2013 is Blue Jays' year to contend (Team Previews)

[LittleOzzy]

2013 is Blue Jays' year to contend

This is the year.

I've been blogging about the Toronto Blue Jays for a few years now and those are the words I've always wanted to say. Finally, this year I get to.

This is the year.

There were a few (too few) hopeful moments during the J.P. Ricciardi era. Unfortunately, the Jays were never able to get past the terrific Yankee and Red Sox teams of the former general manager's time.

Alex Anthopoulos's first two seasons as GM were spent rebuilding the farm system, building for the future. He hoarded draft picks and traded for prospects any chance he had. His work paid off as the Jays went from having one of the lowest-ranked farm systems to one of the best in a very short time. But, being a long-time (and long-suffering) Blue Jays fan, I kept hoping he would make a "win now" trade. He didn't seem to have that in his DNA.

Not that I'm complaining about the moves Anthopoulos did make. That he could trade the immovable contract of Vernon Wells alone should be enough to put Anthopoulos into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I'd have bet any amount of cheese doodles (currency in the world of bloggers) that it couldn't be done. Without that trade, there wouldn't have been the financial flexibility to make the big moves of this off-season.

Last spring, there was some hope that the "build for the future" tack was going to pay off early. The team had a terrific spring training record of 24-7 (repeat after me: spring training numbers mean nothing) and there was some hope that a youthful, enthusiastic team would be able to sneak up on the more experienced teams in the AL East.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/opini ... ntend.html

[LittleOzzy]

Toronto Blue Jays preview: All-in for AL East crown in 2013

The Toronto Blue Jays last sampled the postseason in 1993 when they won the second of their back-to-back World Series championships, the only two titles in franchise history.

Since then, the Toronto Blue Jays haven’t been bad, other than a 94-loss campaign in 2004, but they haven’t been good, either.

The high-water mark since the glory years was in 1998, when the Blue Jays won 88 games. They have just eight winning seasons since 1993.

The closest the Toronto Blue Jays have come to a playoff berth in the intervening two decades was 1998, when they finished four games behind the wild card Boston Red Sox. Their closest run at an American League East title was 2000, when they finished third, 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees. A second-place finish in 2006 had them 10 games behind the Yankees.

Fast forward to the 2012 offseason, where general manager Alex Anthopoulos went for broke. He engineered the biggest trade of the offseason when he picked up pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, shortstop Jose Reyes, outfielder Emilio Bonifacio and catcher John Buck from the Miami Marlins in exchange for shorstop Yunel Escobar; infielder Adeiny Hechavarria; pitchers Henderson Alvarez, Justin Nicolino and Anthony DeSclafani; outfielder Jake Marisnick and catcher Jeff Mathis.

But Anthopolous wasn’t done. He later swapped Buck and young catcher Travis d’Arnaud, pitcher Noah Syndergaard and outfielder Wuilmer Becerra to the New York Mets for reigning National League Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey and catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas.

Along the way, the Toronto Blue Jays signed free-agent outfielder Melky Cabrera — last year’s All-Star Game Most Valuable Player before he was suspended for the final two months of the season for a positive performance-enhancing drug test — to a two-year deal, added to the bench with infielders Maicer Izturis and Mark DeRosa and catcher Henry Blanco, and signed ageless left-handed reliever Darren Oliver.

http://throughthefencebaseball.com/toro ... iew/30480/

[LittleOzzy]

2013 MLB Predictions: AL East

1)–-TORONTO BLUE JAYS—I normally don’t jump on the bandwagon of teams that picked up a lot of big-name talent during the offseason, as they always seem to underachieve. That being said, it’s hard not to like Toronto.

We know they’re going to hit homers, with the likes of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Colby Rasmus hitting in the middle of the order. But now those guys have Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera hitting in front of them, which will mean a lot of RBI’s.

Pitching-wise, the Blue Jays had Ricky Romero as their ace last season. This season, after adding R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, and Mark Buehrle, along with a developing Brandon Morrow, Romero is now their #5 guy.

The Blue Jays have questions, like; Can Johnson stay healthy? Can Bautista stay healthy? Can Encarnacion repeat his 2012 season? Can Dickey adjust to the AL? Who is going to step up in their bullpen?…and…Will the Cabrera signing come back to haunt them?

All of those questions are legit, but the Blue Jays did more than enough in the offseason to improve by 20 games over last year’s 73 win total, and make them to team to beat in the AL East in 2013.

http://espn1420.com/2013-mlb-predictions-al-east/

[polo007]

http://stlcardinals.scout.com/2/1277790.html

1. Toronto Blue Jays

Overall W-L Record in 2012: 73-89, 4th in AL East
Pitching: 4.64 ERA ranked 26th in MLB
Hitting: .716 OPS ranked 17th in MLB

Lineup: A move that mostly went unnoticed, Edwin Encarnacion had a Jose Bautista-esque breakout year in 2012 by belting 42 home runs with a slash line of .280/.384/.557. If you believe that last year is more indicative of what he’s capable of putting up in 2013 as opposed to his subsequent .334, .305, and .320 OBP of the past three seasons then the Jays’ offense looks much better. Speaking of Bautista, he’s coming off season-ending surgery to his left wrist, but by all indications he should be fully healthy to again pound the ball out of Rogers Centre and every other AL ballpark alike.

Jose Reyes joins the lineup in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins that shocked the baseball world. He fits at the top of the lineup along with Melky Cabrera, who is coming off a 50-game suspension and a career season. Emilio Bonifacio (second base) and Reyes should provide plenty of speed, while Rajai Davis (46 stolen bases in 2012) will do so off the bench. The Jays have a very intriguing, multi-talented lineup.

Pitching: To say that the 2013 rotation will be vastly improved is an understatement. The Jays let their 2013 intentions be known by the blockbuster trade with Miami and then in another separate deal with the Mets to acquire 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, who will be their Opening Day starter. Following Dickey will be Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle (who has plenty of AL experience), Brandon Morrow, and Ricky Romero. If Morrow replicates his 2012 numbers (2.96 ERA) and Romero can hone his command after seeing it erode after two previously solid seasons, the Jays will have a formidable rotation, able to compete within the AL.

The Blue Jays had 12 different pitchers make a start last season and 16 other relievers pitch at least 20 innings. A recipe for disaster, their pitching unfolded last year and became one of the worst staffs in the majors. Casey Janssen will return as closer, while Sergio Santos remains ready to take over if Janssen falters. Darren Oliver, who might be the best lefty reliever in the game, will also come back to fortify the later innings after threatening to retire if he didn’t get a raise, but later relenting.

Outlook: I almost wanted to intentionally to discard the Blue Jays from winning the East. We’ve seen it all before. A team makes a slew of mega-additions to their club expecting a championship caliber season only to see it unfold before it begins (Miami Marlins of 2012, Los Angeles Lakers of 2012-13). The Blue Jays aren’t without their question marks. Will Johnson remain healthy? How will Bautista respond to wrist surgery? Can Santos bounce back? Their minor league system is also depleted.

[wtcantfw]

Sorry polo007, but that's a very poorly written article, if you can even call it that.

[LittleOzzy]

Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Preview

That deal came on the heels of Toronto signing outfielder Melky Cabrera to a 2-year, $16 million deal. Of course, Cabrera comes with some baggage, as he sat out most of the final two months serving a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

And if that wasn't enough, the Jays went out and acquired the National League's reigning Cy Young Award winner in R.A. Dickey.

All that equals some high expectations north of the border, as the Jays eye their first postseason spot since 1993.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2013 edition of the Blue Jays, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2012 FINISH (73-89) - Fourth Place (AL East)

KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: R.A. Dickey (RHP), Jose Reyes (SS), Josh Johnson (RHP), Mark Buehrle (LHP), Emilio Bonifacio (INF), Melky Cabrera (OF)

KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: John Buck (C); Jeff Mathis (C); Kelly Johnson (2B); Henderson Alvarez (LHP); Carlos Villanueva (RHP); Jason Frasor (RHP); Yunel Escobar (3B); Yan Gomes (C)

PROJECTED LINEUP: Jose Reyes (SS); Melky Cabrera (LF); Jose Bautista (RF); Edwin Encarnacion (1B); Colby Rasmus (CF); Adam Lind (DH); J.P. Arencibia (C); Emilio Bonifacio (2B); Maicer Izturis (3B)

PROJECTED ROTATION: R.A. Dickey (RHP); Brandon Morrow (RHP); Mark Buehrle (LHP); Josh Johnson (RHP); Ricky Romero (LHP)

PROJECTED CLOSER: Casey Janssen (RHP)

MANAGER: John Gibbons

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH RICKY ROMERO?

A lot of the high hopes in Toronto centers around the rotation. And rightfully so, but there are some concerns too.

And No. 1 on that list is Ricky Romero.

An All-Star in 2011 and considered one of the best young lefties in the game at that point, Romero struggled mightily a year ago, going 9-14 with a 5.77 ERA. Things were so bad for Romero that he lost seven straight starts and was 0-13 over a 15 start stretch. In fact he one just one time over his final 17 outings.

Minor elbow surgery, plasma injections in both knees, and mechanical adjustments were supposed to get him right, but it hasn't worked, as Romero has a 7.27 ERA with more walks (7) than strikeouts (6) in four exhibition game starts this spring.

Luckily, he's no longer the ace of the staff. In fact, he's likely a fifth starter behind R.A. Dickey, Brandon Morrow, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. But, that also means the Blue Jays will be less inclined to stay with him should his struggles continue.

http://www.kget.com/sports/mlb/story/To ... Is39A.cspx

[LittleOzzy]

2013 Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

Between now and Opening Day, HardballTalk will take a look at each of baseball’s 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2013 season. Up next: The Toronto Blue Jays.

The Big Question: The Blue Jays went for it this offseason. They gonna get it?

There’s every reason to think so. Look, normally I don’t look too kindly on assuming 20-win swings by any given team from year to year, but in 2013, in the AL East as currently constructed, and with all of the moves the Blue Jays made, I don’t think it’s irrational to think they can do it.

You don’t need me to recap the dramatic changes the Jays made this offseason, but I will anyway: They picked up Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Melky Cabrera and R.A. Dickey and gave up little if anything that would have helped the 2013 team. What’s more, they will be getting Jose Bautista back for a full season and can expect improvement from young players like Brett Lawrie and (maybe, because we’ve been saying this for years) Colby Rasmus. The rotation went from a flaming crater to a team strength and everyone else who was already there save Edwin Encarnacion can be expected to either be healthier or to improve. Most things went wrong for this team in 2012. It won’t take miracles for most things to improve. Even cautiously optimistic projections for this roster make them a strong, strong team. If some things break right, well, it’s a darn good team.

But the biggest reason why I think the Jays have a good shot at taking the AL East is that there simply is no alpha team in this division at the moment. The Yankees are probably gonna be better than the current gloom-and-doom surrounding them would have you believe, but they are not the 2012 Yankees and, for the first month or two of the season before they get some injured players back, they may be way worse than that. The Red Sox are in transition. The Rays lost James Shields and always operate on thin margins. The Orioles are no longer doormats, but they got an awful lot of good luck last year.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/ ... blue-jays/

[LittleOzzy]

AL East preview: Blue Jays, Rays take over division

1. TORONTO BLUE JAYS

Why they're enthused: The offseason additions have sent a message to the players that the Blue Jays are serious about contending. Their lineup, with newcomers Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio at the top, has table-setters who can help manufacture runs, as well as big boppers like Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. And the rotation has gotten a major boost from the acquisition of Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. This is a team ready to return to the postseason for the first time since 1993.

Why they're worried: Erstwhile ace Ricky Romero had the worst ERA (5.77) of any qualifying starter in the majors last season, and he hasn't looked much better in the spring. Dickey was a career journeyman until his magical season in 2012 and there's no certainty the 38-year-old knuckleballer will perform at that level again. Closer candidates Casey Janssen and Sergio Santos are coming off surgery, and the rest of the bullpen is not totally settled.

Kid in play: Anthony Gose got an extended taste of the majors last year, playing all three outfield positions, batting just .223 but stealing 15 bases in 56 games. Gose, 22, who had a .366 on-base percentage at Class AAA Las Vegas, needs to cut down on his strikeouts and bide his time while the Blue Jays decide whether Colby Rasmus is the long-term answer in center.

Follow this guy: @JoeyBats19. Bautista tweets bilingually with a heavy focus on photographs.

The end game: A balanced lineup and strong rotation should end Toronto's two-decade-long wait for a playoff spot. In a balanced division where it's impossible to forecast the last-place team with any certainty, the Blue Jays should still rise above the rest.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ml ... s/2019325/

[LittleOzzy]

Blue Jays have pieces in place to end playoff drought

2012 Record: 73-89, fourth in AL East

2013 Projection: 91-71, second in AL East, win second wild-card, lose ALCS to Rays

Were the Blue Jays for real? By the second week of December, they certainly seemed to be, amid an effort to reverse a string of 19 middling, playoff-free seasons.

On Nov. 13, they had pulled off a shocking blockbuster with the roster-liquidating Marlins, acquiring a recent batting champ (Jose Reyes), a recent ERA champ (Josh Johnson), one of the game's preeminent workhorses (Mark Buerhle) and a speedy utilityman (Emilio Bonifacio) for a package of prospects and underwhelming veterans. A week later, they had signed free agent Melky Cabrera, who was hitting .346 for the Giants last year before receiving the PED suspension that ended his season, for $16 million through 2014. Still, they had at least one person to convince of their intentions: Darren Oliver's wife, Melissa.

Oliver had recently turned 42, and his career's remarkable second act as a shutdown reliever was showing no signs of reaching a natural conclusion. In fact, his ERA had dropped in each of the previous six seasons, from 3.78 as an Angel in 2007 to 2.06 as a Jay in 2012. But Melissa wanted him home in Texas with their sons, Brock and Maxwell, and Oliver relayed that message to general manager Alex Anthopoulos and pro scouting director Perry Minasian, before inviting them south for dinner.

"I told them, 'You guys better bring the full court press, because she's not feeling it right now,'" Oliver recalls.

They brought it, the full forty minutes of hell. Not only were they serious, they told the Olivers, they weren't done yet. On Dec. 17, they sent their top prospect, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, and highly-rated minor league pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Mets in exchange for R.A. Dickey, the knuckleballing 2012 National League Cy Young winner, and then promptly signed Dickey to an extension that would keep him in Toronto through at least 2015. A month later, Oliver committed to returning to Toronto.

Anthopoulos had not planned to make his club the talk of the winter. "We didn't go into the offseason expecting to add 'X' number of dollars in payroll, make all these trades -- it just worked out that way," he says.

Making big splashes is not Anthopoulos's preference, either. "I'd rather be Detroit, coming off an appearance in the World Series: re-sign Anibal [Sanchez], sign [Torii] Hunter and you're done," he says. "If you have barely any holes to fill, you can wait, take your time, be opportunistic."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/ne ... n-preview/