The Fictional Toronto Blue Jays

[ryan008]

All right. The simming is over and the Jays are once again ready to take flight. The league totals look much better this time around as the league average ERA was not under 3 and the leaders in RBIs did not have only 89 for an entire season.

So I thought I would start off with a little bit of the league history before we get into the day-to-day operation on the Blue Jays.

League History - Past Champions



No one team has been super dominant in eather league. the Boston Red Sox made back to back World Series appearances in 2001 and 2002 but lost both times. They were back in the 2007 World Series but once again lost. The Blue Jays made their one and only appearance in the 1978 World Series in which they defeated the San Diego Padres for their only title in team history.

League History - Single Season Pitching & Batting Records





League History - Hall of Famers

There have been a number of great players who have played this game. These 6 are all in the Hall of Fame and are arguably the best of the best and are the closest thing to legends for this league.


3B Dennis Ray
Career Stats: 2822 Games 2923 Hits 710 HR 2000 RBI .284 BA
Ray was the 1980 Rookie of the Year in the National League after being drafted in the 13th Round in the 1979 Draft. He would go on to be a 10 time Allstar, 2 Time Gold Glove Winner and a 3 time MVP. He is the Career leader in homeruns and RBIs. He retired in 2000 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.


RF Bronson Moy
Career Stats: 2785 Games 2790 Hits 610 HR 1681 RBI .281 BA
Moy was the 1st Overall Selection in the 1981 Draft and would be the 1984 NL Rookie of the Year. He spent most of his career with Arizona where he was an 8 time Allstar, 4 time Gold Glove Winner and a 3 Time MVP. He retired in 2004 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.


3B Doug Jackson
Career Stats: 3183 Games 3760 Hits 529 HR 1786 RBI .300 BA
Jackson was selected in the 2nd Round 33rd overall in the 1978 First Year Player Draft. He is the career leader in hits and leads in that category by nearly 700. He was a 10 time Allstar, 9 time Gold Glove Winner, 6 time MVP and was the 1981 Rookie of the Year. He retired in 2002 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as arguably the best player to ever play the game.


SP Angel Fernandez
Career Stats: 331-185 3.57 ERA 4479 K
Fernandez was a first round pick 24th overall in 1985 by Cleveland. he would spend his entire 19 year Career with the Indians. He is the career leader in wins and strikeouts and was a 7 time Allstar. He retired in 2006 and was elected to the Hall of Fame.


SP Mark King
Career Stats: 327-221 3.57 ERA 4100 K
King was a 16th Round Pick 466th Overall in 1979 by Cleveland and combined with SP Angel Fernandez to form one of the most dominant pitching duos in history. King was a 5 time Cy Young Award Winner, 11 time Allstar and a 2 time Gold Glove Award Winner. He spent his entire 21 year career with the Indians and retired and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2005.


CL Pete Clark
Career Stats: 76-91 559 Saves 2.48 ERA 1351 K
Clark was a 13th Round Pick 370th Overall by the Phillies in 1978. He would go on to be a 9 time Allstar after being traded to the Diamondbacks in 1983. His 559 saves are the most on the career leader boardand he ranks as one of the best closers of all time. He retired in 1998 after suffering an arm injury and was elected into the Hall of Fame.

Well those are some of the greats of the game. There are others in the Hall but these 6 players represent the best from the first 20 years of the Dynasty.

Up Next: An Introduction to the Toronto Blue Jays.

[ryan008]

The Toronto Blue Jays - History

The Jays have been a fairly successful club making the playoffs 13 times in 20 seasons but have only managed a single World Series Title. The Jays defeated the San Diego Padres in 1978 to capture their only World Series Title and have not made it back to the World Series since. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2006 where they finished 2nd in the East and won the Wild Card. They were swept by the Red Sox in the first round and failed to qualify for the post season in 2007 dropping to 4th place in the division.



The 2007 Season was a dissapointment for the Jays as they finished in 4th Place in the American League East division with a record of 89-73 but could not make it back to the playoffs. The Jays even had the 3rd highest payroll in all of baseball at $144,742,000 behind only the Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. Despite the winning record the Jays still lost nearly $28 million dollars and management decided that it was time for a change. They fired GM Rich Schmidt and hired 27 yearold GM Ryan Stewart to help not only lower the payroll but to bring the franchise back to respectability.

GM Ryan Stewart "there is a lot of talent on this club and it is a shame that they continue to put a good product on the field but just can't seem to get over the hump. We are going to evaluate the entire organization over the next few days and right now no ones job is safe. We are going to go out and get the best personnel that are committed to helping us win from the Rookie Leagues to AAA as well as the scouting department and the Major League Staff"

Up Next: The 2008 Blue Jays - Part 1 - Starting Pitchers

[ryan008]

I am going to break down my roster into 3 parts and do a preview of each to give a proper introduction to the Jays. This is part 1 and it will focus on the Starting Pitchers. Part 2 will concentrate on the Bullpen and part 3 on the position players.

2008 Blue Jays - Starting Pitchers


SP Carlos Avila
33 years old, LHP, Velocity: 92-94 MPH
1st Round Pick 13th Overall in 1994 by Toronto.
2007 Stats: 18-10 3.39 ERA 57 BB 289 K
Contract: 1 year $13,980,000
GM's Comments: He is the Ace of the Jays staff without question. He is the Jays Franchise leader in victories with 188. Avila has spent his entire career with the Jays and would like to finish in Toronto. He is in the last year of his contract and is eligiable to become a free agent. He could be a very valuable trade chip but I would really like him to stay and retire as a Jay.


SP George Mitchell
27 years old, LHP, Velocity: 96-98 MPH
1st Round Pick 26th Overall in 2000 by Texas. Traded to Toronto in 2007.
2007 Stats: 17-15 4.08 ERA 51 BB 197 K (with Baltimore)
Contract: 1 year $4,115,400
GM's Comments: Mitchell is a 2 time Allstar with the Orioles and is going to make his debut with the Jays this year after an offseason trade. He has great stuff and has put up good numbers for the Orioles and will look to continue his success in Toronto. He is signed for this year and than is eligiable to become a free agent. He is another valuable pitcher that could bring a significant return should he be traded.


SP Jose Salcido
27 years old, LHP, Velocity: 92-94 MPH
3rd Round Pick 86th Overall in 2000 by Texas. Traded to Toronto in 2006.
2007 Stats: 12-13 4.13 ERA 59 BB 155 K
Contract: 3 years $3,360,000/year
GM's Comments: Salcido has a good arm and good stuff he just can't seem to get it all together. He could be a #2 starter but is mired as a #3 right now because of his inconsistency. He is a cheep option for a #3 and is still young. he should be a Jay for a while.


SP Charlie Baker
37 years old, LHP, Velocity: 88-90 MPH
7th Round Pick 210 Overall by the Dodgers in 1989. Traded to Toronto in 2005.
2007 Stats: 13-14 4.55 ERA 68 BB 158 K
Contract: 1 yr $8,210,000
GM's Comments: Baker is a shell of his former self. He was once a 20 game winner for the Giants before a number of serious arm problems killed his potential ratings. He is making a ton of money this year and there really isn't anything that I can do to move him. I doubt anyone is going to want to take on that kind of salary.


SP Suezo Ueda
24 years old, RHP, Velocity: 94-96 MPH
2nd Round Pick 48th Overall by Washington in 2002. Traded to Toronto in 2006.
2007 Stats: 6-11 5.67 ERA
Contract: $350,000 Auto Renewal
GM's Comments: The youngest pitcher on my staff. He has pretty good stuff and control and should make a very good #5 starter. He will likely never win 20 games but should go out there and eat some innings.

Top Prospects:

The Jays system is very barren of pitching prospects. The only two players that even resemble top flight talent are SP Irving Spotts a 21 yearold righty in AA and SP Yo****oki Uchida a 25 yearold lefty in AAA. Neither projects as a top flight starter. This is an area that I will definately be addressing in the next few seasons. You cannot sustain an organization without having young arms to step in when veterans leave or go down with injuries.

Overall Thoughts:

This is not a bad pitching staff. My #1 and #2 starters are very solid and #3 is no slouch either. I don't like paying $8 million a season to a #4 who is declining quickly but there really isn't much I can do and he is off the books after this year anyway. I think I am most dissapointed with the fact that there are virtually no prospects in the minors. It is going to take at least 5 years of drafting to restock the minors properly. Hopefully there are a few more hitting prospects down there.

[toxicavenger74]

Great names

Alfonso Alfonso

Ken Numbers

Marty Hackworth....League leader in walks.

[ryan008]

Originally Posted by toxicavenger74

Great names

Alfonso Alfonso

Ken Numbers

Marty Hackworth....League leader in walks.

Yeah. i am glad someone else noticed that. i had a little chuckle about Marty Hackworth myself!

[ryan008]

The Jays bullpen is one of the strongest in the league and consequently it is also one of the most expensive.

Part 2 - The Bullpen


MR Mike Jacobs
33 years old, LHP, Velocity: 98-100 MPH
19th round Pick 558th overall in 1993 by Los Angeles Dodgers. Signed with Toronto as a free agent in 2007.
2007 Stats: 1-1 7 SV 2.09 ERA 13 BB 102 K
Contract: 2 years $10,300,000
GM's Comment: He is one of the best relievers in the league but has a huge price tag. He was the primary set up man last year and unless I can trade him he will return in that role.


MR Joe Maloney
31 years old, RHP, Velocity: 99-101 MPH
18th round Pick 538th overall in 1999 by Toronto.
2007 Stats: 2-5 1 SV 4.28 ERA 32 BB 89 K
Contract: 1 year $2,350,000
GM's Comment: He has a tremendous arm and could be a closer. He was the righthanded setup man last seasona and is still relatively cheep. He will likely stick with Toronto and I will try and get him to sign an extension.


MR Tom Maxwell
28 years old, RHP, Velocity: 93-95 MPH
20th round Pick 578th overall in 1998 by San Diego. Traded to Toronto in 2004.
2007 Stats: 1-1 3.38 ERA 10 BB 33 K
Contract: 1 year $2,270,000
GM's Comment: Another good arm in that pen. The old GM sure did a good job putting together a very good bullpen. Maxwell should stick around for a while depending on how much he will be looking for in an extension. He is also aver attractive trade piece and meay be shopped before the reqular season.


MR Juan Morales
29 years old, RHP, Velocity: 95-97 MPH
19th round Pick 564th overall in 1998 by San Diego. Traded to Toronto in 2004.
2007 Stats: 5-4 6 SV 2.37 ERA 24 BB 86 K
Contract: 3 years $17,360,000
GM's Comment: He is in the first year of a 3 year deal that will pay his over $17 million dollars. He is a good arm but I think he is making too much money for the innings he will pitch. He will likely be traded at some pint this season.


MR Jack Thomas
29 years old, RHP, Velocity: 98-100 MPH
19th round Pick 555th overall in 1999 by the Cubs. Traded to Toronto in 2004.
2007 Stats: 8-2 2 SV 2.40 ERA 36 BB 138 K
Contract: 1 years $2,624,000
GM's Comment: Thomas is another very hard thrower out of the Jays pen. He is still inexpensive at just over $2 million but is due for an extension. If he is demmanding too much in terms of a salary I will look to move him.


CL Martin Hood
28 years old, LHP, Velocity: 94-96 MPH
22nd Round Pick 639th Overall in 2001 by Toronto.
2007 Stats: 4-5 33 SV 2.40 ERA 12 BB 82 K
Contract: 2 years $4,290,000
GM's Comment: Hood is one of the best closers in the American League. he lead the league in 2006 in saves with 47. At only $4 million over the next two years he is still inexpensive and I would love to keep him a Jay long term.

GM's Comments:

The bullpen is just way too expensive. Currently we have almost $28 million dollars tied up in 6 players. This is totally unacceptable and I will definately be looking to reduce this by around half for the upcomming season.

Top Prospects:

Absolutely nothing. I don't have a singe reliever or closer rated higher that 1.5 stars in my entire minor league system. It is no wonder the old GM needed to go out an either trade for players or sign them to overpriced free agent contracts. This will definately be addressed in the next few Amature Drafts.

[ryan008]

I was going to profile my entire team including the bench players but they really suck and I doubt any of them will be on the team come March when spring training opens up. So I am only going to give an overview of the starting position players and just before the regular season starts the rest of the bench players will be revealed.

Part 3 - The Position players


C Mike Murphy
32 years old, RHB
8th Round Pick 222nd overall by Philedelphia in 1995. Signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent in 2005.
2007 Stats: .265 10 HR 54 RBI
Contract: 2 years $19,740,000/year
GM's Comments: the highest paid player on the roster and he only hit .265 last year. If I can trade him he is gone this year he is just making way too much money for little production.


DH Jose Alvarez
25 years old, RHB
4th Round Pick 95th overall by Milwaukee in 2002. Signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent in 2007.
2007 Stats: .309 26 HR 104 RBI (with AA New Hampshire)
Contract: Minor League Contrace
GM's Comments: He is the backup catcher right now but will likely be the opening day DH if I can't trade Mike Murphy. He has some good offensive attributes but is below average defensively and does not run well at all.


1B Edwin McCarthy
33 years old, RHB
17th Round Pick 485th overall by Seattle in 1993. Traded to Toronto in 2006.
2007 Stats: .261 27 HR 91 RBI
Contract: 1 year $840,000
GM's Comments: He give a lot of production at 1B for a very low price tag. his 27 homeruns and 91 RBI's were second on the team. I will likely try and sign him to an extension if he can keep up his production. Defensively he is one of the best 1B in the American League.


2B Brandon Swain
28 years old, LHB
10th Round Pick 297th overall by Toronto in 2002.
2007 Stats: .280 8 HR 66 RBI
Contract: $350,000 Auto Renewal
GM's Comments: A very good secondbaseman. he won't hit for a lot of homeruns but he has the potential to be a .300 hitter. He was injured for part of 2007 and is fully healed and ready to go for 2008.


3B Kunimichi Tsuji
27 years old, RHB
3rd Round Pick 81st overall by Toronto in 2000.
2007 Stats: .260 26 HR 83 RBI
Contract: $350,000 Auto Renewal
GM's Comments: He had a breakout season in 2007 belting 26 Homeruns. He has tremendous talent but tends to strikeout a lot. He is not the best defensive 3B but will hold his own. he will likely be a Jay for quite some time.


SS Rafael Lopez
34 years old, LHB
14th Round Pick 410th Overall in 1992 by San Francisco. Claimed off waivers by Toronto in 2006.
2007 Stats: .271 0 HR 25 RBI
Contract: 1 year $700,000
GM's Comments: He has really taken a nose dive interms of talent and production. He was a .300 hitter for a number of season before he came to Toronto and now he is barely good enough to be a backup. This is a major hole that needs to be addressed and I will be looking at the options availiable this offseason.


LF Junior Rigsby
24 years old, RHB
1st Round Pick 2nd overall by Toronto in 2002.
2007 Stats: .261 8 HR 42 RBI
Contract: $350,000 Auto Renewal
GM's Comments: Perhaps the brighest young star on the Jays roster. Rigsby has the potential to be a perrenial Allstar in the League. He had a respectable rookie campaign and will look to imprpve upon it in 2008.


CF Todd Wall
29 years old, LHB
2nd Round Pick 40th Overall in 1998 by San Francisco. Traded to Toronto in 2004.
2007 Stats: .265 16 HR 62 RBI
Contract: 1 year $1,656,000
GM's Comments: A good left fielder and fairly cheep. He is a free agent at the end of this year and we would like to resign him. He will not hit many homeruns but is defensively sound and should hit for a good average and steal some bases.


RF Chuck Perkins
32 years old, LHB
1st Round Pick 13th Overall by the Mets in 1995. Signed as a minor league freeagent in 2005.
2007 Stats: .316 47 HR 120 RBI
Contract: 2 years $2,2940,000/year
GM's Comments: Easily the best player on the Jays. He lead the team in most offensive categories and was an Allstar in 2007. He is very cheep at just $2 million for that kind of production and is not going anywhere for a while.

GM's Comments

Not a bad offence but there are a few glaring holes to fil. I am hoping that by trading some of my excess bullpen arms I can plug a few holes in the offence. The good thing about the Jays is that I don't think the team requires a complete overhall (well the minor league system does), just sme tweaking and smart drafting over the next few seasons and this team could be ready to compete very soon.

Top Prospects

Toronto has a few middle of the road prospects but as of January 2008 they have no one ranked in Baseball Americas Top 100 list. So once again an area to address in the next fe drafts.

[ryan008]

The Toronto Blue Jays and new GM Ryan Stewart had a very busy cople of months leading up to the start of the 2008 season. The new GM pretty much cleaned house and fired all of the teams minor league staff from AAA down to rookie ball and hired a new one. He also fired everyone on the major league staff except his head scout and the team doctor.

GM Ryan Stewart on the firings "We are trying to instill a methodology of winning at every level in are organization. When we draft a 19 yearold kid and send him to rookie ball we want him to get the same level of coaching that our players on the major league roster get. If we can get our philosophy into our players early it allows us more options down the line when it comes to player decisions"

__________________________________________________ ____________

Jays - Yankees Complete Swap

GM Ryan Stewart also made his first trade as the Jays General Manager sending MR Mike Jacobs to the New York Yankees for a pair of minor league pitchers in SP William Baldwin and SP Magobei Kitamuna.

GM Ryan Stewart on the trade "It was no secret that Jacobs wants to close and play a more major role on a team and he was not going to get the chance on the Jays. He had asked for a trade about a week after I took over and we finally were able to work out a deal that we believe is fair value for him"

The Jays will get SP William Baldwin a former Yankee 1st Round Pick 27th Overall in 2005 and has a ton of potential. He has a good fastball that tops out at 94-96 MPH and has very good control. At 21 years old he was already pitching for the Yankees AAA team in Scranton where he was 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 9 starts. He scouts as a top of the rotation starter and could see time with the Jays very soon.

Toronto will also receive another talented young pitcher in SP Magobei Kitamura. Kitamura was a 3rd Round Pick 89th Overall in 2005 by the Yankees. He is a 22 yearold with a lively fastball that tops out at 94-96 MPH. He does not have the command that SP William Baldwin possesses but scouts as a #3 or #4 starter at the big league level. He was also pitching for AAA Scranton in 2007 where he was 4-2 with a 3.61 ERA.

Both Pitchers were assigned to AAA Syracuse for the Upcomming season but will be in Training Camp so that GM Ryan Stewart can have a good look at two of the top prospects in his system.

__________________________________________________ ____________

Jays Claim Veteran Starter from the Red Sox

GM Ryan Stewart announced that the Blue Jays have claimed SP Ricardo Ramos off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Ramos is a 27 yearold Righty who has a very good arm. His fastball has been rated at 92-94 MPH. He spent all of the 2007 season with the Red Sox going 11-16 with a 5.62 ERA 89 BB and 183 K. The former 3rd Round Pick will be the #4 starter for the Jays this year and SP Suezo Ueda will move from the rotation to the bullpen to fill the void created when MR Mike Jacobs was traded to the Yankees.

__________________________________________________ ____________

Former Jay Signs $48,000,000 Deal With Mariners

Former Toronto Blue Jay CF Alejandro Bruno signed a 4 year $48,990,000 contract with the Seattle Mariners. Bruno hit .230 with 26 HR and 76 RBI for the Jays in 2007 but was not offered a contract before GM Ryan Stewart took over in January.

The Commissioner's office announced that the Jays will receive Seattles 1st Round Draft Pick in the 2008 First Year Player Draft as compensation for the signing.
__________________________________________________ ____________

Blue Jays Roster Set - Headed to Texas to Face the Rangers on Opening Day

The Toronto Blue Jays have completed Spring Training and the 25 men who will comprise the Jays team will pack their bags and head to Arlington Texas where they open up the 2008 Season with a 4 game set against the Texas Rangers.

The suprise of Spring Traing was the play of SP William Baldwin who was aquired from the Yankees in the offseason. The 22 yearold went 5-0 in the Spring and almost earned himself a spot on the roster. GM Ryan Stewart "We were shocked that he pitched so well in Spring Training. He has a very good arm and was blowing away major league hitters with 26 K's in 18 innings of work. I think you will see this young man in a Jays uniform very soon"

The 2008 Toronto Blue Jays

Starting Pitchers


SP Carlos Avila - 18-10 3.39 ERA


SP George Mitchell - 17-15 4.08 ERA (with Baltimore)


SP Jorge Salcido 12-13 4.13 ERA


SP Ricardo Ramos - 11-16 5.62 ERA (with Boston)


SP Charles Barker - 13-14 4.55 ERA

The Bullpen


MR Tom Maxwell - 1-1 3.83 ERA


MR/SP Suezo Ueda - 6-11 5.67 ERA


MR Joe Maloney - 2-5 1 SV 4.28 ERA


MR Juan Morales - 5-4 6 SV 2.37 ERA


MR Jack Thomas - 8-2 2 SV 3.04 ERA


CL Martin Hood - 4-5 33 SV 2.40 ERA

Position Players - Starters


C Mike Murphy - .261 10 HR 54 RBI


1B Edwin McCarthy - .261 27 HR 91 RBI


2B Brandon Swain - .280 8 HR 66 RBI


3B Kunimichi Tsuji - .260 26 HR 83 RBI


SS Rafael Lopez - .271 0 HR 25 RBI


LF Junior Rigsby - .261 8 HR 42 RBI


CF Todd Wall - .265 16 HR 62 RBI


RF Chuck Perkins - .316 47 HR 120 RBI

The Bench


C Jose Alvarez - .309 26 HR 104 RBI (with AA New Hampshire)


INF Chris Cummings - .294 5 HR 34 RBI (with AAA Syracuse)


INF Michael Beatty - .275 4 HR 29 RBI (with AAA Syracuse)


INF Paco Ruiz - .316 4 HR 44 RBI (with AA New Hampshire)


OF Marty Hackworth - .252 18 HR 52 RBI


OF Tom Nix - .310 17 HR 67 RBI (with AAA Syracuse)

So those are the 2008 Toronto Blue Jays. The First month update is coming up next!

[Terpripken]

I'll be looking forward to reading this. I really like your layout, and wish more dynasty writers would use screenshots in their stories.

[ryan008]

Originally Posted by Terpripken

I'll be looking forward to reading this. I really like your layout, and wish more dynasty writers would use screenshots in their stories.

Thanks, I am glad that you are enjoying it. I like the screen shots. it makes the players come to life more.

[ryan008]

May 1st, 2008

The Toronto Blue Jays were hoping to get off to a good start for their new GM, but they struggled in April to a record of 7-14 and are currently sitting in 4th Place in the American League East. Toronto is 8 games back of the first Place Yankees, 4 back of 3rd Place Boston and 5.5 back of the second place Tampa Bay Rays.

GM Ryan Stewart spoke about his teams performance in April "We were hoping for a little better result in the first month but we are still trying to get a feel for this team and the direction that we think we are heading. I think we will wait a couple of months before we start to panic it is still early"

April Notable performances

SP Carlos Avila - 2-2 2.02 ERA
SP Ricardo Ramos - 2-1 3.12 ERA
SP George Mitchell - 0-4 6.12 ERA
C Mike Murphy - .286 3 HR 10 RBI
2B Brandon Swain - .263 0 HR 5 RBI
LF Junior Rigsby - .200 2 HR 3 RBI

April News & Transactions

Nothing to report yet.

[ryan008]

June 1st, 2008

The Toronto Blue Jays played much better baseball in May and managed to get within 6 games of .500. Toronto went 15-14 in May and improved to 22-28 overall. Despite the fact that the Jays posted a winning record they still lost ground in the American League East Division as they are now 11 games back of the first place New York Yankees.

The Jays are starting to come around and most people attribute the turaround to the improvement in the pitching staff. In April they were terriable posting an ERA of almost 5 but they seemed to have settled down in May and their ERA has improved to 3.98 and the 5 starters combined for 12 of the teams 15 wins. GM Ryan Stewart was unavailiable to comment as he and his staff were hunkered down at the Rogers Center preparing for the First Year Player Draft.

May Notable Performances

SP Carlos Avila - 3-2 2.29 ERA
SP Jose Salcido - 4-1 2.50 ERA
SP George Mitchell - 3-2 5.31 ERA
LF Junior Rigsby - .377 4 HR 8 RBI
RF Chuck Perkins - .330 4 HR 14 RBI
SS Rafael Lopez - .329 0 HR 10 RBI
2B Brandon Swain - .296 1 HR 14 RBI
1B Edwin McCarthy - .286 7 HR 14 RBI

May News & Transactions

Wow another month with nothing. I can't believe there have been no injuries yet.

[CecilCooper]

How are the 2 young pitchers from the Yankees doing? Anyone else starting off well down on the farm that we might hear from at some point?

[ryan008]

June 1st, 2008

The annual First Year Player Draft was held today and it was a first for the new Blue Jays GM Ryan Stewart. The Jays GM was spotted at the Rogers Center very early today with his Director of Scouting Pierre-Oliver Goyette as they prepare for their first draft together. Toronto will select 12th overall in the first round and will also pick at #24 overall thanks to Seattle siging CF Alejandro Bruno in the offseason. Having two picks in the first round is a great way for the new GM to attempt to build his franchise and affords him a little more leeway in taking a higher risk/higer ceiling player.

The Los Angeles Dodgers held the first overall selection in the draft and used it to select C Jack Minford out of the University of Memphis in the NCAA. Minford was the consensus #1 pick in the draft. He has the potential to be a great catcher in the Majors. At 22 he is already fairly well developed and could move quickly through the Dodgers system.

Blue Jays 2008 Draft - Picks

First Round

GM Ryan Stewart used his first ever selection (12th Overall) to select LF Peter Bridwell out of Norfolk Highschool. Bridwell is a 5 tool prospect with a very high ceiling. He hits for average and power and can spray the ball from gap to gap. He is a very good defensive outfielder with an above average arm and can even steal bases. In 2008 he hit .419 with 4 HR and 24 RBI and was named to the Eastern Highschool Allstar Team. He was assigned to the Jays Rookie League Team in Pulaski for the 2008 season.

With their second selection in the first round at #24th overall GM Ryan Stewart selected SP Robinson Diaz out of the University of Florida in the NCAA. Diaz is a 22 yearold righty with an electric arm. His fastball has been clocled at 98-100 MPH and he has tremendous control. He went 4-5 with a 2.98 ERA with 32 BB and 111 K's for the Gators in 2008. He was assigned to the Auburn Doubledays of the New York Penn League for the Shors Season A league. He is very polished for a 22 yearold and could move up through the system very quickly.

Second Round

In the second round the Jays selected a homegrown talent in 3B Doug Brosseau out of Modesto highschool. Brosseau was born in nearby Timmons, Ontarion before moving to California. He is a very good defensive third baseman and is no slouch with the bat. In 2008 he hit .377 with 7 HR and 28 RBIs to lead his team in almost every offensive category. His was also assigned to Rookie League Pulaski where the Jays would like him to work on his eye at the plate. That is about the only knock against him that he tends to strikeout too much and doesn't really walk very much.

Third Round

Toronto selected another highschool infielder with the 72nd overall selection in the draft taking SS Mathiew Duval out of Muniz Highschool. Duval is a big time power bat as evidanced by his line of .393 with 16 HR and 50 RBIs in 2008. He was named the MVP of the Highschool League in 2008 and was also a Western Conference Allstar. He is a poor defensive shortstop and a move to 3rd or 1st is not out of the question. He was assigned to Rookie League Pulaski.

Fourth Round

With the 102nd overall pick GM Ryan Stewart selected 19 yearold C Luis Morales out of Kansas City Highschool. Moarales scouts as a backup catcher in the Major Leagues because he is only average with the bat. His strength is his defence and his cannon of an arm. If he can get his batting in order he could easily be a starting catcher. He hit .432 with 3 HR and 11 RBI in 2008 and was assigned to Pulaski.

Fifth Round

In the 5th round the Jays selected another shortstop this time taking SS Pepe Munoz out of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County with the 132nd overall pick. Munoz is a defensive wizzard and could be a gold glove short stop on many teams and he has a very strong arm. He is not a power hitter by any means but could hit .300 and steal 30 bases. He was assigned to Auburn and is another prospect that could move quickly through the system. In 2008 he hit .335 with 1 HR and 29 RBIs.

Blue Jays Draft Log - Picks 6 through 25

6. SP Travis Carter - (19, LHP) - Scottsdale Highschool
7. RF Pablo Ramirez - (19, LHB) - Virginia Beach Highschool
8. RF Antonio Flores - (19, RHB) - Raleigh highschool
9. 1B Arturo Flores- (19, S) - Glenn Dale Highschool
10. 3B Jose Benavides - (19, RHB) - Huntsville Highschool
11. RF John Young - (19, LHB) - Burns Highschool
12. 2B Arthur Carson - (22, RHB) - Northwestern University (NCAA)
13. CL Pablo Castaneda - (22, RHP) - Louisiana Tech university (NCAA)
14. SP Doug Snyder - (19, RHP) - Park City Highschool
15. CL Adam Lee - (22, RHP) - Virginai Tech University (NCAA)
16. SP Carlos Moreno - (19, RHP) - Birmingham Highschool
17. LF Raul Soto - (19, LHB) - Birmingham Highschool
18. MR Vincente Torrez - (19, RHP) - Louisville Highschool
19. 3B Gene Osborne - (19, RHB) - Pittsburgh Highschool
20. SS Kyle Bethue - (19, RHB) - Orlando Highschool
21. CF Andrew Sweet - (19, RHB) - Allen Highschool
22. 2B Jason Hampton - (22, RHB) - Fresno State University (NCAA)
23. CF Jeremy McCovey - (19, RHB) - Levanworth Highschool
24. 2B Clifton Carne - (19, RHB) - Palmyra Highschool
25. C Jose Perez - (19, RHP) - Allen Highschool

[ryan008]

Originally Posted by CecilCooper

How are the 2 young pitchers from the Yankees doing? Anyone else starting off well down on the farm that we might hear from at some point?

Thanks for the post.

Actually the two kids from the Yankees are doing very well in AAA.

So far they are:

SP William Baldwin - 5-2 3.65 ERA 8 BB 58 K
SP Magobei Kitamura - 4-1 2.98 ERA 12 BB 76 K

As for other kids down on the farm, there really isn't much but LF Tom Helms is a 22 year old in AAA who is hitting .312 with 3 HR and 40 RBIs. He was a 3rd Round Pick in 2005 by the Jays and could see some time with the Jays in September.

My best prospects are easily the two kids I got from the Yankees. I will definately have them up in September for a look and even though they are young I think they could be in the rotation in 2009.

[ryan008]

July 1st, 2008

The Toronto Blue Jays are still mired in 4th place in the American League East Division trailing the New York Yankees by 11.5 games in the standings and trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by 8 games in the Wild Card Race. Toronto went 11-14 in June and fell to 33-42 overall.

The Jays are going to have some very tough decisions to make in the comming weeks as they fall further and further out of the playoff hunt. Toronto has a number of players who are attracting interest from contending teams. The likes of SP Carlos Avila, C Mike Murphy, SS Rafael Lopez and RF Chuck Perkins are hearing their names in the news quite a bit with all of the trade rumours switling. GM Ryan Stewart was asked about his plans for the team "We don't think that we are completely out of it yet. We also don't want to just dump everyone on the roster and start over that is a long process and we think we have hte core of talent that we can build around. That being said if a good trade comes along we will certainly entertain it"

June Notable Performances

SP Carlos Avila - 2-2 5.30 ERA
SP George Mitchell - 3-2 3.03 ERA
SP Ricardo Ramos - 3-0 3.21 ERA
RF Chuck Perkins - .326 4 HR 20 RBI
2B Brandon Swain - .295 1 HR 12 RBI
1B Edwin McCarthy - .263 7 HR 22 RBI
CF Todd Wall - .253 2 HR 9 RBI

June News & Transactions

Injuries

Well the Jays suffered their first pair of serious injuries in June as two players went down and will miss significant time.

The first to go down was C Jose Alvarez who sufferd a strained MCL and will miss the next 4 weeks. He was hitting .231 with 0 HR and 4 RBI so far this year. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and C Allen Musgrove was recalled from AAA Syracuse. In 2008 Musgrove was hitting .302 with 2 HR and 19 RBI for the Sjychiefs.

The next injury was much more serious as 1B Michael Beatty suffered a herniated disk in his back and it was later revealed that he will miss the next 7 months. In 2008 he was hitting .264 with 1 HR and 10 RBI. 1B Jason White was recalled from AAA to take over the backup duties. White was hitting .256 with 14 HR and 49 RBI in AAA.

Waiver Claim

The Jays also announced that they have claimed 23 yearold 3B Luis Rivas from the Colorado Rockies. In 2008 Rivas was hitting .306 with 6 HR and 23 RBI for AAA Colorado Springs and he is expected to join the Jays in Cleveland. To make room on the 25 man roster the Jays optioned SS Paco Ruiz to AAA Syracuse.

[ryan008]

August 1st, 2008

The Toronto Blue Jays have slid down and settled at the bottom of the American League East division and are trailing the 1st Place New York Yankees by 13.5 games. Toronto is also 12 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Standings.

Toronto boasted a 15-12 record in July and improved to 48-54 overall. Despite their winning record in July the Jays still managed to lose ground in both the American League East and the Wild Card races thanks to great performances by the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.

July Notable Performances

SP George Mitchell - 3-2 4.91 ERA
SP Jose Salcido - 0-4 6.95 ERA
SP Ricardo Ramos - 1-4 5.36 ERA
1B Edwin McCarthy - .352 2 HR 7 RBI
RF Chuck Perkins - .344 6 HR 23 RBI
2B Brandon Swain - .337 0 HR 16 RBI

July News & Transactions

Allstar Game 2008

Not a single Jay was invited to take part in the 2008 Allstar game as the American League ended a 5 year drought defeating the National League 7-2 to take home the title.

Trade Deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays made a singe trade at the deadline and it was not the big move that everyone was expecting. The Jays traded disgruntled SS Rafael Lopez along with minor league RF Eric Walker to the St. lois Cardinals for a trio of minor league players in SS Roberto Gallegos, SS Dave King and SS Cisco Acuna.

Players to St. Louis

SS Rafael lopez
35 years old, LHB
.290 0 HR 12 RBI (with Toronto)

RF Eric Walker
25, RHB
.263 8 HR 53 RBI (with AAA Syracuse)
1st Round Pick 6th Overall in 2005 by Toronto

Players to Toronto


SS Roberto Gallegos
23 years old, LHB
.220 2 HR 30 RBI (with AAA Memphis)
1st Round Pick 10th Overall in 2005 by the Cardinals
GM's Comment: This kid is destine for stardom. I think he has the chance to be an elite SS in the league. He will immediately take over for SS Rafael Lopez as the starter for the Jays.

SS Dave King
20 years old, RHB
.239 4 HR 24 RBI in High A Ball
20th Round Pick 595th Overall in 2007 by St. louis
GM's Comment: Another good looking young infielder. He is more of a backup than a starter but could have a career in the majors.

SS Cisco Acuna
19 years old, RHB
.234 0 HR 2 RBI in Rookie Ball
6th Round Pick 170th Overall in 2008 by St. Louis
GM's Comment: He has a little more potential than King and I am suprised that St. louis was willing to let him go. He is a long way from Major League Ready and is going to spend a few seasons in the low minors I am sure.

Contract Extensions

GM Ryan Stewart announced that they Jays have come to terms with 3 players on new contracts. SP Carlos Avila, MR Tom Maxwell and MR Joe Maloney. The only player whom GM Ryan Stewart could not resign was MR Jack Thompson who has indicated that he will test the free agent waters at the end of the season.

MR Tom Maxwell
29 years old. Signs a 3 year $12,090,000 contract. He will receive $4,030,000 a year for the next 3 seasons. In 2008 he is 2-0 with 1 save and a 2.23 ERA.

MR Joe Maloney
31 years old. Signs a 2 year $7,860,000 contract. He will receive $3,930,000 a year over the next 2 seasons. In 2008 he is 0-0 with a 4.34 ERA.

SP Carlos Avila
34 years old. Signs a 3 year $51,900,000 extension. he will receive $17,300,000 a year over hte next 3 years. In 2008 he is 8-6 with a 3.83 ERA.

Top Draft Picks Update

2008 - LF Peter Bridwell - .280 3 HR 18 RBI (with Pulaski)
SP Robinson Diaz - 5-3 2.04 ERA 6 BB 55 K (with Auburn)

[ryan008]

September 1st,2008

The Toronto Blue Jays were sad to announce today that their 1B Edwin McCarthy was injured in a game against the Chicago White Sox and was taken to the Hospital. After further examination it was revealed that he had suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder and that his baseball career was effectively over. McCarthy has played with the Jays for 3 seasons after coming over from the Mets and has played in 790 games with 598 hits, 105 HR 325 RBI and a career .267 batting average. SS Paco Ruiz was recalled from AAA to take his spot on the roster.

On a lighter note the Jays also celebrated LF Marty Hackworth belting his 400th Career Homerun. He hit it at the Rogers Center against the Boston Red Sox. With the Homerun Hackworth moves into 30th Place on the Career Homerun list.

The Month of August was not a plesant one for the Jays as they went 12-17 overall and remaied in last place int he American League East, 20 games back of the Division Leading Rays who caught the Yankees and 15.5 games back of the Yankees for the wild card.

August Notable Performances

SP Carlos Avila - 3-1 4.35 ERA
SP George Mitchell - 3-2 4.26 ERA
SP Ricardo Ramos - 0-6 7.01 ERA
C Mike Murphy - .349 3 HR 18 RBI
RF Chuck Perkins - .253 8 HR 17 RBI
CF Todd Wall - .210 5 HR 14 RBI

September Callups

SP William Baldwin - 13-5 2.65 ERA (with AAA)
SP Magobei Kitamura - 20-6 2.45 ERA (with AAA)

GM Ryan Stewart on the callups "we don't intend to have either of these kids start a game in September. They have thrown a lot of innings this year and they both are still very young. We will let them get into a few games in relief and then give them a good look in Spring Training for Roster spots in 2009"

[ryan008]

October 3rd, 2008

The Toronto Blue Jays wrapped up the 2008 season in rather dissapointing fashion losing 3 of 4 to the Texas Rangers. Toronto concludes its regular season campaign with a record of 78-84 and occupies 5th spot in the the division. They trailed the Division Champion Tampa Bay Rays by 13 games and the Wild Card Winners the Yankees by 12 games.

This years Jays were not a complete dissapointment to new GM Ryan Stewart as he explains "the first year was going to be a feeling out process to see what we have to work with in the comming seasons. This team has a few very good core players that I think we can accent and build around. I stand by my original prediction that we can get into the post season and hopefully capture a World Series within 5 years"

2008 Playoffs

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs Seattle Mariners

Cleveland Indians vs Tampa Bay Rays

National League Division Series

San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves

St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers

American League Championship Series

Seattle Mariners vs Tampa Bay Rays

National League Championship Series

San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers

World Series

San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners

San Diego Padres defeat Seattle 4 games to 3 to capture 2008 World Series Crown.

[ryan008]

2008 MLB Awards

National League Gold Gloves:

P - John Moore (St. Louis)
C - Carlos Valentine (Arizona)
1B - Marty Espinoza (Los Angeles Dodgers)
2B - Connan Scott (St. Louis)
3B - Jermaine Townsley (Milwaukee)
SS - Miguel Macias (Chicago)
LF - Alex Grant (Pittsburgh)
CF - Joshua Bryant (Milwaukee)
RF - Raul Herrera (Houston)

American League Gold Gloves:

P - Juan Torres (Chicago)
C - Jake O'Quinn (Oakland)
1B - Luis Lopes (Cleveland)
2B - Ken O'Slattery (Boston)
3B - Travis Jackson (Seattle)
SS - Curtis Gibson (Detroit)
LF - Domingo Riesta (Detroit)
CF - Thomas Wright (Boston)
RF - Rich Davis (Tampa Bay)

National League Rookie of the Year

SP Dave Bruce - Atlanta
2008 Stats: 18-7 3.28 ERA 35 BB 239 K

American League Rookie of the Year

1B Andy Hanson - Texas
2008 Stats: .343 15 HR 61 RBI

National League Cy Young Award

SP Foul Moyo - Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Stats: 24-4 3.06 ERA 269 K 33 BB

American League Cy Young Award Winner

SP Negera Kimanejta - Tampa Bay Rays
2008 Stats: 19-10 2.97 ERA 223 K 53 BB

National League MVP Award

RF Yorikane Ota - Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Stats: .332 51 HR 119 RBI

American League MVP Award

RF Bill Bell - New York Yankees
2008 Stats: .330 45 HR 117 RBI

__________________________________________________

Blue Jays Announce Minor League Award Winners

AAA Syracuse - (Record: 80-64, 3rd Place in the North Division)

SP Magobei Kitamura
22 Years Old, RHP, Velocity: 96-98 MPH
2008 Stats: 20-6 1.75 ERA 40 BB 313 K
3rd Round Pick 89th Overall in 2005 by the Yankees. Traded to Toronto in 2008.
GM's Comment: He has suprised everyone with how well he has pitched since coming over from the Yankees. He seems to have been able to put it all together and scouts as having top flight starter potential. He was an Eastern League Allstar and the 2008 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2008. He will likely get a shot at the starting rotation next season and should be a mainstay there for years to come.

AA New Hampshire - (Record: 83-59, 2nd Place in the Northern Division)

CF Vincente Chavez
25 Years Old, RHB
2008 Stats: .285 19 HR 80 RBI
3rd Round Pick 85th Overall by San Diego in 2003. Signed as a minor league free agent by Toronto in 2007.
GM's Comment: Chavez is not an elite level prospect but could be useful in a backup role. He is very fast and would also make an ideal pinch runner. He is headed to AAA for next year and at 25 years old is getting too old to be still considered a prospect.

High A Dunedin - (Record: 102-38, 1st Place in the West Division)

CF Bill Jones
23 years old, LHB
2008 Stats: .359 15 HR 64 RBI
19th Round Pick 546th Overall by Toronto in 2005.
GM's Comment: A very late round pick that is coming into his own. In his second season in Dunedin he lead the team in average and homeruns. He is still young and is headed to AA New Hampshire for 2009. He scouts as a backup/fringe Major Leaguer but still has time to break through.

Low A Lansing - (Record: 54-86, 4th Place in the East Division

LF Shannon King
24 years old, LHB
2008 Stats: .282 15 HR 64 RBI
2nd Round Pick 41st Overall in 2004 by Toronto.
GM's Comment: This should demonstrate just how bad my prospects really are. He was the best of the worst for Lansing and at 24 he should have had much better numbers. Not a whole lot to say here he scouts as a career minor leaguer and I can't argue with that right now.

Short Season A Auburn - (Record: 48-28, 1st Place in the Pinckney Division)

SP Robinson Diaz
23 Years Old, RHP, Velocity: 98-100 MPH
2008 Stats: 11-5 1.40 ERA 9 BB 124 K
1st Round Pick 24th Overall by Toronto in 2008.
GM's Comment: The former Gator was impressive in his firat year of pro ball, leading the Double Days in all pitching categories. He was named the New York Penn Pitcher of the Year for 2008 and was a NYP League Allstar. He is headed to AA New Hampshire and I think he could fast track to the Majors quickly.

Rookie league Pulaski - (Record: 32-36 4th Place in the East Division)

SS Pepe Munoz
22 Years Old, Switch
2008 Stats: .420 0 HR 23 RBI 43 SB
5th Round Pick 132nd Overall by Toronto in 2008.
GM's Comment: This kid was terriffic for Pulaski this year. He Will not hit many homeruns but is an excellent leadoff hitter and he can fly on the basepaths. He is headed the High A Dunedin next year but don't be suprised to see him in AA by the years end.
__________________________________________________ ____________

Free Agency

Toronto lost a single player as a free agnet htis year as MR Jack Thomas wanted to explore his options.