2011 Toronto Blue Jays Offseason Thread

[Trojan97]

Seeing as the 2010 Jays season is over, it only makes sense to make a new thread for the club's offseason activity in 2011.

Transactions to date:

November:

11/04/10- Acquire C Miguel Olivo for cash.

11/07/10- Miguel Olivo, Scott Downs, Lyle Overbay, John Buck, Kevin Gregg elect to become free agents.

11/17/10- Acquired OF Rajai Davis from Oakland for prospects Danny Farquhar, Trystan Magnuson

December:

12/01/10- Jason Frasor accepts salary arbitration.

12/02/10- Non-tendered Jeremy Accardo, Fred Lewis.

12/03/10- Acquired RP Carlos Villanueva from Milwaukee for a PTBNL.

12/06/10- Acquired IF Brett Lawrie from Milwaukee for P Shaun Marcum.

12/16/10- Re-sign previously waived 3B Edwin Encarnacion to 1 Yr contract.

12/21/10- Sign OF Corey Patterson ,RHP Winston Abreu,C Ryan Budde,LHP Sean Henn,LHP Mike Hinckley and RHP Brian Stokes to minor league contracts.

January:

01/04/11- Signed RP Octavio Dotel to 1 Yr contract. Signed RP Chad Cordero to minor league contract.

01/05/11- Claimed P Wil Ledezma off waivers from Pittsburgh.

01/07/11 Prospects not on 40 man roster assigned to Spring Training: 1B David Cooper, RHP Deck McGuire, LF Eric Thames, C Travis d'Arnaud, CF Anthony Gose, RHP Zach Stewart, C A.J. Jimenez, 2B Brett Lawrie, RHP Chad Jenkins, RHP Henderson Alvarez, SS Jonathan Diaz, 3B John Tolisano, 1B Mike McDade.

1/11/11 Wil Ledezma outrighted to AAA. Removed from 40 man roster, invited to Spring Training.

1/16/11 Carlos Villanueva signed, avoids arbitration. 1 yr/1.415 million.

1/17/11 Signed FA Jon Rauch, 1 yr/3.5 million (Team Option for 3.75 mil or 250k buyout), Avoided arbitration with Jessie Litsch (1 yr/$830,000), Casey Janssen (1 yr/1.095 million), Shawn Camp (1 yr/2.25 mil).

1/18/11 Avoided arbitration with Brandon Morrow (1 yr/2.3 mil), Yunel Escobar (1 yr/2.9 mil), Rajai Davis (2 yrs, 2.5/2.75 + club option in 2013 for 3 mil).

1/21/11 Traded OF Vernon Wells to Anaheim for OF Juan Rivera + Catcher/1B Mike Napoli. Rommie Lewis DFA to make room on the 40 man roster.

1/25/11 Traded C/1B Mike Napoli to Texas for RP Frank Francisco + Cash.

1/29/11 Avoided arbitration with RP Frank Francisco (1 yr/4 mil), RP Jason Frasor (1 yr/3.5 mil, 2012 team option for 3.75 mil).

Current 40 Man Roster:

Pitchers:
Shawn Camp
Jesse Carlson
Joel Carreno
Brett Cecil
Octavio Dotel
Kyle Drabek
Alan Farina
Frank Francisco
Jason Frasor
Casey Janssen
Rommie Lewis
Jesse Litsch
Dustin McGowan
Brad Mills
Brandon Morrow
Luis Perez
David Purcey
Jon Rauch
Rob Ray
JoJo Reyes
Scott Richmond
Josh Roenicke
Ricky Romero
Marc Rzepczynski
Carlos Villenueva

Catchers:
JP Arencibia
Brian Jeroloman
Jose Molina

Infielders:
Edwin Encarnacion
Yunel Escobar
Adeiny Hechavarria
Aaron Hill
Adam Lind
Mike McCoy
John McDonald

Outfielders:
Jose Bautista
Rajai Davis
Darin Mastroianni
Juan Rivera
Moises Sierra
Travis Snider

Supplemental Draft Picks:

- Type A FA, RP Scott Downs signed by Anaheim. Toronto receives the Angels 2nd round pick* & supplemental first rounder aka "sandwich pick."

-Type B FA, C John Buck signed by Florida. Toronto receives a supplemental first round pick.

-Type B FA, C Miguel Olivo signed by Seattle. Toronto receives a supplemental first round pick.

-Type B FA, RP Kevin Gregg signed by Baltimore. Toronto receives a supplemental first round pick.

*Toronto will receive the Angels 2nd rounder instead of their 1st due to the bottom 18 teams from 2010 being protected from losing 1st round picks when signing FA's. Anaheim finished 17th worst in 2010, narrowly having their first pick protected.

Arbitration Eligible:

Rajai Davis, Jose Bautista, Yunel Escobar, Jason Frasor, Brandon Morrow, Casey Janssen, Jesse Litsch, Carlos Villanueva and Shawn Camp., Frank Francisco

Bold=Signed

[Trojan97]

Jays have assigned a bunch of prospects to the big club for Spring Training:

1B David Cooper
RHP Deck McGuire
LF Eric Thames
C Travis d'Arnaud
CF Anthony Gose
RHP Zach Stewart
C A.J. Jimenez
2B Brett Lawrie
RHP Chad Jenkins
RHP Henderson Alvarez
SS Jonathan Diaz
3B John Tolisano
1B Mike McDade

Some really interesting names in that group. Should be a fun month of camp.

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by Trojan97

Jays have assigned a bunch of prospects to the big club for Spring Training:

1B David Cooper
RHP Deck McGuire
LF Eric Thames
C Travis d'Arnaud
CF Anthony Gose
RHP Zach Stewart
C A.J. Jimenez
2B Brett Lawrie
RHP Chad Jenkins
RHP Henderson Alvarez
SS Jonathan Diaz
3B John Tolisano
1B Mike McDade

Some really interesting names in that group. Should be a fun month of camp.

I wish I could go to spring training.

[dustyanddaflames]

Eric Chavez worked out for the Blue Jays... Interesting stuff, very interesting player who has been ravaged by injuries. Could be a low-risk signing, that if pans out, could allow Bautista to shift back to right and Hill to stay at second.

Speaking of Bautista - does anyone feel the Jays and their slugger will reach an agreement before arb.? Just seems like one of them cases where his past and this past season are so conflicting - that it will become hard to reach a figure.

[moon]

Originally Posted by dustyanddaflames

Eric Chavez worked out for the Blue Jays... Interesting stuff, very interesting player who has been ravaged by injuries. Could be a low-risk signing, that if pans out, could allow Bautista to shift back to right and Hill to stay at second.

Speaking of Bautista - does anyone feel the Jays and their slugger will reach an agreement before arb.? Just seems like one of them cases where his past and this past season are so conflicting - that it will become hard to reach a figure.

He seems like a guy that is much more valuable to the Jays than to any other team.

The way Jays fans have made him into a bonafide slugger it seems the team has more to risk by not signing him to a ridiculous contract. Other teams can easily not pay him stupid money because the fans won't care about losing out on a one year wonder.

Now this could work in the Jays favor considering I can't imagine there is a big market for the guy so they should get a contract that works for both sides.

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

here are some good reads for the offseason which i found on 1bluejaysway...

http://1bluejaysway.blogspot.com/

there are some projections of nh line up, quotes throughout the year from various figures throughout the minors and updates of prospects in winter competition.

[flames_1987]

Best place I go for Jays info is drunkjaysfans.com

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Best place I go for Jays info is drunkjaysfans.com

It's usually where I start my rounds when looking for info from the jays blogger community.

I like 'jaysjournal' for their prospect list depth and I like 'bluebirdbanter'...those two aren't accessible from the associate links that 'drunkjays' or 'tao' affiliate with. but they all credit each other at various times...

[pria(kin)16]

Jays sign Jon Rauch to 1 yr deal with a club option for 3.75 mil according to gregorMLB on Twitter. Not a bad signing, bullpen is coming together but no sure closer.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by pria(kin)16

Jays sign Jon Rauch to 1 yr deal with a club option for 3.75 mil according to gregorMLB on Twitter. Not a bad signing, bullpen is coming together but no sure closer.

I've posted this in the past, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing. The problem with "sure closers" in that once you get that reputation it's tough to lose it regardless of performance. So unless you have a sure closer who's also consistently great every year (and there's only a handful of those guys in the league), you can easily get stuck with a Kevin Gregg like last season where the team has to use the guy in inefficient situations because you have to be a slave to the save. Sometimes you're better off having a closer by committee situation because it makes accumulating saves less important and finding ways to win more important.

I don't know much about John Farrell's approach to managing the bullpen so all these thoughts might be a moot point. But all I know is that with Cito around the closer was only used in save situations and given every opportunity to finish what they started when any casual baseball fan could tell Gregg was about to implode (ie; when he walks the first two batters)

[Flickered Flame]

Just a heads up, the Blue Jays are having an autograph session on Thursday from 12-1 at Cross Iron Mills. Ricky Romero, JP Arencibia and Jesse Litsch will be at the mall signing autographs.

[dustyanddaflames]

Originally Posted by JayP

I've posted this in the past, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing. The problem with "sure closers" in that once you get that reputation it's tough to lose it regardless of performance. So unless you have a sure closer who's also consistently great every year (and there's only a handful of those guys in the league), you can easily get stuck with a Kevin Gregg like last season where the team has to use the guy in inefficient situations because you have to be a slave to the save. Sometimes you're better off having a closer by committee situation because it makes accumulating saves less important and finding ways to win more important.

I don't know much about John Farrell's approach to managing the bullpen so all these thoughts might be a moot point. But all I know is that with Cito around the closer was only used in save situations and given every opportunity to finish what they started when any casual baseball fan could tell Gregg was about to implode (ie; when he walks the first two batters)

I thought Cito actually pulled the rope back a little more than the start of the year, Baltimore/Gregg late last season comes to mind. Cito though was one of the worst managers in setting up a bullpen.

[flamegame]

The 2011 season is already over for us. Damn Yanks/Sox/Rays will always beat us. I should just give up on baseball, stick with the Flames.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by flamegame

The 2011 season is already over for us. Damn Yanks/Sox/Rays will always beat us. I should just give up on baseball, stick with the Flames.

Or just give up posting in this thread.

[Jiggy_12]

Good looking signing by the Jays.

Very solid career numbers for Rauch.

[flames_1987]

Good $$$ on the contract and a 1 year term.

[Trojan97]

Originally Posted by dustyanddaflames

I thought Cito actually pulled the rope back a little more than the start of the year, Baltimore/Gregg late last season comes to mind. Cito though was one of the worst managers in setting up a bullpen.

Or setting a lineup, or playing his young guys, or letting a guy let Adam Lind get some experience playing first down the stretch in a purely developmental year.

Cito is the man for lots of different reasons but outside of the clubhouse he was a brutal manager.

[Gozer]

Rzep in the rotation next year?

http://www.ghostrunneronfirst.com

[Caged Great]

I really like the signing by the Jays, It'll get us another draft pick after this season at worst.

[zukes]

Here's my pitching staff breakdown:

Rotation:

Romero

Morrow

Cecil

Drabek

Rzepczynski

Bullpen:

Villeneuva (long guy/spot starter)

Camp (MR)

Carlson (MR)

Dotel (situation right)

Purcey (8th inning lefty)

Frasor (8th inning righty)

Rauch closer

Depth:

Litsch (starter)

Janssen (reliver, emergency starter)

Lewis (lefty)

Mills (starter)

Ray (starter)

Roenicke (late innings)

Richmond (starter)

I was worried about the 'pen but that actually looks decent!