Toronto Blue Jays

While browsing through Bleacher Report lately I came across an article, by Nino Colla, about John McDonald being an unheralded backup who deserves more credit.

The fact of the matter is John McDonald does not deserve any more credit, he does not deserve an American League job and he is barely worthy of a National League backup role. Just barely...

The article proposed that backups are a role in the MLB that someone has to play and that John McDonald does it well.

This is plain wrong.

Harry Leroy Halladay III (or simply Roy) will always have a special place in the hearts of Toronto Blue Jays fans. Despite being born and raised in Denver and bearing a nickname derived from a gunfighter of the western United States (Doc Holliday), Roy Halladay has become synonymous with baseball in Canada's largest city.

Edwin Encarnacion is a funny guy, isn’t he?

Not in the sense of being a prankster, but here you have a guy who has basically fallen off the radar of just about every fantasy owner’s map, and to them, for good reason.

If you give a passing glance at his stats, they suggest he was a one-and-done kind of guy after his breakout 2008 campaign.

Upon reading the title, one may immediately say that Rod Barajas is the hands down favorite, but a further look at the numbers and the intangibles may show that new addition John Buck is in fact the better catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Toronto Blue Jays made some big changes within the organization this offseason. They traded away their best player in franchise history in Roy Halladay but got back terrific prospects like third baseman Brett Wallace and pitcher Brendan Morrow who will help the organization a lot in the future.

1. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were humbled last postseason after getting swept in the ALDS by the Angels, and now they're determined to take back the throne.

The Red Sox improved their already great pitching staff by signing John Lackey to a five year, $80 million contract.  

They now have Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Clay Buchholz in their rotation. Tim Wakefield and Junichi Tazawa provide excellent depth and insurance.  

The Toronto Blue Jays have existed in the American League East since their inaugural season in 1977. In 1977, the American League had only two divisions, the Central Division hadn't existed yet. It wasn't until the 1994 realignment that the three division format was adopted.

Why am I mentioning this?

I'm not positive, but I think I'm having a nervous breakdown.

My significant other tells me that I've been talking—actually chanting—in my sleep. It's driving her around the bend. Can you imagine what it's like to be awakened from a sound sleep at 3:30AM by an old-age pensioner with swamp breath who's shouting, "WE'RE NUMBER THIRTY! WE'RE NUMBER THIRTY!! WE'RE NUMBER THIRTY!!!"

Brett Wallace was dealt from the Cardinals to the A’s to the Blue Jays last year. After three solid seasons at Arizona State (.406 AVG, 193 R, 45 HR, 193 RBI, 31 SB in 643 AB), he was selected with the 13th pick in the 2008 draft.

Lyle Overbay commented yesterday about how he is unlikely to return next season as a Blue Jay. He is in the last year of a deal he signed with the club in January of 2007, after he was traded to the Blue Jays from Milwaukee in 2005.

Overbay has been mentioned in multiple trade rumors this offseason, including a deal that would bring Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder to Toronto for him. Expect these rumors to continue up until the July 31st trade deadline.