2010 Blue Jays Season Thread - Page 30 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

ricoFlame · 05-06-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Huge choke by the Indians tonight. 4-2 with 2 outs and no runners on...Jays come back to win..unreal. Great clutch hitting from Lind.

That really was a classic collapse. Huge 2 out double by Lewis when it is so easy to just pull the chute.

JayP · 05-06-2010, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Man that young starting rotation has alot of potential going forward.

The best part about the Jays rotation is that they've hardly used up any of their arbitration years.

Going forward, it's clear that the Jays future lies in Marcum, Romero, and Cecil with the final two rotation spots going to McGowan/Rzepczynski/Morrow/Litsch/Purcey/Eveland.

When you look at that list of guys, here's how much time the Jays have left before they hit free agency:
Marcum - 2 more years of arbitration
Romero - 1 more year of entry level and 3 years of arbitration
Cecil - 1 more year of entry level and 3 years of arbitration
Morrow - 3 more years of arbitration
McGowan - 2 more years of arbitration
Rzepczynski - 2 more years of entry level and 3 years of arbitration
Eveland - 3 years of arbitration
Litsch - 3 years of articulation.

Basically any guy who's going to be slotted into the rotation is going to be in their arbitration years at worst. And that doesn't include Kyle Drabek who should be pitching in AAA by mid-summer and probably gets a taste of MLB action once the rosters expand in September. He could join the rotation next season and definitely gets a crack at it in 2012.

Getting this many quality arms in their cheap years at the same time is exactly how a team like the Jays make a World Series run. If Snider turns out to be the player he's supposed to, Wells stays healthy and hits like he can, guys like Lind/Hill keep putting up good years, and prospects like Wallace can replace guys Overbay, it gives the Jays a chance to patch some positional holes with solid, veteran free agents and really stand a chance in the AL East in 2011 and 2012.

Caged Great · 05-06-2010, 04:18 PM

With the vast quantity of arms that the jays have, you could also throw some of those guys in the pen if necessary like they did with Janssen, or trade them to another team for good bullpen guys.

This years draft is huge because if the Jays can get a few solid players with Romero/Snider's potential then they might be an awesome team in no time.

Machiavelli · 05-06-2010, 07:41 PM

I'm starting to really like Fred Lewis.

JayP · 05-06-2010, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caged Great

With the vast quantity of arms that the jays have, you could also throw some of those guys in the pen if necessary like they did with Janssen, or trade them to another team for good bullpen guys.

This years draft is huge because if the Jays can get a few solid players with Romero/Snider's potential then they might be an awesome team in no time.

The thing about the MLB is that every draft is huge for a team like the Jays. The only way they can win under the current system is to have a steady stream of quality prospects that can contribute in their entry level (first 3) contract years replacing veterans who reach their free agency years.

I just hope AA is the kind of GM who realizes that sometimes you have to let good players go to free agency. An elite player you keep (Halladay). A good-to-great one you don't (Wells). Mistakes in this regard can haunt a franchise for years.

flames_1987 · 05-08-2010, 12:42 AM

Gregg blows his first save of the season but the Jays still come back and win it with a clutch 3 run HR by Gonzalez in the 12th!

Machiavelli · 05-08-2010, 06:03 AM

This is a fun team to watch.

ricoFlame · 05-08-2010, 07:59 AM

The jays are starting a pattern of not giving up on games late...very good stuff

KTown · 05-08-2010, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

This is a fun team to watch.

Fun yes, but depressing. I know its early but they have the 4th best record in the conference as of now, yet they would be out of the playoffs.

Caged Great · 05-08-2010, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KTown

Fun yes, but depressing. I know its early but they have the 4th best record in the conference as of now, yet they would be out of the playoffs.

It's not really that depressing when you look at them as a team that was expected to lose 90-100 games this year.

Anything more than 70 wins is an awesome season for the Jays.

bluejays · 05-08-2010, 10:24 AM

...and I quote myself at the start of the season:

Quote:

Before this season starts, I'm predicting an 81 win season. Halladay would be a loss to any team, let alone the Jays, but I do believe that even though they don't have that top level pitching ace anymore, their relief depth will hold them to some pretty close games. Like almost any young team I do believe they'll show some solid promise early with their young aggression, but think their lack of offensive talent (especially in the infield) will be exploited quickly and burn in August. The Jays do have a lot of depth with their pitching and that should go a long way (and it's what I'm counting on with my prediction). Their division is ridiculous though.

Antithesis · 05-08-2010, 02:50 PM

On his blog on the ESPN Insider site today, Buster Olney advocated for realignment using the Jays as his argument. They'd be 4th in the AL right now but are way (realistically) way behind the Yanks and Rays who are destroying everything in their path.

Also saw another article arguing that with the interleague games, there is no longer any real point in keeping the AL and NL separate ... proposed moving to "Top 8 teams in the league make the playoffs" type system. Jays would have been in the playoffs a lot more often, and would no longer have to count on simultaneous bad seasons from two of the Yanks, Sox, and Rays to make it in.

I have absolutely no problem with such an idea ... I think it has to be something like that or a hard cap around $120 million ... and we all know that'll never happen.

Caged Great · 05-08-2010, 03:10 PM

They need to do one of three things, expand the playoffs to 8 teams, get rid of the unbalanced schedule so you don't have to play your own division 76 times a season in the jays case, or realignment.

The easiest would be getting rid of the unbalanced schedule.

Sylvanfan · 05-08-2010, 03:53 PM

The only issue with a new playoff format is that Baseball is really really hung up on tradition. The idea of winning your Division and making the playoffs has been around for so long I can't ever see MLB wanting to deviate from it.

What may be workable is to go back to the 2 Division format and have two wild card teams that could come from either Division.

New York, Boston, Toronto, Tampa, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Detroit would make up the AL East. Los Angleles, Oakland, Seattle, Texas, Kansas City, Minnesota, and Chicago would be the AL West. You'd still have a more stacked East in terms of the bigger markets, but there would be the chance for 3 playoff teams to come from that Division too. They could also try to balance the schedule out a bit.

jeremywilhelm · 05-09-2010, 12:59 PM

Wow Wells just annihilated a breaking ball to put the Jays up 5-3. Great hit.

Machiavelli · 05-09-2010, 01:09 PM

Is Romero injured or something? Man, is he wild today.

He just hasn't looked good this season.

ricoFlame · 05-09-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Is Romero injured or something? Man, is he wild today.

He just hasn't looked good this season.

He's 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA, averages over 6 innings per start and almost threw a no hitter....what the hell have you been watching?

Machiavelli · 05-09-2010, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

He's 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA, averages over 6 innings per start and almost threw a no hitter....what the hell have you been watching?

I've actually been watching him pitch....3 outings in a row where he has had to fight himself.

JayP · 05-09-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

I've actually been watching him pitch....3 outings in a row where he has had to fight himself.

3 outings is the key. Why are those 3 more important than the other 4 starts he's made?

Romero has clearly taken a step forward this year. His ERA is down a full run from 4.30 to 3.42 after today. His K/9 (up 1.5), BB/9 (down .7) and KK/BB (up 1) are all noticeably better.

The guy's a young pitcher - he's going to have his struggles.

ricoFlame · 05-09-2010, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

I've actually been watching him pitch....3 outings in a row where he has had to fight himself.

good pitchers find a way to get through the stretches when their stuff isn't all there. he's come through great. Hasn't looked good this season? i'm just saying that there's more to "looking good" than having some bad stretches. over the long haul, i'll take the way he battles every time.