BY PAUL HOPE - FAN FUEL BLOGGER
With pitchers and catchers due to report for the Toronto Blue Jays by February 22nd, I present to you a two-part look at the roster heading into spring training, barring any last minute changes. I will also breakdown where I think the position battles will be, and if there are any potential dark horse candidates.
In today's blog, I take a look at the position players:
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Catchers: J.P. Arencibia, Jeff Mathis, Travis D'Arnaud, Brian Jeroloman, Yan Gomes, Carlos Perez, A.J. Jimenez
Not much of a competition here. Arencibia and Mathis will be the starter and backup respectively heading into 2012. The Jays have already come out and said they plan on having D'Arnaud in triple-A for the majority of 2012, but that could change if injuries occur.
Jeroloman has a shot at making the club out of spring training if someone were to go down though, and if the Jays feel strongly enough about D'Arnaud staying in the minors.
Perez and Jimenez are both above average prospects who are both just 21 years old, and nowhere near making the club at this point, but will hopefully gain some valuable experience for down the road. Gomes is another prospect, but is further along in development and at age 24, may end up being D'Arnaud's backup in Las Vegas.
First Base/DH: Adam Lind, David Cooper, Mike McDade, Edwin Encarnacion
Lind will be the starter at first in 2012, and I imagine Encarnacion will be the DH and the backup at first. Encarnacion may get the occasional start at third base and in left field as well. It's tough to keep Cooper off the roster with the year he had in Las Vegas in 2011, winning the batting title and posting an OPS of .974, but I just don't see any room for him, barring injury.
McDade was the starter in AA this past year and will be looking to move up. The real battle here could be between Cooper and McDade to see who's the starter in Vegas. Cooper is a former first round pick though, coming off a huge year. If the Jays don't use him soon, his value will plummet.
Second Base/Shortstop: Kelly Johnson, Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Omar Vizquel, Mike McCoy, Luis Valbuena, Brian Bocock, Chris Woodward, Jonathan Diaz, Ryan Goins
No competition here for the starting jobs, as Johnson and Escobar have them wrapped up already, but there will be a competition for the backup position. There is a very real possibility that only one spot is up for grabs as the Jays could carry five outfielders.
McCoy had this position for much of last year, so he may have an edge, but really I think this is wide open between him, Vizquel, and Valbuena.
Whoever has the best spring I think gets the job. Bocock and Woodward have an outside chance as both have Major League experience but I can't see them making the team.
I think the Jays will want Hechavarria to play everyday, so I imagine he'll start the year in Las Vegas. Diaz and Goins are lower ranked prospects than the 22-year-old and will likely end up in Vegas and New Hampshire respectively.
Third Base: Brett Lawrie
He's really the only true third baseman on the roster as of now, though the previously mentioned Encarnacion, McCoy, Vizquel, Woodward, and Valbuena have all played third base at the Major League level.
If the Jays are in a pinch, they could always move Jose Bautista back for a few games as well, though I imagine they would prefer not to. The Jays have gift-wrapped the starting job to Lawrie, and hopefully he can continue to build on his impressive stint in 2011.
Outfielders: Jose Bautista, Colby Rasmus, Travis Snider, Eric Thames, Ben Francisco, Rajai Davis, Moises Sierra, Anthony Gose, Ricardo Nanita
We all know who will be starting the year in centre field and right field as Rasmus and Bautista are locked in. The battle will be in left field, presumably between Snider and Thames. Whoever has the better spring I believe will get the job, and the other will be sent to Vegas to play everyday. It sounds like Davis is going to be the fourth outfielder because of his speed and defence, though I imagine his salary at $2.75 million has something to do with it as well.
People have speculated that Francisco was acquired for a platoon role in left field and judging by the $1,537,500 contract he signed recently, this could very well be true. This would mean that the Jays would indeed carry five outfielders.
Gose will more than likely end up in triple-A to start the year, and is a good bet to be a September call up. Sierra is probably bound for Las Vegas as well. Nanita is 30 years old and a career minor leaguer, but had a great year in 2011 in the Jays system and earned an invite. He has a career .299 average in nearly 900 minor league games, including a .340 clip at the triple-A level.
Related read:
More Baseball: Ranking Jays vs. the AL East
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