2009 Toronto Blue Jays (Retry!)

[ryan008]

After some technical difficulties and the loss of my external hard drive, The Jays are back and ready to go. I am using the same settings and template as before:

Standard 2009 MLB Format + Full Minors
I added on a photopack from Padrefan's Website
The trade settings are set on Hard and favour prospects

I added the 144 Team NCAA Feeder League and a 110 Team Highschool feeder league to feed into the 25 Round Amature Draft (with wnough players created for 30 rounds).

Everything else is "out of the box"

I hope you enjoy!

Ryan

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Fire GM - Ryan Stewart Hired as New Boss

April 3rd, 2009

With the 2009 Regular season days away the Toronto Blue Jays have announced that they have terminated the contract of GM J.P. Riccardi and hired Ryan Stewart to be the teams new General Manager. Riccardi was hired on by the Jays in November of 2001 to take over for former GM Gord Ash. Riccardi was at the helm for 8 seasons and during his tenure the club was 647-648. The teams best finnish was in 2006 when they went 87-75 and finished in 2nd place in the American League East but were still 10 games back of the division leaders.

After 8 seasons and 0 playoff appearances the fans and owners (Rogers Communications Inc) were getting restless and decided it was time for a change. The Jays are in a very sad state, they have not finished better than 3rd in the division in the past 3 seasons and boast a farm system that is barren at best. The Jays farm system ranks 23rd overall in the league with a single prospect (SP Brett Cecil #56th) ranked in basrball America's Top 100 Prospects.

The new GM Ryan Stewart was introduced to the media today at the Roger's Center in Toronto, the 28 yearold Engineer takes over a team in turmoil. With an aging roster and desolate farm system the new GM is going to have his work cut out for him.

GM Ryan Stewart "We are going to build this club back to respectability from the ground up, it is not going to be a quick fix, there is no 1 piece out there that could turn us into contenders right now. We are going to be dillagent with our drafting and player development in order to setup a pipeline of young talent onto our major league roster. On top of drafting smartly we are going to be very active in Scouting Internationally and will be looking to add pieces to this team at every oppertunity. I don't expect to turn this team around over night but am very excited at the prospect of success in the future"

GM Ryan Stewart will only have a few days to become aquanited with his new staff and team as the Jays kick off the 2009 Season with a 4 game set against the Detroit Tigers on April 5th.

[ryan008]

Meet Your 2009 Toronto Blue Jays

Part 1 - Starting Pitchers

The Blue Jays starting rotation has been hit pretty hard by injuries in the last year losing a pair of promising hurlers to long term injuries. Both SP Shawn Marcum and SP Dustin McGowan will miss the majority of the 2009 season due to injury. Toronto will be forced to look to some young players to pick up the slack. The Jays 2009 Opening Day rotationconsists of:


SP Roy Halladay
Age: 31 Throws: RHP Velocity: 92-94 MPH Height: 6'5" Weight: 225 lbs
Contract: 3 Years Remaining ($14,250,000/15,750,000/16,296,000)
2008 Stats: 20-11 2.78 ERA 39 BB 206 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Halladay is the Jays undisputed Ace and perhaps the best pitcher in baseball. He is a former Cy Young Award Winner and Allstar. He will be the Jays number 1 starter heading into the season and will get the ball on opening day against the Tigers. Halladay is an innings eater and he will be looked upon to lead a pitching staff that is shaping up to be very young and inexperienced.


SP Jesse Litsch
Age: 24 Throws: RHP Velocity: 89-90 MPH Height: 6'0" Weight: 217 lbs
Contract: 1 year $414,400 (Auto Renew)
2008 Stats: 13-9 3.58 ERA 39 BB 99 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: The 24 yearold Litsch stepped in to the Majors from AA New Hampshire and was very solid in 2008 posting 13 victories. He will look to build upon his strong 2008 season in 2009 and will start the season as the Jays #2 starter. He doesn't throw hard and relies on command and control and the ground ball to get players out. He will likely end up being a good back end of the rotation starter down the road.


SP David Purcey
Age: 26 Throws: LHP Velocity: 90-92 MPH Height: 6'4" Weight: 240 lbs
Contract: 1 year $403,700 (Auto Renew)
2008 Stats: 3-6 5.54 ERA 29 BB 58 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: The big lefty is a former first round draft pick of the Jays and finally made his way into the rotation in 2008. He has decent stuff and command and should be a good #3 or 4 starter for the Jays. He has had some control issues and health problems but the Jays feel he can be a servicable piece of the starting rotation.


SP Scott Richmond
Age: 29 Throws: RHP Velocity: 90-92 MPH Height: 6'5" Weight: 215 lbs
Contract: 1 year $402,300 (Auto Renew)
2008 Stats: 1-3 4.00 ERA 2 BB 20 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: The native of Vancouver Brittish Columbia, made his debut with the Jays in 2008 and fared fairly well in a limited role. He doesn't have spectacular stuff and won't be the ace of a staff by any means but is very durable and should give the Jays some valuable innings. He will start the season as the team's #4 starter but that is a tenuous position with some kids down in AAA knocking on the door.


SP Brian Tallet
Age: 31 Throws: LHP Velocity: 89-90 MPH Height: 6'6" Weight: 215 lbs
Contract: 1 year $1,015,000
2008 Stats: 1-2 2.88 ERA 22 BB 47 K in 51 Games (Toronto)
GM's Comments: The big lefty served primarily out of the Jays bullpen in 2008 bud did make a handful of starts. He isn't really utilized best as a starter and we see him as a lefty specialist coming out of the pen. He will be the teams number 5 starter until some of the younger players are ready to take over. The 31 yearold is arbitration eligiable at the end of the season and is a player we are definately looking into locking up long term.

Prospects

The Jays cupboard is very bare in terms of pitching prospects with just two players standing out as a possibility of cracking the rotation any time soon. The Jays have a pair of former first round picks in SP Rickey Romero and top pitching prospect SP Brett Cecil slated to start in AAA. The 24 yearold Romero was the Jays 1st Round Pick 6th overall in 2005 and was 3-3 with a 3.38 ERA for AAA Syracuse (The Jays farm team moved to Las Vegas following the 2008 Season). He does not project as the #1 or two starter that he was being billed as when he was drafted but could be a solid middle of the rotation pitcher. SP Brett Cecil was a supplemental first round selection of the Jays and was 2-3 with a 4.11 ERA in AA Last Season. The 22 yearold lefty is the organizations top prospect, ranked at #56 by Baseball America and is very close to being MLB ready.

[ryan008]

Meet Your 2009 Toronto Blue Jays

Part 2 - The Bullpen

The Jays bullpen has been one of the teams biggest strengths over the past few seasons and if the Jays are going to be successful in 2009 they are going to have to maintain that level of performance. The Jays will start the season without two key pieces as MR Casey Jansen is currently injured and unlikely to return until mid-June and MR Brian Tallet has been penciled into the #5 spot in the rotation. The Jays will look to MR Jason Frasor, MR Scott Downs and MR Jesse Carlson to shoulder the load.


MR Jesse Carlson
Age: 28 Throws: LHP Velocity: 87-89 MPH Height: 6'0" Weight: 160 lbs
Contract: 1 year $408,000 (Auto Renewal)
2008 Stats: 7-2 2 SV 2.25 ERA 21 BB 55 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Carlson was spectacular coming out of the Jays pen in 2008 posting a very respectable 2.28 ERA. He is far more effictive on lefties and will be the Jays primary lefty specialist in 2009. He pitches well against righties as well and wil be used mostly in a late innings situation.


MR Brandon League
Age: 26 Throws: RHP Velocity: 94-96 MPH Height: 6'2" Weight: 200 lbs
Contract: 1 year $640,000 (Auto Renewal)
2008 Stats: 1-2 1 SV 2.18 ERA 15 BB 23 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: League is finally starting to live up to his stuff. He has the arm to be a closer in the Majors but has struggled with his command and control. He features a very good fastball and has the best arm in the Jays pen. He will be the teams primary right handed setup man and will also be used to close games when CL B.J. Ryan needs a rest. He could be the Jays closer of the future.


MR Shawn Camp
Age: 33 Throws: RHP Velocity: 89-90 MPH Height: 6'0" Weight: 205 lbs
Contract: 1 year $750,000 (Arbitration Eligiable)
2008 Stats: 3-1 4.12 ERA 11 BB 31 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Camp is a good innings eater in the pen and is ver versatile. He can pitch in just about any situation. He doesn't really have shut down type stuff and relies on control and spotting his fastball. He doesn't really walk many batters and gets a ton of ground balls. With such a young pitching staff he will likely get a ton of work in 2009.


MR Scott Downs
Age: 33 Throws: LHP Velocity: 89-90 MPH Height: 6'2" Weight: 215 lbs
Contract: 2 years $3,750,000/4,000,000
2008 Stats: 0-3 5 SV 1.78 ERA 27 BB 57 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Downs has been the Jays best reliever over the last two seasons and is poised to return to that role in 2009. He is very tough on lefties and righties and can be used in a variety of roles. He is primarily a late inning/setup guy but will also be used as a situational lefty. He is one of the Jays best trade chips and could be availiable this season.


MR Jason Frasor
Age: 31 Throws: RHP Velocity: 93-95 MPH Height: 5'9" Weight: 175 lbs
Contract: 1 year $1,450,000 (Arbitration Eligiable)
2008 Stats: 1-2 4.18 ERA 32 BB 42 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Frasor has the stuff to be a closer at the big league level. He has a very good arm and some decent command, he really needs to cut down on his walks though. He is a versatile pitcher who can close, mop up and be a setup guy and will be used in a variety of roles in 2009.


CL B.J. Ryan
Age: 33 Throws: LHP Velocity: 87-89 MPH Height: 6'5" Weight: 205 lbs
Contract: 2 years $10,000,000/year
2008 Stats: 2-4 32 SV 2.95 ERA 28 BB 58 K (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Ryan was signed to a big deal in 2006 and has been very good at the back end of the Jays bullpen. He does have a very large contract with 2 seasons left and may be a prime player for the Jays to move. They would love to get out from under the $20,000,000 remaining on the deal.

Prospects

The Jays really don't have much to mention down on the farm in terms of prospects. They mostly have veterans on the AAA Las Vegas roster who could step up if there are injuries. CL Jeremy Accardo, a 27 yearold righty has major league experience but will open the season as the 51's closer, they also have MR Brian Wolfe a 29 yearold righty who has been up with the Jays before. This is one area that is easily addressed through the draft and GM Ryan Stewart will be looking to bring in some impact arms in the next few draft classes.

[ryan008]

Meet Your 2009 Toronto Blue Jays

Part 3 - The Position Players

The Jays lineup consists of a mix of veterans and a few young players sprinkled in. They are lead offensively by CF Vernon Wells, RF Alex Rios, 3B Scott Rolen and 1B Lyle Overbay. They also feature a couple of high ceiling youngsters in LF Adam Lind and their top prospect LF Travis Snider who are just starting to make an impact at the Major League Level. The Jays don't have a single 'superstar' calibre player (excluding SP Roy Halladay) but have a group of average ball players.

A number of these players are unlikely to figure in the Jays plans for the future and have been rumoured to be availiable 3B Scott Rolen ($11,000,000) and 1B Lyle Overbay ($7,000,000) are both veterans with another year on their deals and the Jays would love to move them. They also have RF Alex Rios and CF Vernon Wells who both have not lived up to their very large contracts that have 5+ years remaining, if the Jays can get out from under those deals it will give GM Ryan Stewart some much needed financial flexiability.


C Rod Barajas
Age: 33 Bats: RHB Height: 6'2" Weighs: 245 lbs
Contract: 2 years $2,500,000/497,000
2008 Stats: .249 11 HR 49 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Barajas is a good major league catcher. He is decent offensively and defensively and is good at working with a young starting staff. He will be the Jays number one catcher to open the 2009 season but is being pushed by the Jays top catching prospect C J.P. Arencebia.


C Michael Barrett
Age: 32 Bats: RHB Height: 6'0" Weighs: 225 lbs
Contract: 1 year $600,000
2008 Stats: .202 2 HR 9 RBI (San Diego)
GM's Comments: Barrett is no where near the catcher he use to be. He was signed to a 1 year deal in the 2009 offseason and will be the Jays backup catcher (at least until C J.P. Arencebia gets some atbats under his belt in AAA). He is average both defensively and offensively but the Jays aren't really expecting much from him.


1B Kevin Millar
Age: 37 Bats: RHB Height: 6'0" Weighs: 215 lbs
Contract: 1 year $850,000
2008 Stats: .234 20 HR 72 RBI (Baltimore)
GM's Comments: Millar had a resurgance in 2008 with the Orioles belting 20 homeruns and driving in 72 runs. He turned that success into a contract with the Jays for 2009. He will be the Jays DH at times this season and will spell 1B Lyle Overbay against lefties. His defence is abysmal which will limit him to the amount of action he will see.


1B Lyle Overbay
Age: 32 Bats: LHB Height: 6'2" Weighs: 228 lbs
Contract: 2 years $7,000,000/year
2008 Stats: .270 15 HR 69 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Overbay had a decent season last year hitting .270 with 15 HR, the Jays would like him to hit for more power but I wouldn't expect more than 15-20 HR out of him. He is very strong defensively but has trouble hitting left handed pitching. He has $14,000,000 owed to him over the next two seasons and is a prime target for the Jays to move to cut down on some costs.


2B Joe Inglett
Age: 30 Bats: LHB Height: 5'9" Weighs: 185 lbs
Contract: 1 year $411,300 (Auto Renew)
2008 Stats: .297 3 HR 39 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Inglett was a very versatile player for the Jays last season. He can play the infield and outfield and has a decent arm and bat. He will be the Jays super utility player this season and is a very cheap option for the Jays as a left handed bat off the bench.


2B Aaron Hill
Age: 27 Bats: RHB Height: 5'10" Weighs: 205 lbs
Contract: 4 years $2,595,000/4,000,000/5,000,000/8,000,000
2008 Stats: .263 2 HR 20 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Hill has a lot of talent and is starting to show glimpses of becoming a very good major league second baseman. He is very strong defensively and has a decent arm. He can hit for abover average power and makes good contact. He will be the Jays opening day secondbaseman and likely the teams #2 hitter.


3B Scott Rolen
Age: 34 Bats: RHB Height: 6'3" Weighs: 240 lbs
Contract: 2 years $11,000,000/year
2008 Stats: .262 11 HR 50 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Rolen is the veteran of the teams offence and has done a decent job with the Jays since coming over from the Phillies. He is getting up there in age and has lost a step or two but is still a presence at the hot corner. He is very strong defensively and can contribute with the bat. The $22 million left on his deal makes him an attractive piece for the Jays to attempt to move. He could be traded at some point this season.


SS Marco Scutaro
Age: 33 Bats: RHB Height: 5'9" Weighs: 175 lbs
Contract: 1 year $1,100,000
2008 Stats: .267 7 HR 60 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Scutaro came over in a deal with the A's and has been the teams starting shortstop the past season. He will reprise that roll this year. He is just a tick above average defensively and decent with the bat. The shortstop is one position that the Jays will need to address in order to move forward. Scutaro has 1 year left on his contract and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He could be an attractive option to a playoff bound team.


SS John MacDonald
Age: 34 Bats: RHB Height: 5'9" Weighs: 180 lbs
Contract: 1 year $1,900,000
2008 Stats: .210 1 HR 18 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: MacDonald is one of the best defensive shortstops in the league, he has tremendous range and a very strong arm. The only issue with him is that he couldn't hit his way out of a wet papper bag. He is the Jays defensive replacement/late inning player who will give the Jays regulars a day off here and there. His $1.9 million salary that will likely not be renewed for the 2010 season.


LF Adam Lind
Age: 25 Bats: LHB Height: 6'2" Weighs: 220 lbs
Contract: 1 year $411,800 (Auto Renew)
2008 Stats: .282 9 HR 40 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Lind is one of the Jays best hitting prospects, he has the potential to hit 30 plus homeruns and drive in 100 runs at the big league level. He is below average defensively and will likely spend most of his time as the Jays designated hitter. The Jays hope he can become an anchor in the middle of their lineup.


LF Travis Snider
Age: 21 Bats: LHB Height: 5'11" Weighs: 235 lbs
Contract: 1 year $401,400 (Auto Renew)
2008 Stats: .301 2 HR 13 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Snider is the Jays top position prospect. He made his debut with the Jays in 2008 hitting .301 with 2 HR and 13 RBI in 24 games for the Jays. He will be the teams everyday left fielder and the Jays have high hopes for this youngster. He could pair with DH Adam Lind to give the Jays middle of the order a powerful 1-2 punch.


CF Vernon Wells
Age: 30 Bats: RHB Height: 6'0" Weighs: 235 lbs
Contract: 6 years $10,000,000/21,000,000/23,000,000/21,000,000 x3
2008 Stats: .300 20 HR 78 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Wells signed a massive contract extension after the 2007 season and hasn't lived up to it to this point. He lead the Jays in homeruns last season with 20 and is very solid defensively. His contract is definately an albatross and will be one of the hardest to move. If you could get anything back for him it would be justifiable to move him just to get the payroll relief.


RF Jose Bautista
Age: 28 Bats: RHB Height: 6'0" Weighs: 200 lbs
Contract: 1 year $2,400,000
2008 Stats: .242 12 HR 44 RBI (Pittsburgh Pirates)
GM's Comments: Bautista came over from the Pirates last season after a decent campaign that saw him hit 12 HR. He will be the teams #4 outfielder. He has a very good arm and a decent bat. A valuable asset off the bench. His only downside is the $2,400,000 price tag associated with him.


RF Alex Rios
Age: 28 Bats: RHB Height: 6'5" Weighs: 215 lbs
Contract: 7 years $5.9/9.7/12/12/12.5/12.5/12.5/13
2008 Stats: .291 15 HR 79 RBI (Toronto)
GM's Comments: Rios is a very talented outfielder. He was starting to show signes of becomming a premier player in the league last season but hit a wall. He still managed to hit 15 HR and drive in 79 RBI. The Jays believe he could easily hit 25-30 HR and drive in 100 RBI but he really needs to work on his consistency. His contract is also very large (Though not as bad as Well's) he could be a prime candidate to move if they can find someone willing to take him on.

Prospects

The Jays really don't have much to speak of in the prospect department. Their top prospect is LF Travis Snider and he is up with the big club. C J.P. Arencebia, a former 1st round pick is the Jays next highest rated player and he will be making a stop at AAA Las Vagas this season. Other than those two players there really isn't anyone of note to speak of. GM Ryan Stewart is going to have his work cut out for him in the next few drafts.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Off to Hot Start

May 1st, 2009

The Toronto Blue Jays have been very hot to start the 2009 regular season. They kicked off the campaign with a 4-3 victory over their rivals down the 401 the Detroit Tigers. SP Roy Halladay was in mid season form as he went 8 innings allowing 5 hits and 2 runs walking 1 and striking out 6 and picked up his first victory of the season. The Tigers Ace SP Justin Verlander was also good in his season debut lasting 8 innings allowing 6 hits and 4 runs with 2 BB and 9 K's. SS Marco Scutaro and DH Adam Lind both belted 2 run homeruns to pace the Jays attack.

Toronto would sweep the opening series against the Tigers taking all 4 games and jumping out to an early lead in the American Leauge East. They would ride their hot start to a record of 16-8 in April and would find themselves tied with the Baltimore Orioles for top spot in the American League East Division leading the Boston Red Sox by 3 games and the Tampa Bay Rays by 3.5 games. The Yankees currently sit in the basement in the AL East trailing the O's and Jays by 6 games.

April's Hot Players

SP Roy Halladay - 4-0 3.28 ERA
SP Scott Richmond - 2-0 3.81 ERA
SP David Purcey - 3-1 3.67 ERA
MR Jesse Carlson - 1-0 0.68 ERA
1B Kevin Millar - .344 2 HR 5 RBI
DH Adam Lind - .329 9 HR 20 RBI
SS Marco Scutaro - .300 1 HR 13 RBI
C Rod Barajas - .291 3 HR 16 RBI

April's Cold Players

MR Brandon League - 0-1 6.75 ERA
C Jeff Clement - .154 0 HR 1 RBI
3B Scott Rolen - .221 2 HR 10 RBI

April News & Transactions

Waivers

GM Ryan Stewart announced that the Jays have claimed 25 yearold C Jeff Clement off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. Clement is a former 1st Round Pick 3rd overall in 2005 by Seattle. To make room on the roster the Jays were forced to release C Michael Barrett, Barrett saw limited action with the Jays in April and did not register a hit in 15 at bats. Clement will be the backup to C Rod Barajas.


C Jeff Clement
.088 1 HR 1 RBI (AAA Tacoma)

Injuries

The Blue Jays were bitten pretty hard by the injury bug in April as they were forced to place 3 players on the DL with significant injuries.

The first to go down was SP Brian Tallet who was suffering from shoulder inflammation and is expected to miss the next 7 weeks. He was 0-0 with a 1.23 ERA with 1 BB and 5 K' in 2 games. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and the Jays recalled SP Brett Cecil from AAA Las Vegas. Cecil was 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA and will make his Major league debut against the Chicago White Sox.

The next player to go down was CF Vernon Wells. Wells suffered a herniated disk in his back and is expected to miss the next 3-4 weeks. He was hitting .228 with 3 HR and 8 RBI and was placed on the 15 Day Disabled List. The Jays recalled RF Buck Coates from AAA Las Vegas where he was hitting .184 with 2 HR and 6 RBI.

The last player ti require a stay on the disaled list was back up RF Jose Bautista. Bautista suffered a fractured ankle and will miss the next 3-4 months. He was hitting .220 with 3 HR and 7 RBI at the time of the injury and was placed on the 60 Day Disabled List. The Jays activated MR Casey Jansen from the 60 Day Disabled List and added him to the bullpen.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Ride Hot Streak into May

June 1st, 2009

The Toronto Blue Jays are off to the teams best start in years and after two months are challenging for the lead in the American League East. Toronto currently sits 11 games over .500 with a record of 32-21 good enough for 2nd place in the AL East trailing the division leading Tampa Bay Rays by 1.5 games. If the playoffs were to start today the Jays would hold the American League wild card spot as they lead the Baltimore Orioles by just 1/2 game. The American League Wild Card race is very close with 6 teams within 3 games of the lead.

GM Ryan Stewart is pleased with the teams hot start but is not getting ahead of himself "The team is playing very good baseball right now and hopefully we can keep up this pace for the next 110 games. We are happy to be contending for both the wild card and AL East lead but we also know there is a lot of baseball left to be played, the next few months should be very exciting in Toronto"

May's Hot Players

SP Roy Halladay - 4-0 1.47 ERA
SP Scott Richmond - 2-2 2.90 ERA
MR Shawn Camp - 1-1 2.00 ERA
MR Brandon League - 0-0 0.00 ERA (8 Games)
LF Adam Lind - .380 8 HR 27 RBI
3B Scott Rolen .333 4 HR 11 RBI
CF Vernon Wells - .322 1 HR 9 RBI
LF Travis Snider - .284 1 HR 9 RBI

May's Cold Players

SP Rickey Romero - 2-2 4.91 ERA
MR Scott Downs - 0-1 10.29 ERA
C Jeff Clement - .150 1 HR 3 RBI
1B Lyle Overbay - .188 2 HR 8 RBI
C Rod Barajas - .200 2 HR 14 RBI

May's News & Transactions

Injuries

The Jays were once again bit by the injury bug as they were forced to place a pair of players on the disabled list. THe first to injure himself was the Jays starting right fielder RF Alex Rios suffered a severely sprained ankle and is expected to be out for the next 8 weeks. He was hitting .250 with 4 HR and 20 RBI at the time of the injury. Rios was placed on the 15 day disabled list and CF Sean Shoffit who was hitting .310 with 4 HR and 13 RBI for AAA Las Vegas was recalled.

Toronto was also forced to place SP Brett Cecil who was 3-2 with a 2.68 ERA, the rookie suffered a fractured hand in an "off field incident" and is expected to miss the next 3 months. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and SP Rickey Romero (2-2 4.45 ERA AAA Las Vegas) was recalled to take his spot in the rotation.

Waiver Wire Pickups & International Signings

GM Ryan Stewart continues to add depth to his team as the Jays made a pair of waiver claims and a pair of international signing in the month of May.

The Jays first pickup was 2B Angel Gonzalez a 23 yearold switch hitting infielder who started the 2009 season in AA Altoona with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was hitting .364 with 0 HR and 1 RBI. HE is very strong defensively and makes good contact. He was assigned to the AA New Hampshire Fishercats.

GM Ryan Stewart wasn't done on the waiver wire as he picked up MR Jo-Jo Reyes from the Atlanta Braves. The 24 year old lefty has a fastball in the 89-90 MPH range and has the ability to start and work out of the bullpen and was claimed to add some depth at AAA Las Vegas. He was 5-1 with a 4.15 ERA with 22 BB and 37 K with AAA Gwinett. He was optioned to AAA Las Vegas.

International Free Agents

GM Ryan Stewart was also active on the International free agent market, holding true to his promise to bring in quality players where ever possible.
Toronto's first signing was 17 yearold outfielder RF Noboru Sato out of JApan. The 17 yearold has the skill set to be a starting outfielder at the Major League Level. He agreed to a 1 year $400,000 contract with the Jays and will start his North American Career in extended Spring Training and will join the Jays 2009 draftees in the Gulf Coast league in the summer.

The Jays wrapped up a very busy month with signing 18 yearold righty MR Gabriel Suarez to a minor league contract. The 6'2" 200 lbs reliever was discovered by the Jays Director of Scouting John Lalonde in Mexico. He has a 90-92 MPH fastball and a very good curveball. He will also be headed to extended Spring Training and will be assigned to the GCL Blue Jays.

[ryan008]

2009 MLB First Year Player Draft Preview

June 14th, 2009

THe 2009 First Year Player Draft oges tomorrow and there is little doubt as to who will be the first overall selection. SP Stephen Strasburg is hte top rated prospect in the draft and is all but a lock to hear his name called by the Washington Nationals. After Strasburg there are a number of high caliber prospects with a good mix of high school and college players availiable. After the Nationals the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles will round out the top 5 picks.

Baseball America released their pre-draft rankings and it will come to no one's suprise that SP Stephen Strasburg is the number 1 ranked player. The rest of the top 10 rankings is as follows:

1. SP Stephen Strasburg (NCAA)
2. Ivan Lugo (Windsor Highschool, USHSBA)
3. 1B Young-jae Kim (Stockdale Highschool, USHSBA)
4. SS Kevin Wilson (University of Texas, NCAA)
5. RF Kevin MacDonald (University of Nevada, NCAA)
6. SP Rudolph Buffy (Wilmington Highschool, USHSBA)
7. 2B Carl Perry (University of Florida, NCAA)
8. CF Ken Cunningham (Wacko Highschool, USHSBA)
9. 2B Cody Neil (University of Wisconsin, NCAA)
10. SS Zhung-yan Go (University of Texas, NCAA)

Blue Jays Draft Preview

GM Ryan Stewart will be attending his first draft at the helm of the Blue Jays and the Jays will make the 19th overall selection in the draft. The Jays may be heading into a rebuilding phase and these drafts are so important to stockpile talent. GM Ryan Stewart "We are going to rely heavily on the input of our scouting staff especially the Director of Scouting John Lalonde. We share the same philosophy of taking hte best player availiable and not drafting for need. This years draft has a good selection of top end talent and we are hoping one of the players we are targeting will fall to us at #19"

[ryan008]

Nationals Select Strasburg with Top Pick, Jays select Highschool Righty with Top Pick

June 15th, 2009

The 2009 First Year Player Draft was held today and there was no suprise to who the Washington Nationals would select with their number one pick. The Nationals selected SP Stephen Strasburgh. The 20 yearold righty with the golden arm was the cosensus number one rated prospect most scouts and Genereal Managers. He has a very good arm and can bring his fastball in the 99-101 MPH range and compements it with an excellent curveball and changeup. He could make his debut with the Nationals as early as this season.

Blue Jays Draft Picks

First Round Pick (19th Overall)

GM Ryan Stewart and the Jays would make their first selection at #19 overall and they would use the pick to select 19 yearold righty SP Ed Reed out of Bakersfield Highschool in the USHSBA. Reed has a very good arm and his stuff includes a fastball in the 95-97 MPH range and a very good slider and changeup. He was 7-3 with a 2.68 ERA with 10 BB and 103 K's in 12 games started. He has the potential to be a top of the rotation starter at the big league level, but a more conservative projection is a #3-4 in a big league rotation.

Second Round Pick (49th Overall)

In the second round the Jays selected another pitcher with the 49th pick drafting SP Clint Sparks, a 22 yearold righty out of Texas Tech University in the NCAA. Sparks is a hard throwing right with a fastball in the 97-99 MPH range, he complements his fastball with a good slider and very good changeup. The 6'0" 190 lb righty had a good season with the Red Raiders posting a 5-3 record with a 3.29 ERA walking 6 and striking out 39. He scouts as a middle of the rotation arm and will be starting his professional career with AUburn of the New York Penn Short Season A League.

Third Round (79th Overall)

With the 79th Overall pick the Jays selected their first position player drafting 3B Letsyn Dunkley, a 19 yearold right handed batter out of Palm Springs Highschool in the USHSBA. He is a big boy standing 6'1" and weighing in at 235 lbs. Despite the big frame he is very athletic and should be able to stick at third. He has a good arm and is defensively solid. He isn't the fastest person on the basepaths but he won't embarrass himself either. He hit .389 with 8 HR and 28 RBI in 2009 and was selected to the USHSBA Allstar Team. He was assigned to the GCL Blue Jays for the start of the Rookie League Season.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Hammered by Injuries in June - Fall to 4 Back in AL East

July 1st, 2009

June was a tough month for Blue Jays fans as the team was forced to place player after player on the disabled list. When the smoke had cleared a total of 5 players would require an extended stay on the DL. The Jays would also lose perhaps tehir two best players in SP Roy Halladay and LF Adam Lind. With both Lind an Halladay out of the lineup the Jays struggled and would fall to 4 games back in the East with a record of 44-36 trailing the division leading Tampa Bay Rays. Toronto also fell out of top spot in the Wild Card race falling to 2.5 games back of the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.

With just over half the 2009 Regular season in the books the Blue Jays have played well above most people's expectations and are still hanging around in both the division race and wild card. The bad news for the Jays is that they will be without their best hitter for the remainder of the season and their best pitcher will miss the next 3-4 weeks. The schedule is not very friendly for the Jays as they have 34 games remaining against their division rivals and will be playing teams with better than .500 records for a good portion of the 2009 campaign.

June's Hot Players

SP David Purcey - 3-1 3.46 ERA
SP Scott Richmond - 2-2 3.46 ERA
MR Jesse Carlson -0-0 1.96 ERA
LF Adam Lind - .384 9 HR 24 RBI
1B Kevin Millar - .283 1 HR 4 RBI

June's Cold Players

SP Brian Tallet - 1-4 6.93 ERA
SP Rickey Romero - 1-3 6.91 ERA
SP Jesse Litsch - 0-1 7.04 ERA
MR Brandon league - 1-0 8.16 ERA
RF Alex Rios - .105 1 HR 1 RBI
C Jeff Clement - .111 0 HR 1 RBI
SS Russ Adams - .111 0 HR 2 RBI
1B Lyle Overbay - .184 1 HR 6 RBI

June News & Transactions

Injuries

The Blue Jays infirmary was very busy during the month of May as 5 players would require a stay on the disabled list. The month started off with CF Vernon Wells suffering from shoulder soreness and he would miss 3 weeks. He was hitting .271 with 4 HR and 26 RBI and was placed on the 15 Day Disabled List. RF Buck Coates (.184 2 HR 6 RBI with AAA Las Vegas) was recalled.

Next to go down was the Jays Ace and leader SP Roy Halladay. Halladay was having another very solid season posting a 9-2 record with a 2.69 ERA. He experienced some soreness in his shoulder in a game against the Rangers and would miss 3 weeks. He was placed on the 15 Day Disabled List and SP Jesse Litsch was activated from the DL and would take his spot in the starting rotation.

The injury bug struck the Jays starting 3B Scott Rolen next. The veteran was suffering from bicept tendinitis and is expected to miss the next month. He was hitting .273 with 7 HR and 24 RBI and was also added to the 15 Day Disabled List. The Jays recalled SS Russ Adams from AAA Las Vegas where he was having a good year hitting .296 with 14 HR and 41 RBI.

As the injuries continued to mount the situation just continued to worsen for the Jays as 2B Aaron Hill would have issues with a strained back mucle that would keep him out of the lineup for the next 4 weeks. Hill was hitting .284 with 4 HR and 26 RBI at the time of the injury and was placed on the 15 Day Disabled List. The Jays recalled veteran minor leaguer 1B Radny Ruiz from AAA Las Vegass where he was hitting .258 with 3 HR and 8 RBI.

The last injury was easily the biggest for the Jays as they will be without the services of LF Adam Lind for the remainder of the Regular Season. Lind who is having a very strong season hitting .362 with 28 HR and 78 RBI will miss the next 4 months after suffering a fractured ankle while rounding the bases in a game against the Chicago White Sox. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and CF Sean Shoffit (.284 5 HR 16 RBI) was recalled from AAA Las Vegas.

Awards

Majors

The Jays learned that LF Adam Lind was named the Batter of the Month for the American League after tearing the cover off the ball to the tune of a .384 batting average with 9 HR and 24 RBI.

Minors

AAA Las Vegas

1B Brian Dopirak was named the Pacific Coast League Batter of the Month after a very good month saw him go .333 with 14 HR and 24 RBI at the plate.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Faltering as Summer Draws On

August 1st, 2009

The Blue Jays are heading into the hot days of August and September and the team has begun to show some signs of weakness. Toronto impropved their overall record to 57-47 but have fallen back in both the American League East Division and the American League Wild Card race. The Blue Jays currently occupy 3rd place in the American League East trailing both the first place Tampa Bay Rays bu 4 games and the New York Yankees by 2.5 games. In the Wild Card race the Jays trail the Yankees by 2.5 games and are comfortably in 2nd place leading the Minnesota Twins by 4.5 games.

The Blue Jays do have a shot at making the playoffs and the teams fans should be excited that for the first time in may years they will get to see meaningful games in August and September. It isn't going to be easy for the Jays as they still ahve a number of interdivisional games remaining against the Yankees, Baltimore and the Rays and with the regular season winding down these games become that much more important.

The 2009 Trade deadline also came and went and the Jays and rookie GM Ryan Stewart were very busy as they attempted to dump some salary but stil remain competative. More on the specifics of the deals later.

July's Hot Players

SP Roy Halladay - 2-1 2.08 ERA
MR Chris Leroux - 1-1 2.57 ERA
MR Jesse Carlson - 0-1 1.67 ERA
C J.P. Arencebia - .357 2 HR 6 RBI
LF Travis Snider - .269 5 HR 20 RBI

July's Cold Players

SP Rickey Romero - 2-2 7.20 ERA
MR Jason Frasor - 1-1 1 SV 5.11 ERA
2B Aaron Hill - .111 0 HR 4 RBI
3B Scott Rolen - .188 1 HR 8 RBI

July's News & Transactions

Nothing major to report.

2009 MLB Allstar Game

The Blue Jays would send a pair of players to represent the team at the 2009 Allstar game. SP Roy Halladay and CL B.J. Ryan were both selected to the American League Team. Halladay (10-2 2.56 ERA) would get the ball as the starter for the American league and SP Johan Santana (10-5 2.65 ERA) for the National League. In the end it would be the National League shutting down the American League 4-0. SP A.J. Burnett (Yankees) would get tagged with the loss giving up all 4 runs on a grandslam in the 6th inning to 2B David Wright of the Mets. 1B Ryan Howard of the Phillies was 3-3 with 2 2B and single and a run scored. For the Jays Halladay was very good going 2.0 innings allowing 1 hit and no runs with 3 K's. CL B.J. Ryan did not see any action. CL Jason Motte (St. Louis Cardinals) would get the victory for the National League.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Trade Center - Deadline Day 2009

July 31, 2009

GM Ryan Stewart was very active on his first deadline day as the GM of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays would end up making 4 significant trades and most of them were designed to give the club some financial freedom over the long term.

Blue Jays Deal Rios & Litsch to Rays

GM Ryan Stewart's first move was perhaps his largest. The Tampa Bay Rays are currently sitting in top spot in the American League East but will be without the services of CF Carl Crawford for the remainder of the season after suffering from an arm injury. The Rays inquired about the availiability of RF Alex Rios and the two teams were able to come to an agreement.

The Jays will send a package of 5 players to the Rays that includes RF Alex Rios, SP Jesse Litsch, MR Casey Jansen, 1B Kevin Millar and minor league 2B Angel Gonzalez. In return the Jays will receive SP Matt Garza and minor league SP Jeremy Hellickson.

RF Alex Rios has been the Jays starting right fielder all season. He was hitting .280 with 5 HR and 21 RBI at the time of the deal. The 28 yearold right handed batter is making $5,900,000 this year and is owed another 7 yearsand nearly $90 million dollars after this season.

SP Jesse Litsch has been the Jays #5 starter this season and has posted a record of 3-5 with a 3.74 ERA. The 24 yearold righty is still young and under control for a few more seasons, but a deal could not have gotten done without adding him. The Rays seem very high on Litsch.

MR Casey Jansen just came off the disabled list as the 27 yearold righty has missed the majority of the 2009 campaign. He has maaged to get into 8 games since coming off the DL and is 0-1 with a 3.84 ERA walking 4 and striking out 4.

1B Kevin Millar is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and will likely be a bat off the bench for the Rays down the streach and into the playoffs. The 37 yearold was hitting .278 with 5 HR and 20 RBI for the Jays in 2009.

2B Angel Gonzalez was claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh earlier in the season. The 23 yearold is a switch-hitting defensive wizard at just about any infield position. He was hitting .254 with 3 HR and 22 RBI for AA New Hampshire.

SP Matt Garza was aquired from the Minnesota Twins by the Rays and was the teams #4 starter this season. The 25 yearold righty has a good fastball that can reach 92-94 MPH. He has good control and will be added into the Jays rotation immediately. He was 7-5 with a 4.84 ERA with 32 BB and 73 K at the time of the deal. He earns $433,400 this season and is arbitration eligiable at the end of the season.

SP Jeremy Hellickson is a 21 yearold righty with a very good fastball in the 93-95 MPH range. He spent the entire 2009 season in AAA with the Durham Bulls and was 4-3 with a 3.74 ERA walking 36 and striking out 95. He scouts as a back end of the rotation arm but the Jays are hoping with some work in AAA he could be a #3 starter at the Major League level at some point.

GM's Comments: This trade was all about getting out from underneath Rios's contract. He has been an okay player for the Jays this season but is signed to a very long deal that would tie up a good chunk of the Jays payroll for the next 6 seasons. Rios, unlike CF Vernon Wells's contract is movable and the forst offer we got that was reasonable we took. In SP Matt Garza and SP Jeremy Hellickson we get a pair of young arms that we think can both pitch at the big league level, Garza right away and Hellickson in a few years. We didn't get a top prospect back in return but the financial relief is value enough.

Blue Jays Send Barajas & Scutaro to Yankees

GM Ryan Stewart continued his wheeling and dealing with another deal in the American League East this time with the Yankees. TheYankees inquired about the availiability of C Rod Barajas and a deal was consumated shortly there after. The Jays agreed to send C Rod Barajas and SS Marco Scutaro to the Yankees for SS Ramiro Pena, MR J.B. Cox and MR Brett Marshall.

C Rod Barajas has been the workhorse behind the Jays for the past 2 seasons. He still has 1 year left on his contract and has hitting .225 with 12 HR and 49 RBI. He will be replaced by rookie C J.P. Arencebia who is the Jays top catching prospect.

SS Marco Scutaro is a 33 yearold who is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The Jays attempted to resign him but he wanted to test the free agent market. He was hitting .290 with 4 HR and 34 RBI for the Jays in 2009.

SS Ramiro Pena is a 24 yearold switch-hitting infielder with tremendous defensive skills. He may not be strong with the bat (has almost no power) but is a whiz defensively. He is fairly speedy as well and is a threat to steal bases. He was having a very good season in AAA Scranton hitting .351 with 2 HR and 14 RBI. He will be the Jays everyday SS taking over for SS Marco Scutaro.

MR J.B. Cox is a 25 yearold righty with a fastball int he 90-92 MPH range. He was 4-3 with 1 SV and a 5.36 ERA walking 20 and striking out 38 at AAA Scranton this year. He has good control and decent stuff, and will provide the Jays with another option in their bullpen. He was assigned to AAA Las Vegas for now but will make his debut with the Jays when the rosters expand in September.

MR Brett Marshall is a 19 yearold righty who has a good arm. He can bring his fastball in the 92-94 MPH range with very good control. He has the makeup to be a good setup man, but does not quite have the stuff to be a closer. He wa 0-4 with 11 SV and a 2.08 ERA for A Tampa in 2009 and was assigned to the Jays High A team in Dunedin of the Florida State League.

GM's Comments: This trade wasn't so much about shedding salary, but it makes some room on the roster to get some of the younger kids into the lineup. By trading Barajas we save roughly $500,000 this year and next year and will get some big league atbats for Arencebia. We would have loved to keep Scutaro but he wanted to play on a contending team and would not sign an extension, he would not bring any compensation next year so we got what we could for him now while he still had value.

Jays Ship CL B.J. Ryan Sto Cubs

GM Ryan Stewart completed anoth big move shipping CL B.J. Ryan and his $10,000,000 contract to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are in the thick of a playoff race in the NL East and were looking to bolster their bullpen for the streach run. The Jays also sent $2,000,000 cash as part of the deal. The Jays will receive CL Andrew Cashner in return.

CL B.J. Ryan has been one of the Jays best pitchers this season posting a 2-4 record with 23 SV and a 3.77 ERA. The 33 yearold lefty has 1 year and $10,000,000 left on his contract. He was likely not going to be resigned after this season and saving the $10,000,000 for next year is a bonus for the Jays.

CL Andrew Cashner is a 23 yearold righty with a very good arm, his fastball can reach the 96-98 MPH range and he was having a very good season with the Cubs AA team in Tennessee posting a record of 2-2 with 11 SV and a 4.50 ERA. He was assigned to AAA Las Vegas and may get a chance at making his major league debut in September. The Jays are hoping he is their closer of the future.

GM's Comments: This was a big deal for the Jays, to relieve themselves of CL B.J. Ryan's $10,000,000 contract for next season is huge, that money is freed up so that they canstart working on locking up some of their younger stars long term. Both LF Travis Snider and LF Adam Lind are heading into arbitration years (Lind sooner than Snider) and will be due heafty raises. To get a good prospect in Cashner back is also a bonus as he could fill the closer's role for the Jays as early as 2010.

Jays Swap Overbay to Phillies for Reliever

GM Ryan Stewart's final move on deadline day was initiated by the Phillies. Philedelphia's best hitter 1B Ryan Howard is suffering from back spasms and is expected to miss the next 2 months and the Philies needed a replacement and possible left handed bat off the bench. The Jays agreed to a deal that would send 1B Lyle Overbay to the Phillies for MR Chris Leroux.

1B Lyle Overbay is a 32 yearold lefty who is still under contract for 1 more season at $7,000,000. He was hitting .262 with 4 HR and 26 RBI at the time of the trade. He will not come anywhere near the offensive production of 1B Ryan Howard but should give the Phillies a good veteran bat off the bench and fill in nicely defensively.

MR Chris Leroux is a 26 yearold righty with a very good, hard sinking fastball in the 94-96 MPH range. He was 1-0 with 2 SV and a 2.84 ERA for AA Jacksonville. He will be assigned to AAA Las Vegas and will be added to the Jays 40 man roster when the 25 man rosters expand in September. Leroux has a chance to be the Jays right handed setup man as early as 2010.

GM's Comments: This deal was unexpected as I was approached by the Phillies about Overbay's availiability on the last day before the deadline. We are very happy to move Overbay's contract and with the 4 deals have freed up a sizeable amout of payroll (nearly $28 million) for the 2010 season. That money will be infused into the scouting department and to locking up some of our younger players to long term deals.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays 10 Games Over .500, Still Out of Playoff Races

September 1st, 2009

The hot days of August are over and after a fleury of activity for the Jays at the trade deadline things have settled down a bit and the team has settled into a rhythm. The Blue Jays are not playing bad baseball and are currently sitting 10 games over .500 with a record of 70-60. Unfortunately both the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees are also having very good years and are keeping them out of a playoff start as September rolls in.

Toronto is sitting comfortably in 3rd place in the American League East trailing the Tampa Bay Rays who have put up the best record in baseball to this point by 5.5 games. In the Wild Card race the Jays also sit in 3rd place trailing another division rival, the New York Yankees by 3.5 games and the Cleveland Indians by just 2 games.

Despite all of the moves GM Ryan Stewart consumated at the trade deadline the team (which has gotten considerably younger) has been playing quite well. The Jays biggest aquisition SP Matt Garza is off to a good start in a Jays uniform posting a 2-2 record with a very good 1.80 ERA. Another of the Jays deadline day aquisitions MR Chris Leroux has put together a good run posting a 0-0 record with a sparkling 1.50 ERA in 12 games.

August's Hot Players

SP David Purcey - 4-0 3.63 ERA
SP Matt Garza - 2-2 1.80 ERA
MR Chris Leroux - 0-0 1.50 ERA
MR Brandon League - 2-0 7 SV 1.80 ERA
C J.P. Arencibia - .395 4 HR 19 RBI
CF Vernon Wells - .344 1 HR 9 RBI
RF Garrett Jones - .302 4 HR 11 RBI

August's Cold Players

SP Roy Halladay - 1-2 4.80 ERA
MR Scott Downs - 0-2 5.68 ERA
2B Joe Inglett - .143 0 HR 2 RBI
1B Randy Ruiz - .190 2 HR 5 RBI

August News & Transactions

Injuries

The Blue Jays will be without one of their best hitters for most of September as LF Travis Snider is suffering from a strained back muscle and will miss the next 3 weeks. The 22 yearold is hitting .273 with 13 HR and 57 RBI and was placed on the 15 Day Disabled List. The Jays recalled CF Sean Shoffit from AAA Las Vegas. Shoffit was hitting .281 with 13 HR and 41 RBI for the 51's.

Waivers

GM Ryan Stewart made another waiver claim in August picking 28 yearold RF Garrett Jones off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. The 6'3" 225 lbs left handed batter hit .232 with 3 HR and 18 RBI for the Giants this season and will add some depth to the Jays outfield core which has been decimated by injuries. Jones made his debut with the Jays against the Baltimore Orioles and went 3-4 adding a pair of HR and 4 RBI in an 8-2 Jays win.

Awards

AAA Las Vegas

SP Brett Cecil, the Jays top pitching prospect was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month for August after posting a record of 4-1 with a 1.22 ERA.

AA New Hampshire

SP Marc Rzepczynski was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for August. The 24 yearold was 5-1 with a 3.54 ERA.

September Callups

The Blue Jays would only call up a pair of players for the last month of the season, SP Brett Cecil (4-1 1.64 ERA) and MR J.B. Cox (0-0 2 SV 5.36 ERA) were both added to the Jays 40 man roster and will be auditioning for spots in the bullpen and rotation next season.

[ryan008]

2009 Regular Season Comes to a Close

October 4th, 2009

The 2009 regular season has drawn to a close and it was a successful one for the Toronto Blue Jays and first year General Manager Ryan Stewart. The Jays managed to finish in 3rd place in the American League East for the first time since 2007 with a record of 89-73. Toronto trailed the division champion Tampa Bay Rays by 5 games in the American League East and the Wild Card Champion New York Yankees by just 3.5 games. Toronto also finished in 3rd place in the Wild Card race.

GM Ryan Stewart on the Jays season "There were a lot of positives this season. We saw the emergence of SP David Purcey who had a terrific season leading the team in victories with a record of 18-5 and a 3.52 ERA, the 27 yearold lefty should get some consideration for the AL Cy Young Award. SP Rickey Romero also emerged as a strong arm at the back end of the Jays rotation winning 11 games and losing 8 with a respectable 5.34 ERA. Finally SP Brett Cecil who is the Jays top pitching prospect was 6-2 with a 2.30 ERA and has cemented himself as a candidate for the rotation in 2010. In terms of offensive output C J.P. Arencebia was on fire after C Rod Barajas was traded to the Yankees, the 24 yearold hit .332 with 9 HR and had 38 RBI. LF Adam Lind continues to develop nicely and is turning into a premier batter in the majors, he hit .364 with 28 HR and 78 RBI even though he miss a good portion of the season. There are definately some building blocks availiable for us for the next few seasons and it is going to be exciting for Jays fans"

2009 Playoffs

American League

Oakland A's vs Tampa Bay Rays
New York Yankees vs Cleveland Indians

National League

Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Philedelphia Phillies

[ryan008]

Yankees Sweep Phillies for World Series

October 28th, 2009

The New York Yankees have captured their 27th World Series Title in franchise history and their first since the 2000 season. The Yankees took the American League Wild Card with a record of 91-71 finishing just ahead of the Minnesota Twins. In the playoffs the they were dominant defeating the Cleveland Indians in 4 games and than sweeping the Oakland Athletics in the American League Championship Series. In the World Series the Phillies were no match for the Yankees losing 4 games to none and being outscored 34-9 in the 4 games. The Yankees starters (SP Joba Chamberlin, SP Chen-ming Wang, SP Andy Pettit and CC Sabathia) were nearly unhittable and SS Derek Jeter, LF Jonny Damon and 3B Alex Rodriguez all batted nearly .400 in the World Series to lead the Yankees to the victory.

[ryan008]

2009 Major League Award Winners Announced

November 4th, 2009

The 2009 Major League Award winners were announced today and there were no Blue Jays among the those who would hear their names called. A former Jay C Rod Barajas who was traded to the Yankees at the 2009 Trade Deadline in July was named the American League Gold Glove Winner at the Catcher position. The rest of the awards were:

National League Gold Gloves

P - Brandon Webb (Arizona)
C - Russel Martin (Los Angeles Dodgers)
1B - Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
2B - Brandon Phillips (Cincinnati Reds)
3B - Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals)
SS - Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado Rockies)
LF - Brandon Moss (pittsburgh Pirates)
CF - Shane Victorino (Philedelphia Phillies)
RF - Jay Bruce (Cincinnati Reds)

American League Gold Gloves

P - Andy Pettit (New York Yankees)
C - Rod Barajas (New York Yankees)
1B - Mark Texiera (New York Yankees)
2B - Alberto Callaspo (Kansas City Royals)
3B - Adrian Beltre (Seattle Mariners)
SS - Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers)
LF - Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers)
CF - Curtis Granderson (Detroit Tigers)
RF - Gabe Gross (Tampa Bay Rays)

National League Rookie of the Year

CF Colby Rasmus (St. Louis Cardinals)
.289 26 HR 84 RBI

American League Rookie of the Year

C Matt Wieters (Baltimore Orioles)
.318 14 HR 70 RBI

National League Cy Young Award

SP Cole Hammels (Philedelphia Phillies)
18-7 2.81 ERA 273 K's

American League Cy Young Award

CL Grant Balfour (Tampa Bay Rays)
6-3 2.69 ERA 44 SV in 45 Oppertunities

National League MVP

2B Chase Utley (Philedelphia Phillies)
.337 47 HR 163 RBI

American League MVP

3B Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)
.292 41 HR 122 RBI

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Announce New Budget and Salary Arbitration Cases

November 16th, 2009

The owner of the Blue Jays, Rogers Communications Inc. announced the teams 2010 budget will be $98,560,000. This is a slight increase over the 2009 budget of approximately $95,000,000. GM Ryan Stewart is encouraged by the commitment of the ownership group "The increase in payroll is encouraging,it is a sign that the owners believe in the direction that we intend on takling this club. We plan on using that money wisely. We are going to bump our scouting budget considerably for the 2010 season and are going to look at getting some of our younger players locked into long term contracts. We aren't coing to just go out and waste it signing free agents, we are going to use it to develop our players internally"

GM Ryan Stewart will have to deal with 8 salary arbitration cases this offseason. The Jays will have arbitration hearings with SP Dustin Mcgowan, MR Shawn Camp, MR Jason Frasor, MR Brandon League, MR Brian Tallet, RF Buck Coates and RF Jose Bautista as they were all offered arbitration by the Jays. The only arbitration eligiable player not tendered an offer was MR Jeremy Accardo and he will become an unrestricted free agent. SS John MacDonald was also not offered a contract and will be free to sign with another team as a free agent.

The results of the arbitration hears were:

SP Dustin Mcgowan - $2,030,300
MR Shawn Camp - $675,000
MR Jason Frasor - $2,286,000
MR Brandon League - $600,000
MR Brian Tallet - $4,250,000
RF Buck Coates - $600,000
RF Jose Bautista - $2,160,000

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Announce Minor League Players of the Year

November 14th, 2009

The Blue Jays handed out their organizational awards today. A player of the year is selected from each of the Jays six different levels of minors and is honoured by being named the winner of the R. Howard Webster Award.

AAA Las Vegas (65-79 Last in South Division)

1B Brett Harper
28 Years Old, Left Handed Batter
2009 Stats: .308 48 HR 108 RBI
GM's Comments: The veteran was a force in the Pacific coast League in 2009 leading the team and the league in homeruns. He was a 2009 Pacific Coast Allstar and was named the PCL Most Valuable Player. He really doesn't have much of a future with the club considering his age and looks like he is most likely to be a career minor leaguer. He will be invited to Spring Training 2010 but we aren't expecting much out of him.

AAA Las Vegas (78-64 1st in Northern Division)

SP Reidier Gonzalez
24 Years Old, RHP, V: 87-89 MPH
2009 Stats: 17-6 4.48 ERA 50 BB 121 K
GM's Comments: Gonzalez had a very good season for the Fisher Cats in 2009 leading the team in wins, ERA and complete games with 5. The 24 yearold is a control pitcher as he does not have an overwhelming fastball. He was named to the 2009 Eastern League Allstar Team and was the 2009 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. He will be headed to Spring Training with the Jays in 2010 but is most likely to start the season in AAA Las Vegas.

Advanced A Dunedin Blue Jays (67-73 5th in North Division)

1B Justin McClanahan
24 Years Old, Right Handed Batter
2009 Stats: .328 12 HR 65 RBI
GM's Comments: McLanahan is not a prototypical power hitting firstbaseman. He hits the ball in the gaps and ends up with a ton of doubles. He has a very good eye at the plate and is extremely patient. He compares to former Jays 1B Lyle Overbay. At 24 he was a little older than most players in the Florida State League but was named to the 2009 FSL Allstar team. He is ticketed for AA New Hampshire for the 2010 Season.

Low A Lansing Lugnuts (56-84 Last in Eastern Division)

CL Alan Farina
23 Years Old, RHP, V: 92-94 MPH
2009 Stats: 6-10 25 SV 3.74 ERA 52 BB 85 K
GM's Comments: Farina has one of the better arms in the Jays system and had a decent season on a very bad Lansing team. He posted 25 saves in 31 oppertunitites and was easily the best pitcher for the lugnuts in 2009. He probably doesn't have the stuff to stick as a closer but should be a very good setup man. He will skip A Dunedin and start the 2009 season in AA New Hampshier. He could see time with the Jays as early as 2010.

Short Season A Auburn Doubledays (28-48 Last in Pinckney Division)

LF Wellington Ramirez
22 Years Old, Right Handed Batter
2009 Stats: .298 5 HR 24 RBI
GM's Comments: Ramirez was the only hitter on the Doubledays to hit above .245 for the season and was 3rd on the team in HR and 2n in RBI. He is not a great power threat but does possess the ability to hit the long ball. He scouts as a backup/4th outfielder and will be headed to Low A Lansing for the 2010 season, where he will play in his first full season of professional baseball.

Rookie League GCL Blue Jays (31-29 3rd in North Division)

RF Nobaru Sato
19 Years Old, Right Handed Batter
Aquired: Signed as a Non-Drafted free agent in 2009 (Japan)
2009 Stats: .348 5 HR 18 RBI
GM's Comments: The 19 yearold Japanease import was signed to a 1 year $400,000 contract in 2009 and displayed why he commanded a major league deal as a 19 yearold. He lead the GCL Blue Jays in most offensive categories and was the GCL Batter of the Year in 2009. He still has a lot of development left to do but will get a shot to go to Spring Training in 2010 with the Jays. It is expected that he will start the 2010 season with the Low A Lansing Lugnuts and the Jays will be watching what he does against some better competition.

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Deal Marcum & Prospect to Orioles

December 19th, 2009

GM Ryan Stewart swung his first trade of the offseason just in time for Christmas as the Blue Jays sent SP Shawn Marcum and minor league SS Tyler Pastornicky to the Baltimore Orioles for pitching prospect SP Zach Britton. GM Ryan Stewart on the deal "We have two many pitchers competing for just 5 rotation spots this year and unfortunately Marcum is out of option years, he hasn't pitched in the big leagues in a year and we would have liked to start him in AAA, so instead of trying to get him to clear waivers and losing him for nothing so we put him on the market and the Orioles were interested"

SP Shawn Marcum is a 28 yearold righty with a fastball in the 86-88 MPH range. He is not overpowering but has very good control and could be a #3 or 4 starter on most teams. He missed all of the 2009 season with an arm injury and will pitch for the first time in almost a year at Spring Training with the Orioles.

The Jays also sent infield prospect SS Tyler Pastornicky a 20 yearold right handed batter who spent the entire 2009 season in Low A Lansing with the Lugnuts of the Mid Western League. The 20 yearold struggled in his first full season of professional baseball hitting just .169 with 5 HR and 30 RBI. He is better know for his glove but does have the ability to be an average hitter at the Major League Level.

SP Zach Britton is a 22 yearold lefty who features an 89-90 MPH fastball and a slider and curveball. He is not a power pitcher by any means and relies heavily on changing speeds and locations to get players out. He was 9-12 with a 5.94 ERA walking 64 and striking out 150 with AA Bowie in 2009 and will be invited to Spring Training in 2010 with the Jays but will be in the rotation for AAA Las Vegas to start the Pacific Coast League season.

[ryan008]

SP Dustin McGowan Traded to the Mets

February 8th, 2010

GM Ryan Stewart made another move today as the Jays traded 27 yearold SP Dustin McGowan to the New York Mets for first base prospect 1B Lucas Duda. Toronto had a glaring hole at firstbase when 1B Lyle Overbay was traded at the deadline last season. There really wasn't anyone in the Jays system who was ready to step up into the starters role. Toronto's best prospect at first is 1B David Cooper who will be at Spring Training with the Jays but is expected to start the season at AAA Las Vegas. The addition of Duda gives the Jays another option at first for the upcomming season.

SP Dustin McGowan missed most of the 2009 season with injury but was activitated form the 60 Day Disabled List in September in time to get in into 4 games posting a 1-3 record with an 5.54 ERA with 10 BB and 18 K. He was going to have to battle with a number of other young Jays starters for a spot in the Jays rotation and may well have ended up in AAA. With the Mets he will likely get a shot at being in the starting rotation.

1B Lucas Duda is a 24 yearold left handed batter who split time between AA Binghamton and AAA Buffalo in 2009. He hit .295 with 2 HR and 12 RBI in Binghamton and .319 with 19 HR and 76 RBI in AAA. He has put up good numbers in the minors and looks like he is ready to make the transition to the major leagues. He is headed to Spring Training with the Jays and is expected to be the Jays opening day starter at first base.