THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Now the most tenured position player on the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Hill understands why general manager Alex Anthopoulos dealt away core pieces like Vernon Wells and Shaun Marcum this winter.
Like many in the organization, the second baseman is learning to take a bigger-picture view of moves the team makes, and embrace both the unpredictability and potential of youth.
"I don’t want to say it’s disappointing because I know what he’s doing," Hill said Wednesday during a conference call with the team’s beat writers. "But it’s two of my friends, especially Vernon, one of my better friends that I’ve had. …
"What he brought to the table is something the guys who played with him can harness and … keep going in the direction we want to go. I know we’ve got some great ballplayers, there’s some talent.
"It’s unproven but it can be dangerous because it’s easy to be overlooked. It might be a surprising year."
It’s already been a surprising off-season, with the unexpected trade of Wells to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday topping the jaw-drop meter. In return came US$86 million in financial freedom over the next four years, outfielder Juan Rivera and catcher Mike Napoli, who was flipped to Texas on Tuesday for closer candidate Frank Francisco.
Marcum was traded in December for Canadian infield prospect Brett Lawrie in a move that cost the team its opening day starter from last year.
The rotation appears thinner now with emerging ace Ricky Romero, fireballer Brandon Morrow and impressive sophomore Brett Cecil at the front end, but lesser certain commodities such as rookie Kyle Drabek and Jesse Litsch (returning from arm and hip injuries) likely to fill out the back side.
Rookie J.P. Arencibia appears poised to take over behind the plate, Adam Lind will try to play first base and Travis Snider gets another chance to establish himself with a spot in the revamped outfield.
Even new manager John Farrell is a rookie, having never run his own ball club before during an accomplished career in coaching and as an executive.
Hill and home-run champion Jose Bautista, who can be a free agent after the 2011 season, will be counted on to serve as stabilizing forces.
"Yeah, we got rid of Vernon and Shaun and we’d love to have them," said Hill. "But at the same time, with the way (Anthopoulos) is building everything, getting some of these young guys and some of these prospects back, he’s got a goal in mind and we’re going in that direction."
That direction includes some questions about Hill’s future, as well.
Despite talk Hill might be headed to third base earlier this off-season, Hill said he’s been told by Anthopoulos that he’s staying put at second for 2011.
Still up in the air, however, is what the Blue Jays will do with the options they have for him. Before the season begins, the team must decide if it wants to exercise options on Hill for the next three years (worth $8 million in 2012 and ’13, plus $10 million in 2014).
If Anthopoulos declines, the option for 2014 disappears, and the Blue Jays can later choose to accept the options for 2012 and ’13 only. Given that Hill struggled in 2010 after an all-star campaign in 2009, it’s going to be an interesting call.
"Like anybody, it would be nice to know what’s going to happen future-wise," said Hill. "I talked to Alex about that a little bit, but you’ve just got to go out and play and see what happens.
"If they do they do, and if they don’t they don’t."
Hill injured a hamstring early last season and seemed to play catchup the rest of the year. He batted a career-worst .205 with 26 homers and 68 RBIs while his normally strong defence was erratic.
He feels strong now, and is already working out at the team’s spring facility in Dunedin, Fla.
"It wasn’t any fun physically to go through something in the first few days of the season," said Hill. "I think it was more challenging mentally going through everything last year just because you want to come back, you want to do things the right way, the way you know you can do them, and things just didn’t work out."
Also yet to work out is a phone conversation with Wells, although the two close friends and former clubhouse neighbours exchanged texts.
Hill told Wells to phone him when his life calmed down.
"He just said, ‘No problem, if I called you right now I’d probably be crying any ways,"’ relayed Hill. "I don’t want to deal with a crybaby on the phone. He’ll call eventually."
