When Alex Anthopoulos heads to next week's Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., he will find himself in a much different situation than a year ago.
Last winter, Anthopoulos attended his first Winter Meetings as general manager of the Blue Jays with a laundry list of things to accomplish. The 33-year-old was tasked with trading the face of the franchise -- right-hander Roy Halladay -- and had glaring holes to fill at shortstop and behind the plate.
This year, it's a much different scenario. The Halladay trade has been in the rear-view mirror for a long time and the Blue Jays roster is more in need of some minor tweaks than a dramatic overhaul.
"It may not be as clear as it was last year," Anthopoulos said of his team's biggest holes to fill. "It's a little more fluid, because the needs aren't the same. They're not as glaring. There's obviously needs, but the alternatives seem a little bit more open."
Last December, the Blue Jays needed to make a quick strike to fill holes at shortstop and behind the plate. The free-agent market wasn't deep at either position and Anthopoulos realized if he wasn't aggressive early, then he might be left out in the cold later in the offseason.
His strategy proved effective, as he was able to secure the services of catcher John Buck and shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Buck enjoyed a career season in Toronto, while Gonzalez was eventually traded to the Braves for Yunel Escobar.
Now, with Escobar in place as the club's Opening Day shortstop and catchers Jose Molina and J.P. Arencibia under contract for 2011, Anthopoulos can afford to be patient as he evaluates his team's needs.
The most obvious area for improvement can be found in the bullpen. Relievers Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and closer Kevin Gregg are free agents and appear likely candidates to head elsewhere. Toronto offered all three arbitration and Anthopoulos previously stated they would all be welcomed back to the Blue Jays with open arms.
That scenario seems unlikely, though, as it's possible the relievers will receive multiyear offers that Anthopoulos decides he cannot match. If that happens, he will have to look elsewhere to fill holes at the back end of the bullpen.
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