To describe the Jays' 2013 season as subpar would be an understatement. It was a season of attacks (see: JP Arencibia), lack of discipline, poor fielding, losses, strikeouts (see: JP Arencibia), and injuries (see: Brett Lawrie, José Reyes, Sergio Santos, Brandon Morrow, Josh Johnson x2, Melky Cabrera, José Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, JA Happ, Ramón Ortiz, Colby Rasmus, Brett Cecil, etc.). This is not to say that there were no positives: The selections of Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar to the American League All-Star team was representative of a cross-bullpen improvement that saw the Jays go from the worst bullpen ERA in the AL in 2012 to 4th in 2013; Casey Janssen emerged as the 'pen's best pitcher two seasons ago and proved his mettle as a closer in his first full season in the role (34/36 in save opportunities, 2.56 ERA, 0.99 WHIP); Ryan Goins jumped from off-the-radar to a favourite for the starting job at second base next season, making plays like this constantly. (And while we're talking great plays, here's my pick for defensive play of the year).
While I'm sure I haven't named all of this season's positives (sorry Munenori), the point is that, after the hype of last offseason, no Jays fan was expecting individual improvements or achievements to be the only things to smile about in 2013. So what to do with a team that went 74-88 last season? The reflex answer is likely: uproot the foundations, get what you can for the veterans, and rebuild, rebuild, REBUILD. The problem: this is the result of the rebuild. This doesn't mean that the rebuild was wrong, however. It means the talent is there and, with a few additions, may be able to achieve the expectations of this season. So where need these additions/upgrades be? Here's my list:
Manager: GM Alex Anthopoulos announced long ago that incumbent manager John Gibbons will return in the 2014 season, so I will not dwell long here, but it is important to note that, while Gibby can't be blamed for all of the injuries and poor performances this season, never at any point did it feel as though he did anything to improve on even a small part of the problems the team experienced. Where was the motivation? Where was the central leader? Where was the fire? The manager can't force the players to play well, but he can at least contribute to their mental states. And let's be honest, the Jays are a mentally volatile team of youngsters who are quickly losing confidence in their own abilities.
The Training Staff: To be clear, I don't blame George Poulis and Mike Frostad for the bevy of injuries the Blue Jays experienced this season, but it does feel, sometimes, as though guys who aren't really that injured are taking "precautionary" stints on the DL. I think toughness definitely needs some work, and the training staff has to start picking and choosing which injuries are really serious. (And in terms of player attitudes, the games in April are equally important as the games in September, so if they'd play with their injuries in September, why not play with them now and take September off, after you've clinched?)
Catcher: With JP Arencibia's off-year (.194 BA, 148K, 18 BB, a league-leading 11 errors at Catcher) and inability to take criticism (read: the Gregg Zaun-Dirk Hayhurst incident), the potential the team saw in him (enough to trade top-prospect Travis d'Arnaud in the RA Dickey deal) is being drawn into question. If this team has any intentions of competing next season, they need a sure-thing behind the plate. And it's not Josh Thole, despite his fine fielding. Some rumours have linked the Jays to the Angels' Hank Conger and Chris Ianetta. A deal for either of these players would be illogical. Neither is significantly better than Thole, so if the team sees either as a potential starter, they'd be better off to give Thole the job that give away assets to acquire Josh Thole 2.0. (A deal that included either of these players as well as Angels 2B Howie Kendrick might make sense if the Jays do not overpay. It would be especially sensible if Arencibia were going to Los Angeles in the deal, although I can't imagine Mike Scioscia would be happy with this.)
Pitchers: No, unlike Alex Anthopoulos, I don't believe this is the team's #1 concern. But it's up there. With Dickey, Mark Buehrle, and Brandon Morrow returning next year, there are only 2 spots in the rotation left to fill. Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison (particularly the latter, who was recently named AFL Pitcher of the Week) have performed well in the Majors before and should get another chance at the rotation. Dustin McGowan had a great year in the bullpen and is looking to return to his former role. JA Happ is always a possibility to make a strong back-end starter. Todd Redmond had some great appearances this season (although I wouldn't trust him long-term), and Esmil Rogers is a fine backup plan. Yes, the team needs more than what they have, but perhaps not to the degree that is being declared by the media. A Ubaldo Jimenez is too risky for a guy who struggled the past few seasons before finally figuring it out in a contract year. A reunion with Roy Halladay would be too perfect, but (sorry, fans) it seems unlikely. Bartolo Colon had some good games for the Yankees a few years back and pitched well for the A's this year, but can he handle the AL East again? (the Jays have experience with PED-suspended players) What about trades? David Price is unlikely, as it would be an intra-division deal. Max Scherzer would be a nice add, but is he worth Aaron Sanchez and the many other top prospects he would assuredly cost? The Jays may be wise to bring back Josh Johnson, who will be available below value and has a lot to prove this coming season. One must recall he was a 2 time All-Star earlier in his career and he's still only 29.
*Second Base: I put this here only because an upgrade can never hurt. As previously mentioned, Goins was one of the few bright spots to the season, but he's also inexperienced and was not meant to be the second baseman of the future. Nevertheless, he has a good chance at the job next season, especially if Maicer Izturis continues to play as he did this past season (.263/5/32 with 10 errors). With top-end talent potentially in the market in former all-stars Howie Kendrick and Brandon Phillips, the potential exists to replace Goins, at least for the time being. This is not an urgent need, but it is one to keep an eye on.
As for the rest of the prominent positions on the team, there are imperfections. But to give up on the talent acquired in the 2012 offseason because of one off-season would be a tremendous waste. It will be interesting to see how the Jays and Anthopoulos handle the 2013-4 offseason.
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