TheHurl

I know that someone is going to ask someone to post this insider account. Personally I'd rather here the Breaking Blue guys post their best than Buster but for some reason Jays fans on here often like to see praise from big bad ESPN. So here it is. 1. Boston Red Sox Even before the Red Sox closed a 2014 season in which they finished 18th in runs, Boston GM Ben Cherington had brought change. Mookie Betts, who dominated in the minor leagues, was promoted in the last couple of months and thrived, generating a .368 on-base percentage in 52 games. The Red Sox spent a lot of money on Rusney Castillo and got him to the big leagues, where he had a small sample of success. In November, Boston made two lightning strikes to sign two veteran hitters who've demonstrated the ability to hit good pitchers, Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. Dustin Pedroia's slugging percentage has steadily regressed (.493 in 2010, to .474, .449, .415 and .376 in subsequent seasons), and given the inevitable toll of time and his style of play, some rival evaluators doubt he'll ever get back to being a high-impact hitter. Meanwhile, David Ortiz turned 39 this winter and is presumably in the last years of his career. But the depth in the Red Sox's lineup, which enabled them to lead the majors in runs in 2013 and win a championship, is restored. With Ramirez and Sandoval, and the possible contributions of Betts and Castillo, the Red Sox's offense won't disappear if Pedroia and Ortiz don't hit. Boston's lineup will be formidable again (probably fueled by the reality that the rotations among division rivals appear thin). It's not entirely clear what role Shane Victorino will have, or where Betts will play, or what the Red Sox will do with Allen Craig and Daniel Nava. But Boston has more and better lineup options than any other team in the majors. 2. Los Angeles Angels The trade of Howie Kendrick will hurt the lineup, because amid the volatility of other parts of the lineup -- the inherent injury and age questions for Albert Pujols and the puzzle that Josh Hamilton has become -- Kendrick was a steady presence. In his nine-year career, his OPS ranged between .721 at the low end and .802 at the high end; he was solid, season after season. He is gone, and it'll be a challenge for the Angels to replace that consistency. The Angels' offense begins, of course, with the majors' best player, Mike Trout, who had 84 extra-base hits, 83 walks, 115 runs and 111 RBIs in 2014. Pujols had a really good bounce-back year, with 66 extra-base hits among 172 hits; he turns 35 this week. The Angels added depth this winter, writes Alden Gonzalez. 3. Toronto Blue Jays Sure, there are questions about the Jays' production at second base and in left field. But Toronto had a relatively strong offense last season, finishing fifth in runs, and the Blue Jays' lineup in 2015 likely will start like this: SS Jose Reyes C Russell Martin RF Jose Bautista 3B Josh Donaldson DH Edwin Encarnacion That's a pretty good foundation. 4. Colorado Rockies To date, all signs are that Troy Tulowitzki will be back, surrounded by Justin Morneau, Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson. Sure, the Rockies continues to be Supermen at home and Clark Kents on the road -- last year, they ranked No. 1 in home OPS (.902, 128 points better than any other team) and No. 29 in road OPS (.636) -- but there's no reason to think that's going to change in 2015. By summer's end, they'll have piled up a lot of runs. 5. Detroit Tigers The Tigers probably will have days when they look like baseball's most dynamic offensive team, with Yoenis Cespedes making Comerica Park look small with long home runs, with Victor Martinez demonstrating why he might be the game's best pure hitter and with J.D. Martinez taking advantage of having runners on base. In fact, you could argue that the Tigers should be higher than fifth in these rankings after scoring more runs than 28 other teams last year. But there is one major X factor: The health of Miguel Cabrera, who had ankle surgery following the season. Perhaps Cabrera's return will be seamless, and he showed last year that even when he's playing hurt, no hitter has better hands and he can still be very dangerous. Cabrera played in 159 games last season, batting .313, racking up 76 extra-base hits among 191 hits, and hitting .379 in September, hobbling all the while. But if Cabrera's rehabilitation is extended, or if he has a setback, that will change a whole lot about Detroit's attack. He will be in a walking boot at the start of spring training, in all likelihood. 6. Washington Nationals Jayson Werth might be out of the lineup at the beginning of the season following his shoulder surgery, but Washington appears to have an offense that could fully evolve this summer. The 24-year-old Anthony Rendon became one of the National League's best hitters last year, compiling 66 extra-base hits, and Bryce Harper showed again in the postseason how dangerous he can become. He's only 22 years old and has lost time to injuries, and yet he has hit 55 homers. Denard Span tied for the NL lead in hits last year (184) and scored 94 runs. Ryan Zimmerman is expected to move to first base, probably permanently, and shortstop Ian Desmond is one of the best offensive players at his position. In spite of their problems last year, including major injuries to Zimmerman, Harper and Werth, the Nationals still finished ninth in runs. They should be better in 2015. 7. Texas Rangers The Rangers had rebuilt their lineup for 2014, focusing on the addition of left-handed power. But absolutely everything went wrong for the Rangers last season, with virtually their entire lineup other than Adrian Beltre and Leonys Martin being affected by one problem or another. As such, their run production dipped markedly. Rangers' ranking in runs 2010: 5th 2011: 3rd 2012: 1st 2013: 8th 2014: 17th Nobody within the Texas organization will assume anything anymore after what the Rangers experienced in 2014, but this is what we know as of now: Prince Fielder is back to his MMA-style training, without restriction following his neck surgery last summer. Shin-Soo Choo's elbow is feeling much better, and he also has lost some weight. Elvis Andrus learned a lesson from last year, when he showed up to spring training out of shape; he's now in excellent condition. Mitch Moreland has made progress following his physical problems last season. Jurickson Profar is good to go, but he may return to the minors, given his need for regular playing time, and slugging prospect Joey Gallo is likely to start the year at Double-A, playing third base. Playing in the excellent hitting conditions in Arlington, a return to form for the Rangers seems very possible. 8. Pittsburgh Pirates Early in the year, the Pirates' offense was very thin, with some modest contributions around Andrew McCutchen, who got very different treatment from opposing pitchers in his first season after being named the MVP. By late season, however, the Pittsburgh lineup had depth to it, despite the struggles of Pedro Alvarez. Josh Harrison batted .315 and compiled 58 extra-base hits, and Starling Marte became a beast, posting a .408 on-base percentage after the All-Star break. The Pirates ranked ninth in the majors in runs in the second half, and they can reasonably expect another year of progress. McCutchen has learned how to handle the challenge of seeing only a few good pitches a game, Gregory Polanco has growth potential and Pittsburgh should get better production at first base than in 2014, when the Pirates' first basemen ranked 24th in OPS. Alvarez, as always, could be a pivotal figure. If he doesn't hit in the first half of the season, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Pirates look for alternatives before the trade deadline. 9. Cleveland Indians Michael Brantley was in the MVP conversation, and Carlos Santana's second-half OPS was 123 points better than in the first half, but the Indians' offense had issues all year, including the disastrous year of Jason Kipnis, the disintegration of Nick Swisher, who wound up having surgery on both knees, and the recurring hamstring trouble of Michael Bourn. The Indians are encouraged by Bourn's winter work, and they believe Kipnis will rebound. Until Swisher starts playing, it's hard to know what he'll be. But the Indians added power hitter Brandon Moss this offseason, and could have a good lineup around Brantley and Santana. 10. New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi will have some unusual issues to sort through, because it's really hard to say who should be hitting third, fourth and fifth in that lineup. Maybe Carlos Beltran will bat in one of those spots if he has something left, and maybe Mark Teixeira will, following an offseason investment in himself. Maybe Brian McCann's September, when he hit eight homers in 81 at-bats, is a sign of what's ahead. Last year, the Yankees tried a lot of different hitters in the middle of their order, and finished 20th in runs. But in 2014, they had more than 600 plate appearances from Derek Jeter, who had the ninth-worst OPS in the majors among hitters with at least 325 appearances, and almost 400 plate appearances from Ichiro Suzuki, who wasn't much better. They could get better production in those spots, and in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the lineup, particularly, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner settled into those spots. The Yankees also have better lineup depth, and can throw out an all-left-handed batting order in a division in which 16 of the 20 projected rival starters are right-handed. The lack of a rock-solid, MVP-type middle-of-the-order hitter will probably prevent the Yankees from climbing among the leaders in run production, but improvement seems inevitable. Honorable mention: The Minnesota Twins, who ranked third in the majors in runs in the second half of last season. … The Oakland Athletics, who dropped from first in runs in the first half of last season to 13th in the second half, will go into 2015 with a rebuilt lineup, and the health of Brett Lawrie and Coco Crisp will be essential. … Justin Havens of ESPN Stats & Info argued for the St. Louis Cardinals to be in the top 10, but it would be a great leap forward after their very unusual 2014 season, in which the Cardinals finished 24th in runs. If the Cardinals jump back into the top 10, it'll be because Kolten Wong announces his presence with authority, and because Jason Heyward has a big impact leading into his free agency. … The Baltimore Orioles, who lost Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis but should benefit from the return of Manny Machado and Matt Wieters. … And finally, some evaluators believe the Cincinnati Reds will have a strong rebound after a miserable 2014, with Joey Votto leading the way.

Only two International hitting signings I can think of that debuted in their teams top 10, before playing in the mainland, were Sano (number 4 for the Twins) and Ovando (number 10 for the Astros). Ovando is a great example of why we should temper expectations.

Marlins have him at like number 4 on the depth chart. Even if Dee Gordon got hurt they might move Prado over to 2B and bring up Zach Cox. I'd have to think he can be had for pretty cheap.

The Power is there, the D might be there. He is the kind of guy that smart teams can put into spots where he can succeed (fastball situations, RHP's who throw majority fastballs). What I mean by this is that he's not a full season option as the K's will eventually catch up to him. He has an option so if he's chasing too much in Spring...you send him down. If he's swinging well you start with him. He's more of an insurance policy that fits for this team, than a 2B option.

If the Jays want to attempt to get a lightning in a bottle, High K, big power Juan Francisco type...that if hot right away could put up (over a small sample size) could put up huge numbers they should try and get Zach Walters from Cleveland. I liked his D from what I saw in the minors, he's an athletic guy that can play shortstop and corner OF positions too. He is going to swing and miss a lot but if you don't let him see many lefties (he's a switch hitter) I think he can be a very effective guy for a small sample size. Of course if the Jays are going with an unknown option at 2B they may as well go with Travis.

He was one of the best players on the ice tonight.

Racist

So he's an OF then...Nice swing though.

Yeah cause only guys that work hard do well.

Ang's car carrying all the players "meds".

and it was exactly the same as your Greenwood account.

Sorry GD...I was forced to change the title after the 7 reportings.

Honestly, Admin did such a good job to distance this board from that old site. No one even advertises this site over there anymore. We have been around for 615 days now, average over 745 posts a day...even if you take the few posts that trolls from that board have got in, it's minuscule. So I consider it a personal insult, at the guy that's operating this site out of his own pocket, to continually bring up the guys that ruined the old board. An occasional joke is one thing as so many of us have a history over there, but these accusatory posts are no longer tolerated. I do appreciate that you took your 24 hour timeout without any back tall, I just want everyone to understand why I am penalizing people for this.

I'd love to see him go to Seattle...the worst pull power hitter in baseball going to the most pull happy org in baseball. Seeing as RC has one of the best LF HR/FB ratios in baseball Howard is actually best fit for here (Howard's best fit is still bad). Many are happy to stick with Smoak who actually has been outhit by Howard though, so I think the better question is...would you take on Howard at 20 percent of his contract, if it came with Chase Utley?

Still better than the DangleFactory

If you are looking for direct comparisons year over year. Go to the Cuban site directly. http://www.inder.cu/beta/competitions/baseball/Campeonato_Nacional/Serie_Nacional/2010/Estadisticas.htm You just need to change the year to get past seasons. Click on Estadísticas ... then Individuales, then Bateos. It sorts by team so you can see that Rusney's entire team averaged a .317/.400/.478 line in 2010. But batting "estadisticas" have been really coming down. in 2012 his team put up a .260/.340/.332 line. The team leader went from Rusney in 2010 with 18...down to 6 in 2012. I believe 2012 is the season that the league made the balls from Fidel's rotting carcass. I'm not sure how I ended up getting this unsearchable site...and I'm even less sure how a technology challenged, non spanish speaking old guy learned to search through it. Funny how right after I started using it Orgfiller showed up on the old forum.

Warned everyone that is a violation. 24 hours for you

What? Escobar on pace for a 4 win season walks in and says "2 years $13M" any GM that says no should be fired. Anyway the word I'm hearing is that Oakland still might be dangling Zobrist to the Jays.

you jumped...one off season and you jump back. You'll be begging to party in BTS's parents basement by next year. There is very little to like about this deal from the Rays point of view...but they still will have a good pitching staff.

would like to see where they'd include Sanchez. I like that they seem to actually rank bats... I'd have Travis around 4 or 5. and of course I'd have Osuna somewhere off the chart

Baseball Hot Corner with a list I absolutely hate. http://baseballhotcorner.com/toronto-blue-jays-top-20-prospects-2015/ 1. Daniel Norris: Number one on most people’s lists this year, Daniel Norris is expected to make the Blue Jays active roster at some point in 2015. Norris, who sky rocketed up the organization’s farm system last year to impress at the major league level, is just 21 years old and would be a dead cert for job in the starting rotation for the Blue Jays, if not for the log jam of young starters ahead of him – Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison and Aaron Sanchez. Norris, who told us last year that he devotes much of his life and success to God, will prepare for this season in the same way he has always done: through hard work and commitment. The Tennessee native ranks 25th on MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, so expect to see the left-hander, and his ferocious fast ball, in Toronto at some point in 2015. You might expect to see Sanchez filling the next spot, however we’re not including him here as we no longer consider him a prospect, despite MLB’s rules on rookie eligibility. 2. Dalton Pompey: With the absence of Sanchez, number two on our list is filled by Dalton Pompey. Having started 2014 in Dunedin along with Norris, Pompey too surged through the minor leagues to find himself in Toronto at season’s end. The native of Mississsauga, Ontario took advantage of injuries to display his lightning-fast speed and explosive defense, and transformed himself into the favorite to land the starting job in center-field. One area that the 22 year old will need to improve himself on is his offense. Pompey performed solidly at the plate in all of his minor-league stops, but struggled slightly with a .231 average in the majors, albeit in just 39 plate appearances. If Pompey can maintain a modest batting average, he will be a main stay in Toronto for the foreseeable future. 3. Max Pentecost: Number three on our list is Max Pentecost, the number 11 overall pick in the 2014 Draft. Despite the small sample size – just 109 professional at bats – Pentecost blew away pitching in his first stint in pro ball. Having joined the Blue Jays organization in late July, the 21 year old hit a combined .324 for the Gulf Coast Jays and Vancouver Canadians.. With Russell Martin signed at the big league level for the next 5 years, General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, may look to give his number one catching prospect some time at first-base. Look for Pentecost to start the season with the Canadians, but progress quickly. It will be intriguing to see what the front office does with former catching prospect A.J. Jimenez, now 24, who is currently with the Buffalo Bisons. 4. Roberto Osuna: Osuna, who starts a string of pitching prospects on our list, spots up at number four, but not because of his numbers. Once the number two prospect, the last couple of years have been pretty treacherous for the Mexican. Despite posting a 5.53 and 6.26 ERA in 2013 and 2014 respectively, Osuna remains at the top end of the spectrum due to his age and sheer raw ability. Boasting a strike out rate of 10.1 in his pro career, Osuna clearly has the arm necessary to succeed at the next level. Having impressed in the Mexican league as a sixteen year old, Osuna needs to find consistency in his delivery and put it all together for a whole season. Watch for this potential phenom to breakout in 2015. 5. Jeff Hoffman: Claiming the fifth spot on our list is rookie Jeff Hoffman. Selected ninth overall in last year’s draft, Hoffman underwent Tommy John surgery preventing him from throwing a professional ball in 2014. A year on and the Blue Jays front office expects the former college ace to excel through the minor ranks rather quickly, and pose as depth to the big league team, much like Stroman did. Hoffman is a 22 year old righty, who throws in the mid-nineties and could be ready to impact the major leagues within a couple of years. After a quiet start to his college career, Hoffman exploded onto the scene with the Robert A. McNeece award of the 2013 Cape Cod League for most outstanding prospect. Expect to see Hoffman in the upper rungs of the farm-system before long. 6. Miguel Castro: Castro has emerged as one of the Blue Jays’ top pitching prospects after another superb year in 2014. Signing with the Jays as an international free agent in 2012, Castro struggled with his control early on. However a 2.68 ERA in 16 games across three Single A levels a year ago saw the Dominican native put together a solid season from start to finish, earning him nationwide recognition in the process. Having made just one start for the Dunedin Blue Jays, Castro figures to start 2015 in South Florida, but expect him to continue developing his consistency and make a move towards Double A later on in the season. Signed for just $180,000, Anthopoulos may have him his biggest international catch yet. 7. Sean Reid-Foley: In every draft there are players that fall due to their perceived signing difficulty. The Blue Jays found themselves an absolute steal when they drafted Sean Reid-Foley, who fell to the second round in last year’s draft, despite being tipped by many scouts to be selected in the top 20 overall. He didn’t and Anthopoulos drafted a 6’3, 18 year old out of high-school (now 19) who throws in the mid-nineties. Not bad for 49th overall. Although his numbers do not show it, Reid-Foley had a pretty solid first quarter of a season in professional baseball. His inflated 4.22 ERA and 1.37 WHIP overshadowed his surprising polish of four above average pitches, which helped him to have more strikeouts than innings pitched. The right-hander will likely start the season with the Single A Vancouver Canadians or Lansing Lugnuts, but we are perhaps the most excited by Reid-Foley’s upside than anyone else in the Blue Jays’ farm system. 8. Devon Travis: You’d think that for someone who is slated as having a chance of starting at second base for any major league club, would be higher than eighth prospect in his respective organization. That’s the scenario that former Detroit Tigers prospect, Devon Travis, is in, having being traded to the Blue Jays for Anthony Gose in the offseason. He finds himself in this precarious position as there simply is nobody else at second base. (Don’t just take my word for it, MLB.com thinks so too!). Although that may sound harsh, it’s the truth, and it doesn’t necessarily take anything away from Travis. Despite having never played above the Double A level, the reports coming out of both Detroit and Toronto are that Travis is ready for major league at bats. Hitting .298 and 10 home runs last year with the Double A Erie SeaWolves, the sceptics will be out over whether Travis can indeed have an immediate impact at the big league level. Unless Anthopoulos finds an alternative, expect to see Devon Travis in Toronto in April. 9. Dwight Smith Jr: When the Blue Jays drafted Dwight Smith Jr in the first round of the 2011 draft, they knew exactly what they were getting: a speedy outfielder who runs the bases well and hits for a decent average. Smith Jr, whose father played eight seasons in the majors, has so far lived up to his lofty expectations. Posting a .284 average in 895 at bats over two seasons in Single A, it has been his surprising power that has Blue Jays officials even more excited. After hitting 12 home runs and a .453 slugging percentage last season, Smith Jr has displayed unexpected power and is proving that he can be an all-rounder. The 22 year old will likely start his 2015 campaign at the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, with an eye on Buffalo later in the season. 10. Mitch Nay: Rounding off the top ten is twenty-one year old Mitch Nay, who has quietly traversed the nation and hit in every ballpark he has entered. Granted that Nay hasn’t hit for ‘out of the park’ power in his first two years in the minors, the Arizona native did however slug 35 doubles in 2014 games last year, good enough for a .278 average. Nay’s large frame will likely fill out as he ages and that bodes well for the Blue Jays, as they haven’t had a home run-hitting, everyday third baseman since Troy Glaus (remember him?) back in 2007. Nay will likely begin 2015 in Dunedin and make a push to advance to Double A and Triple A, depending on his consistency and growth. 11. Matthew Smoral: Anytime you have the opportunity to draft a 6’8 flamethrower, you do so and grab it with both hands, and that’s exactly what the Blue Jays did when they selected Matthew Smoral out of high-school in the first round of the 2012 draft. Although Smoral missed the entire 2012 season due to a stress fracture in his foot, sustained in his senior year at high-school, 2014 was a year of making up for lost time. The fact that the twenty year old put together a 4-3 record and 3.19 ERA in 14 games across two Single A levels, six of those starts, is a testament to his maturity and sheer ability. Smoral doesn’t strike batters out the way most would expect him to, instead he uses an electric fastball-slider combo to keep hitters’ timing off. Anthopoulos doesn’t need to rush his giant prospect along too quickly, so expect Smoral to spend the season in Single A ball between Lansing and Dunedin. 12. Richard Urena: When Anthopoulos signed two of the most highly touted shortstops in the 2012 International Free Agent Pool, it appeared that he had secured the long-term future at the shortstop position. With Franklin Barreto gone however, sent to the Athletics as part of the Josh Donaldson trade, Richard Urena has emerged as the future for the organization. Although ranked seven spots lower than his former compatriot at number nine on the international list, many scouts project Urena to be the more ready out of the two. Known more for his arm and range on defense, the eighteen year old held his own with the bat in 2014, posting a .308 average in 250 at bats with the Bluefield Blue Jays and Vancouver Canadians. Expect Urena to progress to the upper rungs of Single A in 2015. 13. D.J. Davis: The Blue Jays drafted almost identical players in 2011 and 2012 when they selected Dwight Smith Jr and D.J. Davis in the first rounds respectively. Both outfielders, who bat left-handed and throw with their right, possess excellent speed on the bases and on defense, and are in fact listed at a matching 180 pounds. It’s not easy to spot the differences between the two. Davis falls in our list due to his inconsistent 2014 after posting a .213 average in 121 games for the Lansing Lugnuts. Davis’ meagre .268 on-base percentage meant he only stole 19 bases, a number that is expected to soar once his hitting numbers improve. While still extremely raw, the Blue Jays certainly have an exciting outfield prospect if he can put it all together. 14. Alberto Tirado: Tirado is one of the nine major international free agents that signed with the Blue Jays back in 2011. Unlike fellow prospect, Jairo Labourt, Tirado is far more electrifying when on the mound. Although the twenty year old is just six feet tall, his fastball has reached 98mph and, while he needs to improve his control, possesses more upside that Labourt according to various scouts. Anthopoulos made a trend of hurrying prospects through the minor league ranks rather quickly a year ago, namely Daniel Norris, Dalton Pompey and Kendall Graveman, and Tirado could be a prime candidate to receive the same treatment this season. Tirado will likely start 2015 with the Lansing Lugnuts, a place where he struggled last year with a 6.30 ERA in 13 games. 15. Jairo Labourt: Standing at 6’4, Jairo Labourt has been a force to be reckoned with on the mound since signing with Blue Jays back in 2011 as an international free agent. Still just twenty years of age, Labourt has developed fairly slowly compared to some of his compatriots, but reached Single A Lansing for a brief stint last season. Labourt dominated the North West League with the Vancouver Canadians last year, posting a 5-3 record and 1.77 ERA in 15 starts north of the border. The lefty will likely start 2015 in Lansing, despite struggling there last year by putting up a 6.43 ERA and surrendering an average of .300 in 14 innings. Labourt doesn’t figure to be too high on Anthopoulos’ radar, but could provide the GM with a valuable chip in the future. 16. Matthew Dean: Though not regarded as high as some of his fellow prospects, Matthew Dean, drafted in the 11th round of the 2011 draft, has blossomed into a fine player that few predicted. Signed out of high-school, Dean performed well in 2014 for the Lansing Lugnuts, slugging 9 home runs and 29 doubles in 113 games. Drafted initially as a shortstop, Dean has the power potential of a corner infielder and has settled nicely at first base. With the lack of a bona fide first baseman in Toronto currently and a lack of minor league talent at the position, Dean has the chance to become the first baseman of the immediate future for the Blue Jays. The twenty-two year old has a high strikeout rate, 117 times in 448 at bats in 2014, but the front office won’t mind, as his power potential is overriding. Dean will start the season in Dunedin. 17. Dawel Lugo: Another of the multiple international free agents signed back in 2011, Dawel Lugo is an exciting young prospect at the shortstop position. Lugo spent the entirety of last season in Lansing and figures to get playing time in Dunedin this year. Although he is above fellow shortstop prospect, Richard Urena, in the organization’s depth charts, Lugo finds himself behind his compatriot on this list due to slightly less upside. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of excitement surrounding the 20 year old Lugo, who has incredibly soft hands and decent range in the infield. If Lugo can produce the kind of average and power he showed in his first couple of seasons as a professional, the Dominican native could evolve into the Blue Jays’ primary shortstop prospect, or a valuable trade chip none the least. 18. Rowdy Tellez: 2014 was a hugely successful year for 19 year old Rowdy Tellez, who the Blue Jays signed drafted in the 30th round back in 2013. Scouts were in awe over his power potential, though he has not tapped into it to date – 6 home runs in 65 pro games in 2014. Instead, it was his average that stood out last season as he posted .293 and .357 averages with the Bluefield Blue Jays and Lansing a Lugnuts respectively. The fact that he skipped the Vancouver Canadians could be a sign that the Blue Jays front office want to speed up his development. Tellez will look to improve on his power numbers in 2015 and, if he does, opposing pitchers will need to watch out. 19. Juan Meza: In a class dominated by the Yankees, who signed 9 of the top 20 international free agents in 2014, the Blue Jays still managed to sign one of the top pitchers. Juan Meza, ranked by MLB.com as the 11th best international prospect, signed with the Canadian club for $1,600,000. Still just 16 years of age, Meza will not be rushed early and will likely spend 2015 playing with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays in the Rookie Gulf Coast League. He’ll be able to improve the command of his 93mph fastball, while also work on filling out his streaky body. Meza can be a future number one starter for the Blue Jays, it may just take a little bit of time. 20. Yeltsin Gudino: Rounding off our list is 17 year old shortstop Yeltsin Gudino of Venezuela. Signed by the Blue Jays back in 2013, Gudino represents something of a long shot of making it to the majors. Scouts are in awe of his defensive capabilities, namely his above average arm and seamless movement when gobbling up ground balls. However, Gudino does currently lack the necessary offensive tools needed to make it in the majors.

When in Norfolk...

Average Age of my Offensive starters 27.65, all offense 27.7, Pitchers 26.2, overall 27.1. Can you say primed for a 9th place finish.

I haven't even looked at my keeper situation. Not that concerned as all 5 of my waiver picks are in the first round. I'll have my pick of the crappy bullpen guys. Nothing really to report here...I just wanted to be on page 666. f*** it! Decided to look at it. There is a good chance this is my cut list Stephen Moya BJ Upton Andre Either Cory Spangenberg Eric Stults Trevor May Brian Wilson Corey Knebel

They shouldn't lower their demands. They are still a contending team with him. There should be a new market at the deadline and with his versatility there isn't a team that Zobrist isn't a fit for. The way the Rays look for deals recently (less about upside as controlled costs, with a higher floor and lower ceiling (Souza, Smyly), I would think it's easier to find deals for them. For the record I think AA would trade Hutch and his 4.48 ERA if there were a pitcher in return...but not for a hitter.