Just barely past the half way mark of the 2009 baseball season and the Toronto Blue Jays sit 1 game above .500 and in 4th place in the AL East. And while this division is extremely competitive, it’s very curious as to why the Blue Jays would be making news now. Especially when it’s news about tearing apart the nucleus of their team.
First it was the Roy Halladay rumors that broke earlier in the week. From The St. Louis Dispatch to ESPN to The Toronto Star to Fox Sports - all of these media outlets ran with the story that the Blue Jays would listen to trade offers for the ace of their rotation. Halladay has been one of the best pitchers this decade and should rank in the Top 5 in everyone’s active pitcher lists. Why would the Blue Jays, who are a 6-game win streak away from heading back to the top of the division, even put that kind of news out there? As a player in that locker room, no one should feel safe if they’re considering moving their most valuable piece.
And then today news hit that former stud closer, BJ Ryan, has been released. While Ryan was not meeting the standards this season that he had set in prior years, he was still due roughly $15 million dollars over the next year and a half so the Jays cut him a check and let him walk. I would love to be in his shoes – he is now able to sign with anyone he wants and can literally pick where he would like to go and not have his contract terms limit his options. In 2005 Ryan notched 36 saves. A year later in ‘06 he rang up 38, and in 2008 another 32. You’ve got to believe that there will be a ton of teams ready to gamble to see if BJ can return to a very recent form in which he was one of the game’s best closers.
Right now I feel sorry for the Blue Jays fans that are out there. With 77 baseball games left in the regular season the team is well within reach of making it to the playoffs but it appears that their management team does not think that it will happen.
Toronto, I feel your pain…
4 responses so far ↓
andyfromtradedsets // July 9, 2009 at 1:04 pm |
Virtually no team down by 7 games this late in the season comes back to win the division, especially when there are 3 teams ahead of them. The probably is that not all 3 of Boston, NYY, and Tampa can lose tons of games since they play each other a lot. Toronto is finished.
Dave // July 9, 2009 at 8:04 pm |
Yeah, I feel their pain, but honestly trying to trade Halladay (as long as it’s OUTSIDE the division) is the right thing to do. The Jays were overachieving earlier this year, and simply don’t have the pitching or the hitting to catch the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays. Long term, even Baltimore is going to surpass them with all of their young talent. Toronto’s only option to eventually compete in the division is to build a core group of prospects who can all grow together and form a winning team. That’s what the Rays did and what the Orioles are doing now. It’ll be painful in the short term, but great for the franchise in the long run. If they do it right, then maybe my ultimate dream will come true in a few years – the Rays, Jays, and O’s battling for first place in the A.L. East, with the greedy fat cats from Boston and NY in the cellar…
30-Year Old Cardboard // July 10, 2009 at 1:45 am |
Excellent points Dave. I truly miss your insight!! Thanks for stopping by…
unclemoe // July 10, 2009 at 1:23 am |
I hope the Brewers get him. It would be nice to see him in Maryvale next February.
moe.