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Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos joins Jeff Blair and guest co-host Stephen Brunt in studio in Dunedin, Florida to discuss free agents, Travis Snider in pre season and options for Opening Day.

You can listen to this interview at the following links:

http://www.fan590.com/media.jsp?content ... 12307_8608

or

http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-2 ... erview.mp3

Thanks. I'll have to give it a listen when I get home.

Doesn't sound like Travis is getting the job.

flatjacket1 wrote:Doesn't sound like Travis is getting the job.

AA has never been high on Snider, so this isn't surprising that he doesn't sound committed to Snider know matter how well he plays in ST.

Wo1verine wrote:

flatjacket1 wrote:Doesn't sound like Travis is getting the job.

AA has never been high on Snider, so this isn't surprising that he doesn't sound committed to Snider know matter how well he plays in ST.

I bet he at least starts the season in AAA. Just based off what AA said.

flatjacket1 wrote:

Wo1verine wrote:

flatjacket1 wrote:Doesn't sound like Travis is getting the job.

AA has never been high on Snider, so this isn't surprising that he doesn't sound committed to Snider know matter how well he plays in ST.

I bet he at least starts the season in AAA. Just based off what AA said.

You're probably right..

flatjacket1 wrote:

Wo1verine wrote:

flatjacket1 wrote:Doesn't sound like Travis is getting the job.

AA has never been high on Snider, so this isn't surprising that he doesn't sound committed to Snider know matter how well he plays in ST.

I bet he at least starts the season in AAA. Just based off what AA said.

especially since he even mentioned the possibility that he may not come up until next year
He left it open to Opening Day, sometime this season or next season.

I feel for Snider.

Recap?

He said a lot of good things about Hechavarria...

He also mentioned in large sample sizes Hech was never successful with the bat so he will reevaluate after a full season of AAA...

good to hear that AA is not swayed by quick flashes of success. he wants to see concrete results (i.e., thames over snider, even though snider is showing well in spring training)

hyper316 wrote:good to hear that AA is not swayed by quick flashes of success. he wants to see concrete results (i.e., thames over snider, even though snider is showing well in spring training)

Agreed. Sounds like he doesn't like the idea of rushing players and has admitted to mistakes in the past.

Another year of watching Thames' terrible arm in left field.

flatjacket1 wrote:He also mentioned in large sample sizes Hech was never successful with the bat so he will reevaluate after a full season of AAA...

He basically said what i said, that Hech has "all the tools" to be much better than people are proclaiming. Also did you read Stoeten's post today with quotes from Farrell and LaCava about Hech?

Duffman100 wrote:Another year of watching Thames' terrible arm in left field.

Apparently Thames has mechanically changed his throwing and its much better now/

Griff83 wrote:

Duffman100 wrote:Another year of watching Thames' terrible arm in left field.

Apparently Thames has mechanically changed his throwing and its much better now/

Well that's good news.

I think Thames listened to the same Barfield interview I did. Very early in the offseason or maybe even during last season I heard Barfield saying that muscly guys end up with terrible arms from the OF because the impediment the big muscles pose to motion in their shoulders and back. It was kind of interesting, which was why I remembered it, but I have no idea if it's true or just Barfield guessing. But a couple months later Thames was talking about slimming down this offseason (not that he looks it) for the same reason, so I'm attributing it to Barfield, although it could easily be something widely known that I just heard of for the first time from Barfield.

Snider having an option left pretty much decided the "competition" before it started.

Michael Bradley wrote:Snider having an option left pretty much decided the "competition" before it started.

Thames has options too.

I rather have Snider up.

Kapono wrote:

Michael Bradley wrote:Snider having an option left pretty much decided the "competition" before it started.

Thames has options too.

I rather have Snider up.

But Thames will still have options next year. Snider won't. For whatever reason (possibly lack of faith) they don't want to have Snider in the big leagues right now when they still have the option of keeping him in the minors. If Snider were out of options, then he would be starting in LF this season without any hesitation. Keeping him down allows him to pad his numbers in the PCL and either raise his value for a trade while giving the Jays a season to evaluate Thames, or allows him to raise his stock for a spot on next year's team (EE is a FA).

This decision was made before ST even began. Thames will win it barring an injury.