The Jays released Reed Johnson today...making Shannon Stewart the Right handed half of a left field plattoon.

I can't see it myself....when was the last time Stewart hit even as well as a league average LF. We are giving up a corner outfield spot to a guy who hasn't slugged .400 in how many years? Gets onbase about an average amount and has no speed anymore. That's how we are going to catch the Yankees?

Oh well, maybe we won't see any left handed pitchers this year.....

Reading a Sports Weekly batch of predictions someone wrote that in picking come back player of the year just throw a dart at the Blue Jay's roster....odds are you'll hit a good candidate.

So got me thinking who is the mostly likely come back player of the year from the Jays?

Posiblities....

Rod Barajos, C. Last year batter .230 in just 146 plate appearances. Had 21 Home Runs in 2005, but the more I look at him the more I wonder why the Jays have wanted him the last couple of years.

Gregg Zahn, C. Batted 242/.341/.411 in 391 PB. So really wasn't that much worse than average season for him other than a couple of injuries.

Lyle Overbay, 1B. Batted .240/.315/.391 in 476 PA. First real candidate...hurt a lot of the year, awful the rest, after a career season the year before.

Scott Rolen, 3B. Batted .265/.331/.398 in 441 PA. Lots of injuries the last few years. Not exactly someone that keeps himself in great shape...

Reed Johnson, LF. Hit .236/.305/.320 in 307 PA. Injured after a career year in 2006.

Vernon Wells, CF. Hit .245/.304/.402. The Jays blamed a sore arm for the bad year....after signing a big contract during the off season.

B.J. Ryan, RP. Basically didn't pitch....so if he does much of anything he'd be a good candidate.

Brandon League, RP. Basically didn't pitch. Course 'come back player' suggests someone that actually was very good at some point.

Out of the bunch of them I'm hoping Vernon Wells would earn it award but I'm guessing Overbay.

The Jays missed the playoffs by 13 games last season, so I'm wondering where we can improve by enough to make up that 13 games.

Catcher...Zahn had a good season with the bat but he was injured some and the backups the Jays used were different shades of awful. Barajas should be better as a back up and if there is an injury Thigpen has more experiance, hopefully they would go to him over some washed up old backup.
Let's say they could improve by a 1.5 games at Catcher.

First base....Overbay was either injured or terrible all last season, but when he was injured Stairs played much much better than anyone could have imagined at first. I wouldn't expect Stairs to have the same type of season but if Overbay plays like he did in 2006 they could be 2 games better at first on average.

Second base....Hill was amazing last year, 17 home runs after 6 a year before....I wouldn't expect him to improve but let's hope he's even with last year.

Shortstop....I dislike the change of Eckstein for McDonald...MacDonald's defense, to me, more than makes up for the slight edge Ecktein has offensively...but with one of them and Marco Scutaro available on the bench they have improved, just because the bench was so bad last year...let's say they might improve by a game.

Third Base.....Well....Rolen for Glaus? We can hope Rolen plays more games than Glaus did and Rolen's D will be much better than Glaus'. Who knows what Rolen might do offensively....Let's guess that they'll be roughly the same at third.

Left Field...Tough to figure...Stairs was great last year...I can't believe he'll be as great this year. Johnson was hurt or awful all last year, Stewart hasn't been league average at LF in years. Personally I'd love them to give the job to Lind and see what he can do. Let's guess they'll be half a run better in Left.

CF...Wells was poor in Cf last year but they say he was hurt...if that was why he was poor and he plays like the Wells of 2006 he would be 5 games better than last year. I'm not that hopeful...let's guess he'll be 3 games better.

RF...Rios was great last year...and he seems to be improving each season. Hoping he doesn't miss time with injuries, let's guess he'll improve by half a game.

DH...I'd love to see Thomas start the season better...but his final numbers were about as good as you could have wanted. He's 40 this year, but I'm going he is less awful for the first couple of months and ends with a season roughly equal to last year.

So Offensively I think they could improve by 8.5 games...all being well.

Starting pitching....The starting rotation turned very good last year but at the start of the year they had too many starts by guys who shouldn't have been in the majors. Give the games started by Ohka and Towers to Macrum and Litsch et al. I don't expect Litsch to be as good this year but he's better than Towers. Without any injuries they should be better...But Gibbons' love to leave guys out there for 110 the 130 pitches. Burnett can't handle that and stay healthy. I'm not sure Halladay can continuously. They don't have the depth they had last year...with Janssen hurt...
All in all IF they stay fairly healthy they could be 2 games better at SP just with the Towers and Ohka not starting.

Bullpen...Last season the relievers were much better than anyone could have hoped after the injury to Ryan. This year it looks like Ryan will be back...if he is he would be an improvement at closer mostly because last year they tried a few guys at closer before settling on Accardo, who was better than anyone could have hoped. The loss of Janssen is a big hit but hopefully League will pitch the way we all hope he can. Signing Benitez helps the depth. Can Downs, Tallet, and Wolfe be as good this year? Will Frasor be useful? I'm hoping that Ryan will be healthy and less time will be spent settling on who's doing what. And Victor Zambrano won't pitch! I'm hoping they can be half a game better.

So, by my guesses they could be 11 games better than last year....all going well. It's not quite 13 games and with how much Detroit has improved I'm not sure that improving by 13 games would be enough. But I'm also hoping Gibbons has learned something from last year and won't cost us as much as he did last year. Also the Red Sox look to have some injury trouble and the Yankees are old and ummmm young, maybe the old guys will drop off and maybe the young guys won't be ready.

I truly think this is the season the Jays have to step it up and I'm hoping they will.

Have the Jays missed the moment for Lind. I used to hear that he had 40 home run power, but he's not been mentioned at all for the LF job this year and he's seemingly being passed by Travis Snider as a prospect. At 24 he should soon either get a job or be yesterday's news.

I like Stewart and Stairs and Johnson but if the Jays are going to improve shouldn't someone with a bit more upside be given a shot at LF. You have three guys there that aren't going to suddenly surprise you by making the All Star team or something. Best you can hope for with them is they have as good a season as their last decent one. For Stairs, last year was good, anyone really think he can equal it? Stewart? He's been ok the last few years. Anyone think ok is something we should shoot for in LF? And Johnson was an great leadoff man two years ago, his career best season by far but what are the odds he might do that again?

Tom Dakers,
Calgary, AB

Watching tonight's Jays game on Sportsnet I was noticing the radar gun number for Dustin McGowan, at the top of the screen and it had his fastball at the 98-99 mph mark most of the time and occasionally at 100 mph. Now watching, it didn't look to me like he was that over-powering. It looked like he had a good fastball but nothing that exceptional.

Am I right that the reading was high or does he throw a lot harder than I thought he did.

Taking it for granted that, after these first three games in New York, we aren't going anywhere this year, what's the plan for the future?

They seem to be in a strange spot, proven they aren't good enough and yet I don't think many moves will be made before next season.

Oh yeah there are the obvious things...they need a short stop, if nothing else give the job totally to McDonald. Let Adams be a utility guy. They need someone that makes sure that Royce Clayton doesn't end up with 400 at bats ever again.

Offensively beyond that? Pray that Wells and Thomas remember how to hit? Hope the other guys become more consistant? Hope for no injuries?

Pitching? Beyond release Towers? I've been pulling for Towers all along but he needs an out pitch and he hasn't found one yet so I'm guessing it won't happen.

After releasing Towers? Hope that all the injury prone pitchers you have collected make it thru a season? Sign 5 more old injured guys and hope one helps more than he hurts?

They are in a tough spot because the team has shown they aren't good enough but other than totally tearing them appart I can't see what changes will be made.

Maybe a catcher? Maybe a new manager? I would like them to sit down with Gibbons and say 'if you lead off Rios again you are fired'. Their best and most consistant power bat, who won't walk at all and you lead him off?

In reality....I don't think they are going to make many moves so I think they ought to try a new manager and see if that does something.