Hot Stove Daily: Toronto Blue Jays
Editor's note: Yahoo! Sports will examine the offseason of every MLB team before spring training begins in mid-February. Our series continues with the Toronto Blue Jays.
2008 record: 86-76
Finish: Fourth place in the American League East, 11 games behind Tampa Bay
2008 opening-day payroll: $97.97 million
2009 estimated opening-day payroll: $85 million to $88 million
OFFSEASON ACTION
Whatever hopes the Blue Jays had of competing in 2009 evaporated when right-hander A.J. Burnett elected to sign with the Yankees. With promising right-hander Shaun Marcum out for the season following Tommy John surgery and another young righty, Dustin McGowan, out until at least May with a frayed labrum, general manager J.P. Ricciardi was faced with rebuilding his rotation behind ace Roy Halladay, who will become a free agent after the 2010 season.
The Canadian dollar has taken a big hit, the team's owner, Ted Rogers, died of congestive heart failure in early December, and his company, Rogers Communications, instructed interim club president Paul Beeston that the Blue Jays would not be allowed to reallocate the $12 million they saved on Burnett.
So Ricciardi took a flier on a former Burnett teammate, starter Matt Clement, who will be reunited with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg but hasn't pitched in the big leagues since June 2006 and must demonstrate he is fully recovered from reconstructive shoulder surgery. Ricciardi also added a catcher, Michael Barrett, to share playing time with Rod Barajas until the arrival of power-hitting prospect J.P. Arencibia, who is probably a year away.
Ricciardi showed interest in free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, but that was more window-shopping than anything. While every other team in the division reloaded, Ricciardi has been forced to stand idly by, an uncomfortable position for a GM who has been in charge for seven years and has one second-place finish to show for it. The Jays replaced manager John Gibbons in June and went 51-37 under Cito Gaston thereafter. Yet Gaston's return holds little promise that the Jays will recapture the glory of his first go-round as Toronto manager, when the team won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993.
REALITY CHECK
No team was better at run prevention in 2008 than the Blue Jays. They held opponents to an average of 3.77 runs a game, the lowest in the majors, their run differential of 0.64 ranked fourth, and they were third in defensive efficiency.
Wells
Without Burnett and Marcum, though, there seems little chance Toronto can duplicate that performance, with the onus now on young pitchers David Purcey, Brett Cecil, Brad Mills and Ricky Romero to grow up in a hurry. The bullpen, with four lefties – B.J. Ryan (32 saves after coming back from Tommy John), Jesse Carlson, Scott Downs and Brian Tallet – was terrific, but middle relief is perhaps the game's most unpredictable variable.
The offense should be better than the one that averaged just 4.41 runs a game, last in the division. Outfielder Vernon Wells missed 52 games with a fractured wrist and strained hamstring, the second straight season in which injuries have reinforced the question of whether he'll ever be the superstar the Blue Jays envisioned when they gave him a seven-year, $126 million extension.
Right fielder Alex Rios finished strong after hitting just four home runs before the All-Star break, and second baseman Aaron Hill, whom Ricciardi calls "our [Dustin] Pedroia," should be recovered from a serious concussion that caused him to miss most of the '08 season. Third baseman Scott Rolen's shoulder may never be right again, but the Blue Jays are excited about the addition of left fielder Travis Snider, who upon his debut in September at age 20 was the American League's youngest player. Snider, the 14th player taken overall in the 2006 draft, hit .301 with a couple of home runs in 24 games during his call-up, and will come to camp this spring contending for a job.
In another division the Blue Jays might have made the playoffs last season. In this one, with an emasculated rotation and no loonies to spend, they are built to compete in 2010.
NEXT: Houston Astros
