2007 Fictional Toronto Blue Jays - Page 3

ryan008 · 10-18-2007, 11:44 AM

Jays Sign C Hugh Edwards

December 10th, 2007.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have come to terms with former Philedelphia Phillies C Hugh Edwards on a 4 year contract. The 4 year deal is reportedly worth $39,240,000 over 4 years which works out to a salary of $9,810,000 per year. Edwards hit .285 with 14 HR and 84 RBIs in 104 games with the Phillies last year and is looking forward to being the No. 1 guy in Toronto "They run a really good organization there, they made the playoffs last year and I think we can do it again this season" GM Ryan Stewart was asked about the signing and said "Anytime you can bring in a quality guy like Hugh Edwards for under $10 million a season you have to do it. He had better numbers than C Jose Estrada last season and is actually almost a million dollars cheeper" At only 26 years old Edwards looks like the future at Catcher for Toronto.

GM Ryan Stewart was also asked if he was looking for any other free agents or players to bring in and he simply replied "we would like to bring in an arm or two to fill in our 4th and 5th starters spots for next year but nothing is definative yet" The number 5 starters spot was an issue for Toronto this past season as Robinson Martinez went 5-16 with a 5.18 ERA an area that the Jays would desperately like to upgrade.

ryan008 · 10-18-2007, 11:49 AM

Blue Jays Negotiating with SP Mike Witmer?

December 19th, 2007.

Rumours abound that the Toronto Blue Jays and GM Ryan Stewart have been negotiating with former Tampa Bay Devil Ray's SP Mike Witmer on a contract. The deal offered is reportadly in the 5 year $45-50 million dollar range, averaging out to about $10 million per season. In 2007 for Tampa Bay Witmer went 14-13 with a 4.28 ERA with 47 BB and 188 Strikeouts. When asked about the possibility of Witmer becoming a Blue Jay GM Ryan Stewart responded "We are looking at a number of options to fill out SP need, but noting has been decided yet"

ryan008 · 10-18-2007, 12:03 PM

Jays Add Bullpen Help in Trade with Oakland

December 28th, 2007.

GM Ryan Stewart Announced today that the Toronto Blue Jays have aquired MR Al Clarke from the Oakland Athletics for minor leaguers 2B Bruno Kelly and RF Robbie Wilson. MR Al Clarke is a 21 year old right hander who spent the entire 2007 season with the Oakland Athletics poasting a 4-2 record with 3 saves a 3.92 ERA with 40 BB and 86 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. He is young but pitched very well for the A's last year. In return the Jays sent 26 year old 2B Bruno Kelly who hit .230 with 15 HR and 52 RBI for AAA Syracuse last year and 19 year old RF Robbie Wilson who hit .261 with 0 HR and 29 RBI with Rookie League Pulaski last year. Wilson was a 9th round pick in the 2007 entry draft. Asked to comment on the trade GM Ryan Stewart said "We had to replace the hole left by Rick Woodard leaving and Oakland was interrested in aquiring Bruno Kelly so we managed to work out this deal. At 21 years old Al Clark shhould have a good long career with Toronto"

ryan008 · 10-18-2007, 12:07 PM

Estrada Inks 2 year Deal with Texas

January 3rd, 2008

The Texas Rangers have signed former Jays Catcher 38 year old Jose Estrada to a 2 year $10,500,000 contract. In signing Estrada the Blue Jays will receive the Rangers 2008 1st round Draft pick as compensation. The Rangers pick will compensate for Toronto losing it's own selection when they signed C Hugh Edwards from the Philedelphia Phillies.

ryan008 · 10-18-2007, 12:15 PM

Blue Jays, Witmer Come to Agreement

January 15th, 2008.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have come to terms on a 5 year $50,300,000 contract with former Tampa Bay Devil Ray's SP Mike Witmer. The Contract will pay Witmer an average of $10,060,000 per season over the next 5 years. Witmer spent al of 2007 with the Devil Rays where he poasted a 14-13 record with a 4.18 ERA in 35 games. The siging of Witmer has pretty much seasled the fate of SP Robinson Martinez who will most likely be delt or sent down to AAA Syracuse.

ryan008 · 10-18-2007, 12:56 PM

Jays Swap Robinson Martinez to Dodgers for Pair of Minor Leaguers

January 23rd, 2008.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they traded SP Robinson Martinez to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Minor Leaguers 25 year old SS/3B Mario Rivera and 17 year old 2B Alfredo Mojica. In 95 games for Los Angeles AAA Iowa affiliate Rivera hit .243 with 13 HR and 52 RBI. He is expected to start the season with AAA Syracuse but could challenge for a roster spot that was vacated when 3B Vincent Collins was not resigned. Mojica hit .234 with 3 HR and 14 RBI's for the Dodgers Rookie League team. He was a 2nd round pick 35th overall in 2007 and is expected to start the year with Toronto's Rookie League Team in Pulaski. He is a project player who looks to be a long way from making the majors, but at 17 can take his time in developing.

ryan008 · 10-18-2007, 01:05 PM

Former Jay Signs with Oakland

January 29th, 2008.

Former Blue Jay MR Rick Woodard signed a 2 year $10,000,000 contract with the Oakland Athletics. The Commissioner's Office has announced that the Blue Jays will receive the A's 1st round draft pick as compensation for the signing. This brings the number of 1st round picks currently held by the Blue Jays to 2. They have the 1st Round Pick obtained from Texas for signing C Jose Estrada and they lost their own first round pick to Philedelphia for the signing of C Hugh Edwards.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 09:50 AM

Blue Jays Open Spring Traning

March 1st, 2008.

The Toronto Blue Jays decended on Duneden Florida to begin preperations for the 2008 season which is just around the corner. A number of new faces are in camp this year including free agent signings C Hugh Edwards and SP Mike Whitmer as well as MR Al Clarke who was aquired in an offseason trade with the Oakland Athletics. Most roster spots have pretty much already been decided but there will be a heated competition between two youngsters for the starting 3B position that was vacated when Vincent Collins was not resigned. The two key combatants for the positing are 3B Byron Webb who was a waiver claim from the Chicago Cubs last season and 3B/SS Mario Rivera who was aquired in the offseason trade that sent SP Robinson Martinez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. GM Ryan Stewart was asked who he thought would break camp with the club "Right now I think Mario Rivera has the better shot. He is older at 25 than Webb who is only 21, and at this point he is a little more polished with both the bat and the glove. But we will take the best player north with us so it really is up in the air, a little competition is good for everybody"

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 09:55 AM

Former Jay Signs with Mets
March 12th, 2008.

The New York Mets announced today that they have come to terms with 38 year old former Jay 3B Vincent Collins on a 1 year $420,000 contract. In 141 games for Toronto last season Collins hit .208 with 14 HR and 28 RBI's. Toronto GM Ryan Stewart was quoted as saying "I am happy he caught on with another team. He was a fierce competitor but we were just heading in a different direction so there was no room to resign him in Toronto. I wish him all the best in New York"

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 10:26 AM

Spring Training Ends, Jays Head North

April 1st, 2008.

Spring Training has finally come to a close as Toronto Blue Jays GM Ryan Stewart announced the 25 man roster of players that will comprise the Jays Opening Day Roster. The only hotly contended position was for the Starting 3B job and it was quite a competition. 3B Byron Webb hit .317 with 1 HR and 5 RBI's and 3B/SS Mario Rivera hit .325 with 5 HR and 18 RBI's this Spring. GM Ryan Stewart announced who would break camp with the big club "After lengthy discussions with the coaching staff we have decided that Mario Rivera will be the Jays Starting 3B. Both Webb and Rivera played exceptionally well in Spring Training games and we hope that their success will translate into the regular season. 3B Byron Webb will be sent to AAA Syracuse where we hope that he can continue his development and we think he will be a Blue Jay Very Soon"

The Rest of the Jays Roster is comprised of the following:

Starters: (2007 Stats in Brackets)

SP Bill Arkell - 15-12 3.93 ERA 1.30 WHIP 185 K (with Toronto)
SP Tenshin Imai - 19-6 2.62 ERA 1.04 WHIP 215 K (with Toronto)
SP Christian Jacobs - 17-9 3.24 ERA 1.17 WHIP 192 K (with Toronto)
SP Mike Whitner - 14-13 4.18 ERA 1.18 WHIP 188 K (with Tampa Bay)
SP Francisco Romero - 11-10 4.17 ERA 1.26 WHIP 121 K (with Toronto)

Bull Pen: (2007 Stats in Brackets)

MR Manuel Villalobos - 14-1 4 SV 3.62 ERA 1.27 WHIP 63 K (with Toronto)
MR Mark Keys - 1-1 4.10 ERA 1.86 WHIP 26 K (with Toronto)
MR Jim Riley- 2-0 5.22 ERA 1.61 WHIP 23 K (with Toronto)
MR Kenny Baily - 0-0 4.81 ERA 1.54 WHIP 29 K (with Toronto)
MR Millard Carter - 3-8 - 7 SV 4.35 ERA 1.43 WHIP 68 K (with Toronto)
MR Al Clarke - 4-2 3 Saves 3.92 ERA 1.53 WHIP 86 K (with Oakland)
CL Lorenzo Silva- 1-4 43 Saves 2.06 ERA 0.99 WHIP 56 K (with Toronto)

Starting Line Up: (2007 Stats in Brackets)

CF Vitantonio Ardinghi - .292 4 HR 69 RBI 55 SB (with Toronto)
C Hugh Edwards - .258 14 HR 84 RBI (with Philedelphia)
SS Richard Evans - .304 20 HR 106 RBI (with Toronto)
1B Nathan Wilder - .287 40 HR 121 RBI (with Toronto)
RF Raul Pagan - .266 31 HR 113 RBI (with Toronto)
2B Josh Gibson - .262 7 HR 84 RBI (with Toronto)
LF Carlos Valades - .248 7 HR 44 RBI (with Toronto)
3B Mario Rivers - .234 13 HR 52 RBI (with Iowa, AAA)
DH Dusty Witt - .185 6 HR 34 RBI (with Toronto)

Bench: (2007 Stats in Brackets)

C Rufino Troni - .230 2 HR 21 RBI (with Toronto)
2B Michael Leonard - .375 0 HR 2 RBI (with Toronto)
SS Peter Partick - .091 0 HR 0 RBI (with Toronto)
LF Marcos Rosario - .164 0 HR 9 RBI (with Toronto)

The Blue Jays open up the 2008 season on the road with a 3 game set agains the Seattle Mariners who ended the Jays Season in the American League Divison Series defeating the Jays 3 games to 2.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 10:37 AM

Opening Day. Jays in Town to Face Mariners

April 7th, 2008.

The Toronto Blue Jays kick off the 2008 season agains the Seattle Mariners in Seattle today. The Mariners are starting their Ace Dave Sullivan who won game 5 of the ALDS last season to end the Blue Jays season. The Blue Jays will counter with Bill Arkell who won 15 games for the jays last season.

D. Sullivan (0-0, 0.00) vs B. Arkell (0-0, 0.00)
Score: Seattle 4 - Toronto 2
W: D. Sullivan (1-0)
L: B. Arkell (0-1)
S: S.Padgett (1)

Seattle jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead after the first inning an SP Dave Sullivan settled down scattering 12 hits over 7.2 innings to get his first win of the season. Seattle scored 3 in the bottom of the first on a 2 out bases loaded double be Seattle CF Gary Gunter. Toronto would rack up 12 hits but left 15 men on base and just could not get the key hit with 2 outs. Toronto SP Bill Arkell pitched 8 innings allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 11 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 10:46 AM

Witmer Makes Jays Debut Agains Former Team but Loses
April 11th, 2008.

Toronto's free agent signig SP Mike Witmer made his blue jays debut today in a 6-4 loss to his former team the Tampabay Devil Rays.Witmer went only 5.2 innings allowing 5 runs on 9 hits walking no one and striking out 9. Toronto's offence managed 12 hits on 3 Devil Rays pitchers but once again came up empty with the big 2 out hits. The Jays left 12 men on base and were 4-16 with men in scoring position. GM Ryan Stewart was quoted in the Post Game Interview as saying "I is shades of last season. It took us a while to get going last season aswell. During the early part of the season we struggled with scoring runs. Hopefully we will heat up and start hitting like I know we are capable of"

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 10:56 AM

Jays End First Month in 1st Place

May 1st, 2008.

The Toronto Blue Jays finished off the month of May with a 12-10 record which is good enough for first place int eh American Leagu East Division 1 game up on the 2nd place Boston Red Sox.

The story of the first month of the season has been the pitching of SP Bill Arkell and SP Christian Jacobs. Both men are off to fantastic starts this season. Arkell has a 4-1 record with a 1.86 ERA and Jacobs a 3-1 record with a 1.35 ERA. The Bad news for the Blue Jays though is that Allstar SP Tenshin Imai and free agent signing SP Mike Witmer have yet to win a game for the Jays. Imai is 0-3 with a 5.29 ERA and Witmer is 0-2 with a 6.45 ERA. Both are going to have to turn it around if Toronto has a chance of repeating their success of a year ago.

Offensively the Jays are rolling along quite well and are lead by SS Richard Evans who hit .378 with 4 HR and 8 RBI in the month of April. RF Raul Pagan has continued his power hitting ways in his softmore season hitting .272 with 6 HR and 18 RBI. The only player who is really struggling is 3B Mario Rivera who is hitting .190 with 1 HR and 6 RBI. GM Ryan Stewart believes "he is just adjusting to Major League pitchers and once he gets some more at bats his average should climb"

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 10:59 AM

Jays SS Named American League Player of the Week

May 5th, 2008.

Toronto Blue Jays SS Richard Evans was named the American League Player of the Week for the week ending May 5th, 2008. During the past week Evans went 10-26 with a .385 batting average 5 HR and 9 RBI. He also scored 9 runs and walked 4 times.

In 25 games with Toronto this year Evans has hit .327 with 7 HR and 20 RBI he has a .387 OBP and has scored 20 runs.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 11:03 AM

Arkell Fires Shutout agains Baltimore

May 6th, 2008.

Toronto Blue Jays SP Bill Arkell was firing on all cylinders today as he threw a complete game one-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. Arkell blanked the Orioles 5-0 allowing a single hit walking 2 and striking out 9.

In 2008 Arkell has been Toronto's best pitcher by far going 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA and notching 51 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 11:09 AM

Imai Gets First Win of 2008

May 7th, 2008.

Toronto SP Tenshin Imai got his first win today pitching 8.0 innings in a 13-4 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Imai has had a rough year so far going 0-4 in his first 6 starts before finally climbing into the win column against Baltimore. Imai said "It feels good to get that monkey off of my back. I felt really good out there today hopefully it will carry over into my next few starts" in the post game interview. Imai went 8 innings allowing 4 runs (3 earned) with 2 BB and 7 srikeouts. He got homeruns from Richard Evans (8), Nathan Wilder (9), Dusty Witt 2(4) and Marcos Rosario (1) to help pace him to the victory. With the win it leaves only one Torono SP with out a win free agent signing SP Mike Witmer.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 11:16 AM

Witmer Untouchable in Shutout of Boston

May 8th, 2008.

Just a few days ago SP Tenshin Imai picked up his forst win of the season well today SP Mike Witmer followed suit. Witmer breezed through the Boston line up today tossing a 5 hitter in a 4-0 Toronto victory and collecting his first win in a Jays Uniform. In the win Witmer pitched a complete game giving up only 5 hits walking nobody and striking out 5.

GM Ryan Stewart was quoted as saying "It was a good couple of days with Imai and Witmer getting their first W's of the season, both have pitched well in their last outings and hopefully we have turned a corner here" The Blue Jays currently sit in first place in the American League East with a 2 game lead over the Boston Redsox.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 11:22 AM

Jays Reliever Hurt

May 11th, 2008.

MR Al Clarke of the Toronto Blue Jays is likely to miss a day or two. He was diagnosed with a strained back muscle that could keep him out of the line up for up to 2 weeks.

Clarke said "I feel okay. Not 100 percent, but I can go if the team needs me" when asked about the injury.

GM Ryan Stewart was asked about the possibility of Clarke being placed on the 15 day DL "Not at this time. The doctors don't think it is anything serious enough to warrent a trip to the DL. We will watch him closely and give him a few days off, if he gets worse we will rethink our strategy but for right now he will remain with the team"

Clarke was aquired in a trade with the A's in the offseason and has a 0-0 record with a 0.90 ERA nad 12 strikeouts in 10 games for the Jays this seaon.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 11:29 AM

Boston Wins 10th Straingh, Only 1/2 Game Back of the Jays

June 1st, 2008.

The Boston Red Sox won their 10th straight game and have close to within a half game of the Toronto Blue Jays for 1st Place in the American League East. The Blue jays finished the month of May with a 17-12 record and improved to 29-21 overall thanks in large part to their starting pitching. SP Bill Arkell has been on fire going 8-1 with a 1.24 ERA. SP Tenshin Imai and SP Mike Witmer who struggled mightely in April have also improved with Witmer going 4-0 in May with a 3.65 ERA to improve his overall record to 4-2. Tenshin Imai went 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA to bring his record to 2-5.

The Jays Offence has been carried by SS Richard Evans who is hitting .355 with 14 HR and 41 RBI. He currently leads the American League in Batting Average and is 7th in Homeruns. He is followed closely be CF V. Ardinghi who is hitting .286 with 5 HR and 17 RBI with 17 stolen bases. 3B Mario Rivera who struggled in the first month of the season has raised his batting average to .235 with 4 HR and 12 RBI.

ryan008 · 10-19-2007, 12:09 PM

Jays use Multiple Picks to "Restock" Farm System

June 1st, 2008.

The 2008 First Year Player Draft was held today and the Toronto Blue Jays held 5 picks in the first 3 rounds. They had first rounders from the Rangers and Athletics and a second Round pick obtained from the New York Mets for Sigining 3B Vincent Collins.

GM Ryan Stewart was looking to add some quality players to their farm system "It is always nice to have extra picks, but the downside to that is that you have to lose good established players to obtain extra picks" He went on the say that "with our 5 picks in the first 3 rounds we are looking to add a mixture of youth and experience but as always we are going to select the best player available regardless of wheter he comes from a Highschool or College Program"

Toronto Blue Jays 1st-3rd Round Picks

SP Raul 'Hawk' Ruiz (1st Round)
22 Years Old, 6'7", 225 lbs Throws: R
University of Nebraska, Nebraska - College (NCAA)
Potential Ratings:10/10/10 Fastball Rating: 97-99 MPH
Comment: A big strong right handed flame thrower. He went 7-2 with a 1.31 ERA for the Cornhuskers. With his size, makeup, pitches and velocity could be a future Ace of the staff.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: As early as the end of 2008 but more likely between 2009-2010. He will start his professional career with Duneden A and will go from there. He could move quickly through the Organization.

CF Rick Bjork (1st Round)
19 Years Old, 6'1", 185 lbs Bats: R Throws: R
Akron Highschool, Ohio - Highschool (USHS)
Potential Ratings: 9/8/9/9/7 Defense @ CF: 8 Arm: 10
Comment: A very gifted 5 tool player. He should be able to do it all hit for average, power steal bases and play a very good Center Field. His only knock is that he needs to work on his plate dicipline. He strikes out way too much and does not walk nearly enough. He hit .351 with 11 HR and 44 RBI for Toledo this season.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. He has very good potential ratings but his current ratings are very low. He will start out in Pulaski (R) and he will be watched closely from there.

2B Lorenzo Vasquez (2nd Round)
19 Years Old, 6'0", 180 lbs Bats: R Throws: R
Toledo Highschool, Ohio - Highschool (USHS)
Potential Ratings: 10/8/2/8/9 Defense @ 2B: 5 Arm: 6
Comment: A future leadoff hitter if he develops properly. He will hit for average but will not contribute many homeruns. He is only average defensively but has great speed and could steel 25-30 bases a season. He hit .307 with 0 HR and 7 RBI and stole 22 bases for Toledo.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. Like CF Rick Bjork Vasques is very young and will need some time to develop. At only 19 he will be given the oppertunity to advance slowly through the system. He is slated to be the starting 2B and leadoff hitter for Pulaski this season.

3B Paul Wood (2nd Round)
19 Years Old, 6'2", 215 lbs Bats: S Throws: R
West Haven Highschool, Connecticut - Highschool (USHS)
Potential Ratings: 9/7/5/8/7 Defense @ 3B: 7 Arm: 10
Comment: A very good defensive 3B. He will hit for a good average and could possibly hit .280-.300 in the Majors. He won't hit a lot of homeruns but I believe he could smash between 10-15 a season. He hit .448 with 1 HR and 31 RBI for Wast Haven in 2008.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. He is in the same boat as Vasquez and Bjork. He will start in Pulaski and will be watched closely. The Pulaski Blue Jays look like they could have a very talented team this season witht he addition of a first round pick and 2 second round picks.

LF Ricky O'Esmond (3rd Round)
22 Years Old, 6'0", 185 lbs Bats: R Throws: R
University of Notre Dame - College (NCAA)
Potential Ratings: 8/6/8/889 Defense @ LF: 10 Arm: 6
Comment: A bit of a project player. He hit only .279 with 7 HR and 28 RBI with the Fighting Irish in 2008. He ahs good potential ratings but fairly low current ratings for a college player.
Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2010-2013. I am not sure about him yer. He will be sent to Pulaski so my coaching staff can get a better look at him. He should hit for a fairly good average and even contribute a few homeruns. He really needs to work on his eye and patients at the plate if he wants to succeed.

Toronto Draft Summary:

Total # of Picks: 17
Total # of Pitchers Selected: 8 (3 SP, 3 CL, 2 MR)
Total # of Position Players Selected: 9 (5 OF, 1 C, 2 2B, 1 3B)
Total # of College Players Selected: 9 (3 SP, 2 CL, 1 MR, 2 OF, 1 2B)
Total # Of Highschool Players Selected: 8

10-18-2007, 11:44 AM	#41
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays Sign C Hugh Edwards December 10th, 2007. The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have come to terms with former Philedelphia Phillies C Hugh Edwards on a 4 year contract. The 4 year deal is reportedly worth $39,240,000 over 4 years which works out to a salary of $9,810,000 per year. Edwards hit .285 with 14 HR and 84 RBIs in 104 games with the Phillies last year and is looking forward to being the No. 1 guy in Toronto "They run a really good organization there, they made the playoffs last year and I think we can do it again this season" GM Ryan Stewart was asked about the signing and said "Anytime you can bring in a quality guy like Hugh Edwards for under $10 million a season you have to do it. He had better numbers than C Jose Estrada last season and is actually almost a million dollars cheeper" At only 26 years old Edwards looks like the future at Catcher for Toronto. GM Ryan Stewart was also asked if he was looking for any other free agents or players to bring in and he simply replied "we would like to bring in an arm or two to fill in our 4th and 5th starters spots for next year but nothing is definative yet" The number 5 starters spot was an issue for Toronto this past season as Robinson Martinez went 5-16 with a 5.18 ERA an area that the Jays would desperately like to upgrade. Last edited by ryan008; 10-19-2007 at 08:01 AM.

10-18-2007, 01:05 PM	#47
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Former Jay Signs with Oakland January 29th, 2008. Former Blue Jay MR Rick Woodard signed a 2 year $10,000,000 contract with the Oakland Athletics. The Commissioner's Office has announced that the Blue Jays will receive the A's 1st round draft pick as compensation for the signing. This brings the number of 1st round picks currently held by the Blue Jays to 2. They have the 1st Round Pick obtained from Texas for signing C Jose Estrada and they lost their own first round pick to Philedelphia for the signing of C Hugh Edwards. Last edited by ryan008; 10-19-2007 at 09:40 AM.

10-19-2007, 12:09 PM	#60
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays use Multiple Picks to "Restock" Farm System June 1st, 2008. The 2008 First Year Player Draft was held today and the Toronto Blue Jays held 5 picks in the first 3 rounds. They had first rounders from the Rangers and Athletics and a second Round pick obtained from the New York Mets for Sigining 3B Vincent Collins. GM Ryan Stewart was looking to add some quality players to their farm system "It is always nice to have extra picks, but the downside to that is that you have to lose good established players to obtain extra picks" He went on the say that "with our 5 picks in the first 3 rounds we are looking to add a mixture of youth and experience but as always we are going to select the best player available regardless of wheter he comes from a Highschool or College Program" Toronto Blue Jays 1st-3rd Round Picks SP Raul 'Hawk' Ruiz (1st Round) 22 Years Old, 6'7", 225 lbs Throws: R University of Nebraska, Nebraska - College (NCAA) Potential Ratings:10/10/10 Fastball Rating: 97-99 MPH Comment: A big strong right handed flame thrower. He went 7-2 with a 1.31 ERA for the Cornhuskers. With his size, makeup, pitches and velocity could be a future Ace of the staff. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: As early as the end of 2008 but more likely between 2009-2010. He will start his professional career with Duneden A and will go from there. He could move quickly through the Organization. CF Rick Bjork (1st Round) 19 Years Old, 6'1", 185 lbs Bats: R Throws: R Akron Highschool, Ohio - Highschool (USHS) Potential Ratings: 9/8/9/9/7 Defense @ CF: 8 Arm: 10 Comment: A very gifted 5 tool player. He should be able to do it all hit for average, power steal bases and play a very good Center Field. His only knock is that he needs to work on his plate dicipline. He strikes out way too much and does not walk nearly enough. He hit .351 with 11 HR and 44 RBI for Toledo this season. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. He has very good potential ratings but his current ratings are very low. He will start out in Pulaski (R) and he will be watched closely from there. 2B Lorenzo Vasquez (2nd Round) 19 Years Old, 6'0", 180 lbs Bats: R Throws: R Toledo Highschool, Ohio - Highschool (USHS) Potential Ratings: 10/8/2/8/9 Defense @ 2B: 5 Arm: 6 Comment: A future leadoff hitter if he develops properly. He will hit for average but will not contribute many homeruns. He is only average defensively but has great speed and could steel 25-30 bases a season. He hit .307 with 0 HR and 7 RBI and stole 22 bases for Toledo. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. Like CF Rick Bjork Vasques is very young and will need some time to develop. At only 19 he will be given the oppertunity to advance slowly through the system. He is slated to be the starting 2B and leadoff hitter for Pulaski this season. 3B Paul Wood (2nd Round) 19 Years Old, 6'2", 215 lbs Bats: S Throws: R West Haven Highschool, Connecticut - Highschool (USHS) Potential Ratings: 9/7/5/8/7 Defense @ 3B: 7 Arm: 10 Comment: A very good defensive 3B. He will hit for a good average and could possibly hit .280-.300 in the Majors. He won't hit a lot of homeruns but I believe he could smash between 10-15 a season. He hit .448 with 1 HR and 31 RBI for Wast Haven in 2008. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2012-2013. He is in the same boat as Vasquez and Bjork. He will start in Pulaski and will be watched closely. The Pulaski Blue Jays look like they could have a very talented team this season witht he addition of a first round pick and 2 second round picks. LF Ricky O'Esmond (3rd Round) 22 Years Old, 6'0", 185 lbs Bats: R Throws: R University of Notre Dame - College (NCAA) Potential Ratings: 8/6/8/889 Defense @ LF: 10 Arm: 6 Comment: A bit of a project player. He hit only .279 with 7 HR and 28 RBI with the Fighting Irish in 2008. He ahs good potential ratings but fairly low current ratings for a college player. Estimated Arrival in the Majors: 2010-2013. I am not sure about him yer. He will be sent to Pulaski so my coaching staff can get a better look at him. He should hit for a fairly good average and even contribute a few homeruns. He really needs to work on his eye and patients at the plate if he wants to succeed. Toronto Draft Summary: Total # of Picks: 17 Total # of Pitchers Selected: 8 (3 SP, 3 CL, 2 MR) Total # of Position Players Selected: 9 (5 OF, 1 C, 2 2B, 1 3B) Total # of College Players Selected: 9 (3 SP, 2 CL, 1 MR, 2 OF, 1 2B) Total # Of Highschool Players Selected: 8 Last edited by ryan008; 10-19-2007 at 01:42 PM.

10-18-2007, 11:49 AM	#42
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Blue Jays Negotiating with SP Mike Witmer? December 19th, 2007. Rumours abound that the Toronto Blue Jays and GM Ryan Stewart have been negotiating with former Tampa Bay Devil Ray's SP Mike Witmer on a contract. The deal offered is reportadly in the 5 year $45-50 million dollar range, averaging out to about $10 million per season. In 2007 for Tampa Bay Witmer went 14-13 with a 4.28 ERA with 47 BB and 188 Strikeouts. When asked about the possibility of Witmer becoming a Blue Jay GM Ryan Stewart responded "We are looking at a number of options to fill out SP need, but noting has been decided yet"

10-18-2007, 12:03 PM	#43
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays Add Bullpen Help in Trade with Oakland December 28th, 2007. GM Ryan Stewart Announced today that the Toronto Blue Jays have aquired MR Al Clarke from the Oakland Athletics for minor leaguers 2B Bruno Kelly and RF Robbie Wilson. MR Al Clarke is a 21 year old right hander who spent the entire 2007 season with the Oakland Athletics poasting a 4-2 record with 3 saves a 3.92 ERA with 40 BB and 86 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. He is young but pitched very well for the A's last year. In return the Jays sent 26 year old 2B Bruno Kelly who hit .230 with 15 HR and 52 RBI for AAA Syracuse last year and 19 year old RF Robbie Wilson who hit .261 with 0 HR and 29 RBI with Rookie League Pulaski last year. Wilson was a 9th round pick in the 2007 entry draft. Asked to comment on the trade GM Ryan Stewart said "We had to replace the hole left by Rick Woodard leaving and Oakland was interrested in aquiring Bruno Kelly so we managed to work out this deal. At 21 years old Al Clark shhould have a good long career with Toronto"

10-18-2007, 12:07 PM	#44
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Estrada Inks 2 year Deal with Texas January 3rd, 2008 The Texas Rangers have signed former Jays Catcher 38 year old Jose Estrada to a 2 year $10,500,000 contract. In signing Estrada the Blue Jays will receive the Rangers 2008 1st round Draft pick as compensation. The Rangers pick will compensate for Toronto losing it's own selection when they signed C Hugh Edwards from the Philedelphia Phillies.

10-18-2007, 12:15 PM	#45
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Blue Jays, Witmer Come to Agreement January 15th, 2008. The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have come to terms on a 5 year $50,300,000 contract with former Tampa Bay Devil Ray's SP Mike Witmer. The Contract will pay Witmer an average of $10,060,000 per season over the next 5 years. Witmer spent al of 2007 with the Devil Rays where he poasted a 14-13 record with a 4.18 ERA in 35 games. The siging of Witmer has pretty much seasled the fate of SP Robinson Martinez who will most likely be delt or sent down to AAA Syracuse.

10-18-2007, 12:56 PM	#46
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays Swap Robinson Martinez to Dodgers for Pair of Minor Leaguers January 23rd, 2008. The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they traded SP Robinson Martinez to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Minor Leaguers 25 year old SS/3B Mario Rivera and 17 year old 2B Alfredo Mojica. In 95 games for Los Angeles AAA Iowa affiliate Rivera hit .243 with 13 HR and 52 RBI. He is expected to start the season with AAA Syracuse but could challenge for a roster spot that was vacated when 3B Vincent Collins was not resigned. Mojica hit .234 with 3 HR and 14 RBI's for the Dodgers Rookie League team. He was a 2nd round pick 35th overall in 2007 and is expected to start the year with Toronto's Rookie League Team in Pulaski. He is a project player who looks to be a long way from making the majors, but at 17 can take his time in developing.

10-19-2007, 09:50 AM	#48
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Blue Jays Open Spring Traning March 1st, 2008. The Toronto Blue Jays decended on Duneden Florida to begin preperations for the 2008 season which is just around the corner. A number of new faces are in camp this year including free agent signings C Hugh Edwards and SP Mike Whitmer as well as MR Al Clarke who was aquired in an offseason trade with the Oakland Athletics. Most roster spots have pretty much already been decided but there will be a heated competition between two youngsters for the starting 3B position that was vacated when Vincent Collins was not resigned. The two key combatants for the positing are 3B Byron Webb who was a waiver claim from the Chicago Cubs last season and 3B/SS Mario Rivera who was aquired in the offseason trade that sent SP Robinson Martinez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. GM Ryan Stewart was asked who he thought would break camp with the club "Right now I think Mario Rivera has the better shot. He is older at 25 than Webb who is only 21, and at this point he is a little more polished with both the bat and the glove. But we will take the best player north with us so it really is up in the air, a little competition is good for everybody"

10-19-2007, 09:55 AM	#49
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Former Jay Signs with Mets March 12th, 2008. The New York Mets announced today that they have come to terms with 38 year old former Jay 3B Vincent Collins on a 1 year $420,000 contract. In 141 games for Toronto last season Collins hit .208 with 14 HR and 28 RBI's. Toronto GM Ryan Stewart was quoted as saying "I am happy he caught on with another team. He was a fierce competitor but we were just heading in a different direction so there was no room to resign him in Toronto. I wish him all the best in New York"

10-19-2007, 10:26 AM	#50
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Spring Training Ends, Jays Head North April 1st, 2008. Spring Training has finally come to a close as Toronto Blue Jays GM Ryan Stewart announced the 25 man roster of players that will comprise the Jays Opening Day Roster. The only hotly contended position was for the Starting 3B job and it was quite a competition. 3B Byron Webb hit .317 with 1 HR and 5 RBI's and 3B/SS Mario Rivera hit .325 with 5 HR and 18 RBI's this Spring. GM Ryan Stewart announced who would break camp with the big club "After lengthy discussions with the coaching staff we have decided that Mario Rivera will be the Jays Starting 3B. Both Webb and Rivera played exceptionally well in Spring Training games and we hope that their success will translate into the regular season. 3B Byron Webb will be sent to AAA Syracuse where we hope that he can continue his development and we think he will be a Blue Jay Very Soon" The Rest of the Jays Roster is comprised of the following: Starters: (2007 Stats in Brackets) SP Bill Arkell - 15-12 3.93 ERA 1.30 WHIP 185 K (with Toronto) SP Tenshin Imai - 19-6 2.62 ERA 1.04 WHIP 215 K (with Toronto) SP Christian Jacobs - 17-9 3.24 ERA 1.17 WHIP 192 K (with Toronto) SP Mike Whitner - 14-13 4.18 ERA 1.18 WHIP 188 K (with Tampa Bay) SP Francisco Romero - 11-10 4.17 ERA 1.26 WHIP 121 K (with Toronto) Bull Pen: (2007 Stats in Brackets) MR Manuel Villalobos - 14-1 4 SV 3.62 ERA 1.27 WHIP 63 K (with Toronto) MR Mark Keys - 1-1 4.10 ERA 1.86 WHIP 26 K (with Toronto) MR Jim Riley- 2-0 5.22 ERA 1.61 WHIP 23 K (with Toronto) MR Kenny Baily - 0-0 4.81 ERA 1.54 WHIP 29 K (with Toronto) MR Millard Carter - 3-8 - 7 SV 4.35 ERA 1.43 WHIP 68 K (with Toronto) MR Al Clarke - 4-2 3 Saves 3.92 ERA 1.53 WHIP 86 K (with Oakland) CL Lorenzo Silva- 1-4 43 Saves 2.06 ERA 0.99 WHIP 56 K (with Toronto) Starting Line Up: (2007 Stats in Brackets) CF Vitantonio Ardinghi - .292 4 HR 69 RBI 55 SB (with Toronto) C Hugh Edwards - .258 14 HR 84 RBI (with Philedelphia) SS Richard Evans - .304 20 HR 106 RBI (with Toronto) 1B Nathan Wilder - .287 40 HR 121 RBI (with Toronto) RF Raul Pagan - .266 31 HR 113 RBI (with Toronto) 2B Josh Gibson - .262 7 HR 84 RBI (with Toronto) LF Carlos Valades - .248 7 HR 44 RBI (with Toronto) 3B Mario Rivers - .234 13 HR 52 RBI (with Iowa, AAA) DH Dusty Witt - .185 6 HR 34 RBI (with Toronto) Bench: (2007 Stats in Brackets) C Rufino Troni - .230 2 HR 21 RBI (with Toronto) 2B Michael Leonard - .375 0 HR 2 RBI (with Toronto) SS Peter Partick - .091 0 HR 0 RBI (with Toronto) LF Marcos Rosario - .164 0 HR 9 RBI (with Toronto) The Blue Jays open up the 2008 season on the road with a 3 game set agains the Seattle Mariners who ended the Jays Season in the American League Divison Series defeating the Jays 3 games to 2.

10-19-2007, 10:37 AM	#51
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Opening Day. Jays in Town to Face Mariners April 7th, 2008. The Toronto Blue Jays kick off the 2008 season agains the Seattle Mariners in Seattle today. The Mariners are starting their Ace Dave Sullivan who won game 5 of the ALDS last season to end the Blue Jays season. The Blue Jays will counter with Bill Arkell who won 15 games for the jays last season. D. Sullivan (0-0, 0.00) vs B. Arkell (0-0, 0.00) Score: Seattle 4 - Toronto 2 W: D. Sullivan (1-0) L: B. Arkell (0-1) S: S.Padgett (1) Seattle jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead after the first inning an SP Dave Sullivan settled down scattering 12 hits over 7.2 innings to get his first win of the season. Seattle scored 3 in the bottom of the first on a 2 out bases loaded double be Seattle CF Gary Gunter. Toronto would rack up 12 hits but left 15 men on base and just could not get the key hit with 2 outs. Toronto SP Bill Arkell pitched 8 innings allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 11 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5.

10-19-2007, 10:46 AM	#52
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Witmer Makes Jays Debut Agains Former Team but Loses April 11th, 2008. Toronto's free agent signig SP Mike Witmer made his blue jays debut today in a 6-4 loss to his former team the Tampabay Devil Rays.Witmer went only 5.2 innings allowing 5 runs on 9 hits walking no one and striking out 9. Toronto's offence managed 12 hits on 3 Devil Rays pitchers but once again came up empty with the big 2 out hits. The Jays left 12 men on base and were 4-16 with men in scoring position. GM Ryan Stewart was quoted in the Post Game Interview as saying "I is shades of last season. It took us a while to get going last season aswell. During the early part of the season we struggled with scoring runs. Hopefully we will heat up and start hitting like I know we are capable of"

10-19-2007, 10:56 AM	#53
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays End First Month in 1st Place May 1st, 2008. The Toronto Blue Jays finished off the month of May with a 12-10 record which is good enough for first place int eh American Leagu East Division 1 game up on the 2nd place Boston Red Sox. The story of the first month of the season has been the pitching of SP Bill Arkell and SP Christian Jacobs. Both men are off to fantastic starts this season. Arkell has a 4-1 record with a 1.86 ERA and Jacobs a 3-1 record with a 1.35 ERA. The Bad news for the Blue Jays though is that Allstar SP Tenshin Imai and free agent signing SP Mike Witmer have yet to win a game for the Jays. Imai is 0-3 with a 5.29 ERA and Witmer is 0-2 with a 6.45 ERA. Both are going to have to turn it around if Toronto has a chance of repeating their success of a year ago. Offensively the Jays are rolling along quite well and are lead by SS Richard Evans who hit .378 with 4 HR and 8 RBI in the month of April. RF Raul Pagan has continued his power hitting ways in his softmore season hitting .272 with 6 HR and 18 RBI. The only player who is really struggling is 3B Mario Rivera who is hitting .190 with 1 HR and 6 RBI. GM Ryan Stewart believes "he is just adjusting to Major League pitchers and once he gets some more at bats his average should climb"

10-19-2007, 10:59 AM	#54
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays SS Named American League Player of the Week May 5th, 2008. Toronto Blue Jays SS Richard Evans was named the American League Player of the Week for the week ending May 5th, 2008. During the past week Evans went 10-26 with a .385 batting average 5 HR and 9 RBI. He also scored 9 runs and walked 4 times. In 25 games with Toronto this year Evans has hit .327 with 7 HR and 20 RBI he has a .387 OBP and has scored 20 runs.

10-19-2007, 11:03 AM	#55
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Arkell Fires Shutout agains Baltimore May 6th, 2008. Toronto Blue Jays SP Bill Arkell was firing on all cylinders today as he threw a complete game one-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. Arkell blanked the Orioles 5-0 allowing a single hit walking 2 and striking out 9. In 2008 Arkell has been Toronto's best pitcher by far going 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA and notching 51 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched.

10-19-2007, 11:09 AM	#56
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Imai Gets First Win of 2008 May 7th, 2008. Toronto SP Tenshin Imai got his first win today pitching 8.0 innings in a 13-4 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Imai has had a rough year so far going 0-4 in his first 6 starts before finally climbing into the win column against Baltimore. Imai said "It feels good to get that monkey off of my back. I felt really good out there today hopefully it will carry over into my next few starts" in the post game interview. Imai went 8 innings allowing 4 runs (3 earned) with 2 BB and 7 srikeouts. He got homeruns from Richard Evans (8), Nathan Wilder (9), Dusty Witt 2(4) and Marcos Rosario (1) to help pace him to the victory. With the win it leaves only one Torono SP with out a win free agent signing SP Mike Witmer.

10-19-2007, 11:16 AM	#57
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Witmer Untouchable in Shutout of Boston May 8th, 2008. Just a few days ago SP Tenshin Imai picked up his forst win of the season well today SP Mike Witmer followed suit. Witmer breezed through the Boston line up today tossing a 5 hitter in a 4-0 Toronto victory and collecting his first win in a Jays Uniform. In the win Witmer pitched a complete game giving up only 5 hits walking nobody and striking out 5. GM Ryan Stewart was quoted as saying "It was a good couple of days with Imai and Witmer getting their first W's of the season, both have pitched well in their last outings and hopefully we have turned a corner here" The Blue Jays currently sit in first place in the American League East with a 2 game lead over the Boston Redsox.

10-19-2007, 11:22 AM	#58
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Jays Reliever Hurt May 11th, 2008. MR Al Clarke of the Toronto Blue Jays is likely to miss a day or two. He was diagnosed with a strained back muscle that could keep him out of the line up for up to 2 weeks. Clarke said "I feel okay. Not 100 percent, but I can go if the team needs me" when asked about the injury. GM Ryan Stewart was asked about the possibility of Clarke being placed on the 15 day DL "Not at this time. The doctors don't think it is anything serious enough to warrent a trip to the DL. We will watch him closely and give him a few days off, if he gets worse we will rethink our strategy but for right now he will remain with the team" Clarke was aquired in a trade with the A's in the offseason and has a 0-0 record with a 0.90 ERA nad 12 strikeouts in 10 games for the Jays this seaon.

10-19-2007, 11:29 AM	#59
ryan008 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 2,362	Boston Wins 10th Straingh, Only 1/2 Game Back of the Jays June 1st, 2008. The Boston Red Sox won their 10th straight game and have close to within a half game of the Toronto Blue Jays for 1st Place in the American League East. The Blue jays finished the month of May with a 17-12 record and improved to 29-21 overall thanks in large part to their starting pitching. SP Bill Arkell has been on fire going 8-1 with a 1.24 ERA. SP Tenshin Imai and SP Mike Witmer who struggled mightely in April have also improved with Witmer going 4-0 in May with a 3.65 ERA to improve his overall record to 4-2. Tenshin Imai went 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA to bring his record to 2-5. The Jays Offence has been carried by SS Richard Evans who is hitting .355 with 14 HR and 41 RBI. He currently leads the American League in Batting Average and is 7th in Homeruns. He is followed closely be CF V. Ardinghi who is hitting .286 with 5 HR and 17 RBI with 17 stolen bases. 3B Mario Rivera who struggled in the first month of the season has raised his batting average to .235 with 4 HR and 12 RBI.