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It was a long time coming, but according to reports, that Jays have signed their first-round pick Deck McGuire to a $2 million contract.

McGuire, who has drawn comparisons to Red Sox pitcher John Lackey, was a standout pitcher for Georgia Tech in college. At 6’6″, 225 lbs, he already has a MLB-ready body, now it’s time to harness his ability and learn some control.

Deck is regarded as a solid mid-range starter, probably more of a No. 3 or 4, but many scouts think he’s a safe pick. Well, Jays fans thought otherwise, as he had us waiting with baited breath as the deadline approached.

Right now McGuire features a 94 mph fastball, but scouts say there is little to no movement or sink on it. His best pitch is an 81 mph changeup that he used with regularity in college. With Bruce Walton as the pitching coach, I expect his changeup to be used early and often to opposing batters. He also throws a get-me-over curveball and a slider. The previous two pitches supposedly need a lot of work, but he has a chance to evolve into a good middle-of-the-rotation starter.

The Jays also inked INF Griffin Murphy and OF Sam Dyson to new deals as the deadline passed.

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As reported by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, the Blue Jays put both Vernon Wells and Edwin Encarnacion on waivers earlier in the week. News has come out that both of them have cleared waivers and can now be traded.

Wells comes as no surprise, given his monster contract, but Encarnacion clearing does raise questions on his future with the ball club. 

Wells is averaging .270 with 22 HR and 60 RBI’s on the season. He started off on an absolute tear, but he has slowed down some as he usually does. The 6’1″ 230 pound center fielder could draw attention from some of the heavy spenders such as the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. However, I truly believe a deal is unlikely to say the very least.

Encarnacion on the other hand is a more sought after commodity. Signed to a modest contract that expiries at the end of the year, Encarnacion could be a good piece to have on an AL team to play at 3rd or DH. His defense is pretty pedestrian, but he’s blessed with lots of power and has flexed his muscles since his demotion to the Las Vegas 51’s (AAA).

Encarnacion is batting .244 this year with 12 HR and 34 RBI, but has missed about 46 games this season due to injuries and his demotion. If healthy, he could potentially have 20 home runs this season at least.

There are lots of teams out there in need of a third baseman. The team that stands out is the Atlanta Braves, having lost their franchise cornerstone Chipper Jones to injury for the remainder of the season.

Also put on waivers by the Blue Jays and clearing was long reliever Brian Tallet. The 6’6″ 220 pound lefty is 2-4 this season with a 5.65 ERA in 57.1 innings pitched. 

Tallet could fetch something decent on the open market, but he will not get you something to help the Jays right away.

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According to Jon Morosi of FOX sports, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay has cleared waivers successfully, and now can be traded by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Overbay has roughly $2.1 million remaining on his $7.9 million contract, which expires at the end of the season. Overbay does not qualify right now as a type A or B free agent, so trading him will not result in any draft compensation, something the Jays are always seeking.

This season, Overbay has enjoyed a pretty mediocre season by first baseman standards, only hitting .250 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI’s.

His numbers don’t scream out trade, but there are a number of playoff contenders which are starving for first base help. 

The Tampa Bay Rays recently lost Carlos Pena to injury and have been using a combination of Ben Zobrist and Dan Johnson at first. Zobrist is a super utility player and can play anywhere, while Johnson was a call-up from the Durham Bulls (AAA).

The Boston Red Sox lost their first baseman, Kevin Youkilis for the rest of the reason due to a muscle tear in his right thumb. They have been using Mike Lowell and Victor Martinez as his replacements. Lowell is aging and is more of a third baseman, while Martinez is the Red Sox starting catcher. Additionally, they have recently signed former Blue Jay legend, first baseman Carlos Delgado, to a minor-league contract. If or when he makes it to Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox is anyone’s guess.

Another team that could find themselves in the mix is the Texas Rangers, who traded their first baseman Justin Smoak in the Cliff Lee deal prior to the July 31st trading deadline. They have replaced him with Mitch Moreland and Chris Davis, not exactly the guys you want playing there on a playoff-caliber team.

Lastly, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a team that should be in the mix. Having lost All-Star first baseman Kendry Morales for the season with a broken leg (see video), the Angels have been using catcher Mike Napoli as a quick fix for the time being. Getting Overbay would move Napoli back behind the plate and keep the catching duo of Napoli and Jeff Mathis in tact. When Morales returns next season, Overbay should be long gone.

So there you have it, there are teams in need of a first baseman and the Jays have lots to spare. Moving Overbay gives the Blue Jays more time to evaluate whether Adam Lind can man the position, or they have to move JP Arencibia from behind the plate to first base.

Your thoughts on the potential deals and roster/position moves?

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Last October, when JP Ricciardi and the Jays went their separate ways, Alex Anthopolous was promoted from within house. It was a baptism by fire soon after that for Anthopolous, who had a whole slough of roster issues and organizational matters to deal with.

First and foremost, he had to deal with Roy Halladay and his eventual departure on December 16th, 2009. Anthopolous would trade Halladay in an eventual nine player trade that would see key Phillies prospects Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis D’Arnaud sent to the Blue Jays. Taylor would then be dealt to the Oakland Athletics for then-third baseman Brett Wallace.

Looking back on that trade, you could easily argue that the Jays came away as landslide winners. Not only did they receive young, controllable contracts, but they also got the best young talent out of the deal.

In hindsight, the Phillies may of been better off keeping Cliff Lee and not trading away guys like Drabek, Taylor, and D’Arnaud. The difference this year between Lee and Halladay has been minimal at best, so when evaluating the deal, you look at the prospects changing sides. After looking at the stats at www.milb.com you can easily see who won that part of the deal.

Anthopolous’ next move was to deal with the crop of Jays free agents that season that included shortstop John McDonald, first baseman Kevin Millar, catcher Rod Barajas, and shortstop Marco Scutaro.

Making the smart decision, Alex opted to only keep McDonald and elect for the draft pick compensation from the likes of Barajas and Scutaro. He would go on to draft Aaron Sanchez, Noah Syndergaard, Asher Wojciechowski and Marcus Knecht with the sandwich picks. 

All these prospects are having good starts to their MLB careers. 

The next move in the offseason came with replacing those lost players via free agency. What was needed was a backup bat off the bench (Millar), a starting catcher (Barajas) and a starting shortstop (Scutaro) to replace what left.

With that in mind, Anthopolous signed Joey Gathright, John Buck, and Alex Gonzalez to one-year deals with the club. Gathright was released after spring training to make room for back-up infielder Mike McCoy and Buck and Gonzalez would go on to have All-Star caliber first halves with the team. He also added veteran catcher Jose Molina to the roster, a most in retrospect that may of been one of his better signings to date.

Anthopolous’ legacy was growing as we speak.

As the offseason progressed, the Jays began to make deals and their current team began to unfold. The most notable deal was the Halladay deal, but a deal that fell under the radar somewhat was the trading of Brandon League and Johermyn Chavez for Brandon Morrow.

Morrow a converted closer, is just realizing his potential as a starter, and has began to dominate opponents, just recently pitching a one-hit, 17-strikeout complete game against the Tampa Bay Rays. League leads the major league in relief wins with eight and Chavez is lighting up the High Desert League in the Mariners farm system. Simply, this was a deal that both sides you can say won with.

A more recent trade saw the Jays trade Alex Gonzalez, Tyler Pastornicky, and Tiny Tim Collins to the Atlanta Braves for shortstop Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes. Escobar, who was suffering through a terrible start with the Braves, was dealt with hopes the Braves could improve their production from the shortstop position for the short-term. 

Escobar took this as an insult and has raised his batting average nearly 60 points coming into the nights action, from a .238 batting average with the Braves, to a .298 batting average with the Jays.

As the year moved on, the Jays began to show the powerful lineup they possessed. Leading the entire league in many team power categories, Anthopolous believed that the team needed to still get more athletic and younger, so he went out and acquired lead-off hitter Fred Lewis, and traded Gonzalez for the younger, more controllable contract of Yunel Escobar.

Going into the draft, Alex Anthopolous went into the draft with something previous GM’s would’ve loved to have—spending money. By all accounts, this past draft for Anthopolous was a very good showing for the Jays.In the long run, it may turn out to be one of the better drafts in recent memory for the Jays.

Having already signed 27 of 56 drafted players, and signed international prospect talents like Adeiny Hechavarria, Adonis Cardona, and Gabriel Canas, the Jays have essentially signed half of their drafted players, something many organizations only wish to accomplish.

After the trade deadline passed with no movement among some of the Jays best trading assets, it was becoming more clear that Anthopolous would rather keep the sandwich picks rather than trade players just for the sake of making trades.

As the Jays begin the dog days of August, and the eventual conclusion to the 2010 season, major question marks remain unanswered heading into the 2011 season. 

Is Jose Bautista a realistic option to re-sign? 

What Happens to the Three Headed Monster in the bullpen with Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, and Kevin Gregg (all of whom are potential free agents)?

How do the Jays replace the void left by the trading of eventual first baseman Brett Wallace, and the potential loss of current first baseman Lyle Overbay?

Who will be Cito Gaston’s successor? 

Going into the offseason, the Jays will be losing roughly $20 million dollars in potential free agents, leaving them with a team payroll of roughly $41 million, a far cry from the Yankees starting rotation that costs upwards of $65 million. 

With prospects Kyle Drabek, JP Arencibia, and potentially Zach Stewart nearing regular major league duty, the Jays could be primed for a breakout year, if Anthopolous can somehow work his magic. 

The very low team payroll heading into the offseason, leaves Anthopolous with a wide range of possibilities to explore. 

I expect Jose Bautista to be re-signed, and 2/3 of the bullpen trio to come back, and Brian Butterfield to be hired as the new manager, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess how this team will turn out.

This offseason Anthopolous will be armed with a loaded farm system, money to spend, and a new organizational outlook heading into the 2011 season.

Now is the time for President Paul Beeston and Jays management to increase payroll and give this team a fighting chance to compete in the so called “Division of Death” in Baseball.

The ball has been grounded into Anthopolous’ glove, only time will tell if he can cleanly make the throw to first base, or throw the ball into the stands like Chuck Knoblauch. If he can bring in the right pieces to add to the current Jays roster, next season could be the start of potentially the rebirth of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball.

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J.P. Ricciardi’s tenure with the Blue Jays can be described with one word, mediocre. The Jays were never really that good under him, but also never really that bad. They had their good stretches and they had their bad ones as well.

Had they been in another division, however, the team could have succeeded in my opinion. But the unbalanced divisions in baseball is a story for another day.

Ricciardi’s “Moneyball” philosophy he adopted from fellow GM and friend Billy Beane, while he was with the Oakland Athletics organization, was a system that based itself on “Sabermetrics“.

This concept is where organizations would value slugging percentage and on-base precentage over traditional statistics such as runs batted in, batting average and stolen bases as a basis for success.

This philosophy also believes in drafting college-level talents as opposed to taking high school players. The “Moneyball” concept believed that they had a higher chance of succeeding at the professional level.

Also using this system, Ricciardi used it to try and pry away players that were often went undervalued by major league teams. For example, On November 18, 2007, Marco Scutaro was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league pitchers Kristian Bell and Graham Godfrey. 

Scutaro’s game lent itself very nicely to the “Moneyball” philosophy and he went on to become the starting shortstop for the Blue Jays in 2009.

Scutaro had his best season to date, achieving career highs in almost every offensive category hitting 12 HR, adding 60 RBI, racking up 35 doubles. He collected 235 total bases, smashed 162 hits, came across home 100 times, thieved 14 bases, and walked 90 times in 574 at bats. 

Ricciardi was pretty decent at finding undervalued talent on other major league teams. When Billy Koch was taking the MLB by storm, he decided to trade him to the Oakland A’s for Justin Miller and Eric Hinske. Hinske would later go on to win the Rookie of the Year Award the following season.

In a reversal of fortune, Koch’s best days were as a Blue Jay and today is still looking for work in baseball. A 100 mph fastball will eventually be figured out, and Koch’s lack of any secondary pitches would become his downfall.

Another example of finding the undervalued talent was when he sent aging left fielder Shannon Stewart to the Minnesota Twins for Bobby Kielty, who was eventually shipped to the Oakland A’s for Ted Lilly.

Although near the end of his tenure with the Jays, Lilly had his issues with manager John Gibbons, overall though, Lilly today is still one of the better lefties in the majors and he had a pretty successful stint with the Jays while here.

Ricciardi traded 6’9″ 240-pound Mark Hendrickson, a pretty god-awful pitcher plus a minor leaguer to the Rays for reliever Justin Speier. Speier went on to become the Jays set-up man ahead of BJ Ryan for the next three seasons, and Speier earned an All-Star spot.

Lastly, he sent reliever Adam Peterson to the Diamondbacks for Shea Hillenbrand. Ricciardi thought we needed some help at the DH position and he managed to bring in a great hitter in Hillenbrand. Unfortunately, it would be his off-field issues that most Jays fans will remember Hillenbrand for.

One sentence will summarize his tenure: “The ship is sinking”. He wrote this on the white board in the Jays clubhouse, and it would met by irate manager John Gibbons. Hillenbrand’s antics would earn him a one-way ticket to the San Francisco Giants.

He was traded along with reliever Vinny Chulk for eventual closer Jeremy Accardo. Accardo is currently lighting up the Pacific Coast League with the Las Vegas 51’s (2-0, 2.30 ERA, 22 SV).

When Ricciardi deviated from his “Moneyball” plan, this is when the Jays took off. Following a disappointing 67-win campaign (2004) under Carlos Tosca, the Jays fired him and replaced him with John Gibbons.

Carlos Delgado would flock to South Beach and the Jays were destined for the cellar of the AL East. But to everyone’s surprise, they would finish one win shy of .500 (80-82).

In 2005, sensing an emergent team, new owner Ted Rogers offered Ricciardi an increased payroll, and what came with it was more financial freedom for JP to deviate from his “Moneyball” beliefs.

He would make a huge splash in the free agent market the following season adding pitchers AJ Burnett, BJ Ryan, while trading for first baseman Lyle Overbay and third baseman Troy Glaus and lastly, signing Gold Glove catcher Bengie Molina.

The moves would pay dividends, as the Jays won 87 games, and finished second in an extremely difficult AL East.

Ricciardi would add Frank Thomas the following offseason and Thomas would enjoy a wonderful first season with the Jays.

However all of these moves down the line would comeback to bite the Jays hard. Glaus’ body would not lend itself to the turf at the Rogers Center very well, Lyle Overbay’s game would decline, AJ Burnett would flock to the Yankees when his player option kicked in, and Bengie Molina found it hard to share time with Gregg Zaun, and would leave for the San Francisco Giants. 

BJ Ryan would have to undergo Tommy John Surgery and returned to the bullpen as a shadow of his former self. Ryan, when he returned, lost all of his velocity and all of his control.

He was released by the Blue Jays not too long after, and was signed to a minor league deal by the Chicago Cubs, where he did not fare much better. Ryan has not seen another pitching mound since.

Frank Thomas’ game would deteriorate rapidly the following season and due to his slow start in 2008, in which he batted just .167 with only three home runs in his first 60 at-bats, Thomas was released in April of that year making room for draft pick Adam Lind.

Ricciardi’s best work though can be found in his drafts. He would draft first-round talents like Aaron Hill, Ricky Romero, David Purcey, Travis Snider, JP Arencibia, Brett Cecil and Canadian reliever Trystan Magnuson (who has a great arm, just look at his AA stats) who have made their marks, and will make their marks on the game eventually.

The jury is still out on talents like Justin Jackson, Kevin Ahrens, David Cooper, Chad Jenkins.

The jury has spoken however on Russ Adams, and sentenced him to play catcher in a game of T-Ball.

Adams lack of defence would be his downfall to his MLB career and would go on to become JP’s worst first round pick ever, granted it was in his first year as GM of the Blue Jays.

Adams always had a decent bat, however, his infield defence was verging on Chuck Knoblauch-like terrible. 

Today, many of JP’s draft picks, many of which are not first rounders, are key contributing parts to the Jays team and organization. Players like Shaun Marcum, Adam Lind, Casey Janssen, and Jesse Litsch are regulars on the club.

Prospects such as Brad Mills, Marc Rzepcynski, Brad Emaus, Jacob Marisnick, Eric Thames, AJ Jimenez and Alan Farina are nipping at their heels for jobs with the big club and are leading their respective minor league teams.

So with all the success in trades and drafting, why did the Jays under JP Ricciardi just tread water, not making any significant movement up in the standings?

Was it bad general managing on his part (trades, picks, signings) or was JP lackluster tenure with the Jays a proponent of a tough division and some bad luck along the way? 

I for one believe he wasn’t as bad as many make him out to be, but in the end…

You have your say.

Thanks for Reading. My articles can be also found on www.sportshaze.com.

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The Blue Jays have announced Friday that starting pitcher Jesse Litsch will miss the remainder of the season with labral tear in his right hip. Litsch will undergo the surgery next month and be lost to the team for four to six months.

The 25-year-old Litsch was 1-5 with a 5.79 ERA in nine starts. The last two years have been pretty injury filled seasons for Litsch who also underwent Tommy John Surgery and was trying to return from that injury.

The Jays recalled lefty Brad Mills from AAA Las Vegas on Friday. Mills compiled a record of 8-4 with a very respectable 4.20 ERA in the Pacific Coast League. Mills earned his first ever MLB victory against the Orioles earlier in the month going seven shutout innings against Baltimore.

Litsch will rehab the injury and should be back in time for Spring Training next March. He will be competing for the fifth starters job along with Kyle Drabek, Zach Stewart, Brad Mills, Marc Rzepcynski and hopefully a healthy Dustin McGowan.

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It looks like, for better or for worse, Roy Oswalt’s days appear to be over with the only club he’s called home, if he wants it that way.

It’s been reported by FOX 26 in Houston that a deal has been agreed upon between the Phillies and Astros that will see Roy Oswalt head to the “City of Brotherly Love.” The only thing standing in the way of this deal is Oswalt’s no-trade clause. It all depends whether he chooses to veto the trade.

“Sources have told the TV station the teams have agreed on the amount of money Houston would take back in the deal and the teams have reached an accord on which players the Phillies would send the Astros.”

So with all the fine details in place, the ball is now in Oswalt’s court. Have a chance to pitch in a rotation that features Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, and Jamie Moyer, or stay in the only place he’s called home. 

Oswalt’s remaining contract sees him make $5 million for the remainder of the season, while making $16 million the following season (2011), and in 2012, there’s a club option for $16 million and a $2 million buy-out.

Oswalt, 32, is 6-12 with a 3.42 ERA this season with the Astros. Oswalt’s record isn’t indicative of how well he’s performing this year, though. Due to a lack of run support, Oswalt has seen his win total dwindle.

With 143 career wins, Oswalt remains one win shy of tying legendary Astros pitcher Phil Niekro for all-time wins in franchise history.

If Oswalt decides on Philadelphia, he will be heading to a team only 3.5 games out of the playoffs, and now with another strong anchor on their already impressive pitching staff. I, for one, would like to see Oswalt get the attention he deserves, and a move to Philadelphia might be good for his career.

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It appears that Jayson Werth’s days are numbered in Philadelphia. According to reports by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and others, the Phillies are discussing a deal that could see them land a top of the rotation starter. 

With the recent elbow injury to Phillies 47-year-old starter Jamie Moyer, the Phillies could be in need of a starter soon.

Jayson Stark and Buster Olney of ESPN believe that the Phillies are discussing a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. It appears outfielder Jayson Werth and possibly pitcher J.A. Happ are at the center of these talks.

Jayson Werth appears to be one of the Phillies greatest trade assets on their current roster. Having a more cap-friendly contract and a power bat, Werth appears destined to be dealt by the July 31 trading deadline.  By moving Jayson Werth, this would open up a roster spot for top notch prospect Dominic Brown, as he tries to cement himself in pro baseball.

There are many top-line starters available such as Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren, Ben Sheets, James Shields, and many more. 

Oswalt would be a dream come true for the Phillies had he signed a more salary cap friendly contract. He seems like an unlikely target for the Phillies, but stranger things have happened. 

Shields is a decent young pitcher, but is prone to giving up the long ball—a bad habit to have if you pitch in the hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Ballpark. 

As for Haren, the Phillies have the assets to get him, but according to some reports, the two teams haven’t even talked.

I would stay away from Sheets if I were the Phillies. Sheets’s fastball is nothing like it used to be, it’s straighter and he’s getting hit harder as a result.

Who do you believe Werth is going to and what could be the return?

The Source: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/07/phillies-discussing-major-trade.html

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On Sunday afternoon the Blue Jays finally got a bit of good news after a few weeks of utter despair.

Outfielders Vernon Wells and Jose Bautista were odds on favorites to make the American League All-Star team and did so, but to everyone’s surprise, catcher John Buck was also named to the team as a replacement for injured Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez. This is Buck’s first ever all-star selection.

All three made it as reserves.

Buck, who was regarded by many as a short term fix, signed a one-year deal with the club this past offseason. It seems like the returns for such a signing were immense. If anything, Buck really cemented himself in the league, but also gave the Blue Jays front office a major trading chip on their hands.

Many teams are in need of catching, and the Jays are supplied with catching up and down the minor leagues.

As for Baustista and Wells, this will be Bautista’s first appearance and Wells’ third. Bautista leads the Blue Jays with 21 home runs and Wells is second with 19. Both players easily make up the most powerful three, four hitters in the league. It appears the league has also taken notice.

In related news, Canadian first baseman Justin Morneau was voted as a starter to the American League Team. He is enjoying a wonderful season thus far, and he received more votes than rival first baseman Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers.

The All Star Game will be played on July 13th at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. 

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