Jays annual pep rally to have more questions than answers

Late Monday afternoon at the Rogers Centre the Jays will stage their annual, invitation-only season-ticket holders State of the Franchise event, hosted by team president Paul Beeston, GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Farrell. There will be some explaining to do.

For the first two winters of the Anthopoulos regime, this annual event was a virtual love-fest, with fans lobbing softball questons and handing out rambling compliments to a self-satisfied baseball panel. The only injuries may have been pulled muscles from Beeston patting himself on the back for hiring the sincere young Canadian GM that fans believed in.

In 2010, the first January of the current regime, high-fives were exuberantly exchanged in celebration of the nice haul pulled in for Roy Halladay, who had demanded out, but had painted the Jays into a corner of limited options from which they cleverly escaped, prying prime prospects from the Phillies like righthander Kyle Drabek and catcher Travis D'Arnaud. Plus, the 2010 management was being lauded by old-school Jays' fans for the return of their charismatic Glory Days manager Cito Gaston, who was rewarded with a victory lap in a season of low expectations on the field. A perfect storm for management. 

By January 2011, the Jays were moving forward under a rookie manager, John Farrell, who had been coveted by others and was still valued as a pitching coach by the Red Sox and a possible replacement down the road for Terry Francona. If Boston wanted him, we loved him. Plus, it was the winter of Robbie Alomar, who returned the sincere love of the organization and its fans, using Toronto as his home-base for Cooperstown. The future hope was there with a loaded farm system and a serious AL East contender on the way. Beeston last year sat with his front office team and boasted about his relationship with the GM and Rogers ownership in which a payroll of $120 million was there for the asking if they could simply convince the powers-that-be that it would make the team significantly better. You could have cut the euphoria hanging thick in the air with a knife.

Now comes this pep rally, following a winter of the fans' discontent. It's season No. 3 of the AA Era and the best baseball is still being played in places like Las Vegas and Manchester, New Hampshire. Management will be asked to explain the club's failure to obtain a No. 2 starter and another strong bat for the lineup. We know there is no I in Team and no Yu in Jays. We know that kissing a frog doesn't always produce a Prince. We know that even with a second wild-card available, the Jays have been passed as contenders by others and rank behind the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers and Angels.

It will be an interesting fan session, with a harder, more realistic edge to the questions. With this event being for paid-up ticket holders, it's basically like preaching to the choir, but on this occasion, it's more likely than ever that this choir will be singing the Blues.  

 

Toronto never had a chance with Fielder; Blue Jays mailbag

So Prince Fielder finally found a home. Thank God. While Tiger fans rejoice, Detroit-area all-you-can-eat buffets are re-considering their rules of engagement. We were concerned that Prince would end up penniless and on the street, because his agent Scott Boras had overestimated the market . . . and maybe the great one, at least among agents, did. But in the meantime the Tigers' important piece, DH Victor Martinez hurt his leg and is out for the season, so the team's owner Mike Illitch decided, going over the head of his very intelligent GM Dave Dombrowski, that he would be willing to commit to Fielder for nine years and $214 million. Earlier in the week Dombrowski had mentioned about maybe one year for Fielder, since Martinez will be back in 2013, but when Miguel Cabrera agreed to move over to third base -- which gives Detroit about 550 lbs. of corner infielder – the Fielder deal was struck. The Princely sum is not for as many years or as much money as Albert Pujols received from the Angels which means that for Boras it must count as a failure. But try wiping the smile off Fielder's face.              

As for fans that felt the Jays should have pursued Fielder, it was never going to happen. The problem comes in perception when you get up to numbers that high. It is that years and dollars are undervalued. Some fans said that Fielder might accept a Jays offer of five years at $20 million per year. Well, the contract he settled on was for $114 million more in guaranteed salary and for four more seasons. Unless the Jays were going to approach those numbers, Boras would never even have considered it.

Right now, as of Thursday afternoon, the Jays have committed to their own payroll $79.27 million for 20 players in 2012. This formula includes straight salary, plus a pro-rated amount of any original signing bonus. There are various ways of determining MLB payroll and that is one. The 20 players include Mark Teahen's $5.5 million, plus $2.75 million guaranteed to Adeiny Hechavarria even if he starts the year at Triple-A. The only Jays player remaining that is arbitration eligible is Casey Janssen, who has asked for $2.2 million and been offered $1.8 million. The remainder of the roster is under club control and will likely each earn less than a million dollars. An estimate of the '12 Jays payroll at this point in time is around $85 million. That would rank as the second highest Jays payroll in history to the $98 million misspent in 2008. Maybe they're not that cheap. On to the Mailbag. 

 

Q-Hi Mr. Griffin,

I really love your work and look forward to your columns. I really like the rebuilt Toronto bullpen and think it will help the Jays win this year. But I also think this may be another avenue AA is using to 'beat the system' and improve the team long term. In Francisco Cordero, Jason Frasor and Darren Oliver the Jays will have three sought after and highly tradeable (one year contracts) veteran relievers that can be flipped for prospects. If the Jays are out of the race, they keep the prospects. If they are in it they can keep the relievers and or flip the prospects for other holes on the major league team. On this note a total salary for the three guys of $12,000,000 it is not a cheap way to build the organization and I think Rogers shoul be commended. What are your thoughts? Is this strictly building the team, or is it more building the organization?

 Keep up the great work!

Jason MacDonald, Amherst, NS

A-The value of a solid, veteran bullpen is often underestimated. Baseball executives like to compare themselves to the success story of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 when they came out of nowhere to advance to the World Series after having never finished above .500 in club history. People explain it by pointing out that all of those Rays bottom-feeder finishes allowed them to draft high and when those players finally developed, then they were ready to win. But there was far more to it than that and a key factor, often overlooked was how the Rays rebuilt the bullpen between opening day '07 and '08.

In 2008, the Rays had a young, inexperienced rotation that had five pitchers between 24-26 years of age and each with 11-14 wins. Sound familiar? The Rays fivesome started 153 of 162 games, so they were healthy, young and unspectacular. But the bullpen was different from the start of the year before. In late July of '07 they had acquired Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour. In '08 they added Troy Percival and Trever Miller, moving former closer Alberto Reyes to middle relief. All five of those pitchers were in their 30s. J.P. Howell was a nice left-handed complement and late in the year David Price came up as a hard-throwing relief option. The rotation was okay, but the bullpen was the difference.

Baseball GMs are nothing if not copycat. The Jays look at their five young starters heading into spring training and know there will be ups and downs and there will be games where the ball is handed to the bullpen early. They have done a nice job of adding veteran depth and manager John Farrell promises he will be better at assigning recognizable roles so his relievers are better prepared.

The Jays' seven-man bullpen will combine to earn just over $20 million in 2012. That total is led by Cordero at $4.5M, Oliver at $4.0M and Frasor at $3.75M. The closer, Santos is in at $1 million this season and is under contract through 2017. If the Jays do succeed, much credit will go to the bullpen. As for your trade deadline analysis, I don't see much value in a mid-season trade for any of the three Jays' veterans. The Jays had Frasor and Scott Downs available at the July deadline a couple of years ago and weren't able to get value from a contender. I think the moves this winter were all about building the bullpen which at times, with the 25 blown saves in 2011, not all accumulated in the eighth and ninth innings, was embarrassing.  

 

Q-With hearing A.J. Burnett along with Phil Hughes, would the Jays be interested in either one or maybe both? For AA to bring back A.J. it would only make sense if the Yanks would eat all of the contract left. The Yanks are looking for a DH type bat, wouldn't Lind or Thames fit that role for them? Would either pitcher be an upgrade over the current rotation?

Scott Cochrane, Niagara-on-the-Lake

A-I'm sure A.J. Burnett is very available, but there are rules against paying an entire contract and any deal has to be passed through the commissioner's office for approval. The Yankees do have an apparent surplus of starters and something will likely happen with Burnett before opening day. The Yankees right now seem to be leaning towards rotating their everyday players through the DH spot as a day off type reward. Besides, if they want a DH, there are still plenty of veteran bats out there that would not involve giving up a starting pitcher. The Yankees are not the same Yankees as in years past. They are trying to get their total payroll down to $189 million by 2014 because they're tired of paying the luxury tax, an attitude of perpetually propping up their opponents that has irked the Bronx Bombers going back to the most bombastic days of the late George Steinbrenner. The Yankees still owe $33 million for the next two years to Burnett and he has a 10-team limited no-trade clause in his contract. If the Jays are on that list, it would involve even more money to get him to waive it. Is A.J. worth all that?   

 

Q-Hi Richard.

Love the mailbag, and in that vein, let me quote you from the last mailbag of 2011 :
"Happy New Year and my resolution is to make sure I do a mailbag every week." I need my Blue Jays news down here in Cincinnati! Now to my question: The big splash we were all hoping for this winter has turned into a little ripple and it doesn't look like A.A. is going to change that. His needs remain unmet. But we have guys in the pipeline who can meet those needs. Does it make sense to wait that one more year for these guys to arrive from the farm, rather than overspending either with money or with these very same talented guys? I want to see some of that money we have supposedly saved spent as much as the next guy, but I also want a dynasty, so why give away too much now? Is Alex wrong on his cost assessment, or is the available talent really just too overpriced? Will we be glad in five years that he didn't trade guys now? What do you think? All the best to you, and to Gary Carter. Hate to hear that bad news. Allan Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio

 A-I guess there will have to be a couple of weeks soon where I do two mailbags just to get my average back up. It's funny how building a baseball winner is so opposite from, say, Olympic diving when it comes to making a big splash. Baseball likes to celebrate the big splash. Diving doesn't. As for baseball dynasties, the thing about political dynasties is a dynasty ends when there are no heirs. While the Jays have made sure there are plenty of heirs-apparent in the minor leagues at key positions, they have yet to establish anything good on the field in terms of championships for them to inherit.  

As for Anthopoulos' reasoning, I never think it's a good idea to overspend, but what about just spending. There have been opportunities this winter that have been fair market value that the Jays have passed on. I think other GMs have adjusted to the unorthodox presence of  Anthopoulos in the free agent and trade marketplace. Now it's up to the Jays' GM to adjust to them. Right now it looks like another great year for Jays fans in Lansing, Vancouver, Dunedin, Manchester and Las Vegas, while Jays fans at the Rogers Centre must wait until next year. 

 

Q-Richard,

The future looks very bright for the Blue Jays especially when they have pitching prospects like Daniel Norris, Deck McGuire, Drew Hutchison, Kyle Drabek, Aaron Sanchez, Chad Jenkins sitting in the wings to get into the Major League Rotation. This would seem to be a good problem to have if you were AA, what do you think will happen when those are ready for the bigs? It would seem that when they are ready, a typical AA move would be to trade Romero and Morrow, if he were to trade Major league proven talent vs. prospects it would seem the bounty for both Morrow/Romero would be huge to once again bring in high end prospects. What do you think AA will do when the time comes when those pitching prospects are knocking on the Major League door?

S.C.

A-The Jays are probably better stocked in terms of young minor-league starters than any organization in baseball. I don't think your analysis of a “typical AA move” is accurate. When AA signs a player to a multi-year deal it is usuallly a signal that this player is a core player moving forward. Morrow and Romero are already in that category, as are Yunel Escobar, Jose Bautista and Adam Lind, although Lind was signed by the previous regime and look what happened to Aaron Hill last year. There is no scenario that includes Romero or Morrow as likely bargining chips in just two years. What is more likely to happen with all those good young starters is that the Jays will try and keep the conga-line of young pitching moving through the system while pinpointing and utilizing internal scouting reports to look past the bare statistics. Knowing more about their own players, they will try and keep the best eight major-league-ready starters on hand with the Jays and at Triple and Double-A, while using the rest as trade inventory to fill other needs. The only legit excuse they have this winter is that maybe they feel they don't have enough of these starters that are quite ready for reliable major-league innings. But the tidal wave of talent is on the horizon, including a strong list of guys you didn't even mention.  

 

Q-Richard,

I just reviewed the top 100 MLB prospects list that was recently released and once again I am amazed at how the Yankees always seem to have several in the top 25 (three in the top 10 before their recent trade with the Mariners). In most professional sports the draft is suppose to be the equalizer in that poor performing teams get a shot at the top prospects first in the draft. However, in baseball we see young players through their agents telling teams not to sign them unless they are willing to pay some crazy amount of money, essentially overpaying. The Jays learned this game over the last few years (now that will be coming to an end) but it seems that the Yankees have not only used their money for top free agents, they essentially took their money to the Latin markets and bought up most of the best talent. So you have this situation of them buying most of the best free agent talent while at the same time have some of the best talent on the farm. Will the new MLB agreement limit that money advantage for the Yankees?

Dean Germano, Redding, CA

A-There are reasons other than great scouting why the Yankees always seem to have multiple prospects in any Top 100 list. The bigger reason is that while the best prospects from other organizations progress through the minors in normal, orderly fashion and then are absorbed onto the major-league roster at some talent-appropriate point, the Yankees best prospects are often stymied and roadblocked by the collection of high-priced talent on the major-league roster that is signed to expensive, long-term contracts. For instance, a guy like Jesus Montero in most other organizations would have spent the 2011 season in the majors and would not be on the prospects list anymore. That is not to take credit away from the Yankees amateur scouting, which under Brian Cashman has taken on new importance.

As for international free-agent scouting, all things being equal, the Yankee name and logo carries a lot of weight worldwide as one of the iconic brands in sports and as such, a prospect that is free to sign anywhere would always consider the Yankees among the finalists. Now, throw in that the Bombers also have had more money than anyone to spend, the results are obvious and predictable. 

It will be interesting to see what the new rules bring to the table in terms of levelling the playing field of amateur-player procurement. The Jays had tried to become the Yankees-lite in terms of using extra money and the existing rules to their best advantage in the draft and international scouting. The Yankee brand remains the Yankee brand. It might now be even harder to compete with them until there is a world-wide draft, which seems inevitable.

 

Q-Richard,

Looking at who is still out on the market, I ran across an interesting name...Rich Harden. Why hasn't AA signed Harden, would have to think he would come cheap and he could potentially fill multiple holes, if he stays healthy he is that type of top of the rotation talent AA has been looking at, if they don't want him to be a starter, he could fit right into the bullpen, with his stuff would have to think of him as a potential top end set up man? Lots of "ifs" with Harden but the Jays are already filled with "ifs'....see Lind, Travis Snider, Dustin McGowan, Brett Cecil, Colby Rasmus, Kelly Johnson, so what damage could another “if” really make? Your thoughts on Harden?

S.C.

A-For a while now, I have been a supporter of signing Harden to a one-year deal if he is still available as winter turns to spring. That moment has arrived and it would seem there is no downside to signing the B.C. native to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training, like they did with Omar Vizquel. Sure Harden has been injury prone with no one area of his body left unaffected. Sure he has averaged just 15 starts per season and has missed an average of 55 games per season on the DL. But he has great stuff, a live fastball, an excellent changeup, averaging more than a strikeout per inning. The 30-year-old has had just one losing season in his MLB career and with no long-term commitment and with young Jays starters only ready to pitch in the second half of the season, it's worth it. Harden has never earned more than $7 million and pitched last season for $1.5 million in Oakland.

 

Q-Hi Richard,

I am just wondering how it is that in the last few months AA has been transformed from genius (the guy who unloaded Vernon Wells, got more than expected for Doc Halliday, etc.) to disappointment? Even Star hockey columnists are piling on now.
 Seems to me that his plan was to 'compete' in 2012, and that the current team should be competitive. Will they win in the AL East, unlikely, but they can field a competitive team.
 Looking back at what was written about AA when he was still brilliant, he was always thinking a few steps ahead of the fans, writers and even other GM's. This off-season is far from over and AA has shown that he is not the type to make a move without careful consideration. Maybe other GM's are less inclined to deal with AA now that he has a reputation for extracting more than expected in trades?
 What if someone told you back in October 2009 that the Jays would have a rebuilt farm system loaded with prospects and the current core of young talent with the big club in just 2 years? Wouldn't you think the new GM was a success?
 Thanks,

Dave Sorokowsky, Lockeford, CA

 

A-”When he was still brilliant...” I'll have to show Alex that line. But I do think that there is an easy comparison for what AA is going through to what a major-league rookie-of-the-year hitter goes through. A kid will make the majors and pitchers haven't seen him before. He has success at the plate for a year then in the off-season, heading in to his second campaign, other pitchers watch video, recall what they threw him in his rookie year and make adjustments in their approach designed to get him out. The cocky kid goes blithely into his sophomore season and all of a sudden his rookie year approach is not having the same success. Why? Because pitchers made adjustments. Now it's the smart hitter's turn to adjust to their adjustments and if he's a good player he regains his edge. Got that Alex?

Maybe that's the same thing that has happened to AA and his relationship with other GMs. The first year he brought his agressive phone-centric, information-gathering approach to the job and he had a leg up on other GMs that had never dealt with him before and patted him on the head and said “What a nice young man.” After all the accolades directed his way and realizing that they had maybe been too straight-forward with him, they changed their approach and then all of a sudden, Anthopoulos is not getting the same information, or else it's not quite as accurate in terms of anticipating what other GMs are thinking. That might explain this lull of an off-season and the fact that he quite possibly misread the market on Mat Latos, Gio Gonzalez and quite possibly Michael Pineda.

Yes, I would say that AA's 28-month tenure as a major-league general manager has been an overall success, but the previous eight seasons under J.P. Ricciardi also resulted in a series of third and fourth place finishes. Being mediocre in baseball is not the same as being competitive. Sure you can take 2-of-3 at Yankee Stadium in any series, but so what. Baseball is a 162-game marathon. I could fly down to Boston on Patriots Day and put a number on my back with bad-looking shorts and a loose tank top. I could blast out of the starting gate past all the Kenyans and sprint to the front of the pack and lead for a couple of hundred yards, then blow a tire walk the rest of the way. I could then say I led the Boston Marathon for a while. Does that make me competitive? I think not. Until the Jays go into the final weekend of a season with a chance at a post-season berth, they are not competitive.

 

Q-Hi Richard,

While I was expecting more from AA and the Jays this winter, I do see more all around depth with the exception of the starting rotation, where yes they have kids coming, but too many question marks. Why are they not interested in Roy Oswalt? He will come relatively cheap, probably on a one year deal (AA preference) and if healthy be an innings eater, a number 2 starter and also veteran presence for the kids. Why not take this chance if it wont significantly affect their 'payroll parameters'?

Isaac O., Thornhill, ON

 

A-Roy Oswalt would be as attractive a one-year option as a starter for the Jays as would Harden, just more expensive – which is not an issue. Oswalt, if he would accept the deal, would bring veteran experience and a clubhouse presence without threatening the leadershiop of Ricky Romero and the chemistry that is going on with the young Jays. Again, there is no downside.

Anthopoulos at the end of the season talked about looking for a front of the rotation starter, a bullpen closer, another bat and a backup catcher. He said he preferred trading rather than free agency. He got the closer and the backup catcher, both through trade. He failed at the starter and the extra power bat. Getting the bat at this late date will be tough, but there are short-term options for the starter.

 

Q-Richard,

The recent trade of Pineda to the Yanks must be frustrating to most Jays fans watching another young and controllable top end of the rotation pitcher going to another team other then the Jays. All we have heard this offseason is AA looking for a top end of the rotation talent, and up until the Pineda trade all other trades looked like they were well over paying for that top end rotation starter. Pineda was traded for a future DH in Montero and a 3 or 4 type rotation pitcher, this seems to have been a pitcher AA and the Jays could have outbid the Yanks, why didn't they? If February rolls around and this team is still the same without the addition of a top end of the rotation pitcher, I would have to think this offseason would be a let down? Go Jays Go
.

Yours truly, 
a very frustrated Jays fan.

S.C.

 

A-Just in summary about whether Anthopoulos underestimated the market for three starting pitchers that he coveted and could have used, if, in his own words, he had been willing to overpay, here is the total for those three deals in terms of players:

RHP Mat Latos, LHP Gio Gonzalez, RHP Michael Pineda, RHP Jose Campos and RHP Rob Gilliam for 1B Yonder Alonso, RHP Edinson Volquez, C Yasmani Grandal, RHP Brad Boxberger, C Jesus Montero, RHP Hector Noesi, RHP Brad Peacock, LHP Tom Milone, C Derek Norris and RHP A.J. Cole. Which side of that fence would you rather be on?

As for whether AA could have outbid the Yankees or anyone else, it always depends on what the dance partner team is looking for. Montero can be more than just a DH and had been the No. 1 ranked prospect in baseball two years ago. The M's needed to boost their offence. AA admitted that he had an opportunity to make a trade for a pitcher earlier in the winter but believed the cost was too much. Maybe he needs to adjust his sights and values towards the new reality in the future – or maybe he was right. At this point, if the Jays are to compete, they need star development from Morrow for a full season, a healthy repeat of his ace-dom from Romero, a 180-inning comeback from Brett Cecil, a steady development curve from Henderson Alvarez, a giant step in maturity from Kyle Drabek and/or a quantum leap in a return to full health with the ability to do more than just pitch every five days by Dustin McGowan. That's a lot to ask.

 

Q-Hi Richard;

I wrote a scathing and emotional comment last time here, most of us fans are frustrated, but I think it must be 10 times more frustrating for AA, the trade market for top end starters was rediculous, Washington and Cincinnati may come to regret those trades, and 3 top prospects for two years of Garza is silly. The frustration must compound when free agents are asking a premium to play in the frozen wasteland of Canada. I'm sure AA put bids on numerous players that were higher but declined. I am hoping these are the reasons for the inactivity and not Rogers putting the brakes on the flow of cash. So what's the solution; wait for a top end starter to "fall in their laps" (whatever that means)? Maybe they are hoping for a fast start and some pleasant surprises.....Agaaaaaaaain.

Scott S., Sudbury, ON

 A-I agree that the market for the top three traded starters this winter was higher than expected. As for Garza, the Cubs never said they wanted to trade him but they are willing to listen to offers, because if someone makes a stupidly high offer for two years of the talented righthander, they may change their mind. Remember, there's never any harm in entertaining offers for an asset that you control.

 

Q-I plan on going for a week of spring training. Can you tell me if the Blue Jays (other teams as well) sell a certain number of tickets on game day for the walk-up crowd? Also, can one see the players train on days when there are no games and is there a charge for this? 
Thanks heaps,

Marcus Heinrichs, Stouffville, ON

 A-The Jays always have tickets available on game days unless it is the Yankees, Red Sox or another key matchup. It's easier to buy them all at once to avoid any game day lineups at the stadium box office. All the seats are good. Buying in advance is important for the Phillies and Yankees, because they are often in sold-out situations. If you go to the Jays' ballpark early on a game day, they come out to work out around 9:30 a.m. And you can just walk into the stadium and hang out down the right field line where the players come out of the clubhouse. Many of them will stop and sign an autograph when they're finished their early work, but others may appear deaf and not hear you no matter how loud you yell and how close you are. If you bring a young child or a good looking woman as a prop, you may have a better chance of getting an autograph. On days when the team is on the road, there are players working out from about 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Nevertheless, even sitting there waiting for the players to emerge, there's something magic about an empty ballpark. Spring is my favourite time of year.    

Griffin: Jays close to one-year deal with Francisco Cordero

According to multiple sources, as first reported by ESPN.com, the Jays' bullpen pool just got deeper. Mere hours after staging a press conference to announce a new three-year contract for starter Brandon Morrow, it was reported the Jays have reached agreement with 36-year-old closer Francisco Cordero on a one-year contract for $4.5 million US. Cordero in 2011 was 5-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 37 saves for the Reds.

It is a short term addition that provides veteran insurance for young closer, Sergio Santos. Recall that in early December, after the Jays had traded for White Sox closer, Santos, it was suggested in this space that it was risky and the club would be better served in 2012 to add a veteran from among the many free-agent options, someone to join and support the inexperienced Santos. The 26-year-old converted infielder had a nice year with the Chisox in his second season in the majors in 2011, but the fact that he had just 28 innings as a pitcher at any level before earning a spot in the majors was a concern moving forward.

The suggestion here was that Cordero would be a good choice to be signed as a free agent, because the contract for the aging, but still effective closer could be short term and also his agent was Bean Stringfellow who had already worked successfully last winter with Anthopoulos to get the Jose Bautista deal done, an important five-year deal with the Jays, reached through hard work and good faith bargaining. 

The Cordero contract will be finalized once he undergoes a physical. The announced plan for the bullpen will be for Cordero to be the well-paid setup man for Santos, but heading into spring training there is a chance that his role could be more than that. He could earn the closer's role for 2012. Recall that Santos is under contract, with guaranteed years and club options, for the next six seasons through 2017. He will earn $1 million in 2012. 

Over the course of Cordero's 13-year career, he has pitched for the Tigers, Rangers, Brewers and Reds, recording 327 saves with a 3.17 ERA. Armed with a 93-mph fastball, the Dominican fireballer over the last five seasons has averaged 39 saves per year with two All-Star Game appearances. Other teams reported to be interested in his services with less than a month to spring training were the Orioles, Angels and Phillies.   

The Cordero signing would bring to 19 the number of Jays' roster players under contract for 2012, with just Casey Janssen remaining as arbitration-eligible.  

 

Griffin: Jays ink Vizquel to minor-league deal sign Morrow to extension

There will no doubt be a miliion one-liners about Omar Vizquel's advanced baseball age, approaching 45-years-old in April, but there can be no downside risk to the Jays' signing on Monday of the potential future Hall-of-Fame shortstop to a one-year minor-league, non-guaranteed deal, with an invitation to major-league spring training. 

Vizquel, years ago in Cleveland, was mentor to a young minor-league infielder named John McDonald. For three seasons the slick-fielding Venezuelan with 11 Gold Gloves to his credit teamed with former Jays second baseman and current Hall-of-Famer Roberto Alomar to form the best double play combination in baseball and perhaps in major-league history.

Johnny Mac, who inherited the Gold Glove qualities of his teacher, during his own Jays' tenure constantly raved about the positive influence the veteran Vizquel had on his development as a major-league person, in terms of hard work and preparedness. Now, Vizquel, at least for the length of this spring training, will have a chance to influence the career of the Jays' 22-year-old Cuban prospect Adeiny Hechavarria. Don't underestimate that fact.

Vizquel, in 23 seasons with the Mariners, Indians, Giants, Rangers and White Sox, has appeared in 2,908 games, with 2,841 hits, 11 Gold Gloves with countless highlight-reel plays, 80 homers, 401 steals, 1,021 bases-on-balls, 1,070 strikeouts and a .272 average.

Now come the old-guy one-liners. How old is Vizquel in relative terms? Consider that Omar is a full 11 months older than Alomar, who entered the Hall-of-Fame last summer. Vizquel made his major-league debut on April 3, 1989, 12 days before Adeiny Hechavarria was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. The 5-, 160 lb. youngster first appeared in Toronto at Exhibition Stadium, May 8, 1989, grounding out to Fred McGriff off Dave Stieb. Vizquel was born four days before Mayor Jean Drapeau declared open the world's fair at Expo '67. 

So what are the Blue Jays' expectations being placed on Vizquel? There are none. He is forced to earn a spot on the major-league roster to be paid major-league money. If he does not make the team out of spring training in Dunedin, he will be released. Meanwhile, at training camp he will stand out at shortstop and take infield every morning with Hechavarria and the mercurial Yunel Escobar and, communicating in their own language, transfer his immense knowledge of baseball and life.

Face it. The Jays had nobody ready in the system to back up Escobar and play 20 games at shortstop. And if Escobar is ever injured for any length of time in 2012, it will be Hechavarria, whose glove is said to be already prepared for prime-time that gets the call. All Vizquel needs to be to contribute on this Jays team is to be better at shortstop than either Mike McCoy or Luis Valbuena. Even at his age, there is no question of that.

Meanwhile, the Jays are also preparing to announce that they have signed righthander Brandon Morrow to a three-year contract, worth $20 million, plus a $10 million option for 2015. The news was first reported by Shi Davidi, of Sportsnet.ca.  

Morrow this winter was arbitration-eligible for the second time and could have become a free agent following 2013. It is the policy of Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos to only sign multi-year contracts that carry a player into at least a year of his free agency. Such is the case with Morrow, who fits in at No. 2 in the rotation behind Ricky Romero.

The two sides already exchanged arbitration numbers last week, with Morrow demanding $4.2 million while the club was offering $3.9 million. That has become another team policy under Anthopoulos that if the process reaches the stage of exchanging contract numbers, then the club will definitely go to arbitration unless there is a multi-year deal reached. That was the same case last winter with Jose Bautista, who avoided arbitration at the last minute with a five-year contract that was the highlight of last off-season.

Earlier this summer, it was assumed that after Escobar had signed his extension in June, that the next player in the general manager's crosshairs would be Morrow. The former first round draft choice of the M's had been obtained from Seattle for Brandon League two years ago. His record in 2011 was 11-11 in 30 starts, pitching 179.1 innings, with 203 strikeouts. The final month of the season he remained physically strong and maintained that he had finally figured out that he could not pace himself like he thought he had needed to do and that going hard from the first pitch to the 100th was his answer to being successful.

The Jays now have 18 players under contract for 2012, with just reliever Casey Janssen remaining among arbitration eligible players. The remaining major-league players led by J.P. Arencibia, Brett Lawrie and Brett Cecil are under club control with less than three years of major-league service. The Jays' payroll is expected to be around $81 million. 

 

 

Reds' shortstop Barry Larkin voted to Hall-of-Fame

Shortstop Barry Larkin was named on Monday to the Baseball Hall-of-Fame, the class of 2012, as the only member voted in by the writers, joining the late Ron Santo for induction this summer in Cooperstown, NY. Larkin received 86-percent of the votes cast.

Larkin played his entire 19-year career with the Cincinnati Reds, winning a World Series in 1990 with an upset of the heavily favoured A's and the '95 NL MVP, as the Reds again reached the post-season. Larkin has a career .295 average, with 379 steals, 198 home runs and an OPS of .815. He was handed the matle of the NL's best shortstop after Ozzie Smith. Larkin won three Gold Gloves and nine Silver Sluggers for excellence at his position. Larkin became the first 30-30 shortstop, with 33 homers and 36 steals, in '96.

The Hall-of-Fame ceremonies will take place the weekend of July 20-22 at the museum in Cooperstown. Larkin and Santo will be joined by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, winner of the Spink Award for sportswriting excellence and by Tim McCarver, winner of the Frick Award for his career in broadcasting.

 

 

 

The first Blue Jays mailbag of 2012

Happy Birthday to Jays' catcher J.P. Arencibia who turned 26 on Thursday. The Miami native and Nashville resident, a three-year product of the University of Tennessee, spent the early part of his 26th birthday flying to Toronto for the start of the Jays' second annual Winter Tour, beginning in Ottawa on Sunday. Arencibia participated in the winter tour last year and became a huge hockey fan, developing friendships with NHL'ers Tanner Glass, Logan Couture and several of the Leafs that has shaped his personality as an honourary hoser of MacKenzie Brothers proportions and a leader of the #teamunit movement, a competitive off-the-field/ice link between Toronto's sports teams.

Arencibia will be a key for the Jays not just in 2012, but beyond that, into the club's Wonder Years. With impressive power numbers in 2011, he earned the club's rookie-of-the-year honours from the local chapter of the BBWAA, however Arencibia could just as easily have been voted most improved player as well. In fact the improvement was not just with the bat, but with a ramped up leadership attitude that in his first taste of MLB, late in '10 had showed alarming signs of being combative and contrarian.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. After an unbelievable Jays' debut against the Rays that included four hits and a couple of homers, J.P. had played sporadically thereafter, seemingly facing a steady diet of Cy Young winners in occasional relief of John Buck, who was padding his future free-agent numbers, and Jose Molina. It was a tough diet of pitchers for a rookie, even sporting the Triple-A Pacific Coast League MVP at Las Vegas. He had bristled at the time in September '10 when questioned about his perceived batting slump and he sarcastically blamed media when questioned about his defensive troubles even though the rumblings of his inadequacies behind the plate originated from within the clubhouse. That winter he seemed to come to terms with both the Jays and reality.

At spring training, as the Jays' handpicked No. 1 catcher, after the club's offer was spurned by Rod Barajas who signed with the Dodgers, Arencibia re-invented himself. He formed a solid relationship with new coach Don Wakamatsu, who had even flown to Miami to introduce himself in December and then took him under his instructional wing in Dunedin at camp. He also received some tough love from veterans like Jon Rauch about his receiving mechanics and how he needed to improve as a catcher before ever worrying about his numbers as a hitter. He took all of this to heart and even though he still has trouble in certain areas of receiving, his relationship with his pitching staff and his understanding of his role improved tremendously -- which impressed his coaches more than his home runs and RBIs.

Now, there's a different issue. With the catcher of the future Travis D'Arnaud finally added to the roster and on the immediate horizon, Arencibia is no longer seen as just keeping the spot warm, he has become a fan favourite and a favourite of Paul Beeston who loves how he has embraced Toronto, his fans and the sport of hockey. Now, instead of Arencibia being an automatic trade candidate whenever D'Arnaud is major-league ready, the Jays must seriously consider what to do with him, whether it's a position change to first base, DH or the outfield or even whether they have to make a decision between the two men that are each considered a No. 1 catcher at the major-league level. But those decisions are a year away and in the meantime Arencibia continues to enjoy and to grow as a player and teammate.

Happy Birthday, J.P. and on to the mailbag.          

 
Q-Hey Richard,

Like most Jays' fans I really enjoyed Brett Lawrie's truncated rookie season last year. I know it's a lot to ask, but I actually believe he may be one of those rare players, like Tampa's Evan Longoria, who becomes All-Star calibre very early in his career. What do you think?

Jamie F., Toronto

A-Brett Lawrie is a rare player indeed who reminds me in many ways of Larry Walker. As a pair of young Canadian players growing up in B.C., both had a shorter outdoor season to work with in terms of actual games and as such had trouble settling on one defensive position. Both Walker and Lawrie show an athleticism, an imagination and an instinct for the game that is fun to watch.

Nobody could believe when Lawrie reported to his first Jays' training camp as a third baseman that he would adapt to the position so quickly, but by the end of camp, rookie manager John Farrell was sold on him as the best third-base option coming out of Florida. Unfortunately Farrell was overruled by GM Alex Anthopoulos who is way too conservative and careful for a man his age, but nevertheless, the 21-year-old Lawrie was shipped to Triple-A Las Vegas where he dominated offensively and improved defensively. He is possessed of a great attitude and snot-slinging enthusiasm for taking centre-stage in the toughest moments on the field. His dugout high-fives and winning celebrations have proved dangerous to coaches and those not prepared for the intense physical contact. If Lawrie can stay healthy and continue to improve his strike zone recognition, he can quickly be an all-star.

Q-I would like to know your thoughts on having Brett Lawrie in the lead off position. This is on the understanding that Rajai Davis does not make it as the starter in left field. 
I believe with his speed and his ability to hit and take walks this would help the Jays more so than hitting anywhere else.
 Where would you put Yunel Escobar if it turns out that he won't be hitting leadoff?
 Lastly, with the year J.P. Arencibia had in 2011 would you not think that he might be the better choice in hitting behind Jose, if Lind once again shows he cannot do the job?

Have a good New Year.

Peter R., Guelph

A-First of all, Davis will not be the starting left fielder for the Jays. He showed that his best role is coming off the bench with speed and as an occasional starter against some lefthanders. As for Lawrie, I believe that as the roster stands right now, his best spot in the order would be batting second behind Escobar. Escobar is not an ideal leadoff hitter, but in this current mix is the best option at the top of the order. His on-base is solid and he is a good baserunner, although not a base-stealer. Lawrie hitting second is not scared with two strikes and has the ability to be a 20-20 man. He hits the ball hard and  will make contact when the Jays choose to have a runner on the move. My lineup as the team exists right now, would be Escobar-Lawrie-Bautista-Lind-Encarnacion-K.Johnson-Arencibia-Rasmus-then the left fielder. I think Lind can do the job a year after his life and his position changed dramatically. 

 

Q-Richard,

With Carlos Quentin being traded to the Padres to fill their hole in LF for 2 lesser prospects, this would seem like a clear sign that AA is content with his current LF options, would this be a fair assumption?

It would have seemed that Quentin would have been a strong bat to have protected Bautista.

 2nd Question-AA seems to have found a favourite trading partner this offseason Kenny from Chicago, what are your feelings about Jake Peavy in a Jays Uniform? It would seem he has the talent to be a 1-2 starter to fill in before or after Romero. If you like Peavy, what type of package of prospects would it take to grab him? AA has already made 2 trades with Williams why not make it a trifecta?

Scott C., Niagara-on-the-Lake

A-The White Sox accepted in trade from the Pads, young pitching prospects RHP Simon Castro and LHP Pedro Hernandez for the former all-star outfielder Carlos Quentin. The 23-year-old Castro was ranked third among Padres' prospects in 2011 by Baseball America, but took a step backwards. Hernandez is a squatty 22-year-old Venezuelan who projects as a situational left-handed reliever. His best pitch is a changeup that relies on gravity for its sink. The equivalent in trade from the Jays might have been something like RHP Deck McGuire and LHP Luis Perez. That is comparable, if not superior. Anthopoulos had indeed spoken to Sox GM Kenny Williams at the winter meetings in a wide-ranging conversation that included Quentin, but the key for AA is whether or not he believed the oft-injured Quentin was a significant enough upgrade for the price on what he already had in left field. Clearly the answer he gave himself was no?

As for RHP Jake Peavy, sure he is under control for the next two years at $39 million, with 2013 being a club option for $22 million, but that's a lot and the White Sox would have to pay a chunk of that for anyone to accept the 30-year-old righthander who has not pitched more than 112 innings in any season since 2008. When healthy, Peavy is an elite pitcher, but worth the risk for prospects? Not really.

 

Q-I have been reading the Charlie Finley Book this Christmas. Published in 2010, there is a reference in the first few chapters that Finley was entertaining offers from a Toronto group to buy the A's in 1970. Do you know who that group would have been? ( Labatt?). I was not aware of this situation. I know that Toronto nearly purchased the Giants in 1976 from the Stoneham family....

Thanks,

Vin M., Oakville

A-When looking for the answer to who may have been seeking a major-league team for Toronto between 1968 and 1977, only follow the trail of Don McDougall and Labatt breweries. When Montreal was granted a National League expansion franchise in May of '68, the search for a team of its own began for McDougall and Labatt. It reached the most serious levels in '75-'76 when the Giants franchise was on the market. Toronto was heavily involved before the Giants stayed put with the sale to a Denver meat packer, but the quest for MLB goes back to '70 with the A's.

The late Charles O. Finley was a Chicago insurance magnate who was basically an absentee owner in Oakland. Charlie once had a clubhouse kid that helped out with the equipment, who later went on to become hip-hop star MC Hammer, as his de facto GM, phoning him in Chicago with inside reports on his team. Finley was the Al Davis of baseball. The A's, despite competitive teams at the time, consistently drew less than 800,000 fans per year at the damp, cavernous, foreboding Coliseum. McDougall had been named Labatt president in 1973. After the Expos came into existence one of his passions was in bringing baseball to Toronto. It did not work out with the A's who went on to win three straight World Series between '72 and '74, nor with the Giants who remained in San Francisco with the help of MLB, but when the next round of expansion arrived in '76, Toronto was granted a franchise along with Seattle. Labatt and McDougall were front and centre in the bid and the rest is history. McDougall is a deserving member of the Canadian Baseball Hall-of-Fame in St, Marys.

 

Q-Hi Richard,

I'm wondering if there is anything in the rules that would allow the Texas Rangers to trade the negotiating rights with Yu Darvish to another team during the 30 days window. And if there are such rules in place, could a team like Toronto come in and offer the Rangers a significant package of players/prospects once he has been signed (assuming they don't sign him with a no-trade clause)?

Kevin S., Milton

 

A-The posting system with Japanese baseball as it is written does not allow for trading the signing rights to another team during the 30-day negotiating window. As for the possibility of the Rangers trading Darvish once they have signed him, that would make no sense, since there is the bidding fee of $51.7 million to consider. Would the Jays have to send money over as well as prospects, or would the package of prospects have to be sweetened considerably to offset the money, or a combination of the two. Besides, in examining the contract of Dice-K Matsuzaka, there was a “full no-trade” clause included as well as a provision that even prevents him from being sent to the minors. Since Darvish has the same representative in Don Nomura, it's likely he will negotiate all the same contract protections.

 

Q-Hey Richard,

I love the Jays so I will always watch them, but unless they win, ratings will not go up.

 I ask you two quick questions.

 1-Why would the casual fan now watch the Blue Jays? 

2-Has AA failed this offseason? 

I truly believe he has, we may be no worse off, but The Yankees and Red Sox have spend less then 9-million combined on free agents. I don't think that has happened in the last 15 years. This seems like a ripe offseason where we could make ground on both of them.

Marc O., Toronto

 

A-I think there is a huge marketing gap between the casual Jays fan and the fanatical baseball fan. The difference is that a casual Jays fan, as you define it, may need “winning” to be attracted to Jays' telecasts and to going to Jays games. A good baseball fan would simply need an entertaining home team with a few compelling personalities. I think that win or lose, there are still many good baseball fans who will go to a game at the RC to see, for example, Jose Bautista when he is hot. They will watch the Jays on TV or attend games at the ballpark if they are presented a solid three-hour baseball package. Some of the best Jays games I've seen over the past few years have ended up being Jays losses, but have been great baseball entertainment. Sure the Jays need to appeal to the casual Jays fans in order to succeed. MLB teams have an inventory of 40,000 seats times 81 home games. That's over 3.2 million seats to sell. Here's a suggestion to attract more casual Jays' fans. Make the in-stadium experience as close to watching the game on HDTV at home by showing more replays and using the scoreboard to its maximum potential. Why should fans at home know more about what's going on at the ballkpark than fans at the ballpark? Yes, that includes close plays that make umpires potentially look bad. 

 

Q-Hello Richard,

If the Jays were to add Prince Fielder what would the chain effect be for Lind and others in the field and at the plate?
 Since both bat left and play first, would this mean hasta la vista for Adam, or back to left field where there already enough players to field a team?

Jeff H., Markham

 

A-That's a good question but one that is hypothetical. Although it looks like Fielder's expectations in terms of length are coming back to the five-year range for slightly more than what Albert Pujols averages with the Angels, with maybe an opt-out for anything beyond that, it's still impossible that the Jays would ever enter the Prince-ly fray. How would a Fielder signing affect Lind? Lind and Edwin Encarnacion could not co-exist. Neither man plays left field well enough to be the starter and there is not room for two fulltime DH. Either he would have to become DH and Edwin traded or the other way.  

 

Q-Happy Holidays, Richard, and please keep up your good work in 2012! 

One of your answers in this week's blog makes me think: AA sets his own price for players and works accordingly. Isn't it the flexibility of GM to recognize changing values and markets quickly and act accordingly? While I have some more patience for AA due to his inexperience, I question a lot of his moves more and more (see left fielders) and am afraid he will accumulate junk again. When will senior management and ownership step in?

Peter K., Vancouver

 A-The history of Jays ownership and chief executives is that they will never step in to interfere on player personnel decisions – with the possible exception of former prez Paul Godfrey. During the '80s in the years when the Jays were building towards the World Series, Paul Beeston gloated that for him and GM Pat Gillick it was like owning their own team without any of the risk. Then when the Belgians stepped in, they knew that they knew nothing at all about baseball and they allowed Gord Ash to make the baseball decisions. Now, with Rogers ownership, they began by relying on the decisions of J.P. Ricciardi and Godfrey. Now it's Anthopoulos and Beeston. Beeston will advise AA but not step in.

As for Anthopoulos, the man is in just his third season as GM and is still learning. His early history is he does like to enter any negotiation with a maximum value in mind and he does not chase above that. As you point out that philosophy can work against him, but it is part of the learning curve.

A perfect example of what you correctly term “changing market values” could be seen this winter with Mat Latos of the Padres and then Gio Gonzalez of the A's. AA was interested in both, but the asking price in terms of prospects was amazingly high and the Jays refused to chase. Did he learn anything? Now, the next time a similar talent comes available will Anthopoulos have made the adjustment and maybe add a player. Hopefully, but in those just-completed trades, would it have been better for the Jays to have been flexible for either Latos or Gonzalez and chase. That's subject to debate.

 

Q-Hi Richard,

I know it's not very sportsmenlike but why wouldn't teams (e.g. Yankees) put in a significant posting bid that would likely win them the rights to negotiate and the low ball an offer to the player every time? The main objective would be to block other teams from getting the Japanese player and when your offer is likely to be rejected you eventually get the posting money back and the player is out of the majors for another year. That way the Red Sox or other teams in AL east will never get an opportunity to upgrade from Japan. Of course if the player accepts the offer you get a decent player for a low price. Thoughts on using the posting process/refund to your advantage?

Ameet K., Stamford

 

A-The reason it can't happen like that is that there is a provision in the posting agreement about bargaining in good faith and if a team is a serial under-bidder then that would not go over very well. I believe what happens then under the agreement between leagues is that the agent can accuse the team of not bargaining in good faith and the Japanese team would then have the right to accept the second highest bid. It's never happened. Besides, the goal of baseball as an industry is to get the best players in the world playing in MLB. That aggressive-passive strategy would seem to be counter-intuitive to that goal. Besides, I believe in sports that there is always a karma when you try and manipulate the system to your own end that will invariably come back and bite you in the ass. Good faith is never a bad thing.   

 

Q-Hi Richard,

I am a long time Blue Jays fan and about to lose my mind, the time to put up and shut up is now. We have endured JP and his arrogant ways and now AA and his promises, the honeymoon is over we have heard 2012 for the past 3 seasons. We have seen salary shed with Wells, Rios, Haliday and others with little free agent spending. Its time to re-capture our excitement. Give Fielder 250 million, trade for Hanley Ramirez get that one impact top 3 rotation starter pitcher. These moves are do-able, its not fantasy; sign the check for Prince, send Hecheveria, Lind and a young high touted prospect pitcher to Florida for Ramirez....can you imagine that line up? Instead what do we get? Ben Francisco and whoever that guy from Chicago is....are you kidding me! Time to put up.

Scott S., Sudbury

 

A-I agree. The AA honeymoon may just about be over as he enters his third season as decision-maker, but I think more of the pressure to take the next step will come from inside the clubhouse not in the stands. It will either become that the current group of players demonstrates on the field that it is on the verge of being a legitimate contender, likely by the end of May, in which case Anthopoulos will be encouraged to take that next step and bolster the lineup and pitching staff in areas of short-term need, or else the impetus will be another failed start in the standings with Joey Bats carrying the offensive load. Frustrated, that will encourage Bautista to pressure for a re-negotiation or trade to a contender. That is the type of pressure that may cause Rogers' ownership to glance momentarily away from the Maple Leaf towers long enough to decide whether they want to make the Jays a success on the field. 

 

 

 

Griffin: Frasor proves you CAN come home again

On the afternoon of New Year's day, the Blue Jays unexpectedly announced they had re-acquired righthanded reliever Jason Frasor from the White Sox for a pair of minor league pitchers, Myles Jaye, 20, and Daniel Webb, 22. Jaye was selected in the 17th round of the June '10 draft, while Webb was chosen in the 18th round of the '09 draft. 

"It's hard to believe I'm going back to Toronto," Frasor said via conference call on Sunday afternoon. "My wife is thrilled. It's great. I don't know how else to convey that. We're excited. I can't wait to put on those new uniforms." 

Frasor's wife is a Toronto-area native. When he woke up at his winter home in the Tampa area on New Year's morning, the veteran righthander had a text from his former boss, Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos: "Can we talk later today?" At around noon his agent called and said, "Can you believe what's going on? You've been traded back to Toronto."

"I said, 'Oh my God, I had no idea." Frasor recalled the conversation. "I didn't know what Alex wanted. I thought he might have wanted to talk. He likes to talk. He's a talker."

Frasor, whose option year was already picked up by the White Sox for $3.75 million, becomes another in the long line of repatriated Jays and one that will help a bullpen in late innings that by season's end was once again under construction.

Others have gone in trade or as free agents and come back to the Jays' organization. Just this past season the club re-acquired pitchers Trystan Maguson and Daniel Farquhar that had both been traded fpr Rajai Davis last winter. There have been others more famous like Pat Hentgen, Dave Stieb and John McDonald.  

Frasor began the '11 season with the Jays, becoming the longest serving reliever in club history in his eighth consecutive year. He had joined the Jays on Opening Day of the '04 season in a trade from the Dodgers for outfielder Jayson Werth and had been there ever since. The 34-year-old Frasor was a key part of the July trade that brought centre fielder Colby Rasmus to Toronto, ending up with the White Sox as part of a three way deal. He was sent to the Sox with righthander Zach Stewart for starter Edwin Jackson and utility man Mark Teahen. Jackson was moved on the the Cards. When the Chicago-area native heard about the July 27 trade, he believed it was the end of his association with the Jays.  

"It felt like that was it," Frasor recalled of his emotions at the moment of the trade. "It felt like I was never coming back. It rerally did. It was an emotional day. I think it was the first time I cried since I gave up five runs in Atlanta a couple of years ago. I knew I was liked in Toronto and I guess looking back there might have been a chance, but I never thougt I'd be coming back the next season. It's hard to believe"

Frasor in 2011 broke the club's all-time record for appearances set by Tom Henke, ending his Toronto career with a 24-28 record and 36 saves in 455 games. He made 20 appearances with the White Sox, setting up Sergio Santos, now the Jays' closer.

"We played in Syracuse together when he was a shortstop," Frasor said of the coincidence of re-joining Santos. "He bounced around from there and then last year we played a couple of months in Chicago and now we're back with Toronto again. I know the baseball fans are going to like him. I will set him up any day, as long as I'm setting up somebody with a game to be saved. I can't believe that Alex pulled him away from Chicago, first of all, then for me to go back there and set him up is great."  

One of the Jays' primary tasks at the end of the season, according to Anthopoulos, was to rebuild the bullpen that was about to be decimated by free agency and trade. With the re-acquisition of Frasor, the task is almost complete. The closer for 2012 is Santos, with late-inning arms in Frasor, Casey Janssen and lefthander Darren Oliver. They also have Jesse Litsch, Carlos Villanueva and a second lefthander in either Luis Perez or Aaron Laffey.

"I have been keeping up with the transasctions," Frasor admitted. "Darren Oliver and Santos and Casey's coming back, obviously. Now me. I think there's four guys right there you can rely on."

And with spring training around the corner that's an extra six weeks for Jason at home, with Jays' training camp just a short drive from his Florida residence, instead of re-locating the family to Chisox camp in Arizona. Thus far it's been a happy new year for the Frasors.