In January, Scouts.com had an article about Blue Jays Sergio Santos which read:
"Ever since Sergio Santos was taken with the 27th overall pick in the 2002 draft out of Mater Dei High School in California the expectations have been high. A big, strong shortstop, he immediately began getting the Alex Rodriguez comparisons."
Say what?
The reason that I bring up Santos is that he was apparently a player that would someday help the Jays as they returned to the postseason. That is something that hasn't happened in 15 years and, with the team playing as poorly as I can remember since I became third man in the booth in 1993, not likely to happen anytime soon. Santos was removed from the 40-man roster and designated for assignment along with Gustavo Chacin, he of the laughable men's cologne whose arm problems removed him from consideration with the rotation.
On Friday, with the Jays reeling due to a pathetic offense, General Manager J.P. Ricciardi plucked a couple of hitters out of the bargain bin - Brad Wilkerson and Kevin Mench - discarded by the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers respectively in hopes that he could catch lightning in a bottle. The two veterans joined the likes of Kevin Barker, Dave Berg, Mike Bordick, Howie Clark, Royce Clayton, Eric Crozier, Bobby Estalella, Sal Fasano, Chris Gomez, John Hattig, Chad Hermanson, Ken Huckaby, Bobby Kielty, Hector Luna, Frank Menenchino, Ray Olmedo, Simon Pond, Jason Phillips, Jason Smith and Tom Wilson in the endless line of hitters that came and went.
Now I realize that the spate of injuries over the last two seasons has rendered the offense virtually impotent, but one would also hope that after seven years of June drafts under the current regime that some hitters would be appearing from the minors to help the cause.
Adam Lind and his left-handed bat, after hitting .367 in an 18-game September call-up in 2006, looked like he would help. But it was decided that more seasoning at Triple-A was needed after he hit just .238 in 89 games last season with the Blue Jays. He blasted out of the gate with Syracuse this season, hitting .365 with 16 RBI in his first 18 minor league games, but after going 1-for-19 in a mere six games and a lack of patience by the decision-makers sent him back to the minors.
The only home-grown hitter of any significance drafted since 2002 remains second baseman Aaron Hill, although he is starting to show the wear and tear of the anaemic offense.
We've been told that the next great hitter will be Travis Snider, drafted 14th overall in 2006 and on the fast track. But he, too, has hit a bump in the road. After flying through the low minors, with a .316 average and 134 RBI in his first 172 minor league games, 2008 has proven to be a challenge for the 20-year-old outfielder. Snider hit four home runs in his first 17 games with High-A Dunedin and was fast-tracked to Double-A, only to experience his first adversity as a professional player. In first 18 games with New Hampshire, he's hitting just .159 with 29 strikeouts in 63 at-bats. Perhaps leaving this young slugger a little longer in A-ball might have been the best course of action.
The bottom line is the lack of developing hitters in the farm system is the biggest reason the Blue Jays haven't ¾en able withstand all the injuries and are currently the worst clutch hitting team in the majors.
Around the horn
Not sure if there's a conspiracy going on, but twice this season the Blue Jays have been rained out when they could have played. The first was on opening day in New York and then Sunday in Cleveland. On both occasions, I was walking to dinner in the late afternoon and didn't need an umbrella...
Twins rookie centre fielder Carlos Gomez, who the Jays will hope to contain when they visit this week Minneapolis this week, hit for the rarest of cycles last Wednesday against the White Sox. He homered in the first, tripled in the fifth, doubled in the sixth and singled in the ninth...
The Tigers, who many pre-season prognosticators predicted would score well over a 1,000 runs this season, were shutout five times in their first 34 games and are currently on pace to score just 767 runs...
With another chance at free agency on the horizon, don't be shocked if Ken Griffey Jr. returns to Seattle to close out his career especially with the Reds holding a $16 million option for his services in 2009. These rumours will probably heat up after 'Junior' becomes just the sixth player to reach the 600 home run plateau...
The Brewers, under the stewardship of a pair of Canadians in the front office, have long been lauded for the depth of their farm system which has sent the likes of Prince Fielder, Bill Hall, J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks, Ben Sheets, Ryan Brain and Corey Hart to the Majors. General Manager Doug Melvin and Assistant G.M. Gord Ash will add some more talent this June with the Brewers holding six of the first 62 picks.
