The AL East is one of two divisions with a pair of 90-win teams (NL East is the other), but the Rays can make it three 90-win teams if they win four of their final five games. Here's the latest from Tampa Bay's division…
- "I always said I signed that deal because I saw that there was potential with this team and organization," said Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com when asked about the three-year contract extension he signed last summer. "To be honest, I didn't think it was going to happen this quick. I saw a process that was headed in the right direction."
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains why the Blue Jays should trade manager John Farrell to the Red Sox for a Major League player this offseason. Boston is known to have managerial interest in their former pitching coach.
- Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star lays out a five-step plan to help the Blue Jays improve going into next year. Unsurprisingly, one of the first steps is to secure a better starting rotation.
- The Red Sox are on the verge of landing a protected first round draft pick, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. The bottom nine teams will have their first rounder protected from free agent compensation this offseason.
Of course the Jays should trade their manager for a major league player (pretty much any team should trade their manager if they are getting a major leaguer in return). Now Morosi just needs to explain why the Red Sox would ever trade a major league player for a manager.
Agreed. Bard for a manager who probably will get fired anyway is just plain wild.
I could see Boston sending them DeJesus, or some other fringe 40 man roster player if Toronto holds off on firing Farrell just long enough to see how much Boston would give them in exchange, but no more than a DeJesus/Valencia type.
Hey if DeJesus could play 2nd and keep Hech in the minors for another year then great deal.
They might even pack off Mike Aviles for some kind of package after the Jays get rid of Escobar. Only problems are that inter division teams have this hang up about trading the last couple of decades that used to not be, especially in the AL East. It used to be that nobody would ever help/trade with the NYY, but now it’s ALL the AL East teams acting that way.
Aviles could play SS for the Jays very inexpensive for a couple of years and allow them to move Escobar, but a shame the teams are “competing” against each other.
“but a shame the teams are “competing” against each other.”
For last place? I don’t think that’s going to be an obstacle. Boston could potentially compete next year when everyone has moved on with their manager issues and are healthy. Toronto, however, will probably fizzle around the ASG even though they have many talented players.
Doubt Toronto bothers with a fringe player or decent prospect. According to some scouts, Toronto has enough quality prospects for two farm systems.
It only happens if Toronto wants to dump Farrell or Boston gives Toronto “a reason to” let Farrell go.
I can’t wait until this situation is resolved so this absurd John Farrel talk will stop. My friend was raving to me about Farrel coming back because she heard about it on the news and I just had to sigh at her until she stopped.
Clay Buchholz or Daniel Bard for John Farrell?
Farrell may be one man who could turn Bard around. Why separate them?
No.
Hey whats wrong with keeping Farrell and hoping that Rasmus, Lind and Escobar all return to a form of more then two years ago. Also that Hechavaria and Gose learn how to play in the bigs two years early, and the black hole of JP Arencibia finally learns how to lay off breaking pitches down and away? And not to mention the question mark of how Bautista will recover from his wrist problem.
The Jays have a lot of questions next year and if the manager can be traded to help answer at least one of them then how can you not take that oppurtunity.
The AL West will also almost certainly have 2 teams at 90 wins and are likely to have 3.
Interesting distribution in the AL there: 2-3 90 win teams in 2 divisions, and 0 in the 3rd.
Hope the Sox do get the protected pick. No promise the pick with pan out, but you have a greater chance of it happening.
Yeah, I couldn’t really care less about the pic being protected (I don’t see any players who are likely to get qualifying offers that I think the Sox will/should sign), it’s really all about draft placement, and drafting that high could be huge.
As long as they draft someone with huge upside. 2 out of the last 3 times they have had top 20 picks? Bad choices in Vitek and Marrero. If going to have a top 20 (much less a top 10) stop taking college Jr hitters that have little upside and THEN over paying, as in the case of Marrero.. Go with a Power arm, or hitter who has positive abilities and does not play a position they are over loaded at already.
Unless a top position player is available that they absolutely feel they can’t pass up, I can’t see why they wouldn’t draft a high upside, power arm. Cherington said he wants to focus on pitching and drafting that high could be where he lands an ace.
They took a chance on Vitek (one I didn’t like at the time), and it hasn’t worked out, but I actually really liked the Marrero pick. He was projected to go as high as 3rd coming into the season (and as high as 8th the morning the draft started), but a combination of a poor statistical season and players ahead of him falling and messing up draft boards, caused him to fall to the Red Sox. He projects as an above average defensive SS with good on base skills and averagish power; that’s certainly nothing to scoff at (I think ’08-’11 Scutaro would be a reasonable comp, and ’08-’11 Scutaro for league minimum would be hugely valuable).
I remember watching the draft (2010) when Boston came up and Gammons was calling Boston all along there to take Vitek and I was livid.. They had a good draft that year, but wasting the #20 overall was a blunder.
I think Marrero’s stock had fallen even more after his poor Jr season with the wooden bats and add that to his agent/adviser Boras, he might have been around in the supplemental rounds. That pick, the Johnson pick.. I was wanting them to take high upside arms and they really never did this year.
Sure.. Buttery and Callahan could work out, but the draft this year just does not compare with any they have had and they are going to have to maximize what/who they take with the #1 overall each season, along with 1 significant overslot pick each year is my thinking.
I think this year’s draft was a little bit of an anomaly; all of the high upside guys available when the Sox drafted had major question marks too, so it’s not unreasonable to think that they didn’t think that the potential was worth the risk decided their money/picks would be better spent on guys with less upside but more chance to reach their potential.
For example: Brian Johnson projects as a back of the rotation starter; the highest I’ve seen him projected is a #3 and the lowest you generally see is a #5 – not a ton of upside, but the risk of him not making it is minimal. Lance McCullers was available when they drafted Johnson and was said to possibly have the highest ceiling in the draft, but his secondary pitches are going to take a lot of work to become usable, and his command and control are massive question marks, leading some to believe that his future may be in the bullpen. So, do you take the chance on McCullers (and pay the extra ~$1M) and risk ending up with a reliever, or even a bust, just for the off chance of getting a #1-2 pitcher out of him, or do you take the “sure thing” starting pitcher even though he’s a back of the rotation type?
Given the relative weakness of last year’s draft, and the Red Sox’ overall need of developing legitimate starting pitching (of any caliber) at the time, I think I’d have put my money on Johnson; at least you know he’s likely to be a starter and he’ll get there pretty quickly, McCullers has a fairly high probability of being a reliever, and even if he does start, he wont make it for a lot of years. Now that they have a few of those Johnson-like guys in the system, and added a couple high minors guys in the Dodgers trade, I would go after the high upside guys with more risk because you have the depth to take that chance, but at the time I think that was the right strategy.
Basically. I’ve been cheering for them to lose non-Yankees games this entire month so they could up their position. #badfan? #goodfan?
Same here. it does them no good to win.. Maybe pacify ( very little) the base who know nothing about how teams really build to win, but -0- good for the team in the long haul.
I was even pulling for them to lose to the Rays, unheard of and “Let’s go O’s” is the chant around here right now 🙂
Try their best for the highest overall pick (hoping for #7) and think positive for a power arm.. Let Stewart have a start vs NY, along with Matsuzaka.. let’s ice the #7 pick 🙂
I can’t suffer losses to New York, if there’s even a chance we can spoil it for them. Of course, the Blue Jays aren’t exactly doing their part to help.
For me getting a higher draft pick is more important than beating the Yankees at this point. If a win isn’t going to hurt their draft position, or a loss isn’t going to help it then sure, I’ll be rooting for them to win, but if it is going to make a difference I’d prefer a loss.
If we can cost the Yankees the division then it just needs to happen. I need something to be smug about when I talk to my NY friends
I’d rather set the team up for their best shot at winning in the future (being able to draft the best player possible) than have a reason to be smug, but that’s just me.
I agree.
Shouldn’t you and @Karkat:disqus hate the O’s more? It was they who ended the season for you guys last year… and the Rays of course. NY/Bos rivalry has been pretty tepid of late. If anything, you should try to knock the O’s out of the playoffs, or at the very least keep them from winning the division to return the favor last year. That’d be pretty sweet!
Oh I can’t stand the Orioles. Couldn’t before last September either, but I respect their fans and my vitriol for the Yankees will always be unrivaled. I would’ve been okay with knocking the O’s out of the playoffs though
The only other team in the AL East that I don’t actively dislike (for one reason or another) is Toronto. But, to be honest, I don’t really care about how any of the other teams do unless it affects how the Red Sox do.
I only care about the Yankees aside from the Sox. Sometimes I think my dislike for New York is almost as strong as my love for the home town team, especially when the Sox can’t accomplish much at this point.
I cannot suffer a successful Yankees postseason. Facebook would be just the worst >_>
Facebook can be worse?
Doubtful. Even after attempting to shut it down completely I’m being spammed continually by my own account. Can’t get it to stop!
You need an auto reply reminding “those spammers” how a 3-0 lead by a certain team can end up losing 4 games to 3.. That might shut them up my friend 🙂
When you’re from Boston and did your undergrad work in New York it can get quite bad when the Yankees have postseason success.
I actually think there are some pretty exciting arms who will be available in the 7-8 range too; none of them are likely to project as a #1 pitcher, but several guys who could project as #2s (Matt Barnes, or maybe even better, type pitching prospects).
“but several guys who could project as #2s (Matt Barnes, or maybe even better, type pitching prospects).”
Exactly what I am looking at my friend. So many variables in place to land one, we are going to have to wait until next June and hope one lands in the Sox lap, but 1st? They need to run out on the mound Matsuzaka and friends…
On the other hand… we don’t really care how Boston does. #playoffs
wasn’t last year’s ending more satisfying for you than this one’s? if i had to choose, i’d want my rivals to juuust miss the playoffs rather than bottom-dwell all year
best of all to me would be beating them in the playoffs, but i think i’m in the minority there. i like to beat people at their best
Definitely! The rivalry has always been best when both teams are at the top of their game. This year has been boring, from a NYY/Bos perspective.
Last year’s ending was great as a Baseball fan, but especially as a Yankees fan.
What do you think about the playoffs? I’m still going with my preseason pick of the Tigers. If they can stay on top of the division, which is looking more and more likely, they’ll be difficult to beat in the post season.
No way is Farrell worth compensation involving a major league player or quality minor leaguer. He appears no better than Valentine, who is going to be paid for 2013 regardless, so that’s a lose-lose proposition.
Morosi’s article is confusing. Richard Griffin needs to add a fifth step to the Jays
off-season plan. Richard needs to take a step back and re-evaluate his four steps.
Plus, how are the Blue Jays going to sign Greinke? (Not a Money issue)
Jays look like they have a chance to hand the Yankees a loss today.
As for my Orioles, if the Orioles had traded for Jason Bartlett instead of JJ Hardy. I can’t even begin to tell you what a disaster that would have been.
The bottom line is the Blue Jays would be wise to hold onto Farrell.
Red Sox should consider Manny Acta or bring back Grady Little (little chance no pun intended, but I would consider it.)
I wish the Orioles could hire Manny Acta for next season, I am just not sure if they have space available for him. He knows how to set an infield defense and I do think he’s a good coach/manager. Indians should have fired their front office, not the manager.
PS Hechavarria is going to be a good ball player
“The Red Sox are on the verge of landing a protected first round draft pick”…
See, Red Sox fans!!?…There IS an upside to having Bobby Valentine as your manager.
Farrell’s brief tenure as a manager has been a dismal one. Perhaps the Jays should offer him to the Red Sox with cash and a player to be named later.