Bread and Circuses?

JP Arencibia's attacks on Dirk Hayhurst and Gregg Zaun surprised me. They seemed out of line with the jovial, glass-half-full kind of personality that Arencibia has nurtured through social media, media appearances and charitable works within the city. Then a thought struck me: what if JP was just being a good, solid company man?

After all, isn't that what he has been all along? He wears Toronto on his sleeve like a native. He proudly waves the flag of Canada even though he is of Cuban heritage and was raised in the United States. JP's blood runs Blue Jay Blue and we didn't have to beg him to feel that way.

So why put on the mean face and make personal comments about Dirk Hayhurst and Gregg Zaun? One Rogers employee taking shots at two other Rogers employees during an interview on Rogers Sportsnet. Let's not forget that he tweets about his intentions in advance (even though Twitter is not currently owned by Rogers). Was this really JP's idea? Or was it just a way to get the headlines focussed on something other than the seasonal woes?

Was it a masterpiece of distraction? No, but it did serve to generate new conversations with a different focus. Did the interview reflect badly on JP? You bet, but maybe the company thought it was worthwhile for him to take one on the chin for the team, knowing that he could bobblehead his way back into everyone's hearts on Sunday. After all, how mad can you stay at a guy with an inherently good nature who does selfless charitable work with underprivileged children and cancer survivors? A sell-out crowd at the Rogers Centre seemed to answer that with resounding cheers of "not long".

It's no secret that the blanket of World Series expectations that kept this city warm during the cold winter months has long since worn threadbare. When the bandwagon rolled out of the gate in April, on four flat tires, there was still a willingness for optimism. Give them some adjustment time! They are champions on paper, they just have to learn to play together! When the walking wounded return we will finally be at the top of our game!  Then Munenori Kawasaki emerged and taught us how to bow. His stringent work ethic, keen enthusiasm, and contagious sense of baseball fun galvanized the city into chants of Ka-wa-sa-ki and frenzied purchases of jerseys emblazoned with the number 66. Maybe we weren't winning, but we all felt a little more like winners as we discovered what it meant to be Japaneeeeeese!

Kawasaki was a glorious distraction. If he hadn't existed, the front office would have sold their souls to invent him. Then came that pesky eleven game stretch of victories and all of a sudden the World Series optimism was back. Jose Reyes - answer to all of the team's problems even though he hadn't been the answer in the first place - was about to return. Should Muni stay or should he go? Should he have gone and should he have come back? Even these debates helped defer attention as the winning streak turned into a stretch of nightmarish losses, despite Jose Reyes' presence in the lineup.

The excuses have become weak. The team has had time to adjust and to learn to play together. Reyes is back and, furthermore, the wounded Yankees seem capable of blowing away the competition with a team stacked with Blue Jay castoffs. With the All Star break looming, where is the accountability for a sub .500 record?

Cue the distraction. A fight around the family dinner table. Some name calling, some silly accusations. "No one on my team likes anyone on your team."  An effort at appeasement, a rebuff, a second round. No one gets sent to their room. Please pass the dinner rolls.

I would like to give JP the benefit of the doubt on this issue because it seems so far removed from his established character. With Steve Delabar's highly touted campaign for the final All-Star roster spot gaining momentum, the country will be distracted by endless on-line voting through Thursday. If the team can break even by the All-Star break then maybe, with a fresh start, the fans can get back to being distracted by good baseball rather than being distracted by the circus. And maybe the solid company man can get back to doing the job he is supposed to be doing, better.

 

Blue Jays All-Stars

Until the All-Star teams are filled with statistically deserving players instead of just fan favourites and most of the Manager's own team, I will have no respect for the All-Star game.  In fact, until the World Series home-field advantage aspect of the game is removed, I will have no respect for the All-Star game.  Nevertheless, I like to see Blue Jays make the roster.  Congratulations to Brett Cecil, José Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion for being selected!  Encarnacion was a political victim last season, failing to make the All-Star team solely because Kansas City needed an All-Star and their best player happened to be Billy Butler (who also plays 1B/DH).  He also should have won a Silver Slugger, but I digress.  Bautista is only an All-Star because he has historically been an All-Star, and thus received numerous votes.  It is nice to see this happen for a Blue Jay for a change, as it is usually Jays players who miss the All-Star team because of players such as this.  Cecil has shocked the world with his sudden breakout season, and being a middle reliever, his selection certainly comes as a surprise.  Of course, Cecil would be half the pitcher his is if not for Steve Delabar encouraging the use of Jamie Evans's Velocity program, which has worked so well for him.  Thus, we should "#raisethebar" and vote Steve Delabar in the final vote.

One last note: Casey Janssen should have been named to the All-Star team.  But I guess that, incredible as he is in Save situations, he does struggle outside of them, meaning that unless the All-Star game ends up with the American League leading by 3 or less in the 9th (with Jim Leyland wanting Janssen to be his Closer), Casey is probably not a useful addition to the team.  Especially when the Manager expects to be a World Series contender.  Well, next year...

JP out of line

JP's rant was out of line. He was fully justified in criticizing the comments and behaviours of Dirk & Zaun. They should show up in the clubhouse to take the heat for their negative statements. But belittling their viewpoint by claiming they are inadequate reviewers since they aren't drug-free all-stars is pathetic. Just as is Arencibia's season (ok, I like the 15 dingers but watching his current level of ineptness is insufferable). I wonder if Zaun regrets praising JP for the excellent block of the plate a couple of days ago - didn't hear that come up in the interview... And I wonder if Dirk now thinks he may have made a bigger major league impact if he'd had a better minor league catcher...

Maple Leafs Quick-Hits: Free Agency Updates: Bozak; Clarkson

Tyler Bozak has re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for 5 years at $21-million.  I like this deal for the Leafs as they keep a familiar player who has chemistry with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul at a fair value.  Thankfully, the ridiculous 8-year, $40-million rumours are untrue.

Apparently, David Clarkson has agreed to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  I am afraid of how much money they are going to give him, and I do not like the long term (7 years).  I like the way Clarkson plays and he always seems to score against the Leafs, so it is nice to eradicate that problem, but I am concerned that his aggressive play will get him IR'ed for much of that contract.  He is also unproven long-term.  Nevertheless, it is going to be an exciting season for the Leafs!

Stay tuned, more possibly to come!

2:20pm ET, update:

The Clarkson deal is now official!  $5.25-million/season is definitely too much for someone with only one 30-goal season, but hopefully his all-around game will make up for the goals he does not score.  I am not a huge fan of the deal itself, but I am a huge fan of the acquisition.  I am torn.

5:23pm ET, update:

The Leafs have also signed 24-year old defenseman T.J. Brennan to a 1 year, $600,000 contract.  I do not know much about Brennan, but I like this as a depth move.  My only concern is that he will have a breakout season and the Leafs will lose him in free agency next year.  We will see what happens.

Maple Leafs Quick-Hits: Komisarek and Grabovski; Bozak; Bernier; Bolland; Free Agency

Mike Komisarek and Mikhail Grabovski are the Leafs' two picks for their compliance buyouts.  Komisarek comes as no surprise due to his lack of performance and inability to stay on the team despite his $4.5-million salary.  Grabovski was less certain.  Grabovski struggled last year, but had been a strong player in the years leading up to 2013.  If not for his $5.5-million cap-hit, he would assuredly have been kept around.  It is sad to see him go, but with Nazem Kadri, Dave Bolland, and Jay McClement up the middle, Joe Colborne making strides, and the almost definite reality that the Leafs will sign a free agent Centre, Grabovski is just an expensive place-holder.  And unless there is a team desperate to reach the cap floor, there are really no obvious takers for Grabovski at his his salary.

Rumours abound pertaining to Tyler Bozak's demands.  The general consensus seems to be that he is looking for 8 years, although whether the value will be more or less than $5-million/season is uncertain.  The buyout of Grabovski certainly sends a message to the Bozak camp.  I expect Bozak will re-sign with the Leafs, but only after he realizes that he is not worth as much to other teams as a third-liner as he is to the Leafs as a first-liner.

Many fans have already fallen in love with Jonathan Bernier.  I am not one of them.  Nothing against Bernier, I just feel that the Leafs are not the right fit.  I am biased because I have always been a Reimer fan, but let's be honest: Reimer stood on his head in the playoffs last year and the team would not have even made the playoffs without him.  The acquisition of Bernier (a career backup) only makes the goalie who actually has experience as a starter start to question himself.  Also, the high-potential Frattin and Scrivens were too high a price to pay for a backup netminder.  The draft pick just made the overpayment greater.  I think that Bernier will be the primary starter early in the season while Reimer is still doubting himself, but some time in January Reimer will find his game again and outplay Bernier so dramatically that the latter will hardly play again for the rest of the season.

Contrarily to my feelings about Bernier, I think that Dave Bolland was a great acquisition for the Leafs.  I do not expect him to be much more than a third-line player, but I think he gives the team a much-better replacement for the departing Leo Komarov.  He also has greater offensive upside.

With free agency opening tomorrow, it is time for all of the rumours to either come to fruition or shrivel up and die.  Contrary to popular scuttlebutt, I do not think that the Leafs will successfully sign Stephen Weiss.  I do, however, believe that they will push hard for David Clarkson.  I just hope they do not seriously overpay him.  Unlike the past few years, I expect the Leafs will actually sign someone significant tomorrow.  In some ways this is unfortunate, because I fear that Dave Nonis may get caught up in the excitement of the free agency event and may make some questionable moves.  Here's hoping for an uneventful day!

July 5, 12:12am ET, update:

It seems that Mikhail Grabovski had some choice parting words for now-former coach Randy Carlyle.  To be honest, I think he is fully within his right to think what he does.  I appreciate what Carlyle did with the team and the ways he improved their defensive game, but I do think that he did wrong by Grabovski.  Perhaps Grabo was a bit extreme in his language, but his sentiments are fair.  He is not the type of player that Carlyle tried to make him.  In my opinion, the best coaches attempt to work within a player's style and coach them within what they are, and the worst coaches try to mould players into the types of players that the coach wants them to be (eg. François Allaire).  I do not think Carlyle is one of the worst coaches, but I do think that this is pretty much what he did with Grabovski.  Here's wishing Mikhail well in his future endeavours, preferably in the Western Conference.

Toronto Blue Jays Mid-Season Grades

For this post, I will not be grading those players who are no longer with the organization, nor those who have had only a minimal impact on the team.  Note that players have been rated based on overall performance, and not solely on numbers.

Starting Pitchers (W-L/ERA/WHIP):

Mark Buehrle: C+  After a shaky start to the season, Buehrle seems to have found his game.  He is one of the more trustworthy starters on the team. (4-5/4.81/1.40)

R.A. Dickey: C+  Dickey has been the best and the worst pitcher on the team, at times.  He seems to have found his knuckleball, which means an interesting second half is in store. (8-8/4.59/1.29)

Josh Johnson: D  Before this season if you had asked me which player in the league I most wanted the Jays to acquire, I probably would have said Johnson.  Unfortunately, he has been disappointing all season. (1-3/4.89/1.61)

Esmil Rogers: B  A shaky reliever at the beginning of the season, Rogers has been the greatest surprise for the Jays this season.  There is always a fear he will regress, though.  (3-3/3.12/1.25)

Relief Pitchers (W-L/ERA/WHIP)

Brett Cecil: A  Who would have expected that the player who struggled so much last season and in Spring Training would break the team record for most consecutive batters faced without surrendering a hit?  (3-0/1.47/0.81)

Steve Delabar: A-  The greatest thing he has done is not even his incredible performance: it is bringing Jamie Evans and the velocity program to Toronto.  (5-1/1.58/1.25)

Aaron Loup: A-  After coming out of nowhere last season, Loup has carried over his dominance--and confidence--into 2013.  Loooooooooooooooooooup!  (3-3/1.91/0.97)

Dustin McGowan: C+  After missing 2009, 2010, 2012, and most of 2011 with a myriad of injuries, McGowan finally looks healthy.  His performance is starting to come around after a shaky start.  (0-0/2.45/1.09)

Darren Oliver: B-  Oliver was the team's second best pitcher in 2012, and he has been okay this year, but he has blown 2 saves before the ninth inning and looks hittable.  (3-1/3.38/1.33)

Juan Perez: B  He looked incredible in Spring Training, and he brought the magic of his unhittable dancing breaking ball to the Majors.  (1-1/0.00/0.85)

Neil Wagner: B+  One of the few guys who seems to have control over his high-'90s fastballs.  (1-3/2.45/1.09)

Closing Pitcher (SV-BSV/ERA/WHIP/W-L)

Casey Janssen: A+  The most deserving player on the team of an All-Star selection, Janssen has been lights-out for his third straight season.  (17-18/2.03/0.71/2-0)

Catchers(BA/HR/RBI/OBP/F%/PB)

J.P. Arencibia: D  A promising player who has shown flashes of brilliance, Arencibia has struggled with the bat since April and has struggled in the field all season.  (.216/15/38/.244/.994/10)

Josh Thole: D+  After hitting .322 in the Buffalo, Thole has been cold with the bat in the Majors.  But his defence has been stellar (as a catcher, not as a first baseman).  (.103/0/2/.188/.981/0) * Only Catcher F% shown.

Infielders (BA/HR/RBI/OBP)  (F%:position)

2B/UT Emilio Bonifacio: D-  His speed is his only redeeming quality.  He has been unable to hit, field, or bunt all season.  (.210/2/13/.243/11)  (2B: .973/OF: 1.000/SS: 1.000)

UT  Mark DeRosa: C+  He is one of the best on the team in terms of baseball sense.  DeRosa has also come through in the clutch a few times.  (.205/5/24/.291/0)  (1B: 1.000/2B: 1.000/ 3B: .900)

1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion: A-  He has been best hitter on the team for the second consecutive season.  He also stepped up when asked to play the dreaded hot corner.  (.270/23/66/.350/3)  (1B: .993/ 3B: .950)

UT Maicer Izturis: C  He has finally found his swing and his glove after a very rocky start.  (.228/5/20/.266/0)  (2B: .973/3B: .959/SS: .956)

SS/2B Munenori Kawasaki: B  His performance has been average--although he is very good at getting runners home from third.  Kawasaki's personality has been a galvanizing factor for this team.  (.224/1/18/.330/7)  (SS: .977/2B: 1.000)

3B Brett Lawrie: D  Injured at the start of the season, and now injured again, Lawrie struggled with the bat in his short time with the team.  He defence was still stellar, although it seems he may have taken a step back since last season.  (.209/5/14/.268/2)  (3B: .955)

1B Adam Lind: A-  Since 2009 he has struggled with the bat.  Now he is the only player on the team batting over .300.  (.322/11/33/.380/1)  (1B: .994)

SS José Reyes: B+  Reyes is hard to judge due to his long injury, but he hit well prior to getting injured and now seems to be finding his bat again, albeit slowly.  (.329/3/9/.383/5)  (SS: 1.000)

Outfielders (BA/HR/RBI/OBP/SB)  (F%:position)

José Bautista: B+  Bautista has been streaky this season, but he has come through in the clutch, hitting 4 game-tying home runs in the ninth inning or later.  And do not forget his great defence and power-arm.  (.264/19/50/.364/6)  (OF: .977/3B: 1.000)

Melky Cabrera: B-  Melky hit well in late-April/early-May, but has otherwise been fairly unnoticeable on the field.  Hopefully his DL stint will give him the rest he needs to be effective.  (.278/3/29/.321/2)  (OF: 1.000)

Rajai Davis: B  Davis seems to be working on his pitch recognition and has been much better as a starter than as a pinch-hitter this year.  (.304/1/8/.345/21)  (OF: 1.000)

Colby Rasmus: D  Unlike Davis, Rasmus's pitch recognition has been awful this season, and he has racked up 101 strike outs.  (.248/15/43/.321/0)  (OF: .995)

Manager

John Gibbons: D-  Early in the season, one could not blame him too much.  After all, his players were not performing.  Now, one starts to wonder if the lack of production may be because of him and not in spite of him.  He has yet to make an innovative managerial decision, although he has made some questionable ones.

Team Outlook

The Blue Jays have made a fantastic comeback this season, although they have struggled since their 11-game winning streak ended.  Nevertheless, they proved that they could win over that span.  If not this season, the Jays are set to be contenders in 2014.

Blue Jays Quick-Hits: Arencibia; Second Base; Lawrie; Rasmus's Slide; Bautista

J.P. Arencibia took shots at Blue Jays commentators/analysts Dirk Hayhurst and Gregg Zaun on TheFan590 this morning.  I understand that he is frustrated with his poor performance, but this is not the way to express his anger.  This outburst would have been more appropriate if Arencibia's game were being picked apart despite his performing well.  But he is not performing well.  Since picking up 8 HRs and 16 RBI in April with a .253 BA, he has struggled to put together a 15/38/.216 line on the season.  He has struck out 92 times.  And we haven't even started talking about his defence.  I do not care much about the Stolen Bases Against because it is an imperfect statistic, but the Passed Balls and questionable plate coverage are too much.  Not to mention that he calls for way too many pitches outside of the strike zone.  I think JP's tirade just confirmed what his performance already suggested: he needs some time in Buffalo.  I believe he still has options.  Who do they call up?  Maybe recently-signed Ramon Hernandez?

The situation at second base for the Blue Jays is becoming unbearable, with Emilio Bonifacio making another error yesterday.  Early in the season I was willing to give him a chance defensively, but that chance has expired.  Maicer Izturis is performing better of late, but is more suitable as a backup, like Mark DeRosa and Munenori Kawasaki.  If this team wants to contend, it is going to need a REAL second baseman--a true everyday player who is neither a hole in the batting order, nor the field.  Darwin Barney is an interesting option who is presently available.  Although his hitting will not be much of an improvement over the current quartet, he is known for his great defence.  He also may be cheaper than other options, such as Chase Utley or Ian Kinsler.  Utley is getting on and is owed a large sum of money, so it may be in the best interest of the team to avoid him.  Kinsler is the most intriguing option.  With Profar and Andrus up the middle, the Rangers are nearing the end of their need for the former All-Star second baseman.  With a struggling rotation, the team may be interested in rent-a-player RHP Josh Johnson--who, granted, has not had the greatest of seasons, but has history on his side, as well as a familiarity with warm weather.  Toss in a Darren Oliver (who will probably retire at the end of the season) or a Sergio Santos (who really does not fit in the Jays' powerful bullpen, anymore) as well as a prospect or two, and I think this deal could get done.  Such a trade may also see one of the quartet heading to Texas as a backup plan.

As Brett Lawrie recovers from his eerily José-Reyes-esque ankle sprain, one major question arises: should he be recalled?  Lawrie has a lot of heart and an intense attitude--something that has endeared him to some and antagonized him to others--and his glove would be an invaluable asset in the infield, but his bat has been weak all season.  I think he should stay in the Minors until that aspect of his game comes around, otherwise he is more of a liability than an asset.  As for his attitude, while he does go a little overboard on occasion, I do not mind the fire most of the time.  He is still young (23), and the rougher edges will likely soften over time.  He has too much talent to give up on, now.

Colby Rasmus kept his cleats down as he made a good, clean baseball slide into second, last night.  The Tigers are still reeling from a heated series in Tampa, they are upset about how close Cleveland is to them in the standings, and they do not appreciate that their second baseman got injured.  But honestly, they have to suck it up and stop whining.  It was a clean, albeit unfortunate, play.

This is related to an issue I stumbled upon a few weeks ago--long before this Blog existed.  Many people were upset with José Bautista's ejection on June 9th.  I did not mind it.  Bautista has exercised a lot of control this season, arguing much less.  In fact, this was the first time I had seen him argue since early in the season.  Furthermore, as it was the ninth inning and he was unlikely to come up again, there was really no better time to get ejected.  To be honest, the most irritating thing about the whole play was the way John Gibbons downplayed it and calmed the situation rather than trying to keep the fire alive under Edwin Encarnacion, who could have tied the game or even won it, had there still been any energy alive.  The manager MUST get ejected when his star player is ejected.