Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The More Things Change

One year ago today, I celebrated one year of GROF goodness. That post leads with the rumors/whispers connecting the Jays with then disgruntled former Jay farmhand Michael Young. So here we are today, on the second anniversary of Ghostrunner on First, listening to more whispers and innuendo around a different former player.

Fortunately for all in involved, The Player in question isn't a spilled milk ex-prospect but one of the true faces of the franchise. Might the Jays make a nostalgia play for greatest slugger the team has known? At the risk of stunting the growth of certain prospects, yes.

First things first, no matter who AA brings in to flesh out the roster, ain't nobody taking at bats away from Adam Lind. He is as entrenched as it gets. He's no prospect; he's an every-dayer in The Manager's eyes. Second; while some commenters and bloggers alike worry about impeding the progress of legit blue chippers like Wallace and Snider, others rightfully point to Ruiz and Dopriak as stop-gaps all the same. Who cares if Randy Ruiz's progress is halted, he's Randy Ruiz. Do you have an emotional investment in Ruiz? Probably not. But I'll be damn surprised if you don't have at the very least fond feelings towards Delgado.

Another angle: maybe a glut of first basemen doesn't impact Wallace at all. As I've said before, perhaps the jury is not yet out on his potential as a third baseman. Taking at bats away from EE is hardly damaging and could end up a blessing.

Because the money will be manageable, and because controlling service time is right at the forefront of the new front office's mind, I don't think this is a bad thing at all. Which of course means it won't happen. Why can't we have nice things?

Thanks to Bill Kralovec for the image and every single person who reads, comments, emails, ignores, hates, enjoys, subscribes, dismisses, or even pretends to care about what they read here. I owe you all more than you know.
Posted by Drew
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20 comments:

  1. I feel like I'm in the minority, but I'd love to see Delgado brought back for 2010, not only for the well-articulated reasons in the original post, but also because it would likely force Cito to give Lind a chance to play in LF -- a move that I think really needs to be made this year. If he sucks, then at worst you're stuck with slightly below-average left field defense in a season that doesn't matter at all anyways, but if he ends up becoming a serviceable fielder, then you open up a DH spot for years to come and, in doing so, greatly improve the team's offensive potential for as long as Lind is able to play out there.

    Plus, it's Carlos effing Delgado. So, yeah, let's do this.
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  2. The "it's Carlos effing Delgado" angle is impossible to play down. Especially since he actually produced in recent years.
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  3. His Winter League performance is encouraging too -- not that the numbers really mean much considering the sample size. I'm more impressed by the fact that he's been able to successfully hit live pitching at all after such a long time on the DL and a pretty major hip surgery. Bearing in mind the Frank Thomases out there who take two months to remember how to hit after a regular off-season, Delgado certainly seems to have jumped out of the gate pretty well after such a long time away from baseball.
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  4. If I'm AA (and for all you guys know, I am!), I'm putting Wallace's substantial backside at third base in AAA to start the year, and telling him to get used to it. And to lay off the ribs.

    Because if he hits as promised, he'd be so much more valuable to the Jays on that side of the diamond.

    Maybe they could get Butterfield to hit Timbits at him with a fungo in Spring Training, and let him eat whatever he snags.

    (Brett Wallace fat jokes will not get old.)
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  5. Maybe they could get Butterfield to hit Timbits at him with a fungo in Spring Training, and let him eat whatever he snags.

    Gold.

    Is it for certain that Ruiz cannot play in the outfield? If Cito allows him to languish on the bench again, I'd rather he have Delgado at his disposal as the DH, in the 4-hole, instead of oh, I don't know, someone like Kevin bloody Millar.

    Ty said it best: IT'S CARLOS EFFING DELGADO!!!!1 I'm all for the scrapping of Flashback Fridays and shit. I'm aboard the fuck nostalgia train, Drew, but I'll hop off for King Carlos.
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  6. This move makes sense if it's Jim Thome, let alone Carlos "effin" Delgado.

    1) Cheap asset that has .900 OPS potential that could be flipped at the deadline for prospects.

    2) Left handed caddy for unproven Ruiz/Dopirak at either 1B or DH.

    3) Batting mentor for Lind and Snider who can also act as a buffer zone.

    4) Possible Jays Interest Story as Delgado pushes for 500 home runs.

    This doesn't affect Snider at all. He's not going to Vegas - nothing to be gained.

    This would affect us bringing in an Ankiel, for example, only if Overbay can't be moved.
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  7. Hasn't AA already kinda sorta announced that Wallace is ticketed for AAA with reference to The Development Plan? And ya know, I'm resigning myself to the fact that Snider might also start out in AAA (especially if there are any lingering service time issues, or has that ship sailed - someone help?).

    And as shittastic as that might be, maybe it's not, for (a) service time reasons?, (b) he won't have The Manager killing his confidence while he (The Manager) plays out his last days Managing, and (c) the nightly Vegas boxscores have the potential to be good times between Snider/Wallace/Arencibia.

    No, I am not reaching.

    So, yeah....I guess I'm warming to the Delgado idea, something I was previously dead-set against.
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  8. While I initially supported the Delgado signing I am having second thoughts. Mainly for the following though progression:

    A) If the Jays signed Delgado, the only spot for him would be 1B, as Lind/Snider will occupy LF/DH. I do not want either playing RF or 1B.

    B) To do this the Jays would have to trade Overbay, to open up a spot at 1B, however it's starting to look like there isn't a market for Overbay.

    C) This leads me to debate whether it is better to have Delgado or Overbay at 1b. For nestalgic reasons I'd prefer Delgado, however his defense could be a major liability and given the fragile young pitching, I believe it is better to have Overbay's defense at 1B. As well his offensive production may even be better than Delgado's.

    Therefore, to make a long story longer, my vote is now to keep Overbay and forget about Delgado.
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  9. I'm all for it. Besides the potential big bat, I think Carlos would be good in the clubhouse. There's a leadership void on the Jays - Roy is gone, Vernon is milquetoast...somebody needs to be the step up. King Carlos.
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  10. VERNON WELLS IS NOT MILQUETOAST.
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  11. Personality-wise? I think he is. But I'm not talking on-field competitiveness.
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  12. Happy Blogiversary GROF!

    I'm still on the fence about signing Delgado. I don't see him as a legitimate 1B anymore, so he would be relegated to DH. That means Adam Lind has to be sent out to left field to fend for himself.

    Stealing at-bats for Brett Wallace? I don't see the point in calling him up unless it's absolutely necessary, or maybe give him a shot when they open the 40-man rosters.
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  13. Happy 2nd to the best damn Jays blog on the planet (T - Tao of Stieb, natch). Back when the Bottom of the Order was still a going concern you were my most loyal reader (and commenter), and though I don't often pipe up, I'm still lurking here. Thanks for putting in the effort day in, day out.

    And as for King Carlos, hell yes. There's such a thing as healthy nostalgia, and Delgado qualifies. If nothing else, where's the goddamn personality of this team? Vernon? E5? Delgado's million watt smile would be salve on the sting of a long, dry season.
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  14. I just posted the yearly Blue Jays' discussion thread over at the IGN Baseball board about thirty minutes ago. Last year we had 2430 replies throughout the season. I spent a fair amount of time on the thread so I thought I'd share it here for anybody who's interested:

    http://boards.ign.com/baseball/b5104/188472729
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  15. I can kind of understand why the Jays might have interest in Delgado, but I'm not sure why he'd be interested. Maybe if they were the only team making a real offer, but I'd think he'd try and catch on with a team that has a chance at winning something this year.

    That being said, if they can find someone to take Overbay, I wouldn't be against it. Like you said, he's obviously not going to take any ABs away from Lind and obviously he has a better track record as back-up DH/1B than someone like Ruiz.

    If the lineup was something like this:
    1B/DH-Delgado
    2B-Hill
    3B-EE (maybe Wallace, eventually)
    SS-Gonzalez/McDonald
    LF/DH-Lind
    CF-Wells
    RF/LF-Snider

    And maybe Bautista or Ruiz in there, too, or even keeping Overbay, is alright. Although a Lind/Wells/Snider OF has nightmare potential defensively.
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  16. hill 2B
    lind LF
    wells CF
    delgado DH
    EE 3B
    Snider RF
    Ruiz 1B (Wallace later)
    Buck C
    Gonzalez SS

    =

    SERIOUS POTENTIAL

    although with weak defence at 1B/OF and no "leadoff" hitter.

    with

    Marcum/Romero/Morrow/Cecil/RZep

    "Could" win 85+, no?
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  17. Did you ever get those t-shirts made? Let us show our GROF support loud and proud, dude.
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  18. Happy anniversary. Will you be taking your blog to dinner this evening or how does that work? I much appreciate that you take time out of your life to keep people like me happy with your writing. Hopefully you will be celebrating many more...
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  19. So much over-thinking. Not enough bringing Carlos F. Delgado back.
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  20. Congrats Drew.
    As for Delgado, I'm fine with this. I guess it would depend on partly on the $$ -- if Delgado didn't work out well, everybody would have said it was a JP move (bringing in an aging slugger - 'cause no other GM does that apparently). I just don't see much downside to not signing him. If things don't work out with Ruiz or possibly bringing up Wallace, that's fine, but the potential is there and this way we'll find out.
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