glory

Best Scenario: Estrada #5 starter, Norris and Sanchez both starting in AAA. Second best scenario: Sanchez #5 starter, Estrada long man, and Norris in AAA. Most likely scenario: Estrada #5 starter, Sanchez in the pen, and Norris in AAA. Worst scenario: Norris #5 starter, Sanchez and Estrada in the bullpen. ---> Depth becomes non-existent

No way the Jays would have been on that list a year ago today. Getting the WAR machine in Donaldson and the elite pitch framer in Martin this winter likely boosted them on that list. AA would have been on the bottom of that list in Feb 2014.

AA doesn't do incentives so we had no shot at Joba. AA mentioned on PTS that he was in on signing a reliever prior to the Winter Meetings but that reliever had two other teams he preferred and went with one of them. I wonder who that was.

Even before now. i think Graveman will end up being a decent MLB starter. I never thought that about Nolin.

I think Graveman is far more likely to be a MLB starter than Nolin anyway.

My 2015 prediction for Sanchez: he'll begin the season in the big league pen, pitch well below expectations, get demoted, and subsequently stretched out where he'll rejoin the team late in the year as a starting option.

Right-handed J.A. Happ. Solid #5 option, and he can slide to the swing man role without complaining should Norris break down the door mid-season.

Career 97 wRC+ in the Majors and good defensive OF. That's solid depth as a 4th OF or AAA OF who can come up in case of need. The Jays needed some insurance of Pompey struggling and/or Saunders getting hurt, and they've done a decent job considering they can't spend any money.

Sanchez as high walk totals and declining K rates. That's not a good combo. He's more valuable to us as a trade chip.

Between Dickerson, Pillar, and Carrera, the Jays have some decent depth for the OF. That's not including Dirks, but since he has back issues I'm going to hold off on expecting anything. Just keep adding depth, AA. The rotation could still use some.

Don't count out Ricky Romero either.

Yeah, if Reyes moves anywhere it should be 3B, but obviously with Donaldson here, that won't (and shouldn't) happen. I'd rather have Travis at 2B for the next six years than Reyes in his declining years, too. Put him at short and hope his bat keeps making up for his D. Or trade him to San Diego, the one team that might actually take him.

Any idea how Hendriks would do in a relief role? I take for granted that he's out of options and just assume he would clear waivers, but he's young with very good minor league numbers. Would hate for the Jays to lose him to nothing, fringy potential or not. I'm getting the sense that Redmond, Drabek, and Hendriks in the same pen might actually happen, unless the Jays are confident they can make it to Buffalo.

Taking that quiz, my only real thought was "f*** you, Ricciardi". Wow he (and his scouts) were terrible at drafting.

Yep. Gibbons seems to think Navarro is Joe Mauer in his prime with the way he was using him last season. It will continue this year unless AA can do us all a favor and dump Navarro to any team willing to take his salary.

Navarro should not DH against lefties because Valencia can play 1B and Edwin can stay at DH. Keep Edwin off the field and keep him healthy. If Edwin plays 1B, then it should be when they DH Bautista, Reyes, Donaldson, or Martin. I hate Navarro already. You just know Gibbons will DH him more than he should. Trade his fat ass already.

Smoak plays 1B against righties, and Valencia plays 1B against lefties. Encarnacion is full time DH unless either Bautista, Reyes, Donaldson, or Martin need to DH for some reason. Don't put Edwin on the field for Navarro. That's stupid.

If AA is sincere about Sanchez starting long term, then make him a multiple inning reliever with Cecil as closer. Then they can try to see if he can replace Buehrle in the 2016 rotstion. Of course that will fail miserably, then they can make him a reliever again after that.

Am I the only one who has RealAccountant on ignore? The guy is quoted more times than any other poster on here.

I can't see Izturis and Tolleson being on the roster together. They need someone who can cover Reyes at short, and god help us if Izturis is called upon to do that. I think Izturis/Goins or Izturis/Santiago is far more likely, and considering Goins won't cost $1.1mm if he makes the team, I'm going to guess he has the upper hand on Santiago.

I still have hope for Drabek. If his velocity is good then give him a shot.

Donaldson lost the arbitration case. Jays get him for $4.3m in 2015. Not bad.

No, I think Norris starts in AAA while Estrada is the fifth starter and Redmond is the long reliever. I'm pointing out how Estrada/Sanchez in the pen and Norris in the rotation destroys the SP depth.

Delabar has options remaining so he doesn't have to make the team. Cecil, Sanchez, and Loup can be the top 3. Redmond the long man. Then just pick the three best out of the group of 100 (or so) options AA was able to sign to minor league deals or acquire via waivers. Rooting for Matt West and Preston Guilmet, personally, but I think Lopez (if everything is right with him like velocity) could be the best option the currently have from the right side based on his track record.

Stroman came up to pitch out of the pen, and did practically nothing for however long he was up (2 weeks?). They sent him back down to get stretched out again before calling him to start permanently. He was starting in AAA prior to that as well. You can't just have someone pitch in the pen, and then immediately let them throw 100 pitches right out of the gate. It will take 2-3 starts to get their pitch counts to a level where they can sustain it going forward. If Estrada is in the pen, and then is needed to start, his first start will be something like 65 pitches (give or take), and then it will gradually go up after each start. They need depth that is already stretched out, whether it's Norris or someone else. Norris starting in AAA will have way more benefits than not. Delay his service clock, keep him stretched out, a little more AAA seasoning, etc. If Norris absolutely dominates Spring Training, then maybe you consider it, but right now, if Sanchez is locked in for the pen, then Estrada is the defacto #5 starter. As he should be.