With the signing of Alex Rios to a one-year deal, and talks continuing through spring training on a multi-year contract, the business of putting the 2008 Toronto Blue Jays together is officially over.
There are only three major questions that need answering by the time the Jays help open the final season of Yankee Stadium on what should be a frigid March 31st.
1. Who is the fifth starter?
As it stands right now, Jesse Litsch, Gustavo Chacin and Casey Janssen will vie for the last open spot in the rotation. Litsch came out of nowhere - actually Double-A New Hampshire -last season to make 20 starts after injuries decimated the starting corps. He made 12 quality starts - winning seven - and looks like the favourite to head north with the team. Chacin is a long shot, coming off back-to-back seasons where injuries limited him to just 22 starts after winning 13 games in his 2005 rookie season. Coming off August surgery on his pitching shoulder, he would likely benefit from starting the season with a warm-weather minor league team in order to build up his stamina. The wild card in all of this is Janssen, who performed admirably as the 8th inning set-up man last season. General Manager J.P. Ricciardi believes Janssen is best suited as a starter but also knows that he may have to start the season in the bullpen if B.J. Ryan isn't fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery. If Ryan is good to go then Jeremy Accardo will step back into the set-up role and Janssen would be free to start.
2. How is the health of the injured players from a year ago?
It's been well documented that injuries kept the Jays from contention last season. Fifteen players/pitchers saw time on the disabled list, with six of them undergoing surgery. As it stands right now, a week before pitchers and catchers report in Dunedin, everyone appears good to go. Lyle Overbay reports that his broken hand has healed and he is pain free. Vernon Wells' surgically repaired left shoulder, which held him to just 16 home runs and a .245 batting average last season, has also healed and he has started hitting in the cage. Gold Glove third baseman Scott Rolen, acquired from the Cardinals for another member of the walking wounded, Troy Glaus, is also coming off shoulder surgery and he reports that he's healthy. Just like last season, the fortunes of this team will hinge on its health. They have the talent to play with the big boys, but what they lack is depth, which was exposed last season. And closer B.J. Ryan has reportedly made three appearances throwing off a mound to date. All of this is very good news.
3. How does the batting order shape up?
Reed Johnson's back injury last season forced the Jays to use eight different players in the lead-off spot. This season it will be up to David Eckstein to set the table for the big boppers in the middle of the order. Eckstein is a career .288 hitter batting first and he should be an upgrade over Johnson who strikes out a little too often to hit at the top. After that, it looks like Lyle Overbay will bat second against righties with Aaron Hill in the two-hole versus lefties. The middle of the order will have Vernon Wells in his customary three-spot, followed by Frank Thomas, Alex Rios, Scott Rolen, Overbay/Hill, Gregg Zaun and Reed Johnson. While this lineup is potentially still a little right-handed heavy based on past performances, they should put up a lot of runs. The bench will be made up of veterans John McDonald, Marco Scutaro, Matt Stairs and Rod Barajas.
THIS & THAT
This whole Roger Clemens vs. Brian McNamee soap opera is getting stranger by the day. The former trainer, currently in Washington to testify before Congress, has turned over used syringes and gauze pads that allegedly have traces of Clemens' blood on them. The fact that McNamee kept these items all these years seems odd to me. Perhaps Gil Grissom and the CSI crew can come in and make sense of this mess...
Glad to hear that Nolan Ryan has returned to the Texas Rangers and assumed the role of team president. Maybe he can finally persuade the decision makers with the Rangers to finally get some pitching. Year in and year out, the team brings in more hitting and ignores the massive holes on their pitching staff...
Where have we heard this before? The enigmatic Kelvim Escobar, whose stuff is filthy when he's healthy, has a sore shoulder that will limit him as spring training opens for the Angels...
Speaking of ex-Jays, and file this one under 'How the mighty have fallen,' Eric Hinske has gone from former A.L. Rookie of the Year to bit player on the World Champion Red Sox to signing a minor league deal with an invite to spring training with the lowly Tampa Bay Rays. Maybe he might want to peddle his wares in a division other than the A.L. East...
Trouble in Beantown. According to a couple of Boston newspapers, Curt Schilling has a significant injury to his right shoulder and may need season-ending surgery if the rest and rehabilitation route doesn't work. Either way, this is good news for the Blue Jays...
