John Gibbons has acknowledged that the 2014 Blue Jays weren’t the closest team off of the field, which is part of the reason he was pleased to see Russell Martin sign a five-year deal in Toronto. Not only does Martin bring defensive skills and an established bat, his focused approach could be a positive influence on others.
“We almost needed to inject some new blood – the right kind of blood – and I think Russell’s that kind of guy,” Gibbons told Jeff Blair on Sportsnet 590 The FAN Thursday.
Listen: John Gibbons with Jeff Blair
But that’s not to say Gibbons has lingering issues with others on the roster. The manager addressed his relationship with R.A. Dickey, explaining that the knuckleballer fits in well with the Blue Jays.
“You look at what he’s done for us the last two years, he’s done a tremendous job,” Gibbons said. “There’s really no issues there.”
Sometimes disagreements arise in the course of a six-month season, but that occurs with just about every player, Gibbons said. Those discussions are the norm, not the exception.
“You’re trying to win games, so there’s tension sometimes, but there’s nothing different about him than anyone else that I’ve encountered over the years,” Gibbons said.
Even after signing Martin, the Blue Jays have a long list of needs — Gibbons listed the bullpen, the outfield and second base as potential areas to address.
One free agent reliever on the Blue Jays’ radar is Andrew Miller, the left-hander who posted a 2.02 ERA with 103 strikeouts for the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in 2014. Not surprisingly, the Blue Jays are among the teams that like him.
“Us and everybody else,” Gibbons said. “He’s a hot item right now. He’s come a long way in a couple of years. He was that big, hard thrower that was kind of erratic and he really came into his own in the last couple of years. You look at our team right now with Casey [Janssen] gone, and there’s a hole in that closer spot.”
The Blue Jays met with the representative for Miller at the GM Meetings last week, and have continued to express interest since then, according to an industry source.
Left field is also a priority for the Blue Jays, though they believe they can replace centre fielder Colby Rasmus internally.
“We’re hoping [Dalton] Pompey’s the guy, but you never know for sure,” Gibbons said.
Melky Cabrera can’t be ruled out in left field, but if they don’t re-sign Cabrera, Martin could become Toronto’s number two hitter. The 31-year-old catcher boasts a career on-base percentage of .354, one reason Gibbons believes the two hole could be the ‘perfect spot’ for him.
Add in second base and there’s the potential for a lot of action ahead.
“I’m sure there will be some more moves, I don’t know how big, but I’m sure there will be some more moves,” Gibbons said.
In the meantime, they’re set to introduce Martin – the biggest free agent signing in franchise history. While Gibbons doesn’t know Martin well personally, he has heard plenty of encouraging endorsements from those who do.
“They all said he’s an ultimate gamer and that’s the biggest compliment you can get in professional sports,” Gibbons said. “He’s a team guy. He understands what it takes to win. His track record proves that.”
