BY: JAY SMITH
Is the hype finally for real?
Toronto Blue Jays fans have felt this before. Hope. Turning the page. Taking the next step. Fielding a competitive baseball team. Yes, even within the mighty AL East.
Time after time, as sure as Toronto will see snowfall in the brunt of winter, the candle has eventually and rather quickly, burnt out. Hope becomes frustration. The hype proves to be nothing more than… well… hype.
By definition, an ‘exaggerated or extravagant claim made especially in advertising or promotional material’. Jays fans have been here before. But admittedly so, this time around feels a lot different. It feels… real.
Is it finally time for the hype to disappear? Will reality make the 2012 Blue Jays a contender?
Forget the hype for a second. Reality shows us this club, competing in the toughest division in baseball, and arguably in all of sports, has failed to finish above fourth place in a five-team division for the last four consecutive years. In this division, it’s common knowledge that 90 to 100 wins is not only recommended but seemingly mandatory to sneak into the playoff picture. Toronto has finished with 81, 85, 75 and 86 W’s, respectively, in those four seasons. In fact, the last time the Rogers Centre/SkyDome saw a home-field 90 game winner was 1993.
Is there a Canadian snowball’s chance in hell the Jays can make such a drastic change in the stats books this year?
From a philosophical standpoint, don’t ask why – ask “why not?”
Why can’t the Jays be the Tampa Bay Rays of 2008? Why can’t they sneak in the back door like the Colorado Rockies of 2007? Why can’t Toronto be the ’97 or 2003 Florida Marlins?
Simple answer? They can’t. They have a chance to be better.
At the very least, the Jays are on the verge of creating an empire that could be argued as similar to the work of Tampa. GM Alex Anthopoulos has made it very clear – he thinks the Rays very well may be the best run organization in baseball. And he’s taken note.
The work, dedication and early results from this 34 year old MLB GM has garnered a lot of respect for AA from the Toronto faithful. And deservedly so. Gone are the days of “what we have is good enough” under an infamous tongue-in-cheek “five-year plan” (that he swears he never promised) from not-so-positively-famous GM J.P. Ricciardi. Here are the days of moving forward. Here are the days of battling for a spot at the top. Here are the days of assembling a strong farm system chalk full of prospects. Here and now, is the future of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The farm is so full of pure-breds, it’s nearly impossible to sell it all – even for the promise of championship glory here and now. But rest assured, Anthopoulos is smarter than that. More importantly, he wants more. This team is shaping up the old fashioned way. The right way. The Jays have leverage they haven’t had in quite some time.
It’s that very leverage that allows and will continue to allow AA to bring this team to the next level, filling the necessary holes and attracting some possible elite talent to the great white north. This leverage allows Toronto to trade a highly touted pitching prospect like 22-year-old Nestor Molina for a 28-year-old strong-armed closer who is yet to hit his prime in Sergio Santos, formerly of the White Sox.
Molina, a converted infielder just like Santos, has four years as a pitcher under his belt – only one as a mainstay starter. In Molina’s minor league career, he’s 27-7 with a 2.21 ERA in 103 games pitched, giving up 255 hits in 292.2 IP with 277 K and only 47 BB. Typically, Molina is a guy you don’t want to give up. With a plethora of pitching talent at all minor league levels, the Jays can afford to gamble in these situations to fill some current needs – in a much bigger way than may be realized. Santos saved 30 games for the ChiSox last year while averaging an out of this world 13 strikeouts per nine innings. Do I need to remind you this was all in his first year as a closer, and only his third as a pitcher? Alex and the Jays brass know Santos well. A former Blue Jays shortstop prospect who hit 20 dingers at the Double-A level in 2007, a hefty amount is expected out of this second-year closer.
There are certainly more holes to fill. Depth in the current starting rotation and bullpen. Figuring out the left field situation between Eric Thames and Travis Snider – while there are rumblings of Edwin Encarnacion and/or Kelly Johnson spending some time in left field. Make what you will, but it sounds like Anthopoulos isn’t done shaking things up. And what about a clean-up hitter to coincide with the home run king Jose Bautista? Certainly, another power bat would be a more than welcome addition. More importantly, a big bat would take some much needed pressure off of the likes of Adam Lind, if he’s not dealt within the next year.
Prince Fielder seems more unlikely as the offseason continues, however, the fact no one seems too interested in more than a five-year deal for Cecil Jr may reflect well on Toronto. The Big Papi rumors are no more after accepting arbitration, and the Carlos Quentin whispers have now turned more realistically in Atlanta’s favour. And will the Jays honestly go after Joey Votto, with the price tag that is destined to come next year? Or can AA work his magic to pull off a late season trade to grab a big gun like Votto? The farm animals are ready to work.
So here we are. What next? Can the continued superstardom of Bautista combined with the rising stars of Lawrie, Romero and company, a set closer who seems for real for the first time in the better part of a decade plus the emergence of youth that doesn’t know any better make a 10 to 15 win difference in one season?
We’re going to find out.
In the words of the late and great Tom Cheek: “the Blue Jays are in flight.”
It’s more than hype. And it’s about time.
Jay Smith is a local baseball enthusiast and radio announcer at 99.1 CKXS in Wallaceburg, Ontario. An avid Toronto Blue Jays fan, Smith will be filling some regular commentary duty throughout the 2011 offseason and 2012 year. You can e-mail Jay at jay@ckxsfm.com and follow him on Twitter @jay991ckxs
