SB Nation - David Purcey

Stop me if you've heard this one, John McDonald homers and we win

Tom Dakers — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:41:14 -0000

2 months ago: Toronto Blue Jays' Edwin Encarnacion reacts after narrowly avoiding being struck by a ball from Baltimore Orioles pitcher Sean Henn during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, on Monday, Sept. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

Browse more photos »

Orioles 2 Blue Jays 9

Anyone think that Scoot is faking the heel injury so that John McDonald could get a few starts at home, playing shortstop, in what might be his last month as a Jay. No, me neither. How about: Does it seem to anyone else that every time Johnny Mac homers, we win. Again nope, Mac has 3 homers (tying a career high) and we are 2-1 in those games. Anyway it is nice to see him play shortstop, I like him at short a lot more than I like him in LF.

David Purcey pitched a great game, 7.2 innings, giving up 4 hits, 4 walks (yeah too many but with only 4 hits it's ok), 4 strikeouts and only 1 earned run. I'd really like him to win a spot in the rotation next season. I'm sure I've said this before, but we have enough 'pitch to contact' starting pitchers, it would be nice to have someone that can strike guys out. Sometimes lefty strikeout pitchers take a little longer to figure things out in the majors. I hope Purcey is figuring it out.

Offensively we did pretty good for the first time in a bit. We had 13 hits (should have been 14, Vernon Wells got ripped off on a call at first in the 3rd inning) and we took 7 walks. As well as Mac's homer, Lyle Overbay hit one. Jose Bautista, Adam Lind, Wells, Edwin Encarnacion and Overbay each had two hits. Nice to see Wells get a couple of hits at home, if he starts hitting at home, then maybe I'll believe that he's turning it around. The only Jay in the lineup that didn't get a hit was Kyle Phillips and he has an excuse, he took a pitch in the can in the first inning. I'm amazed he was able to finish the game. Lind had 2 RBI (bringing him to 106 on the year), Encarnacion had 2 and Travis Snider had 3.

E5 had throwing error as well, it might be the first error I've seen him make. I can see throwing will be an occasional problem, but he's looked pretty good in the field to me. Looks even better now that he's started hitting.

Jays of the Day are Purcey (.237 WPA), Overbay (.126) and Lind (.107). Suckage Jay? Well, Phillips got the number (-.113) but considering he took a pitch in the nads I can't bring myself to give him the award.

.Tomorrow Brian Tallet (7-9, 5.31) starts for the Jays. I guess his foot must feel better. Former Jay Mark Hendrickson (5-5, 4.47) goes for the O's. Bad news is he's a lefty. We likely will get the pleasure of watching Kevin Millar struggle through another game. Oh joy.

Marco Scutaro Boots Away Game.

Tom Dakers — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:31:53 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

3 months ago: Toronto Blue Jays' Adam Lind (26) is congratulated by Aaron Hill (2) after hitting a three-run home run off of Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Browse more photos »

Blue Jays 5 Tigers 6 (10 innings)

Marco Scutaro's defense has been great this season, he's only made 10 errors all season. The unfortunate thing is that 2 of those errors came tonight, one in the 9th and one in the 10th and they cost us the game. The first one was likely a bad bounce. The 2nd one though, in the 10th inning wasn't a tough play and a catch and throw to first would have gotten us out of the inning. Scoot's had an amazing season so I guess we'll forgive for this.

There is one guy I'm not going to forgive. First base umpire Mark Wegner cost us, making 2 just completely awful calls. In the 5th inning Edwin Encarnacion made a terrific play, with a diving stop and then throwing across the infield to get the runner, Gerald Laird by a good bit, but Wegner called him safe. Of course, he came around to score later in the inning.

Then in the top of the 6th, Vernon Wells singled. Justin Verlander threw over to first, not his best move, and Vernon came back to the bag, not in an big hurry but was easily back in time. But Wegner called him out. Vernon, was a little ummmm upset but the first word out of his month, he was thrown out of the game. I've rarely seen a player thrown out so quick. One, it was a dreadful call and two, players are normally allowed to ask about a call.

I know Cito is mild mannered, but this is a spot where he has to himself thrown out. It was just too idiotic to let it go with just a few calm words. The bad call looked even worse after Encarnacion hit a homer, which could have been a 2 run shot had Vernon still been on base. Of course, you never know if Edwin would have gotten the same pitch had things gone the way they should have, but still......

Anyway David Purcey pitched quite well, he did have a rough first inning, giving up a lead off homer. He walked the next two guys. And then got out of the inning, giving up just the one run. He got a little help in the 2nd inning, after walking the first guy, the Tigers tried a bunt, popped it up and Purcey caught it and turned it into a DP. Why you would bunt when the guy just walked one and walked two in the first inning. But I'm glad they did.

Our pen did well until Frasor came in in the 9th with a 3 run lead. The error by Scoot hurt. But after it he gave up a single and then the game tying, 3 run homer to Aubrey Huff. Without the error...well you never know. Brian Wolfe came in the 10th, got a strikeout, walked two, then got the double play ball he needed. But Scoot didn't catch the throw from Overbay and that was the game.

The trouble with using your best relievers every game is that sooner or later they will tire and have a bad game. Tonight Frasor had that bad game. But he might been good enough without the error.

Other good parts of the game: Lind hit his 29 homer, a 3 run shot that got him his 100th RBI. Hill, Wells, Encarnacion and Scoot had 2 hits. Travis Snider hit a nice double down the right field line. Camp, Carlson, League and Downs pitched very well. And Kyle Phillips got his first major league hit.

Jay of the Day is Adam Lind (.147 WPA). Suckage Bautista (-.137). Wolfe (-.357) and Frasor (-.456) had suckage numbers but then they needed Scoot's help to get the numbers. Scoot really deserves the award today.

Tomorrow we start three games against the Yankees. Doc (14-9, 3-03) goes against Sergio Mitre (3-2, 7.02). We thumped Mitre last week, hope we can do it again.

September Call-Ups: Inglett, Wolfe, Hayhurst -- Or, Are the Jays Even Trying?

hugo — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:50:41 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

Glad to see you back, Dirk, but couldn't you have brought more friends? (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese)

Browse more photos »

Well, the Jays have apparently underwhelmed everyone by calling up three players: Joe Inglett, Brian Wolfe, and Dirk Hayhurst.

Now, I bow to no one in my Hayhurst man-crush and I am very happy to see him back on the Jays. But a team completely out of the playoff picture like the Jays should be using September callups as an opportunity to give players who progressed this season a taste of the big leagues, not just recalling AAAA types unlikely to be of more than marginal use to the team going forward.

Brian Dopirak was a perfect example of someone who the Jays should be calling up. Dopriak is 25 already, but his career has been held back by injuries as much as (more than, really) development problems. He torched double A this season to the tune of .308/.374/.576 with 19 home runs in and 29 doubles in 87 games. Then, after the all-star break, he similarly smashed up AAA with 21 extra base hits in 45 games and a .344 batting average. He's right at the age where you want to see your minor-league hitter getting a shot at the bigs, and he has certainly earned a promotion with a fantastic season. Perhaps craziest of all, the Jays have Kevin Millar in the lineup on an all-too-regular basis. And yet Dopirak doesn't get promoted.

How about Angel Sanchez? Yeah, it's the PCL but he's hit .305/.363/.428 and his arm has apparently healed enough from ligament replacement surgery for him to reclaim his place as a plus defender at shortstop. With Edwin Encarnacion still hurt, Marco Scutaro could move over to third base on days when Sanchez plays SS, thereby not hurting his stats for his impending free agency. With Scutaro set to leave unless the Jays pony up, shouldn't the Jays at least take a look at what they may have in Sanchez?

Fabio Castro or David Purcey? Neither has been fantastic, but both have had credible seasons considering how tough the PCL can be on pitchers. Purcey threw a complete game, no walk, 3-hit shutout his last time out on Sunday. I'd say the Jays could take another look at him, with two young pitchers set to sit out the rest of the season, instead of giving starts to Brian Tallet. Castro could get a look as well.

And what to say about Jeremy Accardo, who has 26 Ks and 7 walks in 29 innings for Las Vegas, with a 3.10 ERA and lots of groundouts. If they were going to recall someone, why not Accardo, and not Wolfe, considering Accardo has superior both major- and minor-league numbers this season and a much better chance of being a high-leverage reliever for a major-league team.

That doesn't even get into the marginal cases like J.P. Arencibia and Scott Campbell - neither of which has had a great season - but Arencibia has 19 home runs and 31 doubles and has improved his walk rate a little, and Campbell did post a .371 OBP between AA and AAA.

What do you all think? Who would you have called up?

Yankees 8, Jays 4

hugo — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:08:31 -0000

Tough one last night for our heroes.

On the Mound: Marc Rzepczynski pitched great until the 7th inning, when he ran into some trouble and was lifted. Things really unraveled, and Zep ended up with 4 runs allowed over his 6 innings, though he did strike out 7 and walk just one. He wasn't the problem.

At the Plate: Vernon Wells and Alex Rios had RBI singles in the 1st inning. Adam Lind and Marco Scutaro added solo home runs. We had our baserunners, but didn't cash them.

From the Pen: Bad showing from our relief corps last night. Josh Roenicke entered in relief of Zep in the 7th and gave up 3 walks and 2 hits. Jesse Carlson gave up another run in the 8th and Brian Tallet surrendered a Damon home run in the 9th. Yuck.

Cold Comfort from the Farm: Travis Snider had a double. J.P. Arencibia hit a home run, his 12th of the season. Casey Janssen pitched a perfect inning, striking out 1. Though David Purcey got absolutely shellacked.

Lind was the only one with JoTD numbers. The Jays are off today before taking on Baltimore this weekend.

Bluebird Banter Trade Deadline Roundtable, Part III

hugo — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:09:38 -0000

Welcome to Part III of our trade deadline roundtable. Parts I and II can be found here, and here. Again, our participants include Tom Dakers, JesseF, JohnnyG, and yours truly.

Hugo: So we've talked about Rolen, Doc, Scutaro, and Frasor and Downs. For who else would you like the Jays to test the market?

Tom: I'd assume they will listen to offers for Rios. Not sure what's going on with him, maybe it's the strain of not changing his daughter's diapers, but I hate the idea of selling low on someone. Trading a guy during his worst season is a sure way to get less than what he's worth. If you are GM and you trade him now and next year he has that 30 home run season we are figured he would have and that's it for your career.

I'd imagine Brian Tallet's trade value is as high as it ever would be, I'd like them to see what the market is there.

Jesse: I think it really depends on what they plan to do in 2010. If they don't think they'll be competitive, I would not mind seeing them shop Lyle Overbay, who would be a good platoon first baseman on a competitive NL team, where he could pinch-hit and fill in as a defensive replacement on days when he doesn't start. Tallet's value isn't going any higher than it is now.

JohnnyG: Overbay, Tallet, Rolen and Halladay are the most marketable players we have right now. Rios is possibly on the table but I would rather not see it happen for the same reasons as Tom outlined above (trading when value is down). Had you asked me earlier I would of said Litsch but with his surgery that kinda stops that one dead in it's tracks. I also would see what kinda return you could get for Richmond in a package as he has been a nice surprise, especially if he comes back strong (he is eligible to come off the DL today July 15th).

Hugo: I wouldn't mind seeing what's out there for Tallet - I'm not sure what the Jays could get, but he's not an awful option for someone looking to stabilize their rotation on the cheap - he's affordable, has pitched reasonably well, and can always go back to the bullpen if necessary, where he's been very effective in the past. Overbay wouldn't be a bad candidate either - I like his defense but you could move Lind to first and have Dopirak DH (or vice-versa) or if Brian's not ready, acquire a hitter some other way. Depending on what you got for Overbay, it could be a nice cost-effective move for the team. I hate the idea of moving Rios right now unless some team really ponies up for him - if you're convinced he's never going to get to the next level (which I'm not), then at least wait until he's on a hot streak or you can get a better deal. Personally I would prefer to keep Richmond - I doubt he'd fetch all that much as he's only had a half-season under his belt and doesn't have the pedigree, and even if he is squeezed out of the rotation next year, he'll be a great 6th starter and will probably make as many starts as the others anyway.

Hugo: All the pitching injuries this season have given the Jays a great chance to showcase their pitching depth. Some of the young pitchers like Ricky Romero and Brett Cecil have really shown what they can do. With Shaun Marcum set to return this season, Jesse Litsch looking to come back around the all-star break next season, and Dustin McGowan a continuing question-mark, it is questionable whether pitchers like Scott Richmond, David Purcey, and Brian Tallet, all of whom have pitched for the Jays this season, will have places in the Jays' rotation picture next season. That being the case, is it time to see what the Jays can get for these arms on the open market? Or would they be better served to hold onto these arms for contingency situations in the future?

Tom: Guess I already said it but I'd look to see if I could sell high on Tallet. Beyond that, let's see if Marcum can be effective again. Purcey, I get the feeling the team has written him off already, which I think is too bad, he does walk guys but he gets strikeouts too and we don't have enough pitchers that can do that, but then I think the team has killed off any trade value he might have had.

Jesse: Well, Litsch won't be back for a year now, and that's assuming his surgery goes well. As you said, McGowan is unfortunately an unknown. Hopefully Marcum can build up his arm-strength and get his velocity where it needs to be for him to continue his success, but we really can't be sure of that just yet, either. I would like to see the Jays hold onto their young pitchers . . . even if there is no place in the rotation for some of these guys right now, there is nothing wrong with letting them spend an additional year at AAA. If they can be dominant in the PCL through next year, you have to do something with them, though.

JohnnyG: Tallet and Richmond could be shopped. I like Purcey but I could live with him being sent in a package, granted if all 3 pitchers were sent out we better be getting another pitcher in return to help plug in. Even still I don't think you make a move this year with either Purcey or Richmond. Tallet's value is top notch at the moment and would be a smart move depending on the return. While I don't like Purcey's chances to make the team next year either I think he would be a good piece to have in the minors as a backup injury plan.

Tom: I really don't see Richmond having trade value yet, just two years removed from the Edmonton Cracker Cats, if I'm another team's GM I'd want more than one good season to convince me that a fellow that wasn't in anyone's system could be worth trading for.

Tom: Another question for you all: Is packaging Wells with Halladay an option?

Jesse: It's an option, but it's not one I'd love to consider. A bunch of folks have mentioned that Wells's contract is so crippling that it is almost worth it to move Halladay just to be rid of it, however, I think it would be very bad for the front office if they move their best (and most popular) player, just so they can get out of a contract that they signed in large part as a PR move to tell the fans they could get behind this team. What kind of message would ownership be sending to the fans?

JohnnyG: Non Option with me. I just don't see how trading Halladay to dump Wells helps the Jays. Yes we save a ton of money but you are going to have to overspend to bring in FA replacement players to get them to play for TO and in Canada (Sad but true). Not to mention trading Halladay doesn't exactly send the strongest signal to free agent's that we are ready to compete either so that is already working against us. Any return from Halladay would be so little with Wells attached to the trade that it would make me curl up under my desk into the fetal position and rock back and forth repeating "it's all a bad dream it's all a bad dream it's all a bad dream".

Hugo: I don't love the idea either, but I guess I wouldn't categorically rule it out - it would depend on whether Wells would negate the return from Halladay. For example, if the Jays were set to trade Doc to the Dodgers for a package centered around center-fielder Matt Kemp, and the Dodgers could somehow afford to add both Doc and Wells, I'd try to move Wells too, to fill the spot in center vacated by Kemp. Since LA would be getting Doc to go for the gusto, they wouldn't want to create a hole in the outfield so they might want Wells. I'd even take Pierre off their hands in return, I think (if they wanted), to help them with salary - Pierre would be a good, if expensive, 4th outfielder for the Jays and he wouldn't handcuff the team nearly as much financially as Wells would in the long term. The key would be moving Wells to a team that could really use him and so wouldn't look at him as a concession that would totally negate any return for Doc. Now, a deal like that would be very tough to work out and so it probably won't happen. But it could be worth at least exploring.

Tom: I guess it does depend on how the finance situation is for the Jays and Rogers. With out Mr. Rogers controlling the cheque book we might not be allowed to lose money every year.

JohnnyG: I am not so sure the Jays were actually losing money, Rogers can move revenues around especially from advertising. Rogers gets a ton of free advertising that saves Rogers Millions and Millions each year. Not too mention that own the stadium as well so thats a plus. And I am not sure the exact revenue gained from the stadium goes into the Jays Bottom Line. Last year I also read that the RedSox and Yankees posted loses, mainly because their sports networks reported income separate and issues with revenue being moved around. Accountants can play with the numbers (legally of course) to make sure certain tax requirements are met or avoided.

Hugo: It wouldn't shock me, either, if the Jays were not as unprofitable as they would like it to seem. The thing is that the Jays contribute to Rogers' other businesses (for example, free content for Sportsnet), and that value isn't reflected in the ledgers. And while it is a publicly-traded company, corporations shift assets and losses to subsidiaries all the time for reasons only they usually know.

JohnnyG: I have a question, Would any of you considering the Red Sox or the Yanks a realistic target for a Halladay trade? I know that they will inquire and it would be good to listen for nothing else but to maybe bump up the price, but at the end of the day if you were JP could you pull the trigger on a trade that sent Halladay to NYY for a package centered around Hughes? I ask because it seems more and more people with that opinion keep popping up (i.e new fanpost over at Daily Dish and multiple articles and comments over at MLBTradeRumors). I know most of the people commenting on it are Yanks fans but still. One laughable post implied Halladay would be a third starter behind both AJ and CC.

Hugo: Interesting question. While the optics of a trade within your division aren't good, trading Halladay essentially puts the Jays into rebuilding mode. If you raid a system like the Yankees or Red Sox of its best players, arguably not only do you improve your team, but you weaken the other team for the time when you plan on competing with them. That said, the Yankees would probably resign Doc - and I wouldn't be that surprised if 3 or so years from now, Halladay was still a better pitcher than Hughes so you'd need to get more than just Hughes, of course. But I believe that's true of any Doc trade - despite the turmoil in the rotation this year, offense is a much bigger problem for the Jays, right now and going forward, than pitching. Look at this season - holes in the rotation are filled with up-and-coming young pitchers with a likely future in the major leagues, while holes in the lineup are filled with AAAA and has-been hitters who have no place in the team's future. The truth is that if you don't trade Doc to the Yankees, they'll just go get another huge name free-agent pitcher anyway, if not Doc himself should he become a free agent. While he probably won't be quite as great as Doc, the Jays also won't be getting the Yankees' best young players. That said, I don't think the Yankees or Red Sox are going to make a serious offer for Doc. Both teams typically only overstretch themselves when they are bidding against one another, and in this case both have said they aren't interested.

I'm Standing on a Bridge In a Town Where I Lived As a Kid: Blue Jays System Minor League Report

hugo — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:27:03 -0000

Hi everyone. It's been a little while, I figured we should use the off-day to take a look at how the minor-league affiliates, and, more importantly, the young Jay-to-be hopefuls, are doing.

Las Vegas:

Travis Snider is still out of action with a shoulder injury and isn't set to start swinging a bat again until July. David Dellucci has been quiet for the 51s, hitting just .250/.242/.344, with three doubles over 33 plate appearances. Michael Barrett recently returned to AAA (he's only played 2 games there). J.P. Arencibia has been ice-cold recently -- after a hot May, he is hitting only .200/.235/.262 in June. He does have 19 doubles and 8 home runs on the season but things aren't going well at the moment at all. Randy Ruiz has always put up big minor-league numbers and this season is no exception - he has 41 extra base hits (including 15 home runs) already this season and a .972 OPS.

On the mound, the 51s rotation has taken a hit with Brad Mills and Brett Cecil both up at the big club. Fabio Castro has slowed down after a hot start at AAA - he's now sporting just a 30/26 K/BB ratio over 63 2/3 innings, though he still has a nice 3.11 ERA and a winning record. David Purcey has two successful starts in a row and his walk rate continues to recede to respectable levels. Bryan Bullington is putting up pretty good numbers in the bullpen, with over a strikeout per inning and a 35/6 K/BB ratio.

New Hampshire:

Scott Campbell is back from injury and working his way up the minors - In 25 plate appearances at AA, he's hitting a Campbell-esque .300/.440/.400 with as many walks (5) as strikeouts and has yet to make an error, playing 2nd and 3rd. I imagine he'll be back with Las Vegas soon. Brian Dopirak continues to rake -- he's hitting .307/.369/.580 on the season and is even better than that so far in June (1.020 OPS) with 39 extra-base hits (16 HRs) already. He could be ready to move up, but Randy Ruiz and Brett Harper are entrenched at AAA at the 1st base and DH spots. Other than those two, there's not much offense to speak of - catcher Brian Jeroloman's bat (.706 OPS) remains cold, and second baseman Brad Emaus, who looked so good for the Jays in spring training, has really fallen off, hitting just .127/.182/.197 in June.

On the mound, Marc Rzepczynski has been good all season, but has really turned it up in June, where he's 1-0 with a 0.45 ERA over his 3 starts and, still better, a 21/7 K/BB ratio over 20 innings. His season totals are similarly excellent (2.93 ERA, 88/36 K/BB ratio over 76 2/3 innings and an excellent groundball ratio) despite being extremely hit-unlucky. It's been a very successful half-season for Zep. Reidier Gonzalez and Luis Perez have also done a nice job out of New Hampshire's rotation.

Dunedin:

Dunedin's outfield has been excellent all season, and all three: centrefielder Darrin Mastroianni, leftfielder Eric Thames, and rightfielder Moises Sierra, were all named to the Florida State League North Division all star team. Mastroianni has a .325/.390/.426 line, with 32 steals, while Thames and Sierra have similar overall lines - both showing good power for young hitters and hitting well recently. The trio of early 2007 draftee infielders -- John Tolisano, Justin Jackson, and Kevin Ahrens, have done less well. That said, Tolisano is having a nice June (.311/.328/.475) with an extra-base hit every 10 at-bats so far. Jackson has also been better this month -- not as good as he was in May upon returning from his injury, but OPSing a respectable .726 in June and striking out much less (just 11 times in 56 plate appearances this month). Ahrens, though, has been just as cold (.588 OPS in June v. .576 over the season). Adam Loewen is still waiting for things to click (.584 OPS this season) and is still waiting for his first home run.

On the pitching side - 2008 draftee Andy Liebel's 2-8 record is misleading - Liebel has a very nice 65/20 K/BB ratio over his 77 1/3 innings and a steady 1.33 WHIP. He's been especially strong in June and is having a fine first full pro season. Kenny Rodriguez (5-2, 1.99 ERA, 48/21 K/BB ratio over 54 1/3 IP, 1.12 Whip) is also having a fine season in the rotation, while Trystan Magnuson, Daniel Farquar, and Tim Collins are pitching very well out of the bullpen -- Collins has a ridiculous 57 Ks in 37 1/3 innings, and isn't walking many (14) to do it. Farquar (23/11 K/BB ratio over 17 relief innings for a 0.53 ERA) and Collins joined the aforementioned trio of outfielders and infielder Raul Barron on the all-star team.

Lansing:

Outfielder Johermyn Chavez had a bit of a May dropoff after a very hot April, but has picked things up a bit in June - with 5 home runs already this month. On the season, he has 12 home runs, 11 doubles, and 5 triples, serious power for a 20-year old hitter in the tough-on-hitters Midwest League. His overall line is .266/.331/.500. He's learning how to take a walk too - he has 21 walks in 265 plate appearances this season after drawing just 25 in 427 plate appearances last season. Shortstop Ty Pastornicky hasn't figured out Midwest League pitching yet (.261/.339/.312) but he can draw a walk and he's been all over the bases (31/40 in steal attempts).

On the mound, Charles Huggins was so good (1.57 ERA) he was called up to Dunedin. Chase Lirette, who recovered from shoulder surgery about halfway through the season last year, is old for the level but off to a very good start (1.87 ERA, 24/8 K/BB ratio) so he could move up soon as well.

Auburn:

The season has only just started for the Doubledays. Some players on the team who have already seen action with whom you might be familiar are 2008 draftee Marcus Brisker (OF), 2007 draftee Eric Eiland (CF), and 2009 draftees Lance Durham (son of Leon, also a first baseman) and Jonathan Fernandez (son of Tony, also a shorstop)

Room Without a Window: Monday Off-Day Open Thread

hugo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:40:38 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

Stiff Upper Lip, Vernon! (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Darren Calabrese)

Browse more photos »

Hi everyone - hope you all had a better weekend than the Jays did. After another interleague sweep, this time at home, and this time at the hands of the Florida Marlins, the Jays sit 0-6 in interleague. The "good" news? They'll have a chance to get in the win column on Tuesday against the defending world champions, and a series win there will go a long way toward erasing this bad taste. After the sweep, the Jays are 3 games behind the New York Yankees and the AL wild card. Things could be much worse, but the team needs to start playing better soon. With the wild card in reach, you have to wonder whether the Jays are going to try to make some moves. I can't be the only one who thinks that Kevin Millar and Jose Bautista are playing more than they should be against right handed pitching.

Nowhere is that more evident than in centre field. Vernon Wells is suffering through one of the worst slumps of his career and, as you might imagine (unless you are of the "he got his money and now he is lazy and doesn't care" ilk), he's pretty bummed out about it. With Alex Rios hitting very well recently, I wonder if it isn't time to swap Rios and Wells, give Wells a chance to settle in a bit and watch some other hitters before taking his first at-bat of each game and taking advantage of what is looking like a burgeoning hot streak for Rios. I wouldn't expect it to make a big difference as to when he comes out of his slump, but it can't hurt.

Some of us have been talking about reinforcements from AAA so here's some minor league news: David Dellucci has started playing for AAA Las Vegas, and Scott Campbell has been tearing the cover off the ball in his rehab at Dunedin. Russ Adams has returned as well, and is continuing to hit well and is playing shortstop everyday. David Purcey also had a good start for the 51s, striking out 9 and walking 3 over 7 2/3 innings, giving up just 2 runs and 4 hits and lowering his ERA to a respectable 4.28 (though his K/BB ratio is a different story). And Jeremy Accardo picked up a save and is now sitting with a very nice looking 22/7 K/BB ratio over 24 innings (3.38 ERA) as closer for Las Vegas. Brett Cecil pitches for Vegas today. None of Cecil, Mills, or Purcey have really been consistently good, but I don't think the Jays will necessarily hesitate to go to one or more of them if Richmond, Tallet, and Janssen struggle in the future. That said, Richmond's overall numbers are still solid, Tallet has given the Jays a quality outing more often than not despite yesterday's blowup, and Janssen has 3 good starts to 2 awful ones, not a great ratio but it has been a long time since he's pitched, you can't expect him to just come back and dominate. I think it's worth giving them a bit more time as no one is really knocking the door down. That can change quickly though.

But enough of what I think. What are you all thinking? Ideas for how the team can turn things around? Players you'd be interested in acquiring? Anything about which you would like to talk?

Today's title comes from the great Operation Ivy song (wow, they were amazing).

I've Got Ways To Make You Come Back To Me: David Purcey in AAA and the Future of the Jays' Rotation

hugo — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:23:27 -0000

More photos » by NATHAN DENETTE - AP

David Purcey appears to have gotten back on track over his last two starts for AAA Las Vegas. Is a return to the majors in his near-term future?. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Nathan Denette)

Browse more photos »

So, we know that Brian Tallet, Robert Ray, and Brett Cecil have done an outstanding job of filling in the rotation this season, and that Scott Richmond has similarly done an excellent job since breaking camp as the 5th starter. We've also talked a lot about Casey Janssen, who is lighting up the minors, and Ricky Romero, who is not, both of whom are waiting to get back into the majors, and Jesse Litsch, who is rehabbing his injury and should be ready to return in June sometime. And finally, we've talked about Fabio Castro and Brad Mills, both of whom are pitching extremely well in the minors right now.

But now we seem to have yet another wrinkle. David Purcey started the second game for the Jays this season and did a fine job, yielding 3 runs over 7 innings while striking out 5 and walking three. However, his subsequent 4 starts were not nearly as effective (the best of the bunch being a 5 1/3 innings, 6 K, 3 run effort) and Purcey was ultimately banished to the minors after a particularly poor start in which Purcey was both wild (55 of 93 pitches thrown for strikes, 3 walks over 5 innings) and way too hittable (3 HR and a triple and 8 hits in 5 innings), his ERA ballooning over 7. The message to the big lefty was clear - throw strikes or you have no place in the majors.

Purcey started AAA more or less like he left the Jays - he walked 8 batters (almost 1/inning) in his first two starts. However, his last two efforts have been a different story. On May 13, Purcey went 8 scoreless innings, striking out 7 and walking just 2, and yielded just three hits. In his most recent start, Purcey was similiarly successful, striking out 7 over 7 innings and giving up just 1 run, again walking just 2 batters. Just as significantly, Purcey threw 72 of his 110 pitches for strikes and got 10 groundouts to just 3 outs in the air. It's only two starts, but it appears as though Purcey may have recovered the improved control he demonstrated in the minor leagues last season, and in the majors after the all-star break when he became a permanent rotation member (his walk rate was under 3/9 IP once that happened, very good for someone with Purcey's K rate).

I'm not necessarily in any hurry to get Purcey back to the big leagues, but it is great to see him demonstrate improved control over his last two outings. Another good start and I would be comfortable calling him up if we needed to. The only problem is that he likely finds himself down on the depth chart now. So, I wanted to pose the following question, though certainly I hope that our current starting corps continues their excellent performance.

Out of Romero, Janssen, Purcey, Castro, Mills, Purcey, and why not, Wade Miller (no Burres, haha, I'm assuming he's last), what does your depth chart look like in terms of in what order would you call up these starters? Who would you be most comfortable, maybe even excited, about penciling into the rotation should a change need to be made?

Lastly , i do think we should acknowledge the work General Manager J.P. Ricciardi did in assembling this group of quality pitchers. They have come through the first round (Romero, Purcey, Cecil, McGowan) and subsequent rounds (Janssen, Mills, Ray, Litsch, Marcum) of the draft, through trades (Castro) and no-cost pickups (Tallet, Richmond), and they have done a fine job.

Today's post by Ottawa's own alt.country songstress Kathleen Edwards

I'm Achin' to Be: Minor League Update

hugo — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:45:18 -0000

Thanks to the great band the Replacements for today's minor-league update, which certainly fits for many of our young players trying to work their way up and out of the minors.

Las Vegas

J.P. Arencibia has turned it on a bit of late, hitting .300/.364/.625 over his last 10 games, with 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and 4 doubles. Also very encouraging is his 4 walks over that span (he only had 2 prior to that). Arencibia's on-base numbers over the season are still poor (.283), but he is starting to pick up steam. Scott Campbell, on the other hand, picked up an injury and hasn't played in a while. I haven't been able to find out much about his injury, so if someone could clue us in, that'd be great. Russ Adams has also been out with an injury. Kyle Philips has been hitting well since his promotion to Las Vegas (.373/.433/.525 in 65 plate appearances).

On the pitching side, Brad Mills has been excellent after a rough start. He still hasn't won a game (0-5) but it's through no fault of his own as he has had an excellent May, with a 2.66 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 10 walks over 23 2/3 innings. Fabio Castro has been even better, with a 1.03 ERA over his 4 Las Vegas starts. And David Purcey had a great start his last time out after 2 shaky ones, going 8 scoreless innings and striking out 7 while walking only 2 and yielding 3 hits. Another good outing from Purcey and the Jays will have 3 very viable callup options. Ricky Romero is scheduled to make his first start for the 51s today after a few so-so starts for New Hampshire. Jeremy Accardo had a rough outing last week, his first poor outing of the year. He's a good candidate for a bullpen callup.

New Hampshire

Brian Dopirak continues to make his case for promotion -- he's now hitting .324/.370/.569 and has 8 home runs, 12 doubles, and 1 triple. He has hit both lefties and righties well. Brad Emaus (.299/.378/.479) continues to do a nice job at the plate and has shown a good batting eye recently, with 7 walks to 7 Ks over his last 10 games. On the other hand, Brian Jeroloman and David Cooper have struggled recently and both are now OPS-ing less than .700 for the season. Sean Shoffit (.154/.298/.253) has really had problems after an encouraging spring for the Jays.

New Hampshire's starting pitching continues to be excellent in the absence of Castro, with Marc Rzepczynski really standing out. Zep is 6-2 with a a 2.93 ERA and 52 Ks to 21 walks in 43 innings, not to mention tons of ground ball outs. And he has turned it up even more in May, with a 17/4 K/BB ratio over his 3 starts (18 1/3 IP). And rehabbing Casey Janssen has been nothing short of fantastic - the 27-year old has a 0.77 ERA in his 2 appearances for New Hamphsire after a 0.75 in 3 starts at Dunedin. Overall, Casey has 17 Ks to just 5 walks.

Dunedin

Eric Thames (.340/.418/.462), Darrin Mastroianni (.308/.423/.377) with 23 BBs and 23 Ks and 25/28 on the basepaths, and Moses Sierra (.302/.386/.440) continue to play superb outfield. Justin Jackson has returned and has been red hot, going 8-11 with a double, a walk, and just one K in his four games back. Kevin Ahrens is still rather quiet, and John Tolisano has quieted down but still has, by far, the best numbers of the three at .255/.345/.459. Adam Loewen (.621 OPS) hasn't picked it up yet.

Tim Collins, who started off the season on an absolute tear, has actually been rather shaky lately, with a 6.00 ERA and a 7/5 K/BB ratio over his last 5 appearances. Andy Liebel, who has been having trouble despite excellent peripheral numbers all year a 29/11 K/BB ratio and just 3 HRs allowed in 40 2/3 innings, had by far his worst peripheral start of the season (4 walks and 3 Ks over 6) but just gave up 1 earned run. That was following a start where he struck out 7 and walked no one over 6 innings and gave up 4 runs.

Lansing

Johermyn Chavez continues to swing a very hot bat (.314/.345/.610) with 7 home runs, 6 doubles, and 4 triples on the season. 2008 draftee and third-base prospect Mark Sobelewski has had a very nice May, hitting .309/.408/.418. Balbino Fuenmayor has turned it up after a horrible start to the season, and is hitting .364/.364/.545 in May. However, the majority of Lansing's hitters, incluing Ty Pastornicky, Jon Del Campo, Marcus Brisker, Kenneth Wilson, and the catching tandem of Jon Talley and AJ Jimenez, are not hitting well.

On the other side of the ball, Henderson Alvarez, John Anderson, and Charles Huggins are pitching well, with Huggins (1.78 ERA, 1.02 Whip, and 31 Ks and 10 walks over 30 2/3 innings, though he just turned 23) the best of the three thusfar.

Every Day is Like Sunday: The Pitching Wheel Turns

hugo — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:54:18 -0000

More photos » by Nathan Denette - AP

Ricky Romero struggled a bit in his first rehab start but should be ready to come up soon(AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Nathan Denette)

Browse more photos »

Hi all, back in town. Fun wedding, good to be back.

Brett Cecil pitches today for the Jays and because his first start was a weekday afternoon game not widely televised, it'll be the first chance that many of us will have to see him pitch for the Jays. Very exciting. Today's game gives the Jays a chance to go either 2-3 or 3-2 on their west coast swing - neither would be too bad but the latter sounds a lot better to me.

So, Jeremy Accardo seems ready to step back in for the big club. Accardo has been closing for the 51s and has done an admirable job, with a 1.32 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. Pretty impressive for the PCL. He has 11 Ks in those 13 2/3 innings, although he has walked 6. Lately he has really been piling up the Ks, and he's also doing a good job inducing grounders. Accardo would be useful to the Jays pen because he has good stuff, throws hard, and is very effective against both lefties and righties (actually this season he has been very good against righties but has utterly dominated lefties). With B.J. Ryan still out, Scott Downs moved into the closer role, Brian Tallet starting, and the Jays' bullpen experiencing a couple of problems recently, the Jays could really use a late-inning reliever who can get tough lefties out. Bill Murphy has done absolutely nothing to lose his job, but he has generally gone in low-leverage situations and I'd say it's time to get Accardo back with the big team. If the Jays don't want to demote Murphy when he's pitching well, I'd also prefer Accardo over Shawn Camp, who has given up runs in 3 of his last 4 appearances and has a 7/7 K/BB ratio and 1.64 Whip this season. Camp isn't bad as the last man out of the pen, but he's a little overstretched as a late-inning reliever and has a poor record against lefties. Time for a change, I think.

In the other category, David Purcey has not pitched well for Las Vegas. Most recently, Purcey had a disastrous start for Las Vegas, giving up 8 hits and 3 walks in 2 1/3 innings en route to 8 runs. Purcey threw only about half of his pitches for strikes and with starts like that, I'm glad we demoted him when we did. Purcey has walked more batters than he has struck out for Las Vegas, and he'll never get back to the bigs that way. My guess is that Purcey just needs to put together 2 decent starts in a row and the Jays will bring him back, but it doesn't seem as though he's ready to do so right now.

Although Ricky Romero had a rough outing for Dunedin, I'm not concerned about him. Romero gave up 6 runs over 4 innings, including 2 home runs. However, he did strike out 5 and walk just 1 and was probably just a bit rusty after a few weeks on the shelf. As for Casey Janssen, he's really looked sharp - he now has given up just 1 run in 12 innings, with 9 strikeouts and just 2 walks (including 5 Ks and no walks over his last, 5 inning, start) and tonnes of groundouts. I'd say he's ready to go, though I wouldn't mind him getting one rehab start in at New Hampshire first. Janssen could help out in either the bullpen or the starting rotation, though I've made no secret of my preference for having him in the starting rotation, as long as his arm can handle it.

As for B.J. Ryan, if you weren't wearing your contacts you might've thought that it was him on the mound for the Jays yesterday, but no. Ryan blanked the opposition for his first outing with Dunedin, but gave up a run his last time out. Ryan got the first batter to pop out, then walked the next. A double and a sacrifice fly plated the run.