Gross-Misconduct Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 With all the big moves I'm wondering if the Jays can pull it off this year. Of the the 4 major North American sports, baseball relies the least on team chemistry (on field anyways) So assembling big names in baseball can start to pay off almost immediately. (Just look at the Yankees) PROJECTED LINEUP 1. SS Jose Reyes 2. LF Melky Cabrera 3. RF Jose Bautista 4. 1B Edwin Encarnacion 5. DH Adam Lind 6. 3B Brett Lawrie 7. CF Colby Rasmus 8. C J.P. Arencibia 9. 2B Emilio Bonifacio/Maicer Izturis ROTATION RHP R.A. Dickey RHP Brandon Morrow LHP Mark Buehrle RHP Josh Johnson LHP Ricky Romero CLOSER RHP Casey Janssen 3 REASONS TO BELIEVE Mr. Dependable: Jose Bautista. Despite a roster overhaul that netted multiple All-Stars, this remains Bautista’s team. He had become baseball’s leading slugger until a wrist injury limited him to six games after the break last season. He still hit 27 homers to increase his total over the past three seasons to 124. X-factor: Casey Janssen. Amid heightened expectations, the Blue Jays are pinning a lot on an unproven closer. Not only does Janssen have limited experience in the ninth inning, he is returning from offseason shoulder surgery. If Janssen picks up where he left off last season (2.54 ERA in 63 2/3 innings), the team should be fine. If not, Toronto can turn to Sergio Santos. But he also is coming back from shoulder surgery. On deck: Brett Lawrie. You could say Lawrie already has broken out, but he still has a big step ahead to fulfill his promise. But first, he needs to stay healthy. Lawrie, 23, has missed time with an oblique strain, broken finger and broken wrist in the past two seasons, and he just injured his oblique again. He is the only Blue Jay younger than 25 expected to see any significant time this season. TEAM SNAPSHOT OFFENSE: The Blue Jays were three runs shy of the major league leaders when Bautista injured his wrist in mid-July. Adding Reyes and Cabrera to the 1-2 punch of Bautista and Encarnacion should ensure that Toronto won’t again finish 13th in the AL in on-base percentage (.309). DEFENSE: This is an average defensive team in a division that isn’t known for its collective glove work. Reyes is a slight downgrade from Yunel Escobar defensively, but Buehrle has won four consecutive Gold Gloves. ROTATION: This unit is much improved from last season but still ranks behind the Rays. Dickey, Johnson and Buehrle must adjust to AL East pressures. And Romero must rebound. BULLPEN: There are no big names like Mariano Rivera or Fernando Rodney, but this is potentially a strong suit. Janssen and Santos have closer experience, and the ageless Darren Oliver is tough from the left side. BENCH: Rajai Davis, Maicer Izturis and Mark DeRosa give Gibbons several solid options. 2013 OUTLOOK What could go right: Reyes and Cabrera should add to a potent offense, and Dickey, Johnson and Buehrle bring stability to the rotation. It’s enough to start dreaming about World Series hero Joe Carter throwing out the team’s first ceremonial playoff pitch since 1993. What could go wrong: If injuries continue to plague the team, Romero struggles again and Encarnacion regresses to pre-2012 form, the Blue Jays still could win 90 games—but that likely wouldn’t be enough to reach the postseason. Bottom line: Toronto finally has the pitching to complement its potent offense. Gibbons will be a stabilizing force from the dugout and a good offense will get even better. With New York aging, Boston retooling and Tampa Bay strapped for cash, the Jays are strong contenders. http://aol.sportingn...rnacion-buehrle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Love the Jays! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MashedBananas Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 I've never felt this good about the Blue Jays at all in the last 15 years. I think this could be their year, if all goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockNroLLa. Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Go Jays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 Some Jays fans are in early. I love it. Go Jays Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 I'm pretty excited for this season. Should be a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 It's John Gibbons that worries me. He's got a lot to prove in order to become the World Series GM. I've been supporting the Blue Jays since forever, so it'll be weird to actually see them being covered by American media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*VaNcOuVeRCaNuCkS* Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 I have been watching the Jays since 1990 God I hope they can do something this season with all there acquisitions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 It's John Gibbons that worries me. He's got a lot to prove in order to become the World Series GM. I've been supporting the Blue Jays since forever, so it'll be weird to actually see them being covered by American media. When I heard about the John Gibbons hire I actually said WTF? out loud. I can't say I'm sold on him but I'm trusting that Alex Anthopoulos knew what he was doing with that hire. Having said that, if the team struggles and it's obvious that Gibbons is playing a role in that, I suspect the media is gonna be pretty hard on Alex for what appears to be a step back in time with Gibbons as opposed to moving forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring_Back_Bertuzzi Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 the blue jays are the canucks of baseball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 the blue jays are the canucks are baseball English, do you speak it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Romo Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 As long as we make the playoffs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 As long as we make the playoffs! No easy task in that division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avicii Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 English, do you speak it? What does Marcell Wallace look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kessing Booth line Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Watching WBC today....How good would Canadian Justin Morneau look in a Jays uni? Put him in the 5 spot instead of Lind. Think Minnesota would deal him? Reyes Cabrera Bautista Encarnacion Morneau Lawrie Arencibia Rasmus Izturis Thats a championship quality lineup, if I ever saw one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBackup Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 What does Marcell Wallace look like? *Marsellus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 What does Marsellus Wallace look like? What? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Watching WBC today....How good would Canadian Justin Morneau look in a Jays uni? Put him in the 5 spot instead of Lind. Think Minnesota would deal him? Reyes Cabrera Bautista Encarnacion Morneau Lawrie Arencibia Rasmus Izturis Thats a championship quality lineup, if I ever saw one. I'm not sold on Lind either. He show's signs of putting it all together but seems like he can't make it last. Too inconsistent. I'd love Morneau. He's never been the same since that serious concussion but if he can get to 75-85% of his MVP days, he would be awesome for the Jays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpcurtly Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 What? Are you being serious? If not..."what ain't no country I've ever heard of." And go Jays!! I'm cautiously optimistic going into this season. We obviously have a lot more talent this year. I'm just hoping we can stay healthy. Injuries killed us last year. Not (at all) sold on Gibbons either. Excited though...first time in a while we should, at least, be in the playoff race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 Are you being serious? If not..."what ain't no country I've ever heard of." And go Jays!! I'm cautiously optimistic going into this season. We obviously have a lot more talent this year. I'm just hoping we can stay healthy. Injuries killed us last year. Not (at all) sold on Gibbons either. Excited though...first time in a while we should, at least, be in the playoff race. Say what one more time! Agree with the injuries. Morrow was a huge hole that couldn't be filled. Bautista's was near the end but we need him healthy all year. I even hate to say it, but I'm hoping Lawrie isn't going to be injury plagued . Already has a few this early in his career. But the big shocker was Romero. I couldn't believe how far he fell last year. Let's hope he finds his game again. If Dickey can even come close to the same numbers he put up last year, he will be the ace the Jays have been looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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