The Jays had a well-defined shopping list of roster needs heading into the current off-season. They have taken care of some of that business, purchased or traded for other items on that list, but there's still much work to be done and so little time. As it stands right now, they are no better than a fourth place team in the AL East, and not much better than .500 given that the development of young players is never a predictable curve.
The Jays' young general manager, Alex Anthopoulos has filled some of his stated needs, starting with backup catcher Jeff Mathis, second baseman Kelly Johnson and closer Sergio Santos. The Jays still need some experienced bullpen depth, led by one lefthanded specialist, and they most definitely still need that much-talked about mid-to-top-of-the-rotation starter.
Much has been made of how they can get that missing piece in the wake of the multiple prospect hauls by first the Padres for Mat Latos and then by the A's for Gio Gonzalez. Clearly, the Cubs would be willing to listen to offers and to part with their young-veteran starter Matt Garza in the right package, with ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine speculating that the right package from the Jays would have to include an outfielder like Jake Marisnick or Anthony Gose AND a young starter like Kyle Drabek or Deck McGuire. That looks like a reporter thumbing through Baseball America's 2011 Prospect Handbook and coming out with names of outfielders and starting pitchers. It's too much for Garza, but there are other ways to approach the Cubs and the familiar thinking of Theo Epstein.
That Garza rumour also helps explain why Anthopoulos prefers to remain so secretive about what teams he is dealing with and what players he covets. He does not want the package of prospects necessary to complete a trade to be ratcheted up by public speculation and other GMs that may come into the discussion late because they have heard of the Jays interest. The theory is if they don't get said player, they will at least make it more expensive for a competing team like the Jays to make themselves better.
So while public speculation had the Jays interested in Andrew Bailey from the A's, or Huston Street from the Rockies to fill the need for a closer, Anthopoulos was pestering Chisox GM Kenny Williams to make Santos available even though the Sox closer had just been signed to a four-year plus two option years sweetheart of a deal for the club and who, after all, trades a player at a key position that they just signed to a multi-year deal. Apparently Williams. Sos is John Danks, five-year deal in hand, feeling all that secure?
http://thestar.blogs.com/baseball/2011/ ... -team.html
