Jays' new brass continues with the buzzkill
“Wait till next year” is one of baseball’s more enduring laments. Given their official 2016 calendar, the one with David Price on the cover, the Blue Jays have delivered a unique twist on that old saw: Wait Till Last Year.
Having gone from the buzz of the franchise’s first playoff appearance in 22 years to the buzzkill of this offseason, Ross Atkins was introduced Friday as the team’s replacement for Alex Anthopoulos. He said what you might expect, about how much he loves the city and relishes the opportunity, about how his new assistant and 13-year organizational man, Tony La Cava, will be calling the shots for now – enjoy it while you can – and above all, with new club president Mark Shapiro at his side, dampening any expectations that playoff run inspired. The 2015 Jays raised the bar. The 2016 Jays will not so much attempt to match it as set up a new one. At least as far as their talking points memo goes, the Shapiro-Atkins era begins in rebuilding mode. About the only thing on the uptick are the ticket prices.
[Related: Blue Jays introduce new general manager Ross Atkins ]
“It’s really exciting to think about when this organization has a sustainable winner,” Atkins said, the italics added because that’s a term he came back to again, as if last fall was a flukey blip. Perhaps it was always going to be, given that Price was never going to stay. But in laying down these kind of terms, Atkins has indicated the Jays are not so much coming back as defending division champions as they are mere placeholders.
True, they retain a batting lineup as fearsome as there is in the game, as Atkins noted. But baseball is a game of balance, and the Jays’ pitching rotation is full of questions minus Price, out of the Jays’ budget and gone to a Boston suddenly in free-spending mode under new GM Dave Dombrowski, and the retired Mark Buehrle.
Young Marcus Stroman is suddenly the No. 1 starter, and Marco Estrada returns right behind him. Beyond those two who are nailed down only relatively, it gets muddier. J.A. Happ returns off a career-restoring second half of the season – in the National League, at age 33. Jesse Chavez has been through six major league organizations. Maybe R.A. Dickey will eat innings effectively. Maybe Aaron Sanchez regains a starter spot, maybe Drew Hutchison – let’s stop right there, and forestall any other questions about bullpen depth and minor-league cover.
“Ultimately, this is all about the players,” said Atkins, channeling his inner Rob Babcock.
Banal as it sounds, he’s on to something there. Heading into next week’s winter meetings, just ahead and looming as far more of a statement of intent than any press conference, it's players – and in particular, of the throwing variety – that the Jays need most. That, and a calendar recall.
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