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2 TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Enemy Lines
A RIVAL SCOUT SIZES UP THE BLUE JAYS
Every team has a flaw. The bullpen is theirs.... Your best value for Aaron Sanchez is as a starter. There's no doubt about his stuff. It's just a matter of getting around in the league, and in Russell Martin he's got one of the best catchers to teach him how to approach it.... Daniel Norris is the same way. Like all young guys now, they'll have innings limits, but if it was me, I'd run them out there and just say, Here you go.... They're gonna hit. Jose Reyes looks outstanding. He's running well. He's playing great defense. He looks to me like he looked with the Mets.... Martin is a huge addition. When guys put the right fingers down and they're prepared, I can't tell you how much that adds to your team. He can hit anywhere you want in the lineup. He can catch R.A. Dickey's knuckleball.... Josh Donaldson's one of those guys, I call him a lay-in-the-weeds guy. He's down there around the 5 or 6 hole, and you get through Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, then you make a mistake with a fastball and this guy's going to hurt you.... I think that Dalton Pompey's one of the best-kept secrets here. He's a switch-hitter, above-average defense. He's going to be a very nice piece for them, but they don't know how he's going to react to the bright lights and the varsity pitching. It's an awful big jump.... Justin Smoak is on my list of guys who are overrated. He's a switch-hitter and his bat is slow from both sides. He's just ordinary, real ordinary.
Modest Proposal
The Blue Jays made a slew of moves this winter in an effort to get over the top in the AL East, but they still opened camp trying to plug a hole at second base. Veterans Maicer Izturis and Munenori Kawasaki and incumbent Ryan Goins are all candidates for the job. The Jays could use a real offensive boost from the position, and better still if that boost comes from a lefthanded hitter, improving their lineup balance. Trading for the Mets' Daniel Murphy, an impending free agent, would give Toronto an above-average hitter who fits nicely in either the second or sixth lineup spot, and a high-average doubles hitter to complement the walks-and-power core of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson. The Mets have a rising second base prospect in Dilson Herrera and little interest in re-signing Murphy, so the price should be reasonable—say a live arm like Class A fireballer Miguel Castro.
LEAGUE RANK 6
MANAGER JOHN GIBBONS 3RD SEASON WITH BLUE JAYS
2015 PROJECTED STATISTICS BY ROTOWIRE.COM
PHOTO
AL TIELEMANS/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (DONALDSON)
JOSH DONALDSON
