leaffie

Bowden - ESPN Insider Suggestion for the Jays to improve this season: Toronto Blue Jays The Move: Trade Brett Cecil, Ryan Goins, Matt Dean and Anthony Gose to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for second baseman Brandon Phillips and backup catcher Ryan Hanigan. Why: Phillips, 32, is coming off another 18-home run season (his fourth in a row) while making the All-Star team for the third time and winning his fourth Gold Glove award. The Reds have made it clear to teams that Phillips is available. They’d like to get out of the four years and $50 million remaining on his contract so they could use it to improve other areas. The Blue Jays would love to have Jose Reyes and Phillips together up the middle, which would arguably become the best defensive double-play combination in the game. I know it is Bowden, but that is what he would be doing with Goins

Exactly!

Looks good, but I have a suggestion. If a person new to sabremetrics or just trying to understand the whole new system read that article on Bautista, they would turn it off half way through. Fans that understand all the ins and outs always look down their noses at the old "stats". Well why not on each new blog a simple, easily demonstrated description of each new stat and how it is applied.

I was kidding. But he would look good, but way too much money.

I heard that Aaron Hill is available!!!!!!

Kennedy said , you start your ask "high" and maybe settle for something between the two. But the point was that they both thought trading Reyes would help the Jays more than Bautista.

Just reporting.

They both talked about it being an overpayment. But also said that they have always coveted him, and that he would fit so well with the team. They realize his injury history, but thought last year was a fluke and that if healthy, was one of the top three SS in the majors. Said SS is in such short supply this year and that the cards really need an up grade.

Interesting debate on XML today about Bautista. Kennedy and ? (Sorry). Their take was that Toronto should be looking to trade Reyes to Cards. Said Cards would give up just about anything to get him and they both felt Reyes would put the Cards into WS. Jays could expect to get. Two starters for him. Debate was really about who they should try and get. One of them thought they could get Tavares and Shellby Miller. The other would ask for Tavares, Miller and Carlos Martinez. But would not do any deal without Martinez. Reyes just might be more valuable than JB.

You can't tell me that Rogers didn't look at the increase in TV ratings, attendance etc. last year, and see what just having a hope of winning does for the bottom line. They are not stupid.

McCown said yesterday on PTS, that he has been told that the Jays payroll for this year will be $150 million. FWIW

Talked about Ruiz on Xm. Said that his agent thinks he will get a three year contract, and said that Colorado was going hard after him. Didn't really talk about $, except some guesses.

Lol.

never gave it a thought. :-)

Won't that be every one from Kansas City now?

Anyone keep reading to the bottom to the note about first base coach for the Jays - Trey Hillman. Possibly

And he twists his ankle and is out until May.

Not disagreeing, but didn't they do the same with Halladay

What is funny, is that XM is now using it as a headline. "Bautista says that Farrell didn't win the WS". Not quite what he said, but you can see how they have twisted it.

Says he got the word today that he can start full body workouts. He is feeling great. Was asked about the disappointing season, and if it was the pitchers fault. And he said that he doesn't believe in blaming one person or group. He said, that everyone on the team had down years. Was asked about playing third, and he said that he has told the Jays that he thinks he is more valuable in RF, but if that is where they want him to play, he will. But he didn't think so. Then they asked him about Farrell and what kind of manager he was, since he took the Sox from last to first. I think it was Bowden that asked him if he had phoned Farrell to congratulate him. Dead silence and then Bautista said, no I didn't phone him. If I see him, I will congratulate him, but that is all. Then he said that managers don't win, the players do, and managers can lose you a couple of games, but it is the players not anyone else that decides the outcome of the game. Rather chilly moments there. Said that the players liked Gibbons and thought he had done a really good job, considering all that he had to deal with last year. Asked him about the loss of Reyes, and he said, he thought that was the biggest loss they had last year. Said that AA has assured him that they are going to do everything they can to add to this team, and that everyone from Rogers on down, wants to win.

At the break there was talk of Bautista for Profar+. But can't remember who was talking about it, but he said that it was a rumour that he believed, but couldn't track it down. Obviously, just talk. But it was out there.

The Jays gave away Michael Young and Jeff Kent too. No embarrassment there.

Ferrin and Duquette talked of the Jays chances of going from last to 1st next year. Slim Said if they didn't get some pitching, could easily see them in last again. :-( Said that AA would deny it, but Ferrin said that he definitely had heard from other sources, that Bautista would be available for the right pcs. Pittsburgh or St. Louis would have the best players to offer. Talked a lot about Encarnacion, and said that the rest of the league didn't really appreciate how good he has been. Josh Johnson was the biggest disappointment to the club. They were shocked at how poorly he pitched. Said that the Jays would be in on Santana and Garza, but not Tanaka. Kept promoting JPA was going to be on air to talk about Jays, and he cancelled at the last minute, supposedly because he was packing to go to Europe. Strange. FWIW.

A.J. Mass, whoever he is.

From ESPN insider this morning: Second base was a bit of an offensive black hole for the Toronto Blue Jays this past season. A six-headed combination of Mark DeRosa, Emilio Bonifacio, Munenori Kawasaki, Ryan Goins, Maicer Izturis and Brett Lawrie put together an anemic 2013 stat line -- a .216 batting average, a .297 slugging percentage, 47 RBIs and only eight stolen bases. Clearly, it's a position the team is hoping to upgrade. One player whose name has already entered the conversation is Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham. According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, the Blue Jays explored a possible trade for Beckham last off-season and are still interested in making a deal. The arbitration eligible Beckham won't be a free agent until 2016, which means that in order to acquire him, Toronto might have to give up a couple of prospects such as pitchers Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, John Stilson and Roberto Osuna, and/or catcher AJ Jimenez, in order to seal the deal. However, the White Sox would probably have to feel confident that Marcus Semien, who hit .261 in 69 September at-bats with the team, would be ready to step in at the position going forward in order to pull the trigger.