Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News believes the Jays could be the Darvish winner.

Looking for news on Yu Darvish? Join the club. I’ve been glued to Twitter for the past 12 hours, reading into tweet after tweet after tweet.

This morning, MLB announced that four teams placed bids for the right to negotiate with the Japanese-Iranian pitcher; the Cubs, Rangers, Yankees, and your own Blue Jays.

Of course, it’s no surprise the Jays would be in on Darvish – he fits the team perfectly. He’s 25; young and controllable. The team has stated, again and again, that they’re not interested in building a one-year success. They want to win, and they want to win for years. In order to have a shot at the AL East, the Jays desperately need a top-of-the-rotation starter to work with Ace-du-jour Ricky Romero.

So, what’s a “Whopper of a bid?”

In 2006, Daisuke Matsuzaka’s posting fee was just over $51 million, with a contract through 2012 worth at least $52 million. Injuries have plagued Matsuzaka for the past 3 seasons, and it’s widely believed that the Red Sox simply paid too much to bring in a starter unaccustomed to the 5 day rotation of the MLB.

Does Matsuzaka’s experience impact the bidding here? It doesn’t sound like it, if any of the buzz is to be believed. I keep hearing “surprisingly high” and “eye popping” and I can’t help but think that for any bid to be a surprise, it must surpass all historical precedent.

Personally, I’m guessing the winning bid here is somewhere in the low $60s. Let’s say $62, just for kicks and giggles. Successfully winning the bid and negotiating a contract with Yu Darvish could easily place the team in the $120 million range.

Is Yu Darvish worth $120 million to the Blue Jays?

Even if we get to see Darvish in action this Spring in Dunedin, the answer will still be unclear.

If I’ve learned anything in baseball, it’s that every move is a risky one. Players disappoint. Injuries happen. Attitudes get in the way of success.

The best any team can do is be informed; do research, consider fit, and if that risk feels acceptable, take a leap.

But for now, for at least a few hours longer, we wait.

This past Spring, I was lucky enough to con Brian Jeroloman into spending a couple of minutes after a game to chat a bit about training, about (then) new manager John Farrell, and about his hopes for the year.

Brian did get his wish; he was called up to Toronto last Tuesday August 22, in a puzzling move that has fans and analysts scratching their heads. Jeroloman makes the third catcher on the Jays’ active roster. According to John Lott’s report for the National Post, GM Anthopoulos said that Jeroloman would “rarely play”.

So. Why, with infield depth initially reduce by the departures of Hill and McDonald, would the Jays want 3 catchers?

My first thought was that either JP Arencibia or Jose Molina are in line to be traded. As much as I love Jose Molina, he would be a fine addition to a team looking towards the post-season. Perhaps the Giants?

Another option… would Travis d’Arnaud get the call up to Vegas? D’Arnaud, the Jays’ likely catcher of the future, has been heating up the eastern seaboard with a season .315 batting average and the honor of being chosen as a mid-season All Star.

But as time passes from the date of the callup, with no moves being made, the situation gets curiouser and curiouser.

Why bring up Jeroloman to have him sit in the bullpen? There’s been very little coverage in any media over the move, likely because of Anthopoulos’ comments that Jeroloman wouldn’t see much playing time, if any. It’s the kind of news that’s non-news… except that it doesn’t make sense.

Why waste space on the 25 man roster?

I enjoyed speaking with Brian in Spring Training. He’s a genuinely nice guy who seems to enjoy what he does. I only wish I’d had more than five minutes to come up with some better questions!

Next time!

It’s now been months since the surprise deal that sent Vernon Wells to the Angels in the first move of Anthopoulous’ chess game to contention. The team had faced their old Center Fielder before; at the beginning of April in Anaheim. But last night was Wells’ first return back to his home turf.

Vernon was the face of the franchise for 10 years. Whether or not the contractual move to Anaheim was something fans have fully accepted, one thing was clear when he left; although he’d embrace his new team, Vernon didn’t want to go anywhere.

Within seconds of Wells’ stepping up to the plate for his first at-bat at the top of the 2nd, most of the 24,000+ crowd had risen to their feet, applauding the veteran Blue Jay.

In an interview with the Canadian Press after the game, Vernon described the moment as being understandably emotional.

“I just tried to hold back the emotion in that moment,” he said. “I didn’t think there would be much but there was and I just tried to enjoy it an obviously not be a crybaby at home plate. It’s just a moment I’ll never forget.”

Hold it back? I’m not sure if he did. Vernon Wells seemed to harness that emotion to smash Brandon Morrow’s first pitch out of the park. In the same moment? The cheers turned to boos.

Wells’ solo home run in the 2nd gave the Angels an early 1-0 lead, one they extended with 3 more runs in the 3rd. The final score was 5-1; the Jays only on the board with Eric Thames’ 6th major league home run in the 9th.

The game was a collection of errors and missteps for the Jays. The Angels scored 5 on only 4 hits. 3 Jays errors helped them out. So did Morrow’s lack of control.

Morrow, a pitcher known for his high strikeout totals, only struck out 3 in 7 innings, making this performance by far his lowest strikeout rate of the season. He walked 4.

It’s easy to point to Morrow to find what went wrong. Certainly, the more batters who reach base, the more runs will probably come in to score.

The errors didn’t help either. Over the past 2 games, the Jays have racked up a whopping 5 defensive errors.

After the game, Manager John Farrell criticized this, saying that defense is something the team needs more control over, and that the clumps of errors are “glaring”.

But the Jays offense also made a right mess of the 3rd inning at the plate. Jose Molina (my Molina!) hit an outstanding double to Center Field. For some reason, he kept going around second. Molina is many wonderful things, but he’s no speed demon. It was unclear to me whether he got the green light to run, or just misjudged Wells’ accuracy. He was tagged out at third.

Following that play, Brett Lawrie took a walk to first. And was soon after caught stealing second.

Had both stayed on for Escobar’s 1-out at bat, the team may have been able to get some runs early in the game, and build some positive momentum.

Oh well.

The Jays are back at .500, and are now 14.5 games out of first place. More importantly, they’ve slipped to 5 games back of 3rd place Tampa.

Today’s game should be a tough pitching duel as Ricky Romero faces Jered Weaver. With an ERA of 1.78, Weaver leads the AL starters. Romero, with 2.96, ranks 8th.

Brandon Morrow’s post-game tweet just about says it all. After going 5 flawless innings – just 51 pitches to retire 15 straight batters – it all fell apart at the top of the 6th.

First to go? The perfect game. On a 3-1 count, Nolan Reimold singled on a line drive to center field.

After another out and a second single, a fielding error by – surprisingly – Yunel Escobar allowed the Orioles to score. Say goodbye to the shutout, Brandon.

The Jays were still in line for the win. Up by 1, Morrow got the second out of the inning. But two were still on. On the second pitch, Adam Jones knocked one out of the park, bringing in the two baserunners, and putting the Orioles ahead, 4 to 2.

It’s easy to accept that a perfect game – in a virtual rainstorm – couldn’t possibly last forever. The ground was soaked. It’s tough to keep a good hold on the ball with wet hands. And the weight of a wet uniform can throw things off.

But you just knew, looking at Brandon Morrow’s in the dugout after he left the game in the 8th, that this was far from what he’d wanted.

Would things have been different, had Yunel successfully completed the force out attempt? Probably. At least for that inning. A force out at 2nd would have put the frame at 2 outs for the next batter, and kept the Orioles from scoring on that play. It certainly would have helped Morrow’s composure going into the next play. The Jays might have kept the lead. They might have won.

Might.

The thing about baseball? You never know. Losses rarely come down to a single play. Even had the 6th ended with the Orioles scoreless, the seventh may have changed everything.

Brandon Morrow didn’t get his perfect game last night. He didn’t get his shutout. And he didn’t get the win. But no one can say he didn’t pitch outstandingly.

Morrow will get his perfect game.

This was just a preview.

Brett Lawrie - Toronto's Lucky Number 13?

We knew it was coming.

Definitely before September.

Some time in the summer, for sure.

But maybe earlier? Maybe June?

It’s hard to feel like Brett Lawrie’s arrival today won’t change things in a big way. This is why fans have been chomping at the bit, eager for his call-up.

You look at Lawrie, and see a player who showcases the coveted trio of power, speed, and average. Defensively, he learns fast; transitioning from second to third over a matter of weeks.

And the timing couldn’t be better.

Earlier in the season, the rotating door of 3rd base has passed through Encarnacion, Nix, McCoy, McDonald and even Chris Woodward. The 3B position was underperforming in both offense and defense.

The controversial decision to shift Jose Bautista semi-permanently into the hot corner was a definite upgrade. Bautista’s arm and accuracy immediately contributed to the defense. In 25 starts, Bautista grabbed just 2 errors in the position. In 25 starts, Edwin Encarnacion netted 8.

Still, Bautista’s made it clear that his home is in right field, and I’m not one to argue. The best place for Bautista? Where Bautista feels comfortable.

Although this decision could have come weeks earlier, the team has given Lawrie ample opportunity to return to form in Las Vegas. And he has. Post-injury, he’s held his season batting average to .353, with a .415 on base percentage.

Lawrie brings with him the promise of another strong offensive presence in the field. And while he will need to continue to work out his throwing accuracy, particularly when on the move, he’s proven an ability to learn.

To make room for Lawrie, Travis Snider was optioned to AAA. Snider can’t be happy about the move – twice this season – but nor should he be surprised. With the addition of Colby Rasmus, the outfield became a very crowded place. And with Bautista making a move back to right, it’s become even more crowded.

Despite Snider’s initially flashy return to play in July, his stats have failed to improve far enough above .200. At the plate? He’s been striking out a whopping 27.7% of the time. (I maybe should mention that JP is currently sitting at over 28%. Eek.)

What the future holds for Travis is unclear. I’m rooting for him to find his mojo again. He’s got power. He’s got surprising speed. But something isn’t clicking.

Tonight, Lawrie should see his first big league play. After waiting so long, I’d find it hard to imagine that the team would expect us – and expect Lawrie – to wait much longer. Will he make the start at 3B? He could. With the (brutal) day game yesterday, the team should be able to have a good workout today and see how the upgraded Jays come together.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts, like many of our rookies, as tonight’s DH, using Monday’s off day to begin Bautista’s transition back to the outfield.

Welcome to the big time, Brett Lawrie. I’m excited to see how much impact you can have.

St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Colby Rasmus (28). Photo by Keith Allison.

Last night, the Blue Jays took to the field 4 players short of their active roster.

With Ricky Romero pitching a shut-out, the depleted bullpen didn’t so much matter; only Rauch had to come in for the final two outs of the game.

The “New Jays” began arriving last night and may see playing time as soon as tonight’s final match against Baltimore.

So, who are these guys? And what have they been up to so far this season?

Fellow Aerys Sports Reporters Christine Coleman and Cheryl Norman share the low-down on the “New Jays” and what Toronto fans may expect to see.

» Continue reading “The New Jays: What Rasmus, Teahen, Miller, Walters and Tallet Bring to the Table”

Zach Stewart Pitches in Toronto

The Blue Jays have traded reliever Jason Frasor and Starting Pitcher Zach Stewart to the Chicago White Sox, in exchange for SP Edwin Jackson and 3B/OF Mark Teahen.

More soon, because I’m willing to bet you like a trillion dollars that this ‘done deal’ is only part of the deal for the Jays.

Will Edwin Jackson be going to the St. Louis Cardinals? And what are the Jays going to do with yet ANOTHER third baseman?

The ‘mill has it that the Jays are looking for CF Colby Rasmus in return from the Cards. It’s just a question of when, and what else we’ll be giving up in exchange.

Look for updates when I’ve got ‘em….

Edwin Encarnacion: Back in Business

Tonight, the Jays welcome the Seattle Mariners to town. It’s just the second meeting for the teams in 2011, and much has changed since that rough road trip in early April.

Starting Pitching

In the April Series, the Mariners faced Jesse Litsch, Ricky Romero, and Kyle Drabek. Of the 3? Only Drabek netted a win, despite Ricky’s strong 8.0 inning performance in game 2. Of the 3? Only Romero remains on the active roster.

This time, the Mariners will face Romero to close out the series, with Brett Cecil and Brandon Morrow for games 1 and 2.

Offensive Upgrades

Hopefully, we’ll see Jose Bautista return to the lineup tonight. His bat was missed during the last two games against the Yankees, and it would be great to start off with as much power against Michael Pineda as possible tonight.

But even if Bautista needs a few more days of rest and rehab, the Blue Jays have a stronger lineup to face the Mariners this time around.

Gone? Juan Rivera and Jayson Nix. To be fair, Nix had gone 5 for 12 in Seattle, but his reasonable April turned into sub-Mendoza May and June.

Improved? Travis Snider. Snider’s visit to his home state netted just his 6th hit of 2011, and highlighted his struggles at the plate. The Snider we saw last week is the one we knew would be back; he’s batting .391 since his return from AAA.

A different kind of Edwin Encarnacion is in the mix as well. Eddie’s batting .327 for July, and actually played an outstanding third base last weekend.

New? Rajai Davis wasn’t in the lineup for any of the Seattle series. Look for Davis – if he can get on base – to take a few extra off of Jason Vargas tomorrow. Vargas has 10 stolen bases against him so far in 2011.

Eric Thames adds a lot of punch as well. Currently batting .308, the leftie has proven to be dangerous against RHP. How he handles Michael Pineda tonight will be interesting. Thames was thrown by Sabbathia on Saturday, and didn’t seem to recover his swing for the final game of the series. Hopefully the day off has given him some perspective.

What to Watch
After the bi-polar Yankees series this weekend, I’ve got 3 big questions that I’ll be looking to answer over the next few games.

1. Can Thames rebound? His swing looked…well… awful on Sunday. We need him back in business ASAP or the wins will keep slipping away. It’s good for him to be facing another strong pitcher in the first game tonight. Hopefully he can adjust. His stats give him a good shot against Pineda.
2. Is Snider in it for the long haul? He’s no longer on a hitting streak, but it doesn’t matter; the man with the ‘Stache looks at home at the plate in a way he hasn’t for months.
3. What about Corey Patterson? Man, this guy had a great May. .308, with judicious use of baserunning. June and July so far are sub .200. If we’re going to put up with Patterson’s free swinging ways, he needs to connect just a wee bit more often.

With any luck, the Jays will be back at .500 – or over – before they head to Texas this weekend.

Ah. The All Star Break. It’s a time for reflection. For relaxation. For anticipation. And maybe for a little frustration.

With the July 31 trade deadline quickly approaching, teams are taking stock of what they’ve got – and what they need – in anticipation of the rest of the year.

In visual form, here’s a little summary of the first “half” of the Blue Jays’ 2011 season.
» Continue reading “Blue Jays at the Break: An Infographic”

Brett Lawrie - Toronto's Lucky Number 13?

Third Baseman of the Hopefully Near Future Brett Lawrie has been cleared to play. He took batting practice over the weekend and yesterday, after a week spent hitting off a tee.

This is a great sign for the kid, but doesn’t mean he’ll be called up to the big leagues any time soon.

When he was placed on the DL, the original timeline looked set for an August call-up. Lawrie’s recent progress makes that look even more likely than ever.

When could we possibly expect to see Lawrie in Toronto?

Assuming he continues to take batting and fielding practice for a week, he may get his first game play on Monday at the soonest. I’d expect the team to give him at least a solid week at A Dunedin, followed by another week in AA New Hampshire.

UPDATED! Lawrie’s going to make his first rehab start in Dunedin tonight. You have to know Jays fans are going to following along. Farrell said that they’ll re-evaluate after the weekend.

Does he have to go back to the PCL to prove he’s ready to join the bigs?

Doubtful.

Lawrie has nothing left to prove at that level. Prior to his injury, he was hitting .354 with 15 HR and 49 RBI.

The key now is getting his timing back and setting him up best to come to the team and make a big positive first impression.

Brett Lawrie's Tweet from last night

The Jays like to introduce new players on road trips, so we could see Lawrie as early as August 2 in Tampa.