The OOTP X Toronto Blue Jays

[ryan008]

2011 Blue Jays Offseason Report

The 2011 Offseason was a relaxed one for the Jays as the team was recovering from a very long season that saw them capture the 2011 World Series, the first for the Jays since 1993. GM Ryan Stewart acknowledged that the team really only had a single whole to fill as most of the teams players will be returning for the 2012 season. GM Ryan Stewart "Our bullpen really struggled last year, we finished in the middle of the pack with the 14th best ERA in the Majors and this is an area that we are definately going to have to improve on. We have some depth in our lower minors at the middle relief and closer positions but my scouting and development stafs don't think that there is anyone who is ready to make the jump to the big club this season. We had to address the need externally and I think we did a good job bringing in some good young arms to help us this year"

Retirements, Salary Arbitration and Free Agents

Retirement

The Jays learned that 35 yearold CL Shawn Camp has decided to retire. He has spent the last 3 seasons between AAA and the big club with the Jays. In his career he has accumulated a record of 3-5 with 22 saves and a 5.87 ERA.

Salary Arbitration

Toronto had 6 players that they offered arbitration to and all 6 were awarded 1 year contracts for the 2012 season.

SP Brett Cecil - $6,517,800
CF Elijah Dukes - $8,577,000
3B Angel Sanchez - $600,000
SP David Purcey - $7,052,400
CF Travis Snider - $11,500,000
3B Joe Inglett - $600,000

Free Agents

The Jays also had 2 players whom they decided to decline arbitartion to and allowed them to become unrestricted free agents. Toronto declined arbitrtation to MR Brandon League and MR Jesse Carlson. Both players are now free agents and can sign with any team. Neithe is considered a compensation eligiable player.

Player Trades

GM Ryan Stewart made a pair of trades in an attempt to address the teams only real need in the bullpen during the 2011 offseason. The first deal of the offseason would see the Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks agree to a deal that sent 3B Balbino Fuenmayor and RF Adam Calderone to the Dbacks for CL Byron Conroy.

Heading over to Arizona is 22 yearold 3B Balbino Fuenmayor, the 2011 Minor League Player of the Year for AA New Hampshire had a good season hitting .274 with 29 HR and 85 RBI for the Fishercats. The Jays will also send 27 yearold LF Adam Calderone. The left handed hitting outfielder had a rough season for AAA Las Vegas hitting just .164 with 12 HR and 25 RBI. He is known more for his speed and fielding ability than his bat.

The Jays get a hard throwing righty in 24 yearold CL Byron Conroy. He can bring his fastball in the 98-100 MPH range and also throws a ver good curveball. He was the Diamondbacks 10th Round Pick 280th Overall in 2009 and was 1-4 with 15 Saves and a 5.22 ERA for AAA Omaha in 2011. He will get an invitation to Spring Training and has a very good shot at making the Jays bullpen.

The Jays second deal of the Spring was a swap with the New York Mets. Torono swaped a pair of players in SP Andrew Libel and RF Welington Ramirez to the Mets for 21 yearold CL Manual Ramirez.

SP Andrew Libel is a 25 yearold righty who spent the entire 2011 season in AAA with Las Vegas where he went 12-19 and posted a 5.09 ERA. He was the 51's #2 starter. The Mets also receive 24 yearold Welington Ramirez who was signed by the Jays as a non-drafted freeagent in 2004 and spent the entire 2011 season in High A Dunedin where he hit .286 with 12 HR and 46 RBI.

Toronto will receive 21 yearold righty CL Manual Ramirez. Ramirez has a very good fastball in the 93-95 MPH range and also features a plus slider. He was the Mets 10th Round Pick 294th Overall in 2009 and was 4-4 with 31 SV and a 2.44 ERA for AAA Buffalo in 2011. He will also get an invitation to Spring Training with the Jays and has a very good shot at starting the season in the Jays bullpen.

Free Agent Signing

GM Ryan Stewart's last move of the offseason was to ink MR James Parr to a 1 year $400,000 deal. The 26 yearold righty has a fastball that topps out at 89-90 MPH and a very good curveball. He was 6-4 with 1 SV and a 1.84 ERA for AAA Gwinnett. He was signed to provide the Jays with another option to help out their pen and he will get a shot at making the team out of Spring Training. He has no minor league options left so if he does not make the team he will have to clear waivers inorder to be assigned to AAA Las Vegas.

[ryan008]

2012 Blue Jays Ready to Defend World Series Title

April 10th, 2012

The Blue Jays have just wrapped up their preperations for the 2012 season. The team has spent the past month at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin Florida, the home of the Jays High A Affiliate the Dunedin Blue Jays in the Florida State League. The Jays are coming off their best season in years. They posted a record of 105-57 and managed to pull off a 4-2 victory over the National League Champion San Francisco Giants to capture their first World Series Title since 1993.

The good news for Jays fans is that the team that captured the 2011 World Series is coming back largely intact. The Jays #1 rated offence will once again feature the reining American League MVP LF Adam Lind and also features 1B Justin Smoak, LF Travis Snider, C J.P. Arencibia and CF Elijah Dukes. Combine the offence with a good starting rotation lead by SP Roy Halladay and emerging youngsters like SP Neftali Feliz, SP Brett Cecil and SP David Purcey the Jays are going to be a force to reckon with in the American League East. The Jays biggest issue last season was their bullpen that finished in the middle of the pack in ERA. It has added some new faces as MR Jesse Carlson and MR Brandon League were allowed to walk via free agency and GM Ryan Stewart brought in a couple of hard throwing youngsters in MR Byron Conroy and MR Manual Ramirez.

2012 Toronto Blue Jays

Starting Pitchers

SP Roy Halladay
SP Neftali Feliz
SP David Purcey
SP Brett Cecil
SP Dustin McGowan

Bullpen

MR Byron Conroy
MR Feliz Doubront
MR Kevin Jepsen
MR Manuel Ramirez
MR Anthony Ortega
MR Angel Perez
CL Hong-Chih Kuo

Position Players

C J.P. Arencibia
C Mike Liuzza
1B Justin Smoak
2B Bradley Emaus
2B Aaron Hill
3B Mike Moustakas
3B Joe Inglett
SS Carlos Triuenfel
LF Travis Snider
LF Adam Lind
CF Elijah Dukes
CF Sean Shoffit
RF Alex Rios

2012 Opening Day Lineup & Starting Pitcher

2B Bradley Emaus
3B Mike Moustakas
1B Justin Smoak
LF Adam Lind
CF Elijah Dukes
DH Travis Snider
C J.P. Arencibia
RF Alex Rios
SS Carlos Triuenfel

SP Roy Halladay

*Jays SP Roy Halladay has 178 career victories coming into this season. He would need to win 22 games this year to reach 200 which is highly unlikely but look for him to get his 200th career win as a Blue Jay some time in 2013.

[pkiely13]

You have another reader here...

One question for you...where did you get the "the NCAA College Feeder league (112 teams)" or did you build that yourself?

Thanks

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Top Prospects

April 11th, 2012

Baseball America just released their rankings of the top players in each teams minor league system. The Jays farm system currently ranks 5th in the Majors behind the Cubs, Orioles, Rockies and Red Sox. The Jays have had some good luck with the draft so far and will soon have some of their draft picks from the 2009 draft making their major league debuts. Toronto's 2 first round picks from 2009 SP James Ryan and 1B Ken Phelps both had strong springs with the Jays and will start the season in AAA Las Vegas. At a minimum both players will be spring callups but with injuries they could see time with the Jays much earlier.

Blue Jays Top 20 Prospects

1. 1B Ken Phelps (24, LHB) Phelps was the Jays 1st Round Pick 19th overall out of the University of Nebraska in 2010. He spent the majority of the 2011 season with Low A Lansing and hit .307 with 29 HR and 109 RBI before a late season promotion to AA New Hampshire where he hit .437 with 1 HR and 13 RBIs in 22 games. He is moving quickly up the Jays depth chart and is now rated higher than fellow 1B David Cooper. He is the #28th best prospect in the Majors according to Baseball America and is slated to begin the season in AAA Las Vegas.

2. SP James Ryan (22, RHP) Ryan was the Jays Minor League Pitcher of the Year in High A Dunedin going 11-2 with a 1.01 ERA. He was moved up to AA New Hampshire and was just as good posting a 6-2 record with a 2.50 ERA in 14 games for the Fishercats. Ryan was the Jays 1st Round Pick 19th Overall in 2009 and is the #1 rated pitching prospect in the Jays system. He is rated as the #29th best prospect in the Majors according to Baseball America and will also be starting the 2012 season in AAA Las Vegas. He has Allstar Potential and look for him to be on the big club very soon.

3. SP Dan Oakes (23, LHP) Oakes was drafted by the Jays in the 3rd Round 99th Overall in 2011 out of Harvard University and is quickly rising up the Jays prospect chart. He is a hard throwing lefty with a fastball in the 99-101 MPH Range and also features a very good slider and cutter. He was 7-2 with a 2.47 ERA with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays and will skip Single A and start in AA New Hampshire this year. Oakes seems to be on the fast track and could see AAA Las Vegas by the end of the season. He is shaping up to be a very good pick for the Jays in the 3rd round. Oakes is rated as the #47th best prospect according to Baseball America.

4. SP Ruben Serrano (24, LHP) Serrano was drafted by the Jays in the 2010 Supplemental Round 50th Overall. He has a very good fastball in the 93-95 MPH Range and also features a plus slider and changeup and a forkball that he is working on but is currently considered just average. He scouts as a middle of the rotation pitcher and spent all of the 2011 season in Low A Lansing where he struggled a bit posting a 7-15 record but had a very good 3.79 ERA. He will start the season in AA New Hampshire but depending on his performance he could be moved to AAA Syracuse by the seasons end. He is rated as the #42nd best prospect in the Majors according to Baseball America.

5. SP Elias Randolph (20, LHP) Randolph is another big (6'5", 220 lb) lefty with a very strong fastball. He can bring his fastball in the 97-99 MPH range and also features a curveball and slider. He was drafted by the Jays in the 7th Round 218th overall in 2011 out of Glendale Highschool. He scouts as a middle of the road starter but GM Ryan Stewart and his scouting staff really like this kids stuff. He was just 3-5 with a 2.97 ERA for the GCL Blue Jays this year but did manage to strikeout 85 batters in 65 innings of work. At just 20 years old we don't want to rush him so he will stay in extended Spring Training before heading to Auburn for the Short Season A League. He is the #69th best prospect in baseball according to Baseball America.

6. 3B Mark Terry (24, RHB) Terry was the Jays 1st Round Pick 11th Overall in 2010 out of the University of South Carolina. He spent the 2ntire 2011 season in Low A Lansing where he hit .282 with 5 HR and 52 RBI but battled a hamstring injury that kept him out of the lineup for 3 months. He is 100% healthy now and is slated to start the season in AA New Hampshire. At 24 years old he still has some development time left and is a few seasons away from making the big club.

7. SP Robert Buchanen (23, RHP) Buchanen continues the Jays trend of drafting big hard throwing starters. He stands 6'4" and weighs 215 lbs. He can bring his fastball in the 97-99 MPH range and also features a curveball, cahngeup and forkball. He was drafted by the Jays in the 1st round 27th overall in 2011 out of George Mason University and spent the entire season in the New York Penn League where he was 504 with a 3.84 ERA. Because of his age he will also skip the single A level and will start the 2012 season with AA New Hampshire and could see AAA Las Vegas before the end of the season. He scouts as a middle of the rotation starter and the Jays see him as their future #3 or 4.

8. 2B Brady Day (24, RHB) Day was drafted by the Jays in the 4th Round 123rd overall in 2010 out of the University of Arkansas. He has steadily climbed up the Jays system and in 2011 he was with Low A Lansing where he hit .266 with 9 HR and 48 RBI. Day is a very versatile player who can play all 4 infield positions and very well. He doesn't scout as a starting player at any of them but is definately good enough to be a servicable major leaguer. He is headed to AA New Hampshire for the 2012 season.

9. LF Alfredo Rivera (20, LHB) Rivera was a supplemental selection of the Jays 33rd Overall in 2011 out of Santa Ana Highschool. He spent the entire 2011 season in the Gulf Coast League where he hit .248 with 2 HR and 25 RBI. He is not known as a power threat and the Jays are hoping that he is their leadoff hitter of the future. He has tremendous speed and stole 8 bases in 8 tries last season. In the field he has a very good arm and a broad range in the outfield. He is still very young and raw and was assigned to Auburn of the New York Penn League for the Short Season A Season.

10. SS Jose Garcia (24, Switch) Garcia was the Jays 9th round pick 273rd overall in 2010 out of the University of Georgia. He spent the entire season in Low A Lansing where he hit .302 with 6 HR and 42 RBI. He was he 2011 Midwestern League Gold Golve winner at Short and a 2011 Mid Western League Allstar. He is easily the best defensive shortstop in the Jays system and he has one of the best infield arm. He is just a tick above average with the bat, enough that it could keep him from being a starting shortstop at the higher levels. He would make an excellent defensive replacement and pinch runner. He was assigned to AA New Hampshire for the 2012 season.

11. CL Mike Head (23, RHP) Head is the only reliever on the Jays top Prospects list. He was drafted in the 6th round 188th overall in 2011 out of Pepperdine University in the NCAA. He has a very good arm and brings his fastball in the 96-98 MPH range and also throws a very good sinker. He spent the entire 2011 season with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays where he went 5-3 with 7 SV and a 3.86 ERA. He also managed to strikeout 46 batters in just 35 innings of work. He was assigned to High A Dunedin but he could see AA New Hampshire before the end of the 2012 Season.

12. SP Joe Davis (25, RHP) Davis was drafted in the 2nd round 63rd overall in 2010 out of Cal Poly in the NCAA. He has developed slowly to this point and really isn't as far along as the Jays would like. He has very good stuff and his fastball averages in the 92-94 MPH range he also has an above average sinker and slider. He also throws a changeup but at this point it is not even close to being a Major League Ready pitch. He was assigned to AA New Hampshire for the 2012 season.

13. CF Donald Brady (20, RHB) Brady was the Jays 2nd round pick 68th overall in 2011 out of Progresso Highschool. Brady is also a future leadoff hitter in the making. He has tremendous speed and stealing ability and is very sound in the outfield. He can play all 3 outfield positions and has an above average arm. He struggled in his first season of professional baseball hitting just .196 with 1 HR and 24 RBI and managed to steal 19 bases while being caught just 4 times. He is very raw and will need some more time to deveolp. He is scheduled to start the season in Auburn of the New York Penn League.

14.LF Alastair Parry (24, LHB) Parry was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 3rd Round 98th Overall in 2010 out of Fresno State University. He was traded to the Jays along with 3B Mike Moustakas before the start of the 2011 season. Parry has a lot of talent and is very close to being MLB ready. He hit .332 with 4 HR and 31 RBIs for AAA Las Vegas in 2011 and was inivited to the Jays Spring Training in 2012. He was one of the last cuts and will start the 2012 season back with AAA Las Vegas.

15. LF Aaron Walker (22, RHB) Walker was the Jays 3rd round pick 93rd overall out of Akron highschool in 2010. He spent the entire 2011 season in Auburn of the New York Penn League. He hit .252 with 3 HR and 25 RBIs for the Doubledays. He has a lot of talent but has struggled in the low minors. He will be headed to to Low A Lansing for the 2012 season, but could find himself back in Auburn or even the GCL is he struggles in Lansing. He is very good defensively and scouts as a starting outfielder at the Major League level.

16. 3B Edgar Goodwin (20, RHB) Goodwin was drafted by the Jays in the 3rd round 79th overall in 2009. Goodwin spent the entire 2011 season in High A Dunedin where he hit .287 with 10 HR and 64 RBIs. He has developed some good power hitting a career high 10 HR's in 2011. He is headed to AA New Hampshire for 2012 and could see AAA Las Vegas before the end of the season. He is fairly well developed for a 20 yearold and could be in the majors shortly.

17. LF James Jennings (23, LHB) Jennings was the Jays 9th Round Pick 278th OVerall in 2011 out of Georgia State University. He had an okay year for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays hitting .307 with 7 HR and 41 RBI. He is headed to Low A Lansing for the 2012 season and despite being drafted out of an NCAA program is still very raw and is likely a few seasons from making an impact at the Major league level.

18. RF Remie Letroit (21, LHB) Letroit was drafted by the Jays in the 2nd round 49th overall in 2009. He was very good for Dunedin in 2011 hitting .315 with 15 HR and 79 RBIs. He was a Florida Statle League Allstar and was the 2011 Florida State League Batter of the Year. The 21 yearold is above average in the field and has a strong accurate arm. He will start the 2012 season in AA New Hampshire but could get a shot at AAA Las Vegas before the end of the season.

19. C Yann Bilodeau (20, RHB) Bilodeau was an 18th round pick 529th overall in 2009 by the Jays and was the 2010 Minor League Player of the Year for Auburn. He spent the entire 2011 season in Low A Lansing where he hit .270 with 6 HR and 69 RBIs. He was assigned to AA New Hampshire for the 2012 season. Bilodeau is average at the catcher position and has a below average arm. He will likely never make it as a starting catcher but is a good backup.

20. RF Glenn Boehmer (21, LHB) Boehmer was the Jays 7th Round Pick 213th Overall in 2010 out of Orlando Highschool. He spent the entire 2011 season with Auburn of the New York Penn League hitting .238 with 6 HR and 39 RBIs. He is a very strong defensive player with a good arm who really needs to work on his ability to make contact and to cut down on his strikeouts. He was assigned to Low A Lansing for the 2012 season.

[ryan008]

Originally Posted by pkiely13

You have another reader here...

One question for you...where did you get the "the NCAA College Feeder league (112 teams)" or did you build that yourself?

Thanks

Hey,

Thanks for reading! I just built it myself. If you want I can save my template as a quickstart and send it to you, that way you would't have to do all of the imputting yourself.

Thanks for reading!

Ryan

[pkiely13]

Ryan,

Thank you!

If you wouldn't mind saving the template as a quickstart and sending it to me that would be great.

Thanks again,

Paul

[ryan008]

Hey Paul,

I am not sure how to go about sending you this file. It is like 140 MB. I could burn it to a CD and mail it to you if you like. I know my email server would not be able to process a file that big. Any suggestions?

Ryan

Originally Posted by pkiely13

Ryan,

Thank you!

If you wouldn't mind saving the template as a quickstart and sending it to me that would be great.

Thanks again,

Paul

[pkiely13]

Hey Ryan,

Thanks for the offer and checking but that's...wow...

No need to go to that extreme, I'm going to take on that challenge and I'm going to build it - need something to do over vacation while the kids are napping anyway

Gathered the info from Baseballnews.com

I have 120 College teams and 60 high school. How many rounds do you have in the am draft?

Thanks again,
Paul

Keep updating as it's a great read!

[ryan008]

It's not a problem Paul. If you change your mind just PM me your address and I will drop a CD or DVD of the league file in the mail the same day!

This is where I got all of the Division 1 schools and their divisions from:

D1Baseball.com, Your College Baseball Headquarters

It is a good site and very easy to navigate through.

I will be updating the dynasty today, I have played through most of the 2012 season and will be getting it posted today.

Thanks for reading!

Ryan

Originally Posted by pkiely13

Hey Ryan,

Thanks for the offer and checking but that's...wow...

No need to go to that extreme, I'm going to take on that challenge and I'm going to build it - need something to do over vacation while the kids are napping anyway

Gathered the info from Baseballnews.com

I have 120 College teams and 60 high school. How many rounds do you have in the am draft?

Thanks again,
Paul

Keep updating as it's a great read!

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Pick Up Right Where they Left Off in 2011

May 1st, 2012

The Toronto Blue Jays are back at it and have started down the road to defending their 2011 World Series Championship. It is going to be tough for the team to duplicate their 2011 season that saw them wn 105 games. However, if there is a group that can do it it is this years Jays. The team is 100% healthy after Spring training and they got off to a very strong start in April. Toronto won 8 of its forst 9 games and would finish the month of April with a record of 15-5 good enough for top spot in the American League East but just 2 games ahead of the second place Tampa Bay Rays and 3.5 games up on the New York Yankees.

April's Hot Players

SP Brett Cecil - 3-0 2.08 ERA
SP Neftali Feliz - 3-1 5.25 ERA
SP David Purcey - 3-0 3.97 ERA
RF Alex Rios - .457 5 HR 20 RBI
3B Mike Moustakas - .442 13 HR 39 RBI
LF Adam Lind - .333 8 RH 19 RBI

April's Cold Players

SP Dustin McGowan - 1-2 11.57 ERA
SP Roy Halladay - 1-2 8.38 ERA
MR Anthony Ortega - 0-0 25.41 ERA
SS Carlos Triuenfel - .235 1 HR 6 RBI

April News & Transactions

Injuries

It didn't take long for the Jays to require the disabled list as their starting 2B Bradley Emaus suffered an oblique strain and will miss the next 3 weeks. He was hitting .353 with 1 HR and 5 RBIs and was placed on the 15 Day Disabled list. Toronto recalled SS Justin Jackson from AAA Las Vegas to take his spot on the roster. Jaskson is hitting .351 with 1 HR and 8 RBIs for the 51's this season.

Awards

The Jays were pleased to leard that their starting 3B Mike Moustakas was named the American League Batter of the Month for April after an outstanding performance that saw him put up a line of .442 with 13 HR and 39 RBI.

Minor League Awards

AAA Las Vegas

SP James Ryan (2009 1st Round, 19th Overall) was named the Pitcher of the Month for April in the Pacific Coast League. He went 4-0 with a 0.88 ERA.

High A Dunedin

CF Markus Brisker was named the Florida State League Batter of the Month for April after hitting .309 with 3 HR and 12 RBI.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Distance Themselves in American League East

June 1st, 2012

The Blue Jays of 2012 have cruised throught he first 2 months of the season. After a 15-5 April the team put up a record of 25-5 record in May to improve to 40-10 overall and are on pace to win over 110 games this year. Toronto currently sits atop the American League East Standings and have opened up a 12 game lead over the 2nd place Tamp Bay Rays and a 14 game lead over the Boston Red Sox. The Jays managed to gain 6 games on Tampa thankes to a pair of series sweeps in June. THe first at the Rogers Center in Toronto and the second coming at Tropicana Field in Florida.

May also say the debut of one of the Jays top prospects in SP James Ryan. The 22 yearold Ryan was the Jays 1st Round Pick 19th Overall in 2009 and has made a steady climb up throught he Jays system. He started the season in AAA Las Vegas but was summoned to the big club after an injury to SP David Purcey. All Ryan has done in his first 4 career starts is post 4 straight victories and a sparkling 2.12 ERA. When he was drafted the hard throwing righty was billed as a possible ace in the making and he is sure on the right track.

May's Hot Players

SP Neftali Feliz - 5-0 3.63 ERA
SP Roy Halladay - 4-0 2.18 ERA
SP James Ryan - 4-0 2.12 ERA
RF Alex Rios - .396 3 HR 19 RBI
LF Adam Lind - .365 7 HR 22 RBI
C J.P. Arencibia - .356 7 HR 28 RBI

May's Cold Players

MR Kevin Jepsen - 0-0 11.12 ERA
CF Elijah Dukes - .231 3 HR 13 RBI

May News & Transactions

Injuries

The Jays lost a pair of players to injuries this month. The first was a serious blow to the rotation as SP David Purcey the Jays #3 starter was suffering from shoulder inflammation and will miss the next 4 months. He was 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The Jays recalled their top pitching prospect 22 yearold SP James Ryan from AAA Las Vegas. The former 1st round pick was 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA for the 51's at the time of his recall.

The Jays also lost MR Kevin Jepsen for 3 weeks. Jepsen suffered a strained oblique muscle in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. Toronto recalled CL Frank Pena from AAA Las Vegas. The 24 yearold Pena was the Jays 10th round pick 303rd overall in 2010 out of Oregon State University and was 1-1 with 9 SV and a 3.95 ERA in AAA this season.

Transactions

GM Ryan Stewart announced that the club has optioned MR Anthony Ortega to AAA Las Vegas and CL Frank Pena will remain with the team as MR Kevin Jepsen returned from his stint on the 15 day disabled list. Ortega has struggled this season and after 11.2 innings of work has an ERA of 15.88. He was returned to AAA Las Vegas to work on his control and shoud return to the big club at some point this season.

Awards

Major League

The Jays were pleased to leard that a pair of their players would be awarded the American League Batter and Pitcher of the Month Awards for May. LF Adam Lind hit .365 with 7 HR and 22 RBIs to be named the BOTM and SP Roy Halladay was 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA was named the Pitcher of the Month for May.

Minor Leagues

AAA Las Vegas

1B Ken Phelps (1st Round, 19th Overall in 2010) was named the Pacifica Coast League Batter of the Month for May after putting up an impressive line of .410 with 13 HR and 38 RBI. The 24 yearold has emerged as the top firstbaseman in AAA Las Vegas and has pushed 1B David Cooper into a reserve/DH role.

Low A Lansing

SP Diego Rodriguez (8th Round, 248th Overall in 2011) was named the Midwestern League Pitcher of the Month for May after going 4-1 with a 1.23 ERA for the Lugnuts.

[ryan008]

2012 Major League Draft Preview

June 14th, 2012

Well it is my favorite time of year again! The 2012 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft is tomorrow and and the Blue Jays are ready to add their new class of players to our minor league system. The Jays scouting and development efforts are starting to pay dividends on thr big club as their top pick 19th overall in 2009 SP James Ryan made his major league debut with the Jays in May and to date is 6-0 with a 2.56 ERA. The Jays are also starting to see some of their other top picks make thier way up the organizational ladder as 1B Ken Phelps (1st Round 19th Overall in 2010) was named the Pacific Coast League Batter of the Month for May. Over the next few seasons we are going to see more and more of the Jays players making an impact at the Major League Level

The 2012 First Year Player Draft is very deep in hitting prospects. Baseball America has published their top 10 Player Rankings for the Draft and eight of the ten are position players. The NCAA College Ranks are well represented with 6 of the top 10 players currently playing in the NCAA College Ranks. The top ranked player for 2012 is RF Cristobal Chavez a 22 yearold righ handed batter with tremendous power out of Oklahoma State University in the NCAA. He is a concensus top 3 pick but the top 3 players in the draft could all go first overall depending on what the team is looking for.

This year the Detroit Tigers will make the first selection in the draft and they will be followed by the Houston Astros, Baltimore Oriolesm Minnesoat Twins and the Oakland Athletics. The Blue Jays will have to wait until the last pick in the first round at #30 overall to make their first selection.

2012 Baseball America Top 10 Ranked Players

1. RF Cristobal Chavez (Oklahoma State University, NCAA)
2. LF Abraham Tanner (Kansas State University, NCAA)
3. LF Wwight Warren (University of Vermount, NCAA)
4. 3B Raul Lara (Norfolk Highschool, USHSBA)
5. SP John Arnip (Lexington Highschool, USHSBA)
6. SP Peter Clark (Washington State University, NCAA)
7. 1B Sean Thompson (Orlando Highschool, USHSBA)
8. 2B Mac Pritchard (Anchorage Highschool, USHSBA)
9. RF Terry Parker (Lousiana Tech University, NCAA)
10. LF Lawrence Williams (University of West Virginia)

Toronto Blue Jays Draft Preview

The Blue Jays hold a single pick in the first round and each subsequent round this year. Toronto will make the first selection at #30th overall. GM Ryan Stewart was asked about the type of player that the Jays are looking at with the 30th overall pick "It is tough to project that deep into the draft as you don't really have a solid picture of just where players are going to go. We have had guys on our draft board that we thought would be availiable in the middle to late second and third rounds and they would end up being selected in the top 10 picks. This year picking so late in the draft our philosophy is to draft the best player availiable. I have a lot of confidance in Jon Lalonde, our director of scouting and his ability to recommend players that fit well into our organization and we will rely on him heavily again this year"

Blue Jays 1st Round Picks

2009 - 1st Round 19th Overall
SP James Ryan
Ryan is just 22 years old but he burst onto the Major League scene this year after an injury to SP David Purcey. He was 5-0 in AAA Las Vegas before he got caled up and after his callup he was 6-0 with a very solid 2.26 ERA. He has tremendous talent and looks like he could be the Jays #1 starter in the near future.

2010 - 1st Round 11th Overall
3B Mark Terry
Terry has developed a little slower than the Jays first thought he would when they drafted him 11th overall out of the University of South Carolina. He has put up some good numbers in AA New Hampshire this season hitting .333 with 3 HR and 10 RBIs but is currently on the disabled lsit for the next 8 weeks with a hamstring injury. He will likely get a callup to AAA Las Vegas before the season is out.

2010 - 1st Round 19th Overall
1B Ken Phelps
Phelps has been terrific for AAA Las Vegas this year hitting .369 with 19 HR and 66 RBIs. He has surpassed 1B David Cooper on the Jays depth chart and will likely make his debut with the Jays at some point this season. The 24 yearold was recently named the Pacific Coast League Batter of the Month for May.

2011 - 1st Round 27th Overall
SP Robert Buchanen
Buchanen was the first pitcher that the Jays have taken with a first round pick and after a very strong season in Auburn of the New York Penn League where he went 5-4 with a 3.86 ERA he was assigned to the AA New Hampshire Fishercats. The 23 yearold completely skipped Lansing and Dunedin and has not been out of place in the Eastern League. He is 6-7 with a 5.17 ERA with 5 4 BB and 90 K's for the Fishercats this season. He is currently on the 15 day disabled list with some shoulder soreness but it is nothing serious and he should be back to the rotation shortly.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Select Anchorage Highschool Star With 30th Overall Pick

June 15th, 2012

The Toronto Blue Jays have wrapped up their 2012 First Year Player Draft today and have added 25 new players to the organization. GM Ryan Stewart and the Jays Director of Scouting John Lalonde would select a total of 9 Highschool kids and 16 players from the NCAA College ranks. They would select 9 pitchers and 16 position players and 2012 was the first year since 2009 that the Jays did not hold more than their standard 25 selections.

For the second straight season the Detroit Tigers finished with the worst record in baseball and they would make the first selection in the draft. This year they selected LF Dwight Warren out of the University of Vermount with the top pick. Warren was rated as the #3 best prospect in Baseball America's pre-draft top 10. He is a front line talent and is very close to being able to make the jump to the majors now. He was a 2012 NCAA Allstar hitting .351 with 18 HR and 49 RBIs. He is defensively soind and can even steal a few bases. The #1 ranked player on Baseball Americas pre draft rankings CF Cristobal Chavez would end up going to Houston with the 2nd overall pick.

Toronto Blue Jays Picks

First Round

Toronto would make their first selection at number 30 overall and they would use that selection to draft 2B Mal Prichard out of Anchorage Highschool in the USHSBA. Pritchard is a 19 yearold switchitter who is a very versatile player. He can play 5 different positions (1B, 2B, 3B, SS and LF) and is very strong with the bat. He had an off year in 2012 hitting just .250 but did manage to hit 8 HR and drive in 23 runs. He suffered a knee injury that limited him to just 34 games in his senior year. He should be back to 100% health by the time the Gulf Coast League season kicks off. He scouts as a starting second baseman and the Jays are hoping that he can bounce back from his injury.

Second Round

With theis only pick in the second round the Jays selected SP John Anderson out of Yale University at number 75th overall. Anderson is a very talented lefty with a heavy fastball in the 97-99 MPH range and compliments it with a good curveball, slider and splitter. He had a very good season for Yale in 2012 posting a 9-1 record with a 1.47 ERA and walked just 9 batters while striking out 100. He was an NCAA Allstar in 2012 and was a finalist for the NCAA Pitcher of the Year Award. He scouts as a front of the the rotation starter and the Jays think he has the potential to be a #2 starter at the big league level. He was also assigned to the GCL Blue Jays.

Third Round

With the 105th overall selection the Jays dipped back into the USHSBA pool selecting switch hitting CF Pat Thomas out of Pine Knot Hiss Highschool. Thomas is a tremendously speedy athlete who could steal 60 bases in a major league season. He has little to no power but has a very good bat and a strong eye at the plate. He hit .309 with 0 HR and drove in 15 Runs. He managed to score 37 Runs himself and went 22-24 in stolen base attempts. He is very raw and will likely spend a few seasons in the low minors before advancing up the Jays minor league ladder. If he ever makes it to the Majors he will make an excellent leadoff hitter.

Fourth Round

In the fourth round the Jays selected another NCAA College pitcher drafting SP Mack Boyle with the 135th overall pick. Boyle was 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA with 4 BB and 71 K's for UCLA. Boyle is a hard throwing righty with a fastball in the 95-97 MPH range but he only throws two pitches, a fastball and a sinker. Both are very strong pitches but it may not be enough of an arsenal to stick as a starter. He will be headed to the GCL Blue Jays as a starter but we see him as more of a Middle Reliever or Closer at the Major League level.

Fifth Round

In the fifth round the Jays selected another NCAA College arm taking SP Rich Fowler out of the University of San Francisco. Fowler is another hard throwing addition to the Jays stable of young starting pitchers. His fastball topps out in the 97-99 MPH range. He also throws a plus curveball and a sinker that needs a ton of work to become at least MLB average. He was just 4-4 with a 2.50 ERA with 9 BB and 73 K's for the Dons this year. He may be better suited as a reliever or closer as he progresses up the minor leagues but he will get a chance to start in the GCL.

Blue Jays Picks Rounds 6 - 25

6. SS RIcardo Santos (University of Ohio, NCAA)
7. 1B Francisco Martinez (Middleville Highschool, USHSBA)
8. 3B Billy Hafer (Aurora Highschool, USHSBA)
9. CF Luis Martinez (Rice University, NCAA)
10. CL Luke Sims (University of Utah, NCAA)
11. CL Rob Doyle (Brown University, NCAA)
12. SP Cheng-ho Xuan (Orlando, Highschool)
13. SP Emory Lee (University of Hawaii, NCAA)
14. SP Manny Holland (UCF, NCAA)
15. 2B Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita Highschool, USHSBA)
16. MR Dan Hines (Purdue University, NCAA)
17. RF Rodrigo Garcia (Plano Highschool, USHSBA)
18. LF Bobby Young (Marshall University, NCAA)
19. C Fred Daniels (University of Minnesota, NCAA)
20. C Ted Boccabella (University of Western Michigan, NCAA)
21. 3B Walt Wilson (University of Toledo, NCAA)
22. CL Robert Infante (Chula Vista Highschool, USHSBA)
23. SS Luis Lara (Anchorage Highschool, USHSBA)
24. SS Al Hoorelbe (Northern Illinois University, NCAA)
25. LF Scott Hughes (Stoney Brook University, NCAA)

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Extend Lead to 13.5 Games in American League East

July 1st, 2012

The 2012 Toronto Blue Jays have exploaded out of the gate and have not looked back. They have posted the best record in baseball to this point in the season with a record of 59-18. They have managed to open up a 13.5 game gap between themselves and the second place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East standings. They Jays biggest suprise of the year so far has to be the emmergence of 22 yearold SP James Ryan. Ryan was called up from AAA Las Vegas in May after SP David Purcey suffered a shoulder injury and was forced onto the disabled list. All Ryan has done is go 8-0 with a 2.56 ERA in 10 starts for the Jays. The 22 yearold rookie has all but cemented his spot in the rotation for the remainder of this year and likely into next season.

June's Hot Players

SP Neftali Feliz - 5-0 3.69 ERA
SP Roy Halladay - 4-0 3.13 ERA
SP James Ryan - 4-0 2.88 ERA
LF Adam Lind - .374 11 HR 39 RBI
3B Mike Moustakas - .358 8 HR 23 RBI
C J.P. Arencibia - .356 5 HR 27 RBI
RF Alex Rios - .353 4 HR 19 RBI
1B Justin Smoak - .317 7 HR 27 RBI

June's Cold Players

SP Dustin McGowan - 1-3 4.75 ERA
SS Justin Jackson - .189 0 HR 9 RBI
2B Joe Inglett - .143 1 HR 1 RBI

June News & Transactions

Awards

Majors

LF Adam Lind was named the American League Batter of the Month for June after hitting .374 with 11 HR and driving in 39 runs.

AAA Las Vegas

1B David Cooper was named the Pacific Coast League Batter of the Month after hitting .337 with 8 HR and 25 RBIS.

Low A Lansing

1B Yoichibei Baba was named the Midwestern League Batter of the Month after hitting .381 with 7 HR and driving in 22 runs.

[ryan008]

Injuries Hit Jays Hard - Still Holding on to 12.5 Game Lead

August 1st, 2012

The month of July was not a kind one to the Jays in terms of injuries. After an injury free month of June the Jays were forced to place four of their starters on the disabled list with long term injuries. Toronto will be without the services of SP Brett Cecil, 1B Justin Smoak, DH Travis Snider and 3B Mike Moustakas for most of the remainder of the season. Moustakas and Cecil are likely done for the year unless the Jays go deep into the post season, Somak should be able to return in about a months time.

Despite all of the injuries the Jays were still able to maintain their lead in the American League East. The Jays record of 74-28 puts them 12.5 games ahed of the second place and wild card leading Tampa Bay Rays.

July's Hot Players

SP Roy Halladay - 3-0 3.12 ERA
SP James Ryan - 2-1 3.58 ERA
LF Adam Lind - .337 5 HR 17 RBI
RF Alex Rios - .327 4 HR 17 RBI
C J.P. Arencibia - .286 4 HR 19 RBI

July's Cold Players

SP Neftali Feliz - 1-3 5.52 ERA
2B Joe Inglett - .186 0 HR 0 RBI
C Matthew Liuzza - .184 1 HR 1 RBI

July News & Transactions

Injuries

The Jays would see four of their regulars suffer long term injuries in the month of July and were forced to place 3B Mike Moustakas, 1B Justin Smoak, DH Travis Snider and SP Brett Cecil on the disabled list.

3B Mike Moustakas will miss the next 8 months with a pinched nerve in his neck. He was hitting .333 with 28 HR and 92 RBIs at the time of the injury and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. SS Luis Sanchez who was hitting .189 with 1 HR and 25 RBI for AAA Las Vegas was added to the 40 man roster and recalled from AAA.

1B Justin Smoak suffered a fractured foot and is expected to miss the next 3-4 weeks. He was hitting .315 with 22 HR and 70 RBIs and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The Jays recalled 1B Ken Phelps from AAA Las Vegas. Phelps is hitting .363 with 21 HR and 76 RBIs for the 51's this season.

SP Brett Cecil will be lost for the next 2-3 months with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Cecil was 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA at the time of his injury and was placed on the 15 day disabled lsit. SP Madison Baumgarner who is 5-8 with a 4.43 ERA with AAA Las Vegas was recalled to take his spot in the rotation.

Finally the Jays will be without the services of LF Travis Snider for the next 3 months after he suffered a fractured wrist while attempting to make a defensive play. Snider is hitting .301 with 23 HR and driving in 79 Runs so far. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and 1B David Cooper was recalled from AAA Las Vegas to take his spot on the roster. Cooper is hitting .310 with 25 HR and 75 RBIs for the 51's this year.

2012 MLB Allstar Game

Once again the Jays were well represented at the Allstar game. Toronto had 5 players chosen to play for the American League and three of them will be starters. SP Roy Halladay will get the nod as the starter for the AL, C J.P. Arencibia will be the starting catcher and LF Adam Lind will start in LF. Also joining the team as reserves are CL Hong-Chih Kuo and RF Alex Rios.

The game itself was not a good one for the Jays players as the National League would come away with a 6-2 victory. SP Roy Halladay would go 2.0 innings allowing 2 runs on 2 hits wuth 3 strikeouts and would take the loss. C J.P. Arencibia was 2-4 with a double and an RBI and LF Adam Lind was 0-3 with 3 K's. RF Alex Rios was 0-1 and CL Hong-Chih Kuo did not see action.

Awards

Low A Lansing

SP Ed Webster (5th Round Pick 153rd Overall in 2010) was named the Pitcher of the Month in the Midwestern League after going 5-0 with a 0.62 ERA.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Trade Center 2012

July 31st, 2012

GM Ryan Stewart was approached by a number of teams about the availibility of 1B David Cooper who was recently called up from AAA Las Vegas. Cooper was once the top prospect in the Jays system but has fallen down the depth chart with the emergence of 1B Ken Phelps, the Jays 1st Round pick 19th overall in 2010.

At the deadline the Jays would ship Cooper to the the Cleveland Indians for a pair of players in 2B Carlos Hernandez and CL Ulisses Perfeito.

GM Ryan Stewart on the deal "We really only have a single hole that I really wanted to plug and that is at second base. We have 2B Aaron Hill playing there now and he is in the last year of his contract and we don't intend on bringing him back at over $8 million a year salary. Our other inhouse options are just not adequate so we needed to make this deal"

The Indians get 25 yearold 1B David Cooper who has had a very good season with AAA Las Vegas hitting .310 with 10 HR and 75 RBIs. He is a very good player but with 1B Justin Smoak and 1B Ken Phelps blocking his path to the majors he wasn't going to get a shot with the Jays.

Coming over to the Jays is 21 yearold 2B Carlos Hernandez. He was a 2nd round pick 69th overall by the Indians in 2010 out of Keewatin Highschool and has spent the entire season with the Indians but is hitting just .227 with 0 HR and 1 RBI. He scouts as an everyday secondbaseman but the Jays are goign to allow him to finish the season in AAA Las Vegas before he gets a shot in Spring Training next season.

Toronto also gets 21 yearold rightander CL Ulisses Perfeito. He was a 21st Round Pick 624th overall in 2011 by the Indians out of Pine Knott Highschool. He has a very good arm and his fastball can tough 97-99 MPH. He spent the entire season in the Indians Short Season A Team and was 0-0 with 2 SV and a 2.25 ERA. He was assigned to Auburn of the New York Penn League.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Lead Now 16.5 Games - But Lose Lind for the Season

September 1st, 2012

The Blue Jays injury woes continued in August as they learned that they would be without their best hitter for the remainder of the season as well as the post season. LF Adam Lind suffered a herniated disk in his back and will miss the next 8 months. He should be ready to go for Spring Training 2013, but his injury will leave a big hole in the Jays offence for the remainder of the season and into the post season.

Despite all of their injuries the Jays have shown some remarkable depth and continue to put distance between themselves and the second place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. Toronto's record of 88-40 is the best in baseball and they sit atop the American League East leading the Rays by 16.5 games. With just over a month left in the season the Jays are hoping that they can hold onto top spot and they will limp into the post season. It is not going to be easy without a number of their top players not scheduled to return this season.

August's Hot Players

SP Neftali Feliz - 3-0 2.87 ERA
SP James Ryan - 3-0 3.48 ERA
SS Carlos Triunfel - .326 1 HR 12 RBI
1B Ken Phelps - .324 7 HR 20 RBI
1B Justin Smoak - .324 7 HR 19 RBI
C J.P. Arencibia - .315 9 HR 23 RBI

August's Cold Players

SP Madison Baumgarner - 1-3 7.30 ERA
SP Dustin McGowan - 1-2 6.46 ERA
2B Bradely Emaus - .239 0 HR 1 RBI

August News & Transactions

Injuries

Toronto will be without their best hitter for the remainder of the season as LF Adam Lind suffered a herniated disk in his back and will miss the next 8 months. Lind was hitting .359 with 35 HR and 113 RBIs at the time of the injury. He was placed on the 15 Day Disabled list and barring any setbacks will return for Spting Training 2013. The Jays have recalled LF Alastair Parry who is hitting .332 with 4 HR and 32 RBIs for AAA Las Vegas this year. Parry was a former 3rd round pick in 2010 out of Fresno State university by the Kansas City Royals and was traded to the Jays in 2011. He will be making his Major League debut with the Jays this month.

Minor League Awards

High A Dunedin

1B Dave Cantrell (23rd Round 679th Overall in 2009) was named the Florida State League Batter of the Month in August after hitting .353 with 2 HR and 15 RBI.

Short Season A Auburn

LF Alfredo Rivera (1st Round (Supplemental Pick) 33rd Overall in 2011) was named the New York Penn League Batter of the Month for August after hitting .367 with 1 HR and 22 RBI.

September Callups

The Jays have had to dip into their farm system quite a few times this season already. They have been forced to callup SP James Ryan, LF Alastair Parry, 1B Ken Phelps and CL Frank Pena all were scheduled to be called up for a look in September. The Jays did bring a few new faces up for a look in September though:

C Chris House - .319 0 HR 10 RBI
2B Carlos Hernandez - .232 5 HR 24 RBI
MR Alan Farina - 6-2 3 SV 4.26 ERA

*All stats are with AAA Las Vegas

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Finish 2012 115-47

October 3rd, 2012

The 2012 Toronto Blue Jays have managed to set a new franchise record for wins in a season. They topped their previous high of 108 set in 2011 with a new record of 115 in 2012. The Jays have the best record in baseball and ran away with the American League East finishing a whopping 22 games ahead of the 2nd place Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa did run into some injury trouble down the streach as they lost their top two starters SP Scott Kazmir and SP David Price for most of August. The Rays finished 3 games back of the Detroit Tigers for the American League Wild Card.

Toronto heads in to the post season for the third consecutive season and is looking to defend their 2011 World Series Title. They will start their attempt at a repeat against the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series. The other division championship series will feature the Los Angeles Angels facing the Kansas City Royals and in the National League the Colorado Rockies will tackle Philedelphia and the Florida Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers will square off.

The Jays are going to be in tough against a good Detroit team, especially since they will be without 3B Mike Moustakas, LF Adam Lind, LF Travis Snider and SP Brett Cecil for the entire playoffs. Toronto is hoping that some of their young players can step in and carry the load. 1B Ken Phelps, SP James Ryan, LF Alastair Parry and 2B Carlos Hernandez will all be making their post season debuts for the Jays.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Sweep Tigers in ALDS

The Jays have advanced one step closer to defending their 2011 World Series crown by sweeping the Detroit Tigers in 3 straight games. (Note: I lost my pages that I recorded all of my recaps on so these won't be as detailed unfortunately)

The Jays will now face the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Hammered by Kansas City - Swept in 4 Games

The Jays will have to wait until the 2013 season to attempt to win another World Series. Toronto was destroyed by the hard hitting Royals who managed to score 38 runs in 4 games and hold the Jays to just 12 runs scored. The Jays biggest problem was with SP Zach Grinke who shut the Jays out twice tossing complete games in games #1 and #4 and allowing a combined 8 hits in the two games. The Jays pitchers on the otehr hand were lit up. 3B Alex Gordon would hit 6 homeruns in the 4 games and would drive in 14 runs. The loss will likely result in some major changes bwing made in the offseason.

The Kansas City Royals would go on to capture the 2012 World Series by defeating the National Leage Champion Philedelphi Philles 4 games to 2.