dealing with Anthopoulos. It started with the way he handled the Halladay negotiations, ending up with a nice package of prospects when the Phillies were basically his only landing strip. He keeps his dealings and discussions behind closed doors and insists that his trading partners do the same. When he enters a room he knows not only what you want from him, but what other major-league teams have to offer you in that same category. If he has a specific player that he covets but does not have a proper fit in terms of a trade, he is constantly looking for a third team become involved in order to satisfy all sides. In his second year, veteran opposing GMs no longer pat him on the head like a kid, they pat their back pocket to see if he's stolen their wallet. The first noticeable change in the way other GMs dealt with the 34-year-old Jays' boss was at the July trade deadline. He believed he could move one or more of his relievers, but could not get a deal done. My belief is that other GMs were steering clear of him because of the intensity with which he approaches the job. Hey, nobody does three-ways in July.
Second Answer: The Jays have lost from an 85-win team in 2010 their first baseman, catcher, third baseman, opening day starter, the closer and primary setup man. Can they repeat 85 wins? That's a good question and one that will be answered only if Lind and Aaron Hill bounce back, if Jose Bautista and Wells can repeat, if Snider breaks out and if Romero, Morrow and Cecil can take the next step in terms of starts and innings pitched. Then there's the open closer's role. As for Marcum being traded, nowhere in the organization are the Jays' deeper than at starting pitcher. Nowhere are they more shallow than in the infield. The Marcum deal cannot be properly evaluated until Lawrie's potential is reached. The Langley, B.C. native is still only 20 years old and even though he believes he's ready for the majors, will probably start at AAA-Las Vegas. As for why Toronto is still a tough sell to free agents, the former GM from 2002-09 was not exactly a candidate for the T-O chamber of commerce. Hello Adam Dunn. The ignorance of today's young American players in using taxes, weather and the annoyance of clearing customs as excuses can be overcome by winning and treating players right.

Q. Hey Richard,
Throughout this winter friends of mine have come to question some of AA's moves and decisions. I drank the AA koolaid long ago and said to them I fully trust him and feel he knows what he's doing. I still believe this but the first non move has me at least questioning what's going on. To me Orlando Hudson would have been a great signing. Yes his offensive numbers have declined three straight years but his defense is still top notch and he is still liked by Toronto fans. What is your take on this? What left handed third basemen or second basemen are out there?  and Finally, any chance Man Ram signs with us?
Marc Oliver, Toronto

A. I'm with you. I would have signed Hudson for two years this winter in  a heartbeat. It would be short-term for a reasonable amount. Instead he tiook the same offer from the Padres. The guy, since he left Toronto, has been to the post-season the last two years with the Dodgers and Twins. That would have meant moving Aaron Hill to third which is where I think he's going to end up anyway. And this is the year for making those switches. Hudson is loud and opinionated, but his teammates love him. In Minnesota on the final weekend, Wells was laughing to a group of writers on Sunday morning talking about an attempted steal where the ball arrived at second even before VW began his slide. All he could hear as he was still running was O-Dog chirping about how out he actually was. Thern the tag. That's O-Dog. It's a personality the Jays have missed. As for any lefty swinging alternatives at second or third, you've got guys like Alex Cora, Adam Kennedy, Felipe Lopez, Willy Aybar and Aaron Miles. Give me Orlando Hudson. As for Manny Ramirez, I believe that window closed when Encarnacion re-upped at a much cheaper rate ($2.5M with an option for $3.5M) with an altered job description of DH/1B.       

Q. I agree with last week's suggestion that the Rogers Skydome is in need of some improvement. Stadiums are a big part of the baseball experience, I actually make a point to see at least one new MLB ballpark every year. The Blue Jays home is pretty limited to change since it is primarily an entertainment center sharing duties with football games, concerts, monster truck rallies, Dalai Lama visits etc... But I have a couple of suggestions.
1) Lower the fences. I know it is already a hitters park, but seeing some home runs robbed would be incredibly exciting. Since the fences are removable, that would probably make it an easier job.
2) Get rid of the empty outfield restaurant. I go to 25+ games a year and never see it open more that twice. Open it up, replace it with some greenery, get some plant life in the park so it's not so sterile. There needs to be statues! Get an artist to do a series of statues for the guys on the level of excellence, at least that's a starting point. Memorabilia, plaques, 30+ years is enough time to begin celebrating our franchise history and start our own Monument Park. Can you see Rogers and the Blue Jays making changes along these lines? Ultimately I'd like to see a new baseball exclusive stadium with real grass, when do you think those talks start, seven years from now?
Diego Bergia, Toronto

A. Did you suggest a Monster Truck rally with the Dalai Lama? It has potential. I believe the folks that make the decisions at the Skydome should take a month during the summer and visit all 29 other major-league ballparks and take notes. Ther eyes would be opened. The best in-stadium scoreboard and information is the Diamondbacks. The worst is the Jays. The best concessions and food is the Giants. The worst is the Jays. The best centre field landscaping is the Angels. The worst is the Jays.
Following up on your suggestions, the problem with lowering the fences all the way around is that with the Jays' artificial turf, even though this surface plays more like real grass than the old turf, you would get balls up the alley bouncing out for ground-rule doubles, the least exciting play in baseball, when the triple is the most exciting. There is a solution. They could lower the fences from each foul line to the end of the bullpen from 12 feet to eight feet because balls hit down the line are mostly doubles anyway with runners mostly just advancing two bases. Now, you could have a high fly ball hit down the line and the left fielder drifts over and times his leap pulling a home run back into play for an out. That would not affect the triples total but would create what you suggest some highlight outfield play.
As for Part 2 of the question, yes, hanging gardens, statues and fountains instead of an empty restaurant. I love it. As it is now the RC is very sterile and unappealing as a baseball venue. I would also put in the all dirt infield instead of just the sliding pits. A Monument Park for great moments and great players in Jays history is good but it would be too inaccessible in the hotel backdrop. You'd have to add a statue of the first couple making out in an open hotel window. Maybe it could be in the back of the Jays' bullen with tours every afternoon when the gates open. And, that reminds me, how about telling ushers to lighten up when it comes to fans switching sections in the late innings of a blowout.   
New facility? Since the Jays own the whole thing, I can see them making major renovations inside before they ever think about building a new retro stadium. There is no taxpayer money to be had in this day and age unless, of course, you named the new place Ford Field, but I believe that's already taken.    

Q. Hey Griff!
My buddy and I are thinking of heading down to Cooperstown in July for the induction of Gillick, Alomar, Van Horne. Do you have any tips for where to stay and tickets for that weekend? I've been down there a few times, but never for a big weekend like this, and info on the HOF website is scarce.
Thanks!
Stuart Stark, Toronto

A. If Robby gets in on January 6, this would be a great year to make the trek. Pretty much both of the main Cooperstown hotels are booked by now, so any hotel would be in Utica or one of the neighbouring boroughs about an hour away. Still worth it. E-mail Brad Horn, the director of information at the hall and he will let you know about ticket details for the events and a description of the access on induction day.  

Q. Hi Richard.
I really enjoy your column, especially since I'm an expatriate with only online media as a resource to stay informed on the Jays. One of your readers asked about any improvements planned for Skydome. Following up on this theme, do you know anything about how the concessions are awarded at the stadium? I have been really disappointed with the lack of variety available in my recent visits. One of the great things about AT&T Park in San Francisco, aside from the breathtaking views and 2010 World Series trophy, is the diversity of food vendors. Many of them offer unique items with a regional flavor. (Somewhere in the back of my mind I hear George Bell saying that 'Toronto fans just go to the game to eat'.) Still, a tired slice of pizza that I could buy a few blocks from the stadium for half the price adds little to the fan experience.
Dave Sorokowsky, California

A. We were just discussing this issue a few questions above. The concessions need to be updated, no doubt. It's not as if there is no diversity in Toronto from which to draw. Here's an idea. Imagine if two years from now when the Jays are contending that every 100 metres along the main concourse at field level there was a unique food concession from a different culture around the city, resulting from open bidding for restaurants in each ethnic neighbourhood, supplying their own chefs and menus for the 81 home games. The way to a fan's heart is through his stomach. That would be a start to making the baseball crowd more reflective of the city's diverse population than it is right now. Hopefully the Italian food stand would not include that tired old pizza.

Until the new year, happy holidays.

Blue Jays mail bag

With many of the big boys coming off the free agent market, led by Cliff Lee's jumping back to the Phillies and Carl Crawford to the Red Sox, some of the familiar Jays' names are suddenly making appearances in rumours and transactions. You've got first baseman Lyle Overbay signing a one-year deal with the Pirates for $5 million. He made $7 million in his final year with the Jays and if the Jays had indeed offered him arbitration at the deadline, he might have been advised to actually accept the offer and may have been back for another season for a raise. The Jays decided they were moving forward and Lind will get a full opportunity. Also in the news, Kevin Gregg and Jeremy Accardo are reported to be close to signing wth the O's. Gregg is also of interest to the Red Sox. A total of 84 free agents out of 255 have found new homes as of Wednesday morning. Only 13 of those are for longer than two years. There are bargains to be had for teams willing to take a chance. On to the mail bag.

 

Q-Hey Richard,

With the Bronx Bombers falling short in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, what other course of actions will they follow in order to make a splash this off season? Do you think they will now try trading for either Zack Greinke or Matt Garza to bolster their rotation?

-Matthew Lee, Leaside, Toronto

 

A-So far the Yankee reaction has been slow as they struggle up from the canvas to take what amounts to a standing eight-count, but expect them to heat up into a near-froth as they realize how far behind the Red Sox they have fallen in the battle for Evil Empire supremacy and one-upmanship. On Monday, they thought they had Cliff Lee with the extra guaranteed year and the highest guaranteed offer. On Tuesday he was gone and they instead had agreed to terms with Mark Prior. The former Cubs star is trying to re-establish his career. The hot spotlight of Broadway is not always the best place to get that done, although Prior's running mate with the Cubs, Kerry Wood did it out of the Yankee bullpen.

The Yankees definitely need to do something big in terms of starting rotation. They cannot compete against the Sox, Jays and Rays with CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. (I'm taking my talents to the South Bronx) Burnett, Ivan Nova and Prior or Sergio Mitre. Their best chance to compete is to trade for Greinke, but do they have enough in terms of prospects to satisfy the Royals' needs? The other thing they may try to do right away is to call Andy Pettitte and ask him to come back for one more year. The Rangers have also expressed an interest in Pettitte and that would be delicious if Nolan Ryan signed the Texan away from the Bombers. As for Garza, would the Rays trade him within the division? Their fans might not show up. Oh, wait, they already don't show up. The best free agent starter available, other than the undecided Pettitte is Carl Pavano and the Yankees have been down that road before.

 

Q-I'm curious as to why the Blue Jays are leaning towards having Drabek start the season in the big leagues. While we all agree he has great potential, putting him on the roster on Opening Day qualifies him for Super Two status two years from now. Instead bringing him up in June (like that Nationals did with their phenom starting pitcher), the Jays would save a significant chunk of cash down the line.  If we all agree that the Jays will contend in 2012 and beyond, I'm really curious as to why AA and the new manager have been quick to throw his name into discussions for the starting roster. 

-Joe Sacti, Toronto

 

A-Having Drabek play the entire season with the Jays will not qualify him for Super Two status two years from now. It qualifies him for free-agent status six years from now and that's only if he remains on the major-league roster from now through the end of 2016. That would be an organization thinking far too deeply if that's going to be a reason not to have a guy in the opening day rotation. Super Two is a category of arbitration eligible players that includes a low percentage of players each years that have two years plus the highest number of days in the majors among all players. For those players that are called up and sent down over the course of several years, a total of 172 days service equals a full year.

In Drabek's case, it's getting to the point where it does not mater as much about super two, because in a player's second year of arbitration, if he figures prominently in an organization's future, they buy him out of the final couple of years of arbitration and lock him up with a long-term deal. If Drabek rates that sort of consideration, the fact that he spent the entire 2011 season in the majors will become academic. As for why they throw his name in the 2011 discussion, he's good.

 

 

Q-The acquisition of Brett Lawrie had me thinking about Aaron Hill's situation. What do you think the odds are that the Jays don't pick up his $8M and $10 club options in 2012 through 2014.  Hill definitely has some pop in his bat but one could question whether you're better off getting another 2B or 3B free agent for the same (or less money)... similar to the decision AA made with Kevin Gregg.  For Hill specifically when do the Jays need to make the call on picking up his club options?

-Harry Jackson, Toronto

 

A-The Jays need to make the call on Hill's three option years (2012-14) not until the eve of Opening Day 2011, although they will likely decide during spring training. The Hill contract was one of Anthopoulos's early innovations as assistant GM to J.P. Ricciardi. The Rays used it as a model when they locked up Evan Longoria less than a year later. If the Jays decide to pick up the Hill options before next season it will include all three years at $8, $8 and $10 million. If they do not pick all three up they can declare after 2011 for just 2012-13. Or, in the end, they can decline all three options and Hill is a free agent after 2011. The safer of two courses of action would be for the Jays to wait until Hill rebounds offensively in 2011 before deciding on two option years through 2013. The flip side of that argument is that Anthopoulos said early in his GM career that there is an upside to having a player locked up to a long-term deal even if your plan is to eventually trade him. If Hill is the Hill of 2009, then the three option years are a bargain. A.A. likely has a soft spot in his heart for this contract.   

 

 

Q-Given the large contracts given to Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, how do you think this changes AA's thinking on Jose Bautista?  The Jays are in a bit of a catch-22.  If Bautista replicates his 2010 season through 2011, the asking price only goes up. 

-R.S., Toronto

 

A-You're right about the financial danger of allowing Bautista to have another 50-home run season heading into free agency and what that would do to his market value...but don't you think the Jays would love to have that problem. Put it this way, if Bautista has slammed 15 homers by the end of May 2011, they would make every effort to lock him up to a long-term contract looking for some sort of hometown discount perhaps because of the break they gave him in establishing his career. If not, if that strategy doesn't work, if they realized that he was going to go through the free-agent process and see what he was Werth, then they could attempt to trade him before the deadline in July and get back prospects. There is also a huge danger in giving Bautista free-agent star money after just one great season at the age of 30. The organization is still smarting over the Vernon deal. The most intelligent course of action was descibed above – to pay very close attention to Bautista during the spring and in the first two months and then try to lock him up if he proves to be who he says he is.

 

 

Q-Richard, I have long admired Tony La Russa's approach to the catching position. This is a position where defense is critical. He once said that he would start Yadier Molina even if he batted .100. Bearing this in mind and with a young pitching staff on board, wouldn't the Jays best approach be with an established veteran who can best manage a game? If Arencibia is known to be a defensive liability and we have holes at both 1st and 3rd, wouldn't a switch seem logical? Jose Molina seemed to bring out the best in our pitchers last year. He with another veteran seems like a winning combination.

Mauro Cavazzon, Markham

 

A-LaRussa's approach to catchers is shaped largely by his relationship with long-time pitching coach Dave Duncan who himself was a strong defensive catcher with crappy offensive numbers. Duncan spent 11 years in the majors with a .214 career average, 109 homers and a .636 OPS. He threw out 32-percent of runners attempting to steal and was noted foir his cerebral ways behind the plate winning a World Series with the 1972 A's. As for the Jays and J.P. Arencibia, his off-season grip on the No. 1 catcher's job is tenuous at best, having dodged more off-season bullets than Keanu Reevs in The Matrix. But as long as the Jays have just J.P. and Jose Molina on the roster, then Arencibia's the one. But they already flirted with John Buck and Miguel Olivo and made a pass at Rusell Martin, who apparently has chosen the Yankees. The Jays young rotation needed a veteran presence behind the plate the past two seasons, but they are now themselves young veterans getting to the point where they actually know what they're doing on the mound and can help Arencibia get by. For the Jays' young slugger, it's not that he's bad defensively, it's that he needs to understand that the ability to steer a pitcher through a nine-inning minefield is his most important role. It's not a lost cause. They need to find out about him and they won't do that by signing another veteran and sending J.P. back to Vegas.  

 

Q-Hi Richard,

Despite the cold weather and terrible roads, this past weekend a buddy and me took the pilgrimage to the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown New York. It is about a 5 hour drive from Toronto, but a must for any baseball fan. In my view Roberto Alomar is a lock for the hall of fame and a lock to don a Blue Jays cap on his head.  Are there any other Blue Jays with Hall of Fame credentials? What about Joe Carter? How about Roy Halladay?

Thanks.

-Josh Sanderson, Toronto

 

A-The Hall-of-Fame is a wonderful place for the true baseball fan. Nice decision by you guys to make that trip. Joe Carter's celebrity and reputation stem more from that one “touch-'em-all” moment than from his body of work, which as impressive as those numbers are, always seemed to be in a supporting role with whatever team he was with. Joe did not get the 5-percent reuqired to remain on the ballot for a second year. I was surprised. Joe was stunned. Robby should be a mortal lock when the announcement is made on January 5. When he goes in it will surely be with the Jays' cap. It's a Hall decision with input from the honouree. As for possible Jays' hall-of-famers, there's an eventual chance for Fred McGriff and Jack Morris. Carlos Delgado needs to come back and hit a few more homers and reach the post-season. Roy Halladay is headed in the right direction, with all the necessities for greatness. What a great summer to drive to Cooperstown July 23-25 with Jays' GM Pat Gillick and Expos' broadcaster Dave Van Horne already going in and with Alomar likely.     

 

Q-Richard,

I'm a big fan of your column and fan of the Jays.  I like the direction that AA is taking the team with young arms and identified young talent. Can you give me a breakdown of who YOU think are the Jays top 5 prospects?  Where does Brett Lawrie fit into that mix? Last question - with these young players "done" their college and minor league seasons, what do these young prospects do to improve their skills?  Do all young players play in some kind of winter league?  Is there such a thing as too much baseball? I know, lots of questions.

-Jason Kerr, Saskatoon

 

A-I am always shocked that many of today's hot young prospects turn down the chance to play Caribbean Winter Ball, preferring to take time off and then begin workouts in January. My guess it's all about the big signing bonuses that take away the hunger of playing winter ball as a second job. As for when it's too much, I know that there can be too much baseball for some of the Latin American pitchers that have key roles with their home town team, come to spring training trying to win a job with the major-league team and then log a ful season in the majors. It eventually catches up with them.

That's an interesting question regarding Top 5 Jays prospects. There are plenty of sources for farm information including the essential Baseball America Prospect Handbook with the Top 30 prospects from every organization listed and explained. My own personal listing is slanted by my personal preferences of certain skills. For this exercise I will only consider players born in 1986 or later, guys that were born the year after the Jays earned their first division title in 1985. That would make them 25 or younger playing in 2011. In no particular order, here are my five favourite Jays farmhands:

1-Deck McGuire RHP: The 21-year-old was selected 11th overall in 2010. He's like '09 first round pick Chad Jenkins, only better. Deck will try to bring Georgia Tech products back into favour in Toronto after the vitriolic departure of Chris Bosh. Likely he will start at A-Lansing or A-Dunedin.

2-Anthony Gose OF: The 20-year-old former Phillies prospect obtained from the Astros for Brett Wallace has some exciting skills. What jumps out as head-scratchers are his two year totals of 52 caught stealings and 13 errors in centre field, but that shows basically what kind of a prospect he is if he's allowed to reach those numbers. It's not easy being thrown out that many times. As a high school pitcher he threw 97 m.p.h. but gave that up. In the last two years he has 29 outfield assists. Needs another 1000 minor-league at-bats at least, but is getting stronger. Look out Vernon.

3-Brett Lawrie: Okay, so the 20-year-old B.C. native likes to duct-tape huge alcoholic beverages to his left hand while flexing for his Facebook friends. There are worse things. Plus, he's Canadian. If Facebook existed back in the day, Larry Walker would have had exactly the same problems. In fact, Walker also as a 20-year old was trying to find a position and eventually became a tremendous, instinctive outfielder. Lawrie at 20 played second base at Double-A and was an all-star.

4-J.P. Arencibia C: This is Arencibia's last chance with the Jays. He cannot possibly be sent back to Las Vegas for a third year after winning PCL MVP honours in 2010. Either they think he can start every day or they should trade him to a team that will give him that chance. There are plenty of catchers that started out as offence-first guys that developed humility and leadership skills.  

5-Adeiny Hechavarria SS: The 21-year-old Cuban defector was the first high-profile international free agent signed by the Jays proving they were play-ahs. Completely adjusting to a different culture, he did better in the backwoods of New Hampshire at Double-A than in the Latin-tinged Tampa Bay area at A-Dunedin. His manager, Luis Rivera, a big help in New Hampshire is now a coach with the Jays. Hechavarria has some extra base power, decent speed and quickness, but needs a little more time.   

 

Q-Richard:

As I see it, the 2010 Blue Jays were 10 games shy of competing with a more or less solid team whose closer blew 9 saves and whose manager's wait-and-see approach cost them another 10. We've got a new manager -- one who's committed to firing on more than one cylinder.  And we've added some speed.  Why not sign a first-rate closer, stop all this trading/building ballyhoo, and aim to win in 2011? I understand the need to build for the future. I do. But it's not like the 2010 crew were a bunch of senior citizens.  My fear, after moving Halladay, now Marcum, after losing Downs, losing Overbay's sure-hands at first, maybe getting greedy with Bautista, is that the Jays will get stuck in a one-step-forward, three-steps back approach to building that will never pay off. Your thoughts?  In always looking ahead, do the the Jays overlook what's worked in the past?

-Matthew McKean, Ottawa

 

A-That's a pretty harsh view of Cito Gaston. I think there is a balance to his perceived strategic shortcomings compared to his solid “have a plan” advice to his hitters, his patience with guys like Romero and Morrow and the “this is your clubhouse” approach with his roster. It adds up to far fewer than 10 losses. I agree that the Jays may be a better team in 2011 but win fewer games, but it won't be because they did not re-sign Gregg or replace him with a proven closer. They still will sign one more veteran arm for the pen to compete with existing guys, led by Jason Frasor, for saves. I believe the advancement in terms of record will depend more on the bouncebacks of Hill and Adam Lind and the emergence of Snider. Of course Bautista and Wells will have to be forces again and they need to acquire another hitter at DH or third base. Closer is not the answer for 2011 to be considered a success.    

 

Q-Richard:

When teams sign free agents to long-term contracts that will run well into their decline years, why don't they front-load the contract so the largest annual salary is paid when the player is younger and his performance is likely at its peak? Arranging the contract in this way would also make the player more tradable in his decline years. This may make it more difficult for the team to add additional pieces in the short-term to make a run, but it would allow teams to avoid Soriano/Wells-type situations in the long-term. What am I missing?

Thanks!

-James McMahon, Thunder Bay

 

A-Many times, teams will in effect front-end load contracts by paying out big signing bonuses that can be amortized over the length of the contract but go directly into the pocket of the player in the first few years. The problem with front-end loading is that teams already have a large chunk of payroll committed when they sign a player long-term and that may make the total payroll untenable for ownership. By back-end loading, they can plan ahead for the supporting cast when they know they are going to be paying the most to their star player. No matter how much the declining year's salary is, players are always tradeable if you are willing to pay a large portion of the remaining annual salary.  

 

Q-Hey Richard.

I'm curious as to why GM's trade players who are already drafted instead of trading picks, such as the NBA. Am I missing something or is there a rule in the MLB that you cannot trade picks but rather players who are drafted with that pick.

Thanks.

-Nilesh Panchal, Pickering

 

A-Baseball teams are not allowed to trade their draft picks and that's probably a good thing. There are 50 rounds in baseball and there are some shrewd GMs with deep farm systems that would be trading veterans for draft picks and developed minor-leaguers for more draft picks ending up with dozens of picks in the first five rounds and on the other hand there are some organizations that would cut down their scouting and just use draft picks as inventory. Former Jays' GM Gord Ash is one that has been in favour of trading draft picks, but they would have to restrict it to first three rounds or something reasonable that would prevent the draft becoming a travesty. 

 

Q-Are there any plans to revamp parts of SkyDome (I will not call it Rogers Centre) for the upcoming season? The on-field product is ultimately the most important enticement to coming out to the ballpark, but further enhancements to the Dome would certainly seem to improve the fan experience. Is there a long-term plan for the stadium, or does ownership operate on a year-to-year basis?

-James Riswick, Mississauga

 

A-They own the place, so they should be able to make needed adjustments on the fly. How about some specifics for next week's mailbag. I think they plan on adding an octagon at some point before next April. For the media, the wireless in the press box needs improvement which is ironic since Rogers is the biggest wireless provider in Canada. But nobody else cares about that. I'm with you. I prefer calling it SkyDome. How about the Rogers SkyDome.

 

Q-Hi Richard. I'm a longtime reader and love your insights. Definitely feeds my excitement for this season, just wish it wasn't so far away! My question focuses on the rebuilding process. I know you're against dealing Travis Snider, and I like him too. But with a acquisition of Lawrie, and the example of Larry Walker, could Lawrie not be a replacement for Snider? If so, what if the Jays dealt Snider and other not including Drabek (perhaps Deck McGuire) for Greinke. Then turned around and spent big money on Adrian Beltre and Adam Laroche? I realize it's a bit out there, but I think the Jays would be able to contend right away and have prospect depth.

-Richard Colton, Waterloo

 

A-I would rather begin with Drabek and add catcher Travis D'Arnaud as a starting point for Greinke. There would have to be a couple of more minor leaguers, or else a major-league bullpen guy. If Snider went in that deal, I would not think it was a great step forward. I see Snider as a breakout player in 2011. The Jays were very interested in LaRoche last winter. But with Lind a lefthanded swinging first baseman they might be looking for a righthanded hitting DH/1B. Beltre is a trap waiting to happen. 

 

Q-Griff,

As someone who hasn't yet finished grieving over the loss of "Nos Expos" your writings are my last connection to something that once brought me great joy. I haven't seen this 20th Anniversary film, where can I get my hands on it?  Also are there any other Expos films worth watching?

Love your work,

-Nick Capozzi, Toronto

 

A-When we did the 20th anniversary highlight film, it was basically on VCR. Donald Sutherland did the voice over. We flew to a sound studio in Miami to meet him during a break from that horrible prison movie he did with Sly Stallone back in the day. Donald played the evil prison warden. My biggest guffaw of the day was when we asked the great Canadian baseball fan whether Stallone was a better director or actor. Donald looked up and said: “Neither!” I lent my copy of the film a few years back and never got it back, so I must contact Brian Schecter in Vancouver to try and get a fresh copy for myself on DVD. I will ask him at that time if there is any way for others to acquire a copy. As for other Expos films, we did a different highlight package every year from 1979 on and they were alll so well scripted as to be unbelievably entertaining. Uh, that was my job. I don't knw how many copies still exist.

 

Q-Hi Richard

I enjoyed your column about Dave Van Horne and Tom Cheek. You make an excellent point of Van Horne being the more senior guy in the Hall of Fame vote. It's interesting that with you writing in Toronto and Alex A. running the whole show, we're getting a very different perspective on baseball after all these years of an AL-centric view of  the game. We've always had excellent writers here (Perkins, Elliott, et al) but a view from people with a NL background is quite different. The NL seems to be a place where teams are put together differently, where the 20th to 24th men are very important to a team's success. That hasn't always been the case in this town. By the way, The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron by Howard Bryant, is a wonderful book. A great baseball story but, more than that, it's compelling history dealing with race, personal triumph and Aaron's complicated personality.

-Timothy Daniels, Toronto

 

A-I received a really nice e-mail from Shirley Cheek thanking me for the Frick piece and agreeing that Tom woud have been very happy for Dave. That was sweet. As for the Expos connection, don't forget that Bob Elliott's first work on the baseball beat was covering the Expos for the Ottawa Citizen for three years. He is a through and through National League guy. I will read the Aaron book.

Blue Jays mail bag

Make no mistake about it, I love Tom Cheek. Some of my favourite spring training moments in Dunedin were when Tom would make his first trip to the Englebert Complex about two or three days in to pitchers and catchers. It always meant to me that another Jays season had officially arrived. Then during the 45 days of camp, there was inevitably a couple of days when I would turn around at the ballpark and Tom would look at me and give the double-hand waggle, the universal sign of all golfers. I would nod and we would go play golf, spur of the moment and always an experience to be remembered.

Tom was always a good friend. Even when I was in the doghouse with the Jays for something I wrote, the legendary Cal Ripken of radio men would approach me and discuss the offending topic, never afraid that someone in the upper front office would see him as talking to the enemy. He didn't have to worry. He was god. He was on a game streak that would never be matched. Besides, he was his own man and always interested in the opinion of others if it could be explained. Each spring since, on a cool February morning, I now drive by and visit the memorial site his wonderful wife Shirley created for him. But the truth is that he is Dave Van Horne's protege and before Tom ever got in the Hall-of-Fame it would only be fitting that the legendary Expos radio and TV man, now with the Marlins, would get in first. In my mind it's like Andre Dawson getting to Cooperstown before Tim Raines. Without the Hawk, the Rock would not have had a chance. On Wednesday, Dave Van Horne was named winner of the Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting. That does not mean in any way that Mike Wilner, the Fan590 and Jays fans should be frustrated and give up on Cheek, it means that they should believe their goal is closer and that the online push should continue into 2011.

“Tom Cheek obviously deserves to be in the Hall-of-Fame,” Van Horne said at an emotional get-together on Wednesday. “Not only a terrific broadcaster, but a terrific person. Tom and I go way back. I knew Tom Cheek as the guy who used to do the University of Vermont basketball games on a little station in Burlington. During the winters we would go down with the baseball caravan and I would always see Tom. He would emcee a lot of the events the Expos took part in down there. I got to know Tom and once I was given the television job in addition to the radio job in Montreal, they asked both (radio partner) Russ Taylor and myself, who could go into the booth and work with Russ while I was on TV with Duke Snider. The name came to both of us immediately, Tom Cheek. He began his baseball broadcast career by coming from Burlington up to Jarry Park in 1974-75.”

I will preface these next remarks by saying that working for the Expos from 1973-95, Van Horne became one of my best friends in baseball...make that in life. When I finally viewed the finished product of our Expos' 20th Anniversary Highlight Film that former Expos TV procuder Brian Schecter and I put together, narrated by the great Donald Sutherland, the opening scene is a simple black-and-white shot of a young teen riding a bicycle down a busy street with a transistor radio on the handlebars. The voice of Dave Van Horne is heard calling a game from early in that first season. My initial and lasting reaction as the guy who wrote the script for Sutherland to read back in 1989? I cried. The voice of Van Horne from 1969-76 was the voice of baseball in Canada. He brought the sport back to a country that had not seen it at the Triple-A level since the Royals left in 1960 and the Toronto Maple Leafs disappeared in 1968. Even though Dave has worked for the Marlins for the past 10 seasons, when asked on Wednesday about his favourite players ever to cover and describe, this was his answer.

“I liked watching Rusty Staub play the game,” Van Horne began. “I liked watching John Boccabella walk to the plate so I could hear (P.A. man) Claude Mouton say John Boccc-a-belll-uh. But it was Rusty in the early years and then the farm system that produced all these great players, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Warren Cromartie, Steve Rogers, Bill Gullickson, Larry Parrish and on and on. They came togeher in the late '70s and were actually joined by Tony Perez (in the room) and really made their mark. In 1979 it was the first year they competed for anything, won 95 games and, oh, those players were a joy to watch on an everyday basis, none moreso than Hawk. Because I knew what it took to get Hawk out on the field and playing at the high level that he played. But all of those players were such a joy to watch all through the late '70s and into the early to mid-'80s. They were the halcyon days of the Montreal franchise. Vladimir (Guerrero) was fun when he first came up. Played totally out of control. They were concerned that he wouldn't survive physically long enough to stay in the game playing it the way he did. He'd bang into walls and he'd jump and he'd slide and he'd leap and he'd dive. They had to tone Vladdy down so he could stay healthy and stay in the games. He was a lot of fun to watch. One of the best pure baseball players I ever saw in uniform was Larry Walker. A young man who never played high school ball, didn't play organized baseball till his late teens and had as good instincts for the game of baseball as anyone I ever saw play. If you stay around long enough you've seen a lot of people like that. I'm leaving a lot of people out, but they jump to the forefront of my mind.”

Van Horne was stunned by the phone call from Hall-of-Fame president Jeff Idelson on Wednesday morning. About 30 seconds in, he even said to Jeff, “You're kidding, right?” After the realiztion sunk in, Dave and his wife Josee, a native Montrealer, drove to 10-year-old daughter Madison's Timber Trace elementary school in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, pulled her out of class and gave her the news. At first she thought she was in big trouble, then she broke into a big smile, gave her dad a hug and off he went to Orlando to meet the press as the first full-time play-by-play man of Canadian major-league baseball games to pass through the portals of Cooperstown. There is no doubt Cheek should be next. Favourite Van Horne call? “El Presidente, El Perfecto!” Favourite Cheek call. “Touch 'em all Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!” With joy for DVH in my heart, on to the mailbag.

Q-Richard,
Doug Drabek and Travis Snider plus others for Zack Greinke? Come on. AA's plan was (in theory) to go after young, controllable players with very high ceilings. The idea was to patiently wait so that you would end up with a roster consisting of several bonafide stars who would form the nucleus of a team for many years to come. As a regular starter, Greinke had one outstanding year, one very good year, and two poor years. He's under contract for 2 more years at $13.5M per year, and then is a free agent. Toronto was, at least, until now, on his no-trade list. Drabek is projected to be a staff ace. Snider is still only 22 and, now that Cito is gone, Travis will presumably be sent out to left field every day. His upside is likewise huge. Based on Greinke's history, it wouldn't be surprising if over the next 2 years, he had a great year and a mediocre year. And then he would move on. And then we would be watching Drabek and Snider making headlines from KC. Come on. Richard, make some calls and do something about this.
Patrick Bedard, Ottawa

A-The only upside to trading for Greinke is if they believe thay can sign him to a long term deal before he goes free agent aftert the 2012 season. He's certainly young enough to fit in with the Jays' talented rotation going forward to the goal of contending in 2012 and beyond, but at what cost would he be obtained. Yes, I would give up Drabek for Greinke in a heartbeat, but I believe Snider is about to have a breakout year. He now gets it. He's always been grounded in the right way to act by his father and high school coaches, but he has tried to be someone he's not to please them. He's now himself and that's good enough and confident enough to be an everyday left fielder with a huge upside. If they trade him that's a mistake. If the Greinke deal was fror Drabek and two other top prospects from a deep inventory I would do it. By the way, I wrote a column on this and put the kibosh on it. They listen.

Q-Hello, Richard,
I'm enjoying the mailbag as always; it's excellent to have it available in the off-season as well as during the year. Glad to see Pat Gillick elected to the Hall of Fame. Can you please explain the Shawn Marcum-Brett Lawrie trade? The Jays traded this past season's starting day pitcher for a second baseman. Last time I looked, the Blue Jays had a second baseman named Aaron Hill, and PROVEN starting pitching is a very valuable commodity, especially on a young starting staff, and with the bullpen undergoing significant changes. Is there some intangible that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work!
Richard Fine, Toronto

A-Okay here's the deal. The Jays are not contending in 2011 with the Sox obtaining Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford and the Yankees about to obtain Cliff Lee. Unless of course there is another wildcard-team added in each league the Jays are done. Marcum could help them finish above .500 for the next two years but so what. They are looking beyond that. Versatility is a key moving forward for the Jays. For instance, Adam Lind is a designated hitter-first baseman, Aaron Hill is a second baseman-third baseman, Jose Bautista is a right fielder-third baseman and Lawrie before he arrives in the bigs can play anywhere. Honestly, I remember another lost young Canadian hitter who could not find a position. I looked at daily minor league reports in Montreal for Larry Walker in Utica in the late '80s that said first, third outfield and can't find a position. All of a sudden, the Expos and Walker found out he could play an instictive right field, eventually becoming the best at his position of his era. Lawrie?

Q-Hi Richard
Love the insight into the world of Major League Baseball. I am curious why teams don't explore the concept of a "sign and trade" with arbitration eligible free agents like other sports. Specifically with Type A free agents like Jason Frasor. While there appears to be interest in players like this, teams stay away due to his Type A status and the player is basically stuck on a one year deal with a team that could take him or leave him. Granted they could be traded at any time, but that also never seems to occur with these players. Do teams ever discuss this option of the player signing with his original team, only to be flipped to another team for a more reasonable return of prospects?
Jon K, Hamilton

A-I don't think it's the “sign and trade” concept that will change the process for guys like Frasor, who really did get screwed. I believe relievers, especially middle relievers need to be removed from the Type A mix because few teams will give up a No. 1 pick for a reliever. The sign and trade at least provides an advantage in basketball for the original team, but in baseball the “trade” half of it is the draft pick and most GMs would rather have their own fresh prospect than someone else's failed one.

Q-Hi Richard
It FEELS as though Alex A makes more daring trades than his predecessor. As far as the Lawrie-Marcum trade is concerned, which JP transactions do you view as most comparable? I'm guessing Hinske from Oakland.
Regards
Stu Royal, Erin

A-Apparently, according to the Jays' GM, the turning point in his own thought process regarding iffy trades was when Dodgers GM Ned Colletti (who won the Fishel Award the year before I did) told him. “Hey Alex, if you're scared get a dog.” The Lawrie-Marcum trade is certainly daring although I have heard there are Marcum moments that might have ended on Deadspin if the social networks were in vogue a couple of years ago. As far as daring Ricciardi trades are concerned, most of the time his moves were the equivalent of Evel Knievel jumping over the Humber River with a rocket bike. As far as JP equivalent deals to AA's Lawrie trade, you're absolutely right with Hinske for Billy Koch in '01.

Q-Hey Richard,
With the non-tender deadline passing by, which non-tender free agents do you think the Jays will go after? In particular, what is your opinion on a one-year incentive-laden contract for Russell Martin? This would not only allow J.P. Arencibia to gradually grow into a major league catcher by serving as a backup but if Martin performs up to his capabilities he could prove quite the asset for the Jays by next year's trade deadline.
Matthew Lee, Toronto

A-I think that any non-tender free agent will either be a reliever or a DH-1B. As far as Russell Martin is concerned, I really like the idea of signing him as catcher No. 2-1/2 to go with J.P. Arencibia and Jose Molina. The point of that is that Martin has had hip surgery this off season, so you play him more at third base at spring training while Arencibia tries to get over the hump of attitude that prevents him from realizing that in any game a pitcher's line is better than his own two hits. If Arencibia fails, then Molina and a continually rehabbing Martin give you the experience in handling a staff. Even though many are down on Arencibia's attirude and understanding of what it takes to be a frontline catcher, I think that they need to find out by throwing him in the deep end of the pool.

Q-Has anything been announced yet for next year's TV deal? There were a lot of angry fans at the end of the season.
Joe Glionna, Montreal

A-No one more angry than yours truly, a faithful Cogeco subscriber with no Sportsnet ONE access. In fact there were some days when I wasn't on the road and had a scoresheet out where I assumed the Jays game was ONE and so didn't bother looking for it...but it was on regular TV. I think by making knowledege of access day-to-day they make viewership day-to-day.

Q-Hi Richard,
One observation I have made as a baseball fan is the number of teams in the AL West and NL Central. From what I understand, baseball is the only sport out of the big four that has uneven number of teams in two separate divisions. I assume this is the case as baseball requires an even number of teams in each league to ensure proper scheduling and match-ups, although inter-league play has mitigated this somewhat. From what you know and who you have talked to in the baseball world, has there ever been any complaining or official filings done by teams in the NL Central in terms of this apparent issue in competitive advantage (consistently 1/6 chance in winning a division versus 1/4 chances) compared with the AL West. If not, do you have any suggestions to properly address this in the future - I am sure Bud and team may have come across this topic already.
Sincerely,
Frank Chiu, Toronto

A-I agree with you that it's nuts to have 14-16 in AL-NL instead of 15-15, but the Brewers who were AL for so many years after they stole the Pilots from Seattle, decided under Bud Selig that they wanted to go back to the NL. So when expansion to 30 teams happened, Bud took advantage and messed with the game's equilibrium. Baseball is an everyday sport averaging more than six games per week. If you have 15 teams in a league then there's always going to be one team in each league that is idle. I wrote a column years ago that baseball should go 15-15 but always have one inter-league game every day during the season. That would work but someone would have to move to the DH league. Hey, if I was an owner I would pay to move to the NL Central with six mostly crappy teams where you get 54 games against the Bucs, Brewers and Cubbies. The biggest thing I believe is that at the June draft the NL gets 16 of the top 30 draft picks. That advantage has been showing up lately with NL young talent.

Q-What's the word on Dirk Hayhurst? Is he an option in the bullpen or is his future now in the media?
Duncan Alexander, Burlington

A-Check his website Garfoose.com. He has no chance of pitching again for the Jays. He is an author. It's like imagining J.D. Salinger playing for the Knicks.

Q-I fell off the Jays bandwagon a number of years ago, but the excitement of last year kind of pulled me back on. With the promise of the future, I looked forward to this off-season to see how the Jays progress and move forward into the upcoming season. Now with the trade of Marcum, I’m confused.

Maybe there is another shoe to drop, but I don’t get it. Why trade your opening day starter for someone who is still a few years away from being a significant part of the team? I know that you always plan for the future, but this is giving me a signal that the future is not as close as I hoped or was led to believe. We keep hearing on a daily basis that there is money available for the Jays to get who they need, but so far it doesn’t sound like that comment is actually in play. I’ve heard on the Fan 590 that the Jays really don’t have a budget to adhere to (spend what they need!), but I don’t find that particularly comforting. What does spend what you need mean? Contend or just field a team? For some reason, with the contracts they have shed, I have this feeling we’re in for another low-budget season. And more frustration and disappointment taking away from last year's warm, fuzzy feeling! If I’m wrong or just pessimistic, please tell me. Maybe it’s just impatience, but I keep hearing that the Yankees and Red Sox have never been more vulnerable, but if we’re still a couple years away, I’m sure the Yankees and Red Sox will have reloaded by then! I’m not doubting AA, maybe just curious what the plan is!
Tweeter

A-Forget that last part about the Red Sox and Yankees being more vulnerable. They're not and the Jays are already 90-win toast in the AL East. The Jays have always been looking at 2012 and beyond as making a run. That's why they called it rebuilding. Fans are the ones that have pushed the envelope, but it still has no stamp. Nobody in this current regime ever promised you a 2011 rose garden. Marcum was likely gone in 2013. Lawrie may be long-term solution at a position yet to be determined. The Jays strength is young starting pitching, several of whom may be ready to step up by 2012. One has to admire the Jays for sticking to their guns from October 3, 2009 until today. The Jays may in fact win between 80-84 games and be closer to a World Series than their 85-win team of 2010.

Q-Hi Richard,
I didn't play pro ball, but I played up to Triple A in the Etobicoke Ranger system and I have to ask you, is playing first base in the majors really that difficult? I've been saying the entire time they should put Lind at first. I could play first base defensively in the majors. All you have to do is catch the ball. It shouldn't be that complicated, especially for a guy like Lind who played the position in college. Where is "range" required? When does a first baseman ever "throw"? It's the easiest position in the game. Plus, he’s left handed! It’s a no-brainer. Is it me, or is everyone over analyzing this?
David Ritchie, Toronto

A-First base looks easy as you describe it, but not so much. A guy like Lyle Overbay saved the rest of the infield countless errors. The big game for Lind as far as Cito Gaston was concerned was his second start at first base when he fed a high ball to David Purcey sprinting off the mound, made him leap and come down awkwardly on the corner of the bag and sprain his ankle for a DL stint. Helll-oh! Range is subtle when examining a first baseman and if it's there allows the second baseman to position himself more up the middle if the first baseman has it. I am confident Lind can learn to play first at spring training. He should have decisively volunteered to do it in the off-season but that's another story.

Q-Hi Rich,
Read your column about Lawrie this morning, excellent as usual. If the Jays need a backup catcher if JP doesn't work out, are they going to re-sign Chavez to a minor-league deal? He wasn't that bad when he was here.
Daniel Cude, North York, ON

A-Raul Chavez is not getting any younger and at 38 next season there are younger options on the free agent market, even if the date rolls around to late-February. They cannot wait around until spring training, but now that Miguel Olivo has agreed to terms with the M's, they will be looking at late additions like Russell Martin, or if he gets a better offer, Josh Bard or Gerald Laird.

Q-Hi Richard,
Do you think the Marcum trade sets the Blue Jays back in their ability to contend for a playoff spot in 2011? Is this clear indication from the GM that they are not thinking playoffs until 2012 or 2013?
Mia Matthews, Waterloo

A-They are not thinking playoffs until 2012-13, but that's better than the streak between the 1993 World Series victory and now. They do have a bunch of 22 and under prospects that will be ready by 2013. Can you wait that long? Marcum would have helped them win 85 games again, but the ground floor for the playoffs according to Anthopoulos is 95.

Q-Hi Richard,
I was getting excited about the next few years of Blue Jays baseball until I saw what the Red Sox did this week. First they brought in Adrian Gonzalez and then Carl Crawford. Their lineup has just been upgraded from very good to ridiculous. Until the Jays begin spending big money I feel as though they will always be competing hard for third place. Do you see it any differently?
Dan Usten, Toronto

A-My early prediction for AL East standings: 1-Red Sox; 2-Yankees (WC); 3-Jays; 4-O's; 5-Rays. The Red Sox lineup is unbelievable.

It was 30 years ago today: Memories of John Lennon

Sitting in a dimly lit ballroom/press room at Disney, it's important to remember that Wednesday, December 8, marks the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon, shot by a deranged fan in front of his Dakota apartment building on a sidewalk in New York City.

I was an attendee at the winter meetings that week in 1980 in Dallas in my role as Expos PR man. Just 24 hours earlier I had asked my wife to marry me at the lobby bar of the Anatole Hotel. She had just flown in from Montreal. The next night, driving back from dinner, I was chilling in a taxi with Debbie, my fiancee, and with hockey hall-of-famer Michael Farber, the baseball beat writer for the Gazette. The cab radio played a seemingly unending succession of Beatles songs, no announcer, no breaks. When we asked the driver why, he explained Lennon had been shot and killed. The reaction was one of stunned silence. Coincidentally as we continued on in deep thought we were within several blocks of Dealey Plaza where another of my childhood heroes had been assassinated 17 years earlier. It's one of those moments you always remember. Lennon's words still resonate, still are important.

Imagine there's no Heaven 
It's easy if you try 
No hell below us 
Above us only sky 
Imagine all the people 
Living for today 

Imagine there's no countries 
It isn't hard to do 
Nothing to kill or die for 
And no religion too 
Imagine all the people 
Living life in peace 

You may say that I'm a dreamer 
But I'm not the only one 
I hope someday you'll join us 
And the world will be as one 

Imagine no possessions 
I wonder if you can 
No need for greed or hunger 
A brotherhood of man 
Imagine all the people 
Sharing all the world 

You may say that I'm a dreamer 
But I'm not the only one 
I hope someday you'll join us 
And the world will live as one

 

 

Griffin: Gaston, Cox, Torre, Piniella honoured by MLB

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL-Four iconic retiring major-league managers were honoured on Tuesday morning at baseball's winter meetings, men that combined for eight World Series championships between 1990 and 2000. Major League Baseball still does some things right.

The four veteran managers on the way out included Lou Piniella (1990 Reds), Cito Gaston (1992-93 Jays), Bobby Cox (1995 Braves) and Joe Torre (1996, 1998-99-2000 Yankees). In the format of the press conference, they flanked event host, commissioner Bud Selig who was clearly enjoying the moment paying homage to four of the game's managerial giants. Cox was not present, having flown home the day before for a family matter, represented by John Schuerholz who one day might follow Pat Gillick into the Hall-of-Fame as a GM.

Gaston took his turn paying tribute to his fellow retirees seated on the dais, seemingly relaxed and happy to be playing more golf after his 2-1/2 year reprise as Jays' skipper.

“I haven't done a lot," Gaston said of his new role as senior advisor. "I think the club's in good hands. Alex (Anthopouos) is going to do a good job there. We'll just have to wait and see. It will be very interesting to see what goes on in spring training, how this team gets put together. Alex is going to go out and do the best he can.”

Upon further review, the event and the line of questioning seemed a move towards normalcy, a hopeful step forward, a leap, in fact, towards all sport becoming colour blind the fact that nobody from the media, either in the formal portion of the ceremony or in the Q&A asked Gaston about the significance of being the first African-American to manage a World Series winner. When it broke off into smaller groups, Cito was asked his opinion.

“That might be my only chance to get into the Hall-of-Fame," Gaston laughed when asked if he had noticed the acceptance. "One of these days when I'm dead they're going to go, 'Oh yeah, that guy, he was the first African-American to win a division, win a World Series.' I'll probably go in after it's all said and done, but it's going to be a long time."

In the last year, Cito has begun to be recognized for his pioneering accomplishments. A year ago he was given the Jackie Robinson Award for Career Achievement at the Negro League Museum in Kansas City, Mo. It is his highlight award to date. He still does not understand why he did not ever win a manager-of-the-year award or even finish high in balloting when he was winning World Series titles in the early '90s or when he took over a sub-.500 from Jimy Williams in '89 and took his team to the playoffs. Some 20 years later, Jim Tracy did the same thing with the Rockies and he was named Manager-of-the-Year.

“To received the Mr. Jackie Robinson Award it's like getting the World Series trophy," Gaston said. "Without Mr. Jackie Robinson, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you. I can imagine what he went through. I only had to go through a lttle bit of what he had to put up with, what he had to deal with and he did it with a lot of dignity. So I always, in my heart, will think of him and think of what he's done for the minorities.

"Now you can say (he helped) African-American, but you also can say some of the Latin managers. We have two African-American managers in baseball and we do have other minorities, but they're from Latin countries. The Negro Baseball Museum is something people should go see, take a tour and hear what it's about. I don't think sometimes some of the American ballplayers know the Negro League also helped this league survive."

Gaston recognizes that the the game's treatment of minorities has immeasurably improved, but like others that came up through the minors in the late '50s and early '60s, the scars will remain forever. When Gaston talks about it his eyes stll well up.

“It's come a long way," he admitted. "You can't imagine...you have to probably have walked in my footsteps to know what happened and how far it's come. To be celebrated with the commissioner asking us to come here and do the things we're doing today, it's hard to describe. I never thought about quitting. The one thing that I wanted to do was play professonal baseball in the big leagues, so it would have been real tough to walk away. You just have to take it and walk on and keep going."

Gaston talked about the moment when the Jays came to him and asked him about the possibility of taking over from Jimy Williams. Tellingly, when he gives credit for the opportunity to manage, he leaves Pat Gillck's name to third on the list.

"Paul Beeston gave me a chance at it and Mr. Peter Hardy, along with Pat Gillick," Gaston said. "I had no desire to do that. In fact when they asked me to take over as manager and I said, you know what, it's not too often you can come to work and enjoy what you're doing. I love to teach. I was the htting coach on that team. It was fun.

“But I have to go back to the late-great Sparky Anderson who really twisted my arm and said Cito take it and see what you can do with it. I had Sparky as a third base coach in San Diego, the first year of the expansion draft (in 1969), so there's a lot of people I should thank for pushing me towards being a manager and it's been a ball. If you haven't tried it and you get a chance, please do it."

As the season progressed this summer, it seemed Cito was having second thoughts about the decision to step down. But now, after two months away, he seems more resigned and at peace with the decision to play golf full time again.

“I'm glad it ended the way it did, with a win and a winning season," Gaston smiled. "As time goes on, I'll probably reflect on it a little bit more. You're not sitting in the first seat of that plane. You certainly don't have that suite anymore. You're going to miss the players and some of the coaches too, but right now I'm still in the organizaton, so I'll be around. I'll try to stay out of the way as much as I can but I will be around.”

Almost on cue, his replacement John Farrell walked into the press room, walked up and introduced the new manager to the old manager for the first time. They had never met. That senior advisor gig is unfolding very slowly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Griffin: Pat Gillick newest member of Hall-of-Fame

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL-Monday was a great day for the profile of Canadian baseball in general and for fans of the best Jays teams in particular that culminated with back-to-back World Series wins in 1992-93. Former Jays' executive Pat Gillick was introduced at the winter meetings as the lone Expansion Era inductee to the Hall-of-Fame for 2011 as selected by a 16-person baseball veterans committee composed of former players, executives and writers. Also on the ballot were the late George Steinbrenner and founder of the players' union, Marvin Miller, who both also deserved recognition.

Gillick was with the Jays from 1976 until leaving to join the O's in 1996. Even though the legendary scout, player development director, GM and now senior adviser, has worked with five other organizations, he will most be remembered for his work with the Jays.

Gillick's career in baseball front offices began with the expansion Houston Colt 45's in the mid-'60s, the team that became the Astros, followed by a three-year stint with the Yankees before joining the Jays in '76 when the second Canadian franchise was awarded. Following 21 successful years in Toronto, he went on to the O's, the M's and then the Phillies, capturing a total of three World Series championships, including back-to-back in Toronto.

“I can't tell you what an honour this is," Gillick said at his morning press conference. "Really, I think it's on behalf of all the people that I've worked with over the years. That's who I feel this honour is for. The owners, the scouts, the managers, the player-development people, the players. They all share in this award.

“You can't do this job alone. It's a difficult job to do anyway, but you've got to have help. The fortunate thing about it over the years is I've had great help from all these groups. As I've said many times, I never felt I had a job. I love going to work every day. Great job, great camaraderie, great people. There were some really fine candidates and I was just very, very fortunate to be standing here.”

Gillick's influence on the success of the Jays as an organization and a force to be reckoned with from the mid-'80s to mid-'90s and on the development of baseball in Canada is still being felt. His favourite team remains the 1985 Jays.

“It felt like you got to the top of the hill," Gillick explained. "You were climbing the whole time and finally you got there. We ended up losing to Kansas City and they went on and beat Whitey (Herzog's) club in the World Series. But I think that was the most satisfying season, just the fact that we worked so hard from '76 from the expansion draft right to '85 where you kind of said, 'Wow, we kind of made it to the top.'"

Conversely, the biggest disappointment of his executive career came two years later.

“The toughest season for me was 1987," the 73-year-old member of the Canadian Baseball Hall-of-Fame recalled. "We had a 3-1/2 game lead with six to play and ended up losing to Detroit. That had to be the toughest. It was one of those situations where you were sliding downhill and they had momentum. We ended up playing them in the last three games of the season in Detroit and we lost all three. That was a tough one for us."

The influence Gillick has had on the Jays remains even now. If not for the influence and friendship he established with club president Paul Beeston as they were running the Jays like they owned it back in the early days, Beeston likely would not have had the passion for the game to return again in 2008 beginning the process of turning the franchise around.

“More important than what he taught me was the people he introduced me to," a thrilled Beeston said. "He exposed me to the baseball side as opposed to the business side. There is no doubt that fun we had together is what allowed me to stay as long as I did and to come back and do it again. The great thing about Pat was that he treated everyone as if they were a member of the organization, players, fans, media, front office and he did it with class and honesty.”

Gillick believes there is more to being a general manager than just putting together a roster. In fact, in the entire stats vs. scouting argument, Gillick continues to push for the scouts, even though like all modern baseball executives he understands and uses stats.

 “One of the things that I think is very important is character," Gillick said. "When I started in this game I thought it was 70-percent ability and 30-percent character. The longer I've been in it, I think it's 60-percent character and 40-percent ability. If you're going to be out there through spring training and 162 games, you need people with character.

 

“The job of the general manager is not to select the players, it's to select the correct people to select the players, the correct evaluators. Everywhere along the way I've been fortunate to have people that are good evaluators of talent."

Gillick is looking forward to the likelihood that standing on the same podium with him in July will be second baseman Roberto Alomar, the man he traded for along with Joe Carter in 1991 that propelled the Jays to consecutive World Series wins. The announcement of players voted on by the BBWAA will be on January 5.

“He's deserving," Gillick said of Alomar. "He's probably the best second baseman that I've seen all-round, defensive and offensively in thelast 20 years. He certainly should be given strong consideration. I know he was very close last year, so I hope that he would make it. It would be a thrill if he did make it and we could both go in at the same time."

Gillick was the only candidate chosen from a list of eight former players, three executives and one ex-manager by the 16-member voting committee. The Boss, George Steinbrenner, who passed away at the all-star break this summer will have his time to get in, but once again the Veterans Committee messed up by not voting in Marvin Miller, the founder of the players union that brought in free agency and changed the game forever. 

 Hall-of-Fame induction weekend in Cooperstown, NY is July 22-25, 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jays prepared to send Marcum to Brewers

    LAKE BUNEA VISTA, Fla. - According to the Milwaukee Journal, the Jays are ready to send righthander Shaun Marcum to the Brewers for a package of minor leaguers headed by Canadian second baseman Brett Lawrie. Brewers'  GM Doug Melvin would not confirm or deny the story for Journal writer Tom Haudricourt. Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos had not yet checked in to the headquarter hotel and was expected later in the evening.

    Marcum, 29, the Jays' opening day starter, was 13-8, with a 3.64 ERA in 31 starts after missing the entire 2009 season recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery. He became the Jays' clubhouse leader in the absence of long-time ace Roy Halladay. During the season, the Jays signed Ricky Romero to a contract extension, committing to the young lefthander far into the future. Without Marcum, the Jays' rotation would likely include Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, touted rookie Kyle Drabek and lefthander Marc Rzepczynski, who showed well in a stint in the Arizona Fall League.

    The Jays have long coveted Lawrie, a 20-year-old second baseman from Langley, B.C. The converted catcher was selected 16th overall in the 2008 June draft of amateur players. He was the youngest member of Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic and is rated the Top prospect in the Brewers organization for 2011. Lawrie batted .285 with eight homers and 63 RBIs at AA-Huntsville in 2010, with a .797 OPS.

    A source had indicated that a second Canadian prospect might also be included, 20-year-old righthander Nick Bucci, from Sarnia, Ontario. Late last week, the Brewers had sent reliever Carlos Villanueva to the Jays for a player to be named later.

    As of 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, the deal had not been announced. 

 

 

Mail bag

Welcome back, Jason Frasor.

The likeable righthander has accepted the Jays' offer of arbitration and will return on a one-year contract for 2011 – unless, that is, the Jays decide to avoid the hearing and offer him a couple of years at a reasonable and very affordable rate as a setup man and part-time closer.

Last summer Frasor truly believed he would be moving on, but the fact that he pitched well enough over the past two years to qualify as a Type A screwed him. Nobody was going to offer a good setup man a multi-year offer and have to give up a first, second or third round draft pick. Maybe he should have given up a couple of more bombs and dropped to a B. That's the Catch-22 of his position.

The system works very much against guys like Frasor. There were 51 relievers on the free agent market and 25 of them were either A or B meaning there was compensation attached. Every club has young guys that need to pitch in the majors. They ask themselves, “Is the difference in middle relief between Frasor and our own guy enough to give up a high draft pick?” Not likely. The coincidence is that the guy he was traded for in 2004, outfielder Jayson Werth, is about to hit the free-agent jackpot.

On to the mail bag.

Q: There is an article in the Ottawa Citizen saying that councillors from the City of Ottawa are talking to the Blue Jays organization about bringing an affiliated professional baseball team to Ottawa. There seems to be a certain level of interest from the organization since, according to the article, Blue Jays officials have already visited the Ottawa baseball stadium to inspect it. Do you think this is a feasible possibility? If so, what team could come to Ottawa? Triple A?

Marcelo Mills, Ottawa

A: Don't discount the story of the Jays coming to Ottawa. Even before he took over as Jays' GM in the summer of '09, I had a long conversation with Alex Anthopoulos as assistant GM about the demise of minor-league baseball in Canada. I was expecting him to hem and haw and go over the usual excuses of “exchange rate, working visas, lengthy travel, etc.” Instead he went on about how he could not understand the death of minor-league baseball north of the 49th either. How it was all American B.S. and if he took over as GM one day, that would be a priority to get the minors back into Canada. He has already done it once, moving the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts to Vancouver. Thankfully they did not remain the Lugnuts. That would be as oxymoronic as Utah Jazz. If it doesn't work out with Ottawa, I'm saying right here, right now that if an interested group in Montreal was to step up with a legitimate place to play and financial backing that the Jays would consider that as well for a Triple-A franchise. Ottawa is getting first crack, but the AAA-Las Vegas contract is for another two years. Proximity and lack of temptation for young players works in Ottawa's favour – although the Sirens of Gatineau beckon. There used to be an expression when I was growing up, “What happens in Hull, stays in Hull.” The Jays are willing to take their chances. When the Expos were in Ottawa, they could always call a player up in the morning and he'd be there by noon. That was also a help to winning on the field.

Q: With the possibility of losing three key relievers in the Jays' pen, what are the chances the Jays pursue Canadian Jessie Crain, a reliable reliever with a career 3.45 ERA? If not, what other relievers may Alex Anthopoulos target this off season through free agency?

Matthew Lee, Toronto

A: The three key relievers that may be lost so far this off-season must include Kevin Gregg and Scott Downs who both declined arbitration and lefty swing man Brian Tallet, who has now signed with the Cardinals. I'm guessing that the third key Jays reliever that you actually had in mind was Frasor, but now that he has accepted arbitration with the Jays he is officially on the 40-man roster under a one-year contract with just the dollar amount to be determined by an arbitrator. As for the Jays possible pursuit of the Toronto-born Jesse Crain, I would do it if I was Alex Anthopoulos. Crain, who grew up in Colorado and attended the University of Houston, has just three career saves, but has great stuff and made $2 million with the Twins in 2010, going 1-1, with a 3.04 ERA and one save in 71 appearances. He allowed 53 hits and 27 walks in 68 innings, with 62 strikeouts. With Crain and Frasor, the Jays could possibly go to spring training with the position of closer up for grabs, basically like they did last year with Frasor and Gregg. Because of the status of the Jays in 2011, as still under construction, there is no reason to believe they have any interest in relievers like Rafael Soriano, Matt Guerrier, Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour, or any other Type A reliever that would cost them a top draft pick. They do, however, have interest in Scott Downs if his options dwindle, but of all the Type A non-closing relievers on the market, he has the best chance of finding a multi-year deal with a contender.

Q: Just a quick question regarding your opinion of the current depth of talent at the position of catcher throughout the Blue Jays organization. With John Buck having re-signed with the Marlins and Miguel Olivo a free agent, the Blue Jays essentially have J.P. Arencibia, Jose Molina and Raul Chavez as their top tier talent in the catching spot. Considering Arencibia is still essentially untested at the major league level and Molina is strictly a back-up and Chavez a fill-in at best, what perceivable talent is there available within the organization that we could realistically see develop up to the major league level by 2012?

Martin Keogh, Toronto

A: Even though free agent Miguel Olivo has declined arbitration with the Jays, all it means is that the Jays must negotiate with him as a free agent on an equal footing with every other team and if he does sign elsewhere, they will receive a sandwich draft pick between the first and second round. But Olivo knows the Jays interest in him and knows it's on a short-term basis, maybe two years, plus an option. Then, their homegrown catching will be in charge. Since the World Series years, their depth at catcher in the farm system has never been better. Don't even count Chavez and realize that Molina's role as a 50-60 game backup is etched in stone. The Top four catchers on the farm include Arencibia (25), Travis D'Arnaud (22), Carlos Perez (20) and Brian Jeroloman (25). Baseball America ranked Arencibia, D'Arnaud and Perez among the Jays' Top 15 prospects in the 2010 Prospect Handbook, while Jeroloman is the most polished defender, slated to start at AAA-Las Vegas. It's a bright future.

Q: Don't you think the timing is right for the Jays to offer John McDonald an opportunity to play every day? If he's not the best choice at third base, why not move Hill to third and take advantage of McDonald's range at second? They'll have Davis when they want to bring speed off the bench and Bautista can stay in right where he's most valuable defensively. McDonald's bat showed promise in 2010, so why not make this move?

Chris M., Collingwood

A: McDonald's window of opportunty as a starting shortstop has closed. None of those scenarios makes any sense with the 36-year-old veteran ending up as a starting shortstop. The Jays are prepared to give Yunel Escobar every opportunity to start and contribute, but there is a caveat in that Escobar's performance tailed off as the season progressed, despite the euphoria of his initial 10 games. But they are reassured by knowing Johnny Mac is there as a steadying force and a mentor for the mercurial talents of the young Cuban shortstop. Hill could move to third base but it won't be to make room for McDonald at second base. McDonald is one of my five favourite Blue Jays ever, but he will not be the starting shortstop, nor does he expect to be given that opportunity. He is what he is.

Q: No question, just an observation. I find it odd no one has referenced, or at least I haven't read one, Dave Stieb's 1985 season numbers relative to Felix's numbers this season. I recall Stieb finishing 2nd in the Cy Young award voting but after looking it up he was actually 7th which is ridculous in hindsight. I recall that generating quite a buzz in Toronto at the time.

Ross Marshall, Toronto

A: I agree that a Cy seventh for Stieb in 1985 would not have happened today with the increased awareness of sabermetrics. Stieb's wins against replacement (WAR) ranked second only to Cy winner Bret Saberhagen that year, however his inflated bases-on-balls (95) would have cost him even with a modern review of his stats. It was an impressive season for Stieb as the Jays reached the post-season for the first time, but I don't think it matched up with Felix Hernandez 2010.

Q: Hello Richard,

In your opinion, what is the status of Dustin McGowan. I just love this guy. Do you think there is a chance he can recover to be anywhere close to the pitcher he once was. Thanks, Joe Badali, Aurora A-McGowan's continuing but ethereal presence in the Jays' organization reminds me of the storyline of the Nicole Kidman 2001 opus, The Others, involving the unseen parallel spiritual presence in the same house as the former Mrs. Tom Cruise and her two bratty kids. Sure we know about McGowan, the former first round pick, and his unfortunate recent injury history over the past two years, but his rehab has made him seemingly invisible. He is still in the building but only seems to be active when nobody else is around, avoiding the light and steering clear of others that may ask too many questions. It's both scary and sad. He is battling hard to get back from his labrum and rotator cuff shoulder woes (which are always worse than elbow) and the organization to its credit has stayed with him, giving him opportunity, but for every three steps forward he takes two back. Call it the Dr. James Andrews Waltz. Having not pitched since 2008 due to labrum and rotator cuff woes in his right shoulder, McGowan heard a pop as he was throwing this past June and had another surgery to repair damage. Few pitchers have come back from labrum problems after two years off. One exception is Gil Meche, who had the operation in 2000 and successfully resumed his career in 2003. But there are more failures than successes. Jays fans are familiar with Mike Sirotka who joined the Jays from the ChiSox after the 2000 season. He had tweaked his shoulder on a tour of Japan and the Jays didn't know that it was a labrum issue. He had surgery and in spring training of 2003 was cut by the Cubs in a comeback attempt. It ended up costing GM Gord Ash his job and led to the extra step in all trades of having a complete physical before any trade is official. Robb Nen was a top closer for the Giants before shoulder surgery in 2002. He never threw another big-league inning although he struggled for two years to come back. How about Mike Harkey, Jim Parque and former Jay, Robert Person? Q-There were news reports early in November that the Jays were not ruling out Kevin Gregg's return. Could you see the team handling back-to-back save situations by using him on the first night and then testing potential future closers (e.g. Zach Stewart, David Purcey) on the second? I enjoy the mail bag!

Adrian Zenwirt, Toronto

A: There are several issues that need to be addressed here. It takes two to tango and I believe both sides are inclined to stay off the dance floor. On Gregg's part, he was not treated well by the Jays fans who were quick to jeer whenever he struggled to nail down a 1-2-3 save – being astute and knowledgeable fans. Then there was the issue of the manager Cito Gaston who twice removed his closer in the middle of a save opportunity before he had a chance to blow it. The first time Gregg reacted with anger and incredulity. The second time with a shrug and a resigned air. Then consider the fact the Jays refused his option year in October for one and also for two years, insisting they would like to see who was out there and, oh by the way, if we can't find anyone else better we'll get back to you. Try using that argument with your wife when asking for a trial separation. From the Jays' side, you pretty much have to stick with what they've been saying about still being interested in Gregg if you are going to offer arbitration. Otherwise it seems like a cold, ruthless ploy to get a sandwich pick – which of course it is. But what if they had said we have no interest and we're moving on and then he had accepted arbitration? Oops. The issue Gregg had of struggling on back-to-back nights is another issue. It's real and it's spectacular. It says here Gregg will not return under any circumstance with mutual feelings.

Q: With Jeter hitting the free agent market and the report he is looking for 6 years and huge dollars, I have a wishful thinking question. Would it make sense for the Jays to sign him for 2-4 years, have him move to 3rd base, bat 2nd and mentor the young players on how to be a winner. I would have to think a move like this would be very similar to the Jays of the early 90's bringing in Molitor and Winfield. With bringing in Jeter for that amount of years could work out well, for 1 or 2 years play 3rd base until Hechavarria is ready for the majors, then move Hill to 3rd, Adeiny to short, Escobar to 2nd and Jeter to DH. If my memory serves me correctly Molitor was a DH when he was with the Jays and he was never a power threat, he was the same kinda hitter Jeter is. The experience and leadership Jeter would bring to the clubhouse would be as a commercial says...priceless. Would AA look at a move like this?

Scott Cochrane, Niagara on the Lake

A: The Jays already have one classy player making $20+ million dollars that is not worth it with regard to performance on the field. Do they really need a second albatross contract in Jeter and make no mistake about it, he would not come to a non-playoff team for anything less than $20 million. As for moving to third base, the only team he will make a position move for is the Yankees. Next, with regard to clubhouse presence, it would be “...the Yankees do it this way...the Yankees do it that way.” and the Jays are trying to build their own brand right now. We saw how that backfired with Kevin Millar, who was helping promote the “Red Sox way” in his disastrous one-year stint with the Jays. A guy like Jeter does not consider himself a mentor and at that price he could not be treated as such. Molitor was looking to be a part of a winner before he packed it in. Jeter has been to the playoffs every October but one since his rookie year in '96 and does not need to go elsewhere. What Jeter needs to do is come to terms with both the Yankees and reality and get himself back in pinstripes for three years $45 million.

Q: During this Free Agent season with all the hotstove rumors going around and people speculating on contracts etc. One thing I have always wondered is how much influence the actual Players Association has in players' decisions. Example being Cliff Lee - I have read some articles that mention the PA will be pushing for him to get close to if not exceed CC Sabathia's per year price. How do they actually do that and can it be detrimental to a player to accept a contract perceived as "team friendly" Thanks !

Joel G., Almonte, Ont.

A: The Players Association has a huge influence on contracts and an inordinate influence with agents, who though they are all independent of the MLBPA are all sanctioned and closely aligned via meetings and e-mails, etc. One of the great baseball negotiating ironies is that collusion is a one-way street with clubs being fined for comparing notes, but agents can freely exchange info on offers they have received before any deal is done. Yeah, I know that's part of any collective bargaining agreement. The pressure from the union is tremendous not to give “home town discounts” because of the ripple effect it has on other free agents that may be comparable in years and production. One guy that I love as a man of principle that was criticized within the industry by players and agents was catcher Darren Fletcher who adored his time both in Montreal and Toronto and gave both teams breaks when it came to staying a little longer. He heard about it for years, treated almost like a reverse-scab. As for Cliff Lee getting CC money, I don't believe that will be a case of the union pushing him. This is his career moment to cash in and he earned it by getting two teams – the Phillies and the Rangers – to the World Series in the past two years and by issuing fewer four-balls than the Ryder Cup.

Q: Love the blog - thanks for keeping us baseball diehards up to date and entertained during the long off season! My question has to do with the MLB network. Do you know if there is any chance they bring the network to this side of the border? Why don't we have it? It would instantly be a favourite of mine, and I probably would pay whatever rip off fee Rogers would charge.

Isaac Oziel, Thornhill

A: Hey, before we get the MLB Network, how about Sportsnet ONE? I would in fact pay for both. How can you possibly lose bringing Hazel Mae and her MLB Network sports desk hosting duties back to TO. Surely that would count as Canadian content. I do believe people are working on it, but remember that making Canada happy has never been major league baseball's priority.