Blue Jays sign fifth starter J.A. Happ to extension: Griffin

The Blue Jays on Thursday morning introduced the newest member of their starting rotation J.A. (Jay) Happ to the media, a day after signing a contract extension for two years, $8.9 million, plus an option for 2015 of $6.7 million. Happ was already under contract, avoiding arbitration, signing a one-year deal for $3.7 million in January.

“It's something that we first discussed in the off-season when we weere doing his arbitration case," Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos said. "There was definitely an interest on the club's part. We wanted to wait and see how his foot healed. It was something that we said we would take a look at again. We started talking about it early in spring training again. We're excited to have him."

Happ, obtained from the Astros in a 10-player trade in July of 2012 that had seemed to lean heavily in favour of Houston, suffered a season-ending fracture to his right foot in September and spent the winter rehabbing the injury. He reported to spring training and has been the second most effective Jays' starter to righthander Josh Johnson. 

"I felt good coming in and I felt confident," Happ said of his physical condition entering the spring. "We did so many drills and exercises to try to simulate game-type situations. You never know being off your feet and non-weight bearing, it's not an easy or fun thing to do. It was certainly a process getting back, but it was definitely all worth it."

The signing came as somewhat of a surprise, since speculation was that Happ would either make the team in long relief or else be optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in order to stay stretched out in case of an injury of the failure of a starter. Then Romero was sent down opening the way for Happ to be inserted into the five-man rotation as fifth starter.

“You don't want to promise something and then have to go backwards, say this is the way things are going to be then something comes up and changes," Anthopoulos said. "(Manager John Gibbons) told me he was having a conversation with Jim Leyland. The quote he had that was great was 'Tell a player the truth, he'll hate you for a week. You lie to him, he'll hate you for a lifetime.' Those are great words to live by, whether you're staff member, front office. As hard as it was on Jay, and it was, he did a tremendous job trying to keep a clear head, go out and do what he could do and wait until he got the phone call."

Happ said that even though the starting job came late in the process, he has no intention of being considered "starting depth" which is the way the GM described his roster right now. It's the same disappointing scenario that Happ encountered when he first came over to the Jays last summer. He was a starter with the Astros, then headed to long relief until injuries to others opened the door late in the summer, before his own injury ended his season.

“I had agreed (to the extension) before I had even found out that I would make the rotation," Happ explained. "Obviously there's a trust and confidence in myself. I think this deal gives me more confidence that the organization believes in me to an extent and those are the things that went into the decision-making process.

He was asked about whether with the new contract it woud make it easier for him to accept going back to the pen or heading to Buffalo if Romero was to be given back his job.

“We can use the word 'depth' or whatever," Happ said. "That's not what I see myself as. I certainly plan on showing them that they shouldn't either. I want to be an established piece that makes a big contribution. That's always been my goal and that's the plan. There's no guarantees in anything, but I plan on pitching and keeping the spot."

The Jays are now paying six starting pitchers -- R.A. Dickey, Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle, Johnson, Happ and Romero -- a total of $43.7 million in 2012. Johnson is the only one not under contract beyond 2013. 

 

 

 

 

Blue Jays option Ricky Romero to Class-A Dunedin

Hours after manager John Gibbons had confirmed to media that Ricky Romero would remain in the Blue Jays' starting rotation, the club announced that the struggling lefthander was being optioned to Class-A Dunedin of the Florida State League.

Romero had been the Jays' opening day starter in 2012, but had slumped horribly, finishing the season with a 9-14 record and a 5.77 ERA, losing 12 of his final 13 decisions. Among 36 qualifiers for the ERA title -- more than 162 innings pitched -- Romero finished last in all three categories of ERA, WHIP (1.67) and WAR (-1.7). 

All winter and throughout spring training the Jays had maintained their confidence in Romero as the team's fifth starter, but GM Alex Anthopoulos hastily called an emergency staff meeting after Romero had pitched 4-1/3 innings vs. the Pirates, allowing six hits and three walks. The decision was made to send last year's ace to the low minors. The meeting was attended by Anthopoulos, Gibbons, pitching coach Pete Walker and AGM Tony LaCava.

The club had assured Romero all winter and at a pre-spring training meeting that he would be in the rotation, however he has spent the last 10 days attempting to incorporate an adjustment to his delivery that Walker maintains will benefit his health in the long run. That was the key that allowed them to make the move with a clear conscience.

"We ran out of time in making the adjustment," Anthopoulos said of the reason that the change was made. 

Romero, 28, has $23.1 million guaranteed remaining on his contract, through 2015. The GM said there is no timeline for Romero's return, but that the necessary adjustmenst of a more direct line to the plate would have to be completed before a return could even be contemplated.

Anthopoulos immediately called lefthander J.A. Happ to notify him that Romero had been optioned and that he would become the fifth starter heading into what is expected to be a contending season for the Blue Jays.

 

 

 

 

Blue Jays: Brett Lawrie to miss at least first four games on DL: Griffin

The Blue Jays have told injured third baseman Brett Lawrie that he will begin the season on the disabled list. Lawrie suffered an injury to his left ribcage in a tuneup for the World Baseball Classic on March 6 and has been working towards regaining his spot in time for opening day. The Jays have disabled the Langley (BC) flash retroactive to March 22, which means he is eligible to return on April 6 vs. the Red Sox. There are no guarantees.

What this move does is take the pressure off of Lawrie to push himself and possibly do further damage. Lawrie had progressed to taking groundballs and hitting off a tee, but the club felt that he would not be ready to contribute by April 2. 

Manager John Gibbons also announced that J.P. Arencibia will be the opening day catcher for R.A. Dickey, signalling a change of plan from the original idea of finding a personal catcher for the knuckleballing Dickey in his first year with the Jays.

Josh Thole had been included in the Dickey trade with the Mets, largely because of his experience at catching the knuckleball in the three previous seasons. Then, later on, the Jays signed free agent catcher Henry Blanco, who had caught six Dickey starts in 2010. Blanco will start the season as Arencibia's backup with Thole being optioned to Buffalo on Monday. Arencibia is still expected to catch around 130 games if healthy.

In addition to Thole, righthander Brad Lincoln and outfielder Anthony Gose were also optioned. Non-roster righthander David Bush was sent to minor-league camp for assignment. Catcher Mike Nickeas has been notified that he will not make the opening day roster, but will stay with the Jays in major-league camp through the trip to Philadelphia.

With Lawrie on the disabled list, Gibbons said that he will alternate between Mark DeRosa and Maicer Izturis at third base depending on matchups. The likelihood is that until Lawrie returns, the Jays may carry 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster.  

 

Canada blows late lead to USA and is eliminated from WBC: Griffin

PHOENIX-The USA is moving on. Canada is going home. Attempting to advance to the second round of the World Baseball Classic for the first time in three tries, Canada lost a heartbreaking 9-4 decision to a talented group of Americans, in a sudden-death showdown on Sunday at Chase Field.

Team Canada had been in control of its own destiny after the seventh inning. They reached the point in the game that manager Ernie Whitt always dreamed of, heading to the eighth with a lead and with Jim Henderson and John Axford ready to close out the game. The back end of the bullpen was what made Canada better.

But, of course, that's why they play the games. The Brewers' setup man, Henderson allowed the first two American batters to reach base, then a two run double to Adam Jones past Tyson Gillies to the wall and a run-scoring single by Shane Victorino gave them their first lead. Jones added another three-run double in the ninth, for six RBIs.

The win sent heavily-favoured Team USA on to Miami along with Team Italy from Pool D. The USA is now the only North American representative to reach the second round. Canada will have to wait another four years. The Canadian bullpen allowed a combined 15 runs from the seventh inning on in their two losses to Italy and the U.S.

Even in defeat, Canada battled to the end. Trailing by two in the bottom of the eighth, Canada loaded the bases with one out against righthander David Hernandez.

It would have been sweet for Adam Loewen to be the hero, returning to Chase Field for the first time since he defeated Team USA as a pitcher in a thrilling 8-6 victory in 2006. He was almost a hero, again, but second baseman Brandon Phillips dove to his left to rob the Canadian left fielder of a hit, leaving Canada a one-run deficit.

Reliever Steve Cishek entered to issue an intentional walk to Pete Orr, re-loading the bases. Tim Smith then pinch-hit for Cale Iorg, who was 1-for-11 in the tournament. Smith grounded to second. The Americans added a run against Scott Mathieson in the ninth.

No shame. Following the embarrassing defeat at the hands of Team Italy on Friday, nobody, except those in the dugout wearing Team Canada uniforms, would have imagined being still alive and taking a lead into the eighth inning against the powerful Americans, with six outs to go and a real chance to advance.

How did they get to that point? Seven years ago, on March 8, 2006, Loewen was a young 21-year-old pitching prospect, starting the biggest game of his life vs. Team USA. On Sunday, facing a different, but just as talented group of American players, Loewen, now an outfielder, had lined the go-ahead single for Canada in the sixth inning scoring Joey Votto, against lefty Glen Perkins. That was the lead they needed to protect.

But to even get the ball into Henderson's hands with that lead, reliever Phillippe Aumont pulled off another Houdini escape in the seventh. With runners on second and third and one out, Aumont got a popup and a groundball to third with a nice play by Taylor Green. Recall that in a loss to Team USA at the Rogers Centre in 2009, Aumont loaded the bases and then retired the side, including two strikeouts.

After Team USA tied the score in the fourth, Canada had needed a major re-group. Any baseball emotion, momentum or karma left over from the huge, sprawling, brawling victory over Mexico the night before, only carried Canada through the first three innings, Sunday.

Canada had led 2-0 behind 21-year-old Jameson Taillon, making his firtst internationals start for Canada. He was electric through the first three innings, but in the fourth, some shoddy defence led to Team USA tying the score and after that the aura was gone, it was “game on.”

Leading off the bottom of the second, Justin Morneau rocketed a double up the alley in right centre field. Michael Saunders followed with a long flyball home run that just stayed fair inside the right field pole. They were Canada's two best player. Canada led 2-0, but should have had more.

Chris Robinson and Loewen singled back-to-back and an error on the hit by left fielder Shane Victorino put runners on second and third, with nobody out. But Canada failed to score. Back in 2006, when Canada upset Team USA 8-6 at the same ballpark, they had taken an 8-0 lead against Dontrelle Willis and Al Leiter into the bottom of the fifth and even that was almost not enough.

Canada remembers that history. A total of nine members of this Team Canada were also in the dugout on March 8, 2006 when they shocked the baseball world. The list included manager Ernie Whitt and coach Greg Hamilton; Morneau, Stubby Clapp, Pete Orr, Chris Robinson, Adam Loewen, Scott Mathieson and Paul Quantrill. Clapp and Quantrill are now coaches. Loewen was a pitcher.

That early premonition of not enough runs proved prophetic in the fourth inning as Team USA pulled even wth a pair of runs against Taillon. With two on and nobody out, Green became confused by the bunt defence. Playing in on the grass, as Zobrist pushed one towards third, Green inexplicably retreated towards the bag. By the time he came back and made the play, Zobrist was safe and the low throw bounced away from Votto scoring the first run. Adam Jones tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

 

 

WBC: Canada takes fight-filled decision over Mexico setting up showdown with USA :Griffin

PHOENIX-Less than 24 hours after the Team Canada train fell off the tracks against Italy, a stunned group of baseball players needed a fast start on Saturday against Mexico to getback some of that national esprit de corps into the first-base dugout. Fortunately, in the top of the first inning they did just that, scoring four runs against Brewers' righthander Marco Estrada with the big boys in the order doing their thing.

Canada on the way to a 10-3 victory that sets up a showdown with Team USA, scored four runs in the first to bring some of their pre-tournament swagger back. They strung together five straight hits, capped by an RBI double by Justin Morneau, a two-run single by Michael Saunders and a line drive over a drawn-in infield by catcher Chris Robinson. But they needed more.

While Marco Estrada settled down and kept Canada at four runs, followed by lefty Cesar Ramos, Mexico began its rally. After allowing an unearned run on an errant first-inning throw by first baseman Joey Votto, righthander Chris Leroux settled down and finished three just at his pitch count.

The key defensive play for Canada, that allowed them to hold onto a one-run lead, came when Robinson blocked the plate as he took a throw from Tyson Gillies. Trying to score from second base, Karim Garcia crashed into the Canadian catcher. Robinson never tagged him, bu Garcia never touched the plate and when he reached the dugout he was the first out of the inning.

Earlier in the inning, Robinson had been felled by a foul tip to the high, inner thigh that left him doubled over on the ground. A couple of pitches later, came the bone-shaking collision. Canada has just two catchers on the roster, so could ill afford to lose their starter.

Mexico scored two more runs in the fourth, before Andrew Albers could escape, but Canada still held onto a slim 4-3 lead. At the end of that first Albers inning, and looking back to Phillipe Aumont retiring the first two batters in the seventh vs. Italy, facing 16 batters, Canada's bullpen had allowed 11 hits, two walks and 10 runs, while recording four outs.

Canada was going to need more runs if it was going to survive and remain alive. In the fifth inning they finally broke through again against lefthander Cesar Ramos. Using a familar strategy, manager Ernie Whitt asked Robinson to bunt, following a leadoff double by Saunders. Again, as he had done the day before, Robinson laid down a perfect sacrifice to third base. After a walk to Adam Loewen, Pete Orr singled through the right side for the fifth Canada run.

Recall, the day before vs. Italy, Whitt had bunted in the fourth inning, with runners on first and second, trailing by four runs. Then, with two men in scoring position, Loewen struck out and Orr popped to third base. Italy went on to overpower the bullpen and win 14-4. Whitt stuck with the strategy, but this time he was trying to extend a one-run lead in the sixth – and did.

Albers, who has had a solid 12 months for Team Canada, settled down to shut Mexico down through the sixth. Then in the top of the seventh the heart of the order did it again for Canada. Morneay crushed a line drive up the alley in right-centre, scoring Taylor Green, who had walked. It was Morneau's second hit and secon RBI of the game. Canada added another on a fielder's choice.

But the seventh and eighth is where Canada's bullpen hit the wall on Friday, allowing eight runs while recording four outs. This time, with a four-run lead, Whitt handed the ball to Trystan Magnuson.

The lanky great-nephew of the late hockey star Keith Magnuson, was asked to pitch two innings and then hand the game over to Canadian closer, John Axford. Normally the eighth inning would belong to Brewers' righthander Jim Henderson, but he had pitched against Italy on Friday and Magnuson had already breezed through the seventh vs. Mexico.

Canada's offence made it easier, tacking on a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, as Mornau and Saunders each collected his fourth hit of the afternoon. In fact, the 2-5 spots in the batting order, Green, Votto, Morneau and Saunders, combined to go 12-for-17 with three walks.

The game got ugly in the top of the ninth inning, as a hockey game broke out. Ithe ill feelings started when Robinson led off the ninth with a bunt single leading 9-3. The Mexican pitcher Arnold Leon reacted by throwing inside to Rene Tosoni with Gorman warning both benches. The next pitch hit Tosoni and the fireworks exploded.

This was not one of those fake baseball fights. This was a hockey brawl. Numerous punches were thrown and skirmishes erupted in ebbs and flows all over the field. As Canada retreated to its dugout, they began playing to the crowd, waving to the Canadians to raise the roof and tugging at the front of their jerseys to show the Canada name. It was about then that a water bottle was fired and hit pitching coach Denis Boucher in the back of the neck at full force.

That created further bedlam as one of the Canadians fired the offending water bottle at someone in the stands, while Boucher had to be held back as he tried to climb over the dugout.

When action resumed, it seemed that only Leon and Tosoni were tossed, but the confrontaton continued in the stands as fights erupted all around Chase Field. A dangerous moment occured when a ball was thrown from the stands thast sailed past first-base coach Larry Walker's ear and rolled onto the field.

John Axford came on for the ninth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Canada with backs to wall after Game 1 mercy loss to Italy: Griffin

PHOENIX-There was always a stated primary goal and an understood secondary one for Team Canada, entering the tournament opener against Italy at Chase Field on Friday afternoon. The primary reason for winning was to set up a situation wherein a win over Mexico on Saturday would ensure a berth in the second round. The unstated reason was to at least win one game and avoid the qualification round for the next WBC in 2017. Both goals were scuttled by a 14-4 loss to Italy, moving them to 2-0.

Once again, as in 2009, there will be some questioning of the strategy by manager Ernie Whitt in the wake of a loss, although this time it could be directly attributable to Canada's lack of major-league pitching depth. Recall in '09 at the Rogers Centre, following a tremendously exciting loss to Team USA in the opener, Whitt held back Scott Richmond, his bast available starter to have him face Venezuela in Game 3, allowing Vince Perkins to face Italy, an unkown baseball power at the time.

Unfortunately, in the one-and-done format of double elimination that year, Italy pulled off the upset and Richmond was left on the sidelines without being used, as Canada ignominiously headed home. With Italy already having a win over Mexico on Thursday, Friday was almost a must-win for Canada. This time they had their best, most experienced pitcher, Shawn Hill on the mound.

But once again, Whitt was unable to avoid controversy in another loss to Italy. Prior to the Italy game, Whitt had stated his intention of removing Hill before he exceeded 50 pitches, the reason being that if Canada advanced to the second round, they would need Hill for the Tuesday start in Miami, to open Round 2. More than that number and Hill would need four days off, missing Tuesday's start.

However, you basically have to win two of three in this round to worry about your pitching rotation next week and when Whitt removed Hill with two outs in the third inning, the game got away from him. Tied 1-1 with a runner on first, Mathieson, who pitched in Japan in 2012, walked Anthony Rizzo, gave up a bloop single to Alex Liddi and then surrendered a three-run blast to Chris Colabello. All of a sudden Canada trailed 5-1 with a steep hill left to climb.

Whitt continued to fuel the second guessers and Russell Martin continued to feed the fires of Canadian national wrath for his premature withdrawl at the last minute. A key moment when the game was close came in the fourth inning. Canada had leadoff runners on first and second, with lefthander Chris Cooper on the mound. Catcher Chris Robinson, one of two righthanded hitters in the lineup, replacing Martin as the starter, bunted the two runners over, even trailing by four runs. Canada played for two and scored zero, as Adam Loewen struck out and Pete Orr popped out to third base.

But it was Canada's obvious lack of top tier pitching that shone through as the game progressed. Whitt had been hoping that his piggy-back starters, Hill and Mathieson might combine for six innings in their 90 pitches, turning over a lead to the bullpen for the final nine outs.

“I like our bullpen, so we're going to try to keep all of our pitchers, our starting pitchers and our piggyback pitchers, at right around 45 pitches,” Whitt said prior to the game. “Hopefully that will get us to about the fifth or sixth inning, and then I'm comfortable with our bullpen after that.

 And then our bullpen guys, I really don't want to pitch them back-to-back days, so we'll try to separate that a little bit.

 This game today is very important. We're going to do whatever we can to get a victory.”

But Canada refused to buckle against a bullpen without the services of closer Jason Grilli, who exceeded his pitch limit in saving the game vs. Mexico. In the seventh, after a disputed hit-by-pitch of Justin Morneasu loaded the bases, Michael Saunders stroked a two-run single to right, narrowing the deficit to two runs. Brian Sweeney retired pinch-hitter Tim Smith with the tying run at first.

Philippe Aumont came in for the bottom of the seventh and after retiring the first two hitters, gave up three more runs, capped by a two-run double by Drew Butera, son of the Blue Jays' scout Sal. Two of the hits were broken bat, but the three runs broke Canada's back.

Italy piled on the Canadian bullpen, adding five runs in the bottom of the eighth, mercifully sending Canada to its first mercy loss in WBC play. Clearly Italy's Mike Piazza is a better hitting coach than Larry Walker of Team Canada.

Canada must now win games against Mexico on Saturday and the U.S. on Sunday and rely on other factors to fall into place in order to advance to the second round on Tuesday. But at least Shawn Hill is eligible to pitch at Marlins Park – or more likely back with the Tigers in Lakeland.

 

 

Blue Jays mailbag: World Baseball Classic a hit despite minor quibbles

 

Fans can criticize the timing of the World Baseball Classic and some of the rules like the pitch counts and the tiebreakers, but anyone who criticizes the basic concept of the WBC should be forced to watch replays of Italy vs. Mexico, the Dominican vs. Venezuela and the Netherlands vs. Cuba from Thursday.

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There was passion, there were upsets, there was sheer dominance by the Dominicans. It’s a joy to watch Jose Reyes, now with the Jays, compete for his country. He banged out three hits, smiled, laughed, patted opponents playfully as he came off the field, made his teammates shake their heads as he poked them with a verbal stick and, in the end, turned such a creative, instinctive double play with Robinson Cano that the stadium celebrated along with them as they ran off the field.

The three games were high drama and solid entertainment, with Italy and the Netherlands pulling off major upsets of Mexico and Cuba. How about Team Italy closer Jason Grilli raging, believing he had a strikeout to end the ninth for a 6-5 win, being squeezed, then in a tense duel hitting cleanup hitter Adrian Gonzalez in the knee to load the bases before ending it with a groundball?

In the Netherlands’ (or is that Team Curacao/Aruba/Netherlands) 6-2 upset of Cuba, check out the dugout reaction after Jonathan Schoop greeted Cuban reliever Yander Guevara with a three-run blast to left. Dutch treat.

The USA is the only country that isn’t all in. America’s Game 1 starter, R.A. Dickey spoke of his reasons for playing and what he sees when he looks around the clubhouse.

“I’m looking through the lens of having a lot of international experience, and so I say that to preface this point,” Dickey said. “It’s not about talent as much as it’s about spirit, heart, desire. In international tournament competition, talent doesn’t always win. If you got really good talent, you’re probably going to be one of the playoff teams. But in tournament play it’s a little bit different. So you want guys around you who are all in. And it’s nothing — it’s not a comment on anybody that chose not to come here, but if there’s 1-per cent of you that doesn’t want to be here, you shouldn’t come. Because that’s what it demands in order to win. I think we have got a clubhouse full of those guys, which is nice.”

On to the mailbag.

Q. Richard,

What would have to happen this year for Canada to win the WBC? If not this year, then when?

Tyler W, Toronto

A. A Canadian title won’t happen this year, because they are just not deep enough to compete should they advance to the second round and the final. Consider the injury to Brett Lawrie, the defection of Russell Martin and the weakness up the middle with no real dynamic middle infielders available. With a pitch count of 65 in the first round and 85 in the second, Canada would have needed all of its major-league-ready pitching talent to step up or to be healthy in order to make a long WBC run.

It would have been nice to have Ryan Dempster (opt out), Scott Diamond (surgery), Jesse Crain (late scratch) and even Scott Richmond (injury) who has international experience. The minimum is that it’s important for Canada to win at least one game in the tournament in order to avoid the dreaded qualification round prior to the next WBC in 2017. Teams that don’t win at least one game are entered into the qualifier along with other WBC hopefuls, which is played during the regular season in August, September of 2016, meaning Canada’s best players — its major leaguers that would be WBC eligible — are not available. It’s a dangerous situation that can be avoided with just one victory this weekend. Down the road, there are new Canadian pitchers that should be ready by 2013. Canada will be even better.

Q. Hey Richard,

A lot of praise has been lavished on Anthopoulous for the way he navigated this off-season, and most of it is deserved. In the interest of balance, what would you say his worst five moves have been in his tenure as Jays GM? The ridiculous two-year contract he gave to loveable band-aid Dustin McGowan and moving Mike Napoli for Frank Francisco are the first that come to mind. Still, it’s not like the McGowan contract is prohibitive, it’s just dumb, and Napoli’s OPS dropped .243 last year to more Clark Kentian levels. What else springs to mind?

Bryn Gabriel

A. Interesting question. I think that the philosophy of Anthopoulos wherein if he can upgrade his team in any way, he will make the move may have hurt him in making the J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, David Carpenter trade with the Astros last July. It may, ultimately, end up being his worst move.

Think about it. The Jays at the time felt they were still in the 2012 wildcard mix before the injury to Jose Bautista became season-long and the wheels fell off. Yes, Lyon was solid and helped out in the bullpen but was a free-agent at the end of the year. Carpenter was Triple-A inventory and is now gone. Happ looked like he could step into the rotation and be a solid No. 4-5 guy for the remainder of 2012, into 2013 and beyond. But the off-season moves in bringing in R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle has turned Happ into mere starting pitching depth — the best No. 6 starter in baseball.

Lyon and Carpenter are gone, so in return for second half contributions to a 73-win season and a No. 6 starter in 2013, Anthopoulos surrendered five minor league prospects — Carlos Perez, Asher Wojciechowski, Joe Musgrove, David Rollins and Kevin Comer — three from among the organization’s Top 30, and two major-league Franciscos — Frank and Ben. Think about it. What could AA get back for Happp right now? Certainly nowhere near what he gave up to get him.

Also on that short list of bad AA deals is Mike Napoli for Frank Francisco. That one needs the benefit of hindsight to be included on this list. Napoli was never going to be the starting catcher for the Jays and would not have earned the same high number of at-bats with the Jays that he did in Texas where he thrived for that one shining year as a catcher-DH-first baseman. The Rangers went on to the World Series. Francisco was OK as a relief pitcher, but the Jays really didn’t need him.

A third trade that didn’t work out for AA is with the Diamondbacks, sending Aaron Hill and the popular John McDonald late in 2011 for second baseman Kelly Johnson. When the Jays made an offer to Johnson, seeking draft compensation prior to 2012, he accepted, tying their hands for another year.

As for the signing of Dustin McGowan, I’ve got no problem with it. It’s a very human move by a very human GM. That money is insignificant enough that you can’t say it could have been spent elsewhere, because it wouldn’t have been. There is no payroll budget with AA, so it just wouldn’t have been spent. There have been other zero-impact, neutral moves but nothing that has really hurt the organization.

Q. Hi Rich,

I’ve read a lot about batting order recently and most in-depth analysis shows that hitting your best batters in the 1 & 2 spots produces more runs in a season than hitting them in the traditional 3 & 4 spots.

This makes sense to me as it gives your best hitters more ABs over the course of a year and makes a positive difference (albeit a small one of maybe 5 to 10 runs over a full year).

My question is – why isn’t any team following this advice? With everyone trying to eke out every last ounce of performance why is everyone ignoring this avenue?

Thanks

Matt, Etobicoke

A. First of all, how can “most in-depth analysis” show that when, as you point out, no team has ever tried it? Where is your evidence, other than dissecting past numbers of players that have batted 3-4 and importing them into the 1-2 holes and saying arbitrarily that they would be the same?

The studies that suggest ranking your hitters 1-9 and making that your lineup reflect the mistake of looking to the past in order to create your future. What about natural development of some young players as they mature? What about nagging injuries that cut into power or speed? What about right-left matchups that may lead you into the trap of make managing an opponent’s bullpen against your team much easier in late innings? Having one lefthander face four straight lefty swingers, hell, I can do that.

The biggest break from tradtion, from the original book of managing, that I have seen in putting together MLB lineups over the years is in the lineup’s two-hole where many teams have gone away from good bunters, solid move-along guys, slap hitters with speed that don’t necessarily work the count. They have moved towards a logical trend for on-base guys that don’t bunt or have speed but are good contact hitters and can help turn over the lineup. If the other thing, the actual base premise of your question here, the 1-9 concept, actually worked, surely there would have been some major-league team try it by now considering some of the geeky GMs that have passed through the major-league game in the past 15 years. And they haven’t. Maybe the Astros could give it a shot. Nothing to lose.

Q. Hi Rich,

Here’s possibly another angle on the “Who catches Dickey” conversation. Dickey seems happy with any of the three options. Thole seems to be destined for Triple-A. By Opening Day JP could well have caught him about the same number of games as Blanco (and more recently) although they will obviously be Spring Training + WBC vs. “real” games. And catching Dickey seems to be more of a physical issue (chasing knuckleballs to the backstop!) than a mental one (calming the pitcher, pitch selection, etc). Would one of the other pitchers (e.g. Romero) benefit more from Blanco’s veteran-ness than Dickey? Your thoughts?

Thanks!

CB in Toronto

A. For manager John Gibbons, catching Dickey involves handing over the fulltime duties to one guy. It’s like being Tiger Woods’ caddy. It’s not just the work you see out on the course that counts. There’s the preparation, there’s walking the course and defining yardages, there’s being a part-time psychologist and the thankless work on the practice range. It’s the same for Dickey’s personal catcher. Gibbons wants this guy to work with the Cy guy in the bullpen between starts, to sit with him, to know him and what he wants to do pitch-to-pitch, batter-to-batter. “What he wants to do,” you scoff. Doesn’t he just want to throw the knuckelball 95 times per game? But Dickey is a complicated personality. He’s the most interesting man in baseball. (Excuse me while I pop open a Dos Equis.) If Arencibia is catching 130 games, he won’t have the time Gibbons prefers to spend focused on the ace and his knuckleball.

As for one of the other Jays’ starting pitchers benefitting from working with Blanco, I think that guy might be someone like Mark Buehrle who is unlike any pitcher Arencibia has ever handled. He works fast and relies on finesse and being honed in and on the same page as his catcher. If Arencibia ends up catching Dickey, then I would think about Buehrle for the second catcher rather than Ricky.

Q. Hey Rich,

The lineup for the Blue Jays seems almost set, and we have a pretty good idea who is likely to fill the few remaining holes. But AA has also promised the Bison owners that he’s going to put a competitive team on the field in Buffalo, and has signed a bunch of guys with that in mind. As well, the Bisons represent our insurance policy, so we want them to be playing well, and winning games. With that in mind, any idea what their lineup looks like, and what their chances are for this season? Moreover, they’ve got a great stadium, and it will be fun to slide down the QEW to catch some games through the season. How are the Bisons shaping up?

Thanks,

Richard Worzel

A. I love Triple-A being in Buffalo. You are correct about AA promising a winner to Bisons management. Anthopoulos and this management group, led by director of minor league operations Charlie Wilson, pay a lot of attention to the well-being of their affiliates. The previous GM ignored the affiliates’ desires, by-and-large, which ended up costing them Syracuse and sending them to Las Vegas. Consider the day the Bisons staged their uniform-revealing press conference: AA, Paul Beeston and John Gibbons let them know they would attend. It was spontaneous and welcomed.

As for putting a fan-pleasing team on the field, that same day of the news conference, the Jays signed Buffalo native and local hero Jim Negrych to play second base. They also will have first basemen Lars Anderson and Luis (Kung-Fu Bison) Jimenez. They will have third baseman Andy LaRoche, dynamic centre fielder Anthony Gose, the reliable career Triple-A’er Ricardo Nanita and Moises Sierra. On the pitching staff, the Bisons will likely have recognizable names Justin Germano, David Bush, Ramon Ortiz and possibly J.A. Happ. Just like they do with the Bills, maybe Buffalo will allow the Bisons to play one series per year at the Rogers Centre. That would be a good move.

Q. Hi Richard.

Enjoy your blog.

The for and against DH is being debated once again and I have, what I think is, a simple solution to the issue. Let the home team manager decide before each game whether to play with or without a DH. The home team manager would base his decision on whether he felt it would be advantageous to his team to play with or without the benefit of a DH. This would allow a new element to managing and create a whole new reason for sports writers and fans to second-guess managers.

Would love to hear what readers of your blog have to say about this suggestion.

Bob

A. Baseball needs more structure than that. I believe, despite my history as a firm National League aficionado, that the future of the major-league game will inevitably be with the DH in both leagues.

With most teams now carrying 12 pitchers, I also like the concept of a 28-man pool on each team with 25 being declared eligible before every game. That would mean fewer disablements, more versatility coming off the bench. For instance, yesterday’s and tomorrow’s starter could be deactivated as well as a gassed reliever and replaced by a couple of bench players and a fresh reliever. If someone needs three days for a minor nick, he could be deactivated. That would bring some strategy back to the game, leading to fan discussion; discussion and debate are the keys to baseball.

Q. Rich:

My wife and I own a home in Dunedin and have been coming down to spring games for years. Two things we’d like to know:

a) In away spring games, the Jays often seem to be in violation of the rule which requires teams to bus a minimum number of starters that were on the prior year’s regular roster. Yet the veterans often play in B games, which the fans are not encouraged to attend. Why doesn’t the media do more to protect the fans’ interests in these issues?

b) Can fans attend B games, and if so, how do we find about them?

Bill and Vi Grimmett

A. You have one thing right and one thing wrong. Yes, the Jays often stretch the truth when it comes to sending representative rosters on spring training bus trips. I can’t think of a road game this spring in which they had four true major-league starters in one lineup. Fans in those ballparks have every right in the world to feel ripped off. But then again, it is spring training and they’re not shoveling snow.

The thing you have wrong is the belief that they play a lot of B games. This year, the Jays played none. And in the past, when they have played B games, it’s usually to allow a major-league pitcher some work followed up by young arms that they needed to see. If it’s a B game at home then there will be stars, but if it’s on the road, it will be all young roster players and camp minor-leaguers. Two reasons there are no B games this year is the length of spring training and the WBC taking players away. B games held in the main stadium lead to logistical problems of no staff and the gates not being opened yet. What’s more fun to attend and where fans are welcome is games at Mattick, two at a time, at the minor league complex from about March 10 through the end of the month. That is worth it for real fans.

 

Blue Jays' Brett Lawrie forced to withdraw from WBC with rib injury: Griffin

Canada's hopes in the WBC took another body blow on Thursday, as a subdued Brett Lawrie emerged into the dugout at Chase Field to announce that he would not play in ther tournament, even if Canada makes it to the finals in San Francisco, March 17-19.

Lawrie suffered what he described as some discomfort in the area of the 10th rib of his left side in an exhibition vs. the Reds on Wednesday night. It's the opposite side and closer to the surface than the injury he suffered last June that kept him out for two months. 

“These are not things that you can mess around with," Lawrie said, after being diagnosed by the doctor juust 20 minutes earlier. "They get better when they want to. It doesn't matter how much you treat it. It's just all on time and right now it's about time to get it better. I think going out there and playing and still having it nag at me a little bit, would not benefit my team, nor my country, nor myself.

Lawrie had not yet spoken to Jays' general manager Alex Anthopoulos, but he said he had learned from last year's injury that caution is the best avenue in these situations.

"I just think right now it's important for me to take this time to get things back to where they need to be and I feel that if I went out there and continued playing, this thing could turn into something that it doesn't need to be," the Langley B.C. native explained. "It would eventually hurt the Blue Jays and that's not what I want. Right now it's looking to the future, looking forward to April and trying to get myself ready for that."

It's the second blow that Canada has received in the past seven days. Last week it was catcher Russell Martin who withdrew from the team for personal reasons, now it's Lawrie. Manager Ernie Whitt had been counting on Martin and Lawrie to provide righthanded hitting balance to a lineup that leans heavily to the left.

Lawrie will stay in Phoenix and be in the dugout for the game against Italy and then will fly back to Florida to rejoin his team. He is not available through the length of the tournament even if Canada reaches the finals. He will likely be replaced at third base by Taylor Green of the Brewers. The game against Italy will be played at Chase Field because of concerns about the weather forecast on Friday.   

 

The Bullpen: Free agent cap could hit Blue Jays’ Latin recruiting

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera, left, talks with teammates Edwin Encarnacion, centre, and Jose Bautista, right, as they watch batting practice during baseball spring training in Dunedin, Fla. NATHAN DENETTE/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Passing through the doors of the Blue Jays clubhouse every morning at spring training can be a lesson in baseball diversity.

It’s not just the addition of Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Maicer Izturis and Emilio Bonifacio to a group that already included Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and others on the Jays’ roster from Latin America.

There are many other Latin American players here, most of the others in camp as non-roster invitees. But is this Latin flavour going to change because of the revised spending regulations in the collective bargaining agreement that limits each club to a cap of $2.9 million per year in worldwide amateur free agent signing bonuses?

Canada and Puerto Rico are included in the entry draft in June, so they aren’t affected by the signing cap that has been in force for one year now. There are 15 Canadians and five Puerto Rican born players in the system. Over the past three years, the Jays have been very active in signing players from Caribbean countries, first under regional scout Marco Paddy and now Ismael Cruz.

According to the Blue Jays’ 2013 media guide, the following are the numbers of players from different countries outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico: the Dominican Republic (49); Venezuela (31); Mexico (3); Cuba (3); Panama (2); Colombia (1); Nicaragua (1) and Aruba (1).

Among the Jays’ Top 20 prospects, according to Baseball America, there are five with Latin American roots, including No. 3 ranked prospect, pitcher Roberto Osuna from Mexico. But under the current system, the Jays might never have signed the 17-year-old Mexican.

“We liked him, but we didn’t go into that season saying this is the one guy we need to have, this is the best player” Jays’ GM Alex Anthopoulos said. “We weren’t that good as an evaluation group.

“(AGM) Tony LaCava deserves all the credit in the world, because he liked him more than anybody else. But Osuna was signed late, because we lost out on some other players. We liked him, we had some money left over, he was a good prospect, so let’s go sign him. We liked him, maybe not at $1.3 (million), but I don’t think we expected him to be what he was. He wasn’t the top guy on our list. So, there’s an element of luck there and now he’s become that much better than we thought.”

Some of the advantage has been removed for clubs that aggressively signed young players from the region and hoped that some developed, as in the case of Osuna.

Anthopoulos explained that with the playing field leveled and the money being equalized, it becomes about a player deciding where he wants to go. It’s a popularity contest of organizations. The Jays still have a strong foot in that door. Nevertheless, you have to spend your $2.9 million wisely and be correct more often than lucky.

“That’s where the old system was to our benefit,” Anthopoulos said. “Now, we would have had to earmark a guy like Osuna, which we didn’t. (We would have had to) say he’s the guy, he’s the guy and make sure we get the evaluation right. That’s the hard part about it.”

In the meantime, the Jays’ organization is rocking to a Latin beat and is better for it.

CANADIAN BLUE JAYS

The Jays have 15 Canadian players in the organization. Here’s a look at who they are and where they’re from:

Justin Atkinson 19, INF, Surrey, BC

Zach Breault, 24, RHP, Amherstberg, ON

Eric Brown, 24, RHP, Thunder, Bay, ON

- Michael Crouse, 22, OF, Port Moody, BC

- Shane Dawson, 19, RHP, Drayton Valley, AB

- Nathan DeSouza, 18, OF, Milton, ON

- Marcus Knecht, 22, OF, Toronto

- Brett Lawrie, 23, 3B, Langley, BC

- Adam Loewen, 28, OF, Vancouver, BC

-Trystan Magnuson, 27, RHP, Vancouver, BC

- Mike Nickeas, 30, C, Vancouver, BC

- Dalton Pompey, 20, OF, Mississauga, ON

- Nicholas Purdy, 23, RHP, Grafton, ON

- Thomas Robson, 19, RHP, Nelson, BC

- Shaun Valeriote, 23, INF, Guelph, ON

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THE ESSAY

The Blue Jays camp in Dunedin was one of the earliest stops this year on the annual spring tour of major-league teams by MLB Players Association head Michael Weiner. The meeting, with a more veteran group than the Jays have had in years, took about 80 minutes inside the closed clubhouse, with a presentation by the union chief followed by a question and answer session with the players.

Weiner then met with the media for 30 minutes after his session with the Jays’ players. The most interesting revelation from Weiner was that the real impetus towards more severe penalties for PED offenders that fail a test, is coming not from commissioner Bud Selig, the owners or fans. It’s coming from within the union, from players that are tired of other players cheating. The Miami situation with Anthony Bosch and the now-closed Biogenesis anti-aging clinic has brought the issue to a head.

“That’s an active discussion right now,” Weiner acknowledged. “There are certainly players who have expressed that (desire). We’ve had discussions with the commissioner’s office. On the one hand, we do have the toughest penalties of any team sport. I mean 50 games is more than you see for a first time in football, hockey and basketball. If it turns out that we have a different penalty structure because that’s what the players are interested in, that’s what the owners are interested in, it would be for 2014. The 2013 (PED) testing season has started at spring training. We’re not going to change the rules in mid-stream. It could be an active discussion for 2014.”

In the course of the conversation it became clear that Weiner’s personal feeling is that the new program, with HGH blood testing and the recording of current testosterone levels for each player that can be compared to future test results, is more important than increasing the penalties for failing a test.

“That’s what the discussion is,” Weiner said. “There’s a very serious study that says it doesn’t matter what the penalty is, it matters if you think you’re going to get caught. We focused this off-season on making it more likely that players are going to get caught. I will explain that to players.

“I’m not surprised that there is greater frustration for players about the Miami stories because again, players are sick of these issues, whether there’s anything to them or not. They’re sick of this issue. And so it’s natural for a lot of guys to say, maybe we need stiffer penalties. We’ve had a good discussion about whether that’s fair, whether it’s fair to treat players that make a negligent mistake the same way as players that try to cheat the system, whether or not 50 games for a first time is sufficient. We will have that discussion in the course of 2013. The earliest that it could be an issue is 2014.”

Recall two winters ago, Jose Bautista said at a banquet in the Dominican that he had been tested 12-13 times by MLB and that it was OK because he had nothing to hide. It seemed to outside observers that maybe Bautista, if he was correct in his recall of the number of tests, might have been picked on as the result of unsubstantiated rumours of the summer before when he had his breakout season.

The system in place right now makes sure there is one test at spring training and then random tests with every player’s name put back in the pool, even if they already had been tested as the result of the previous random draw. MLB and the union have no knowledge of who is being tested. If you fail a test, like Melky Caberera in 2012, you have six additional tests, plus your name is still in the random selection process. But Bautista would have been random-draw only. So 12-13 tests sounds a little high to be random.

“Jose’s a great guy and I’ve had the conversation with him,” Weiner said. “We checked it out and Jose may have been tested more than he expected and I know, given his performance he was suspicious. . . . We checked it out and everything was done properly.”

As for Cabrera and the possibility of future penalties coming out of t his name appearing in the Miami investigation, Weiner couldn’t rule it out. (That’s in contrast to Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos).

“It’s a tough and complicated legal question,” Weiner said. “I think the commissioner’s office could take the position that if they had evidence of a separate violation, that conceivably they could seek additional discipline. We might challenge that.”

Then came another challenge to the perception that it’s the union always standing in the way of efforts to take performance-enhancing drugs out of the game, always defending the cheaters, always using its power to reduce suspensions and challenge findings. Weiner suggests he has new marching orders.

“The players’ association has an obligation to represent any player who’s subject to discipline,” Weiner began carefully. “The players’ association is also a signatory to a joint drug agreement, and the players’ association also has an obligation, not only to the players who are subject to discipline, but the vast majority of players who want a clean game.”

“The union has an interest in saying, if somebody committed another infraction, there should also be consequences because again, the other players want to make sure that we have a clean game. . . . It may be that we have a legal dispute with the commissioner’s office on this, but the goal is to administer our joint program in the fashion we have and have the toughest program in sports,” Weiner added.

What Weiner said seems to be real progress in the thought process of MLB players. Weiner is obviously hearing from the majority of card-carrying union members that they have had enough. That’s good to see. Prior to this mindset of defending the majority, it always struck me that the union always defended the perpetrator while ignoring the victim, as the NHL Players Association all too often does in hockey.

Contrary to what one might think, the tone of the Blue Jays’ questions, according to Weiner, did not change much this year just because the club has become more veteran and more of a contender.

“Obviously there’s a lot of excitement in this clubhouse and there’s a lot more veteran players,” Weiner said. “In terms of the meeting, this has been a strong union clubhouse for a number of years, even with younger players. So I wouldn’t say it was materially different.

“It was a very active meeting. I meet (separately) with the (younger) players to talk about their particular concerns and they almost wore me out with questions about various provisions of the Basic Agreement. It’s great to see and I think they take the lead from veterans on the team that have made clear the importance of the players’ association,” Weiner said.

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THE RANT

On Friday, news emerged that the Angels had renewed the contract of outfielder Mike Trout for $510,000 for 2013, just $20,000 over the major-league minimum. His agent Craig Landis seemed furious that his client, the AL Rookie-of-the-year and runner-up to Miguel Cabrera in MVP voting, would be so disrespected. The numbers he had been seeking and the club’s figure were far apart.

The MLB rule is that if a player has not yet reached arbitration status, then on March 1 a club can renew his contract at an arbitrary number of their choosing. It’s been going on for years. The likelihood is that the Angels were offering more money if Trout would have come to terms, but since they were forced to renew, they cut the figure down. It’s a common tactic.

“During the process, on behalf of Mike, I asked only that the Angels compensate Mike fairly for his historic 2012 season, given his service time,” Landis, who represents Trout, told Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, via email. “In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a ‘fair’ contract, and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process.”

Get over it, Craig. The first two seasons in which the teams have control of their players is about the only time that teams have an advantage. I have seen so often that a club misguidedly tries to be generous in those controllable years, hoping that when the time comes for free agency that the player will remember how generous the team was after the rookie season. But the player bolts anyway to the highest bidder. Teams that try that tactic are delusional. The Angels are using the system. Nothing personal.

But controlling costs can bite back.

In fact, by utilizing the same system, one might argue that the Angels cost themselves a shot at the World Series last season. Having played 40 games in 2011, Trout was left in the minors to open the 2012 season. The tactic there was to control service time and ensure his arbitration is delayed by a year. The Angels brought him up on April 28, which means his arbitration was delayed until after the 2014 season instead of 2013, saving them several million down the line. However in 2012, the Halos got off to such a poor start that by the time they righted themsleves and made a run for the post-season it was too late. What if they’d had Trout from opening day?

Like I said, this renewal thing has been going on for years. I recall on March 1, 1993 Bill Stoneman walked into the Expos’ clubhouse in West Palm Beach with a renewal contract for young outfielder Moises Alou. The 26-year-old, obtained in trade from the Pirates two years earlier, had rehabbed in 1991, missing the entire season. He had worked hard to get back on the field and surprised everyone in ’92, finishing second in NL Rookie-of-the-Year. He was expecting to be rewarded. Sorry.

Alou angrily signed the contract and headed for the field. He was furious, vowing not to cooperate on any Expos off-field activities, to just play baseball. In fact he wasn’t going to even talk to the media. The club’s concerned p.r. man talked him down off that ledge of silence, reminding him that when arbitration arrived, the real money would start to flow in and that it was all part of the process. He understood and remained one of the most accessible, cooperative Expos until it was time to leave.

Trout needs to do the same. His time will come.

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The thing about spring training is that it’s relentless. The games are incidental, other than when Ricky Romero shows signs of bouncing back or Jose Bautista homers again, or there’s a jaw-slackening moment like Ryan Howard taking one out of the Phillies Park that almost carries to Highway 19. Other than that, it’s about personalities and getting ready.

So when any opportunity comes along that has meaning on a personal level, you take it. Such an opportunity arrives for me on Monday. I will drive across the state of Florida to see my freshman son Patrick play for the College of St. Rose Golden Knights on Tuesday afternoon.

St. Rose, a Division II school in Albany, NY, is playing the Concordia Clippers in the opener of the Palm Beach Challenge. Coincidentally the tournament is contested on a complex of diamonds in Lantana that was built by the Montreal Expos in the early ’80s for their minor-league training camp.

Then it’s off to Arizona for the first round of the World Baseball Classic.

Blue Jays mailbag: Pitching depth a hot topic of conversation for readers

Brad Lincoln may begin the season in AAA-Buffalo as a starter. CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO

 

It’s only March 1 and they’re at it again. Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told Sun-Sentinel writer Juan Rodriguez that Reyes mis-remembers and that he, Loria, never told Reyes to buy a house in South Florida mere days before he was traded. The disputed conversation was at a charity banquet to raise money for ALS research in New York City on Nov. 11. Loria is one of the chairs of the charity and Reyes was being honoured along with R.A. Dickey.

Loria say that Reyes told him he was looking for a house and that when he found out about the possibility of the trade from team exec Larry Beinfest later in the week, that Loria called Reyes’ agent to let him know. Reyes was asked at batting practice on Wednesday about it and repeated that Loria had advised him to buy “a nice house.” There is a chance that the truth lies somewhere in between. On to the mailbag.

Q. Hey Griff,

If the Blue Jays want to field the best possible roster, regardless of options, wouldn’t it be logical to give the long-relief role to J.A. Happ? Brett Cecil has had year after year to try and win a spot on the big league team when the team wasn’t competitive. I don’t know if it’s worth hoping Cecil has a good year as a reliever in the bigs when the only positive sample available is last year’s September, when the quality of the opponent wasn’t that great.

Happ can still be the sixth starter from the ’pen, could log four emergency innings if the need arises, and can get stretched out after that. I’d much rather have the Major League proven Happ than the unproven, shaken up, can’t-outsmart-righties Squints.

Casey Janssen, Sergio Santos, Darren Oliver, Steve Delabar, Esmil Rogers, ?? and ?? Who fills out those question marks, in your opinion? Who deserves those spots (if the answer is different)? I would have loved to see Marcus Stroman up, but I guess I have to wait until the beginning of the year.

Love the coverage, Griff! Keep em’ coming!

Alex H, Toronto.

A. The issue with Happ is that whenever it is that he is going to join the rotation — and it is inevitable given recent Jays history — it will likely be as the result of an injury and therefore for at least 2-3 starts. It would be better to have Happ enter for the Jays with significant innings under his belt as a starter at AAA-Buffalo, considering that he has an option remaining. Cecil is out of options.

It is not a career punishment for Happ because the Jays avoided arbitration by signing him to a $3.7 million contract. Happ is right, he is a major-league starter, but pitching long relief for a team with five established starters is difficult. The one reason to keep him on the major-league roster might be as insurance against Ricky Romero’s struggles continuing. But Buffalo is a 90-minute drive from the Rogers Centre. As for Cecil, his visibly increased velocity, into the low 90s, partly as a result of working with Steve Delabar’s heavy ball workout program is encouraging and worth checking out into the season. On Thursday working from the stretch, he was down in the zone and effective. The two hits he allowed were flyballs played into singles by the outfielders and he pitched his way out of the jam.

For me, the two question marks that you left there would be Cecil and Aaron Loup. However, it might behoove the Jays, if Janssen is not ready and caught up physically, to keep him on the DL at the start of the season and replace him with someone on the roster that has options. Make sure Casey is 100 per cent before activating him.

Q. Rich,

What kind of rope will Gibby give Colby Rasmus as the everyday CF? Two months? All-star break? If he’s hitting .220 with 10 HR by July, what’s the point in him playing over Anthony Gose? Also, what kind of rope will Gibby give Adam Lind? If he struggles, can you envision an OF of Gose in CF and a rotation of Bautista, Cabrera, and Rasmus/Davis sharing the DH?

Andy Frank, Toronto

A. As long as Rasmus is playing a solid defensive centre field, he can remain in the Jays’ lineup. The work he has done this spring in terms of adjustments, lowering his hands, getting ready early, simplifying his approach, with Chad Mottola has been encouraging. Batting seventh in the order, his lower numbers, especially in batting average and on-base, won’t be magnified as much as it was batting in the two-hole. I don’t think there is any thought that Rasmus is on trial, or on any sort of a leash. As for Gose, he can use the ABs at AAA-Buffalo and be ready to fill in at any of the three outfield spots if there is an injury. In the case of Lind, if he struggles, especially against left-handers, I would platoon him with Rajai Davis. There is another dark horse for the right-handed half of any DH platoon and that is Mark DeRosa, if you prefer to have Davis available in late innings as a base-stealing threat.

Q. Even if J.P. Arencibia is not chosen to be Dickey’s regular catcher, a vote of confidence in their No. 1 catcher would be nice. Opening Day, he should be in the lineup either as a catcher or as a DH. What are your thoughts?

Bob in Kuwait

A. That’s ridiculous. Earning a playoff spot is not about stroking egos, it’s about having the best team on the field to help you win. Arencibia does not need a vote of confidence. He already understands and has come to grips with the fact that Dickey’s 34 starts will likely fall to someone else — and that should include Opening Day. If Dickey is out of the game and the Jays are trailing the opener vs. the Indians, Arencibia could always pinch-hit and stay in to catch some relievers. But if the Jays play and compete as expected in the AL East there should be plenty of other full houses for Arencibia to impress.

Q. Hey Rich,

What do you think John Gibbons brings to the table as a manager? He came off as a straight-shooter who was fierce and eager to win. I’m curious as to whether you believe he has the right mantra to keep younger players in line and get the veterans to buy in to his program. Fans are optimistic, what are your thoughts?

Jonathan Rumley

Humber College Journalism Student

A. Two interesting endorsements for John Gibbons came from the two most recently arrived players, right-hander Michael Schwimer and first baseman Lars Anderson. Schwimer said he was impressed with the clubhouse atmosphere of working hard and liking each other. Anderson said he was immediately hit by the good vibe of a bunch of players that wanted to be here. Keeping the younger players in line is the job of the more veteran players like Jose Bautista, Jose Teyes, Mark Buehrle, Darren Oliver and others. The right mantra is all about winning.

Q. Hi Richard,

I read a piece recently about Brad Lincoln potentially starting the season as a starter in Buffalo, but that all things being equal he would rather have a bullpen spot in Toronto. I understand all players would rather be in the bigs than minors, but wouldn’t Lincoln be happier to get another chance as a starter in Buffalo? After all the earning potential for major league starting pitchers is much higher than for bullpen arms. I’ve always wondered how pitchers feel when their organization decides they don’t have starter “stuff” and are relegated to a life in the bullpen. Wouldn’t every pitcher (other than the very few superstar closers) rather be a starter?

Thanks,

Simon Elliott, Toronto

A. All starters can be relievers, but not all relievers can be starters. It all depends on the depth of their repertoire. Traditionally, the feeling is that if a pitcher has two different pitches that he can throw for strikes and command, then he can be a solid relief pitcher, having to go no more than one time through an opponent’s batting order. However, in order to be a starter, you traditionally need three pitches that you can command. So sure, there’s more money available to pay top-of-the-rotation starters, but just asking to be a starter is not going to earn you that money. Bad starters are a dime a dozen.

Lincoln, when he was with the Pirates, debuted as a starter, but was thrust into a bullpen role because his commandable repertoire came down to “fastball-curve.” When he arrived in Toronto last July, GM Alex Anthopoulos insisted that the shift to the ’pen was what was needed and that was his best role. Now, it seems, the organization is re-thinking that, maybe wanting to have a look at him as a starter at AAA-Buffalo to see what they’ve got for the future. The worst that could happen is that he gets innings under his belt and eventually returns to the majors in relief. The best that could happen is that he emerges as a viable starter for 2014 and beyond, giving AA more flexibility in personnel decisions.

Q. Hey Rich,

I know it’s spring training but I was wondering what are your thoughts on the Jays re-signing Josh Johnson to a long term deal? Johnson originally was the centrepiece of the deal with the Marlins so if we don’t re-sign him would AA feel he gave up too much to the Miami? I’m sure a lot depends on how well Johnson pitches this year and how the team does but with Dickey signed for the next few years as the staff ace, do you think it could be a one and done in Toronto for Josh Johnson?

Thanks,

Adam DeGrasse

Saskatoon

A. Johnson was not so much the centrepiece of the original deal as he was the starting point. AA was inquiring about Johnson at the GM meetings in November when he realized the Fish might be interested in expanding to include some of their big-ticket items.

I agree with AA that there is no hurry to get that long-term deal done. See how Johnson’s back is, how he fits in, if he can pitch in the AL East, if he likes Toronto. At some point during the season, if the answers to all those questions are positive, then begin discussions with the agent. Then there become three options. Trade him at the deadline if the Jays are out of contention, sign him to a long-term deal or finally, at the end of the year, make a qualifying offer — the average salary of the Top 100 players in baseball — and either he accepts or he leaves and you get draft pick compensation. The four other starters are under control for the next three years, at least. If Johnson departed after a year, the Jays would not feel they were robbed in the Marlins trade.

Q. This is not a Blue Jay question. You will get lots of questions about the starting rotation, who’s on second and who’s the closer so I am interested in your thoughts on another topic. With Tim Raines’ induction to St. Mary’s (Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame) I’d like to know your thoughts on baseball’s future in Montreal. Will it ever happen again? Even AA or AAA. I know that a group let by Warren Cromartie has been looking at the possibility. Will we ever have a Pearson Cup again?

Mark Vendramini

A. With all the talk about baseball returning to Montreal, there has never been a potential owner step up and declare himself with real money ready to pursue a Double-A or Triple-A franchise. Plus, unlike Ottawa, the city government has never stepped up to back the project. Montreal, if it was to be a minor-league team, would need a stadium with a good location. They could not play at Olympic Stadium. Ottawa is ahead of Montreal in that regard too. The Cromartie group was looking for a major-league franchise which at this point is not going to happen. I would love to see baseball return to Montreal and Ottawa and Calgary and Edmonton.

Q. Hi Richard,

I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time; it concerns Omar Vizquel — a player I’ve always admired for his defensive skills and plucky approach at the plate — and a player who’s probably a hall-of-famer. Nothing can tarnish Vizquel’s legacy as a player at this point, I would think, but given he’s often hinted at wanting a coaching career post-retirement, do you think the disaster in Toronto in the 2012 season will hurt his future? He was brought in to provide leadership, especially to the team’s Latino players, and was reportedly a divisive influence in the clubhouse on a team that appeared to be a rudderless ship; moreover, one of his charges, Yunel Escobar managed to offend an entire community with an absolutely bonehead move and when Vizquel was asked about it he basically said he didn’t see anything wrong with it.

So . . . did “Coach Viquel” just set his career back in your opinion?

Geoff Read, London, Ont.

A. That’s a pretty solid read on the Omar Vizquel situation. In hindsight, Vizquel was never interested in mentoring the Jays’ young Latin-American players. He was interested in putting a cap on his career, wherever he could find a job, and recording it for posterity on a video that is still in production.

Omar spent more 2012 time with his biographers than his teammates. He was the last to arrive and the first to leave. He was a great player, but the Jays did not get what they believed they would get and the end of the season mess, with Escobar, followed by his comments about lack of coaching leadership and his subsequent apology set back Vizquel’s managerial aspirations. Word gets around.

Q. Hi Richard,

Good to see your link to send questions is up and running again.

My concern is about the Jays bench. Not that I’d expect Gibby to do a lot of pinch hit strategy but Davis, Bonafacio/Izturis, Blanco, and DeRosa are light hitters and no lefty on the bench. Competitive teams generally have a diverse bench with position flexibility (which the Jays have), but not having one “power” bat and/or no left-handed hitter it begs to question the balance. Any concerns there? Never mind a pinch hit HR but I can barely expect a gapper in the clutch from this bench.

One last thing, on the Jays site DeRosa is not listed in the depth chart. Does that mean that AA is leaving the door open if he finds a suitable bench replacement? I believe Sizemore and Abreu are still on the market.

Thank you,

Kam H, Richmond Hill

A. I believe that this could be the best bench that the Jays have had in years. Having a “power” bat on the bench is overrated. This group is more about providing a speed threat off the bench in late innings when you need a run and about having the versatility to give a regular position player a day off and still have a major-league quality defender and hitter in the lineup. As you point out, how often are these Jays going to pinch-hit in a game. Davis, Bonifacio and DeRosa will all give you major-league at-bats.

As for DeRosa, the website updates on depth and roster are random — unless it’s one of the New York teams. The updates are not done by the teams themselves. There are many head-scratchers.

Q. Hey Richard:

Help me out with the logic on all of this. I was disappointed when the Jays flipped Mike Aviles & Yan Gomes (a personal favourite) to Cleveland for Esmil Rogers, who had been a huge disappointment as a starter in Colorado, but seemed to have resurrected himself in the Indians’ bullpen. Aviles would look a lot better as the 25th man than Mark DeRosa. Now it seems the team has pretty much guaranteed Rogers a spot in the ’pen (based on 35 innings in Cleveland?) over Brad Lincoln, another guy with mixed results as a starter, but much better as a reliever over a FULL season, while telling Lincoln to go back to being a starter, obviously in Buffalo. Putting the poor guy in a position to fail.

I would much prefer Aviles on the bench (or even starting at second base) and Lincoln in the ’pen, to DeRosa on the bench and Rogers in the pen. Is Rogers that good? Is Lincoln that bad as a reliever? I heard fans in Pittsburgh last year advocating the team trading Hanrahan and installing Lincoln as their closer!

Help me out here.

Bruce Spurrier

A. DeRosa is going to have fewer than 100 at-bats as the 25th man. Rogers may get 60 games in relief. You are overrating Aviles and I too like Gomes as a person and a player. He may have been useful as a possible third catcher in case you needed to use Arencibia as a hitter in games he didn’t start. The Jays were looking for relievers that can miss bats and Rogers has the type of power arm to fit that bill. As for Brad Lincoln, I am a little surprised at the direction Jays management is pointing him. I thought his future was in relief and now they are talking about him starting at AAA-Buffalo. I disagree about Aviles and Lincoln over DeRosa and Rogers. If DeRosa can have a positive influence on Brett Lawrie and help move his career forward and has 100 at-bats for the year, it’s a good move.

Q. Hi Richard

Thank you for your insights on the Blue Jays. I thoroughly enjoy your articles and blog. I think it is important when considering the Jays farm system to include those young players that are no longer considered prospects because of service at the major league level. This is a much better reflection of the depth and opportunity that the Jays have for the future. In particular, Anthony Gose, Drew Hutchison, Kyle Drabek and Luis Perez are all still youngish players with enormous potential. The injured will begin at AAA most likely when they return and help to make the farm system if not the prospect list quite strong.

Bill Rabow

A. I agree with you that Baseball America is not considering Gose, Moises Sierra, Hutchison and others that had too much major-league time, but will be returning to the minors to strengthen the system and that may skew the strength of the Jays’ farm. However many teams have similar situations so it balances out. The Jays’ new Top 30 prospects list by BA includes 22 players born in the ’90s which is a good sign that the lower levels are still healthy, even if the inventory of almost-ready-for-primetime prospects was depleted over the winter, It’s a farm. It will grow again.

Q. Mr. Griffin

Is there a player on the Top 10 Prospect list that wasn’t expected to be there?

Thanks,

Rob Nickerson

A. Not necessarily surprises, maybe just in the speed of their progression as top prospects, the biggest two jumps in the Jays’ Baseball America Prospect Rankings were by 17-year-old Mexican right-hander Roberto Osuna who went from 30 to 4 and right-hander John Stilson who jumped from 26 to 5. Osuna is a heavy kid but has a fastball in the mid-90s and helped Vancouver’s championship run. He’ll pitch at A-Lansing this year. Stilson was a top college prospect but had shoulder surgery and dropped in the ’11 draft to the third round. He’s in major-league camp and has impressed John Gibbons.

Q. Hey there,

I’ve been following your blog for a long time but my question is unrelated to baseball.
Just wondering why you look so angry in your new byline picture? You should be happy that the Jays will be contenders this year!

All the best,

Matthew

A. I’m trying to change my image. For years, I’ve looked like the smug professor. Star colleague Cathal Kelly points out that the new mug shot is more “angry biker.” I can live with that.