Toronto Blue Jays

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has just reported that the Blue Jays could be close to signing catcher A.J. Pierzynski, formerly of the Chicago White Sox.  With the catching position not fully determined, the Jays seem to be looking for insurance behind the plate.

According to a report from FOX Sports columnist Ken Rosenthal, the Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams that are inquiring about third baseman Mark Reynolds availability.

Reynolds, who holds the National League (NL) record for strikeouts in a season with 223 in 2009—and has led the league in strikeouts each of his three full years in the show, appears to be on the Blue Jays radar as a possible replacement for Edwin Encarnacion, who was claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics.

According to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the Blue Jays are believed to have interest in signing relievers Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain.

Guerrier was not offered arbitration by the Twins, so he is now a free agent. In 2010, a campaign where he made $3.15 million, experts peg him to make no more than four to five million next season.

There are a lot of young pitchers with potential upside in baseball today.

While the AL East is generally not a good place to go searching for such pitchers, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Brett Cecil could be an exception to the rule. He was solid in his rookie campaign and it could be just the beginning.

Before we get into what could be, let’s look at what he did in 2010:

15 Wins
172.2 Innings
4.22 ERA
1.33 WHIP
117 Strikeouts (6.1 K/9)
54 Walks (2.8 BB/9)
.298 BABIP

On July 21, 2006, Jeremy Accardo was dealt from the San Fransisco Giants to the Toronto Blue Jays for third baseman Shea HIllenbrand.

This trade proved to be an absolute steal for the Blue Jays as Accardo was given the closer's job in 2007 because of the injury to B.J. Ryan.  During his time as the full time closer for the Jays, Accardo saved 30 games in 35 opportunities and finished the season with a ridiculous 2.14 ERA.  

Ever since Alex Anthopolous has taken over as General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, nothing but excitement has surrounded the team.

He has said that he is committed to building a strong franchise that will have the ability to compete for many many years.  He has managed to build a strong farm system that continues to grow, while still managing to field a team that can compete in the toughest division in baseball.

So Alex Anthopoulos has found a manager in John Farrell.

Now he has to continue upgrading his team through trades and free agency.

The first thing to note is that it is highly unlikely Anthopoulos signs a Type A free agent. This is because his first-round pick is not protected, and that is what he would have to give up to sign them.

So Manny Ramirez is out of the question.

The second thing is that Anthopoulos has stated he is willing to go after Type A free agents if the price is right. I understand this, but it is highly unlikely that will happen.

The AL East is a battleground and while Toronto may be the best fourth-place team in the majors, 85-77 isn't going to send them to October. 

The John Farrell era doesn't need to be kicked off with another "rebuilding year." They can win now; the Jays just need a little help. 

Enter Manny Ramirez. Some of you may shake your heads at the idea of bringing the 38-year-old troublemaker to Canada but it's not really a bad idea at all. In fact Manny may be the X-factor. 

It has already been an interesting off-season for the Toronto Blue Jays, as they have hired a new manager and some intriguing rumors have emerged.

John Farrell, the former pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox, was hired to replace the outgoing Cito Gaston.  Farrell doesn't have any experience managing at the big league level, but his diverse expertise gave him the edge in landing the job with the Blue Jays.  

Now that the Jays have hired John Farrell as their 12th manager in franchise history, the team can now begin looking into their offseason plans as they look to continue rebuilding in 2011.

The team was fortunate to come away with 85 wins last season, surprising just about everyone. They also surprised everyone by leading the league in homers.