MLB Preview 2015: Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays 2014 record: 83-79
Team overview:
The Blue Jays got off to a hot start in 2014, only to fall down to third in the division after some injuries and depth issues. The team made some major moves and only time will tell if that is enough for them to make a run at a pennant.
The Blue Jays acquired a polished third baseman and catcher in Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin respectively. Both should give the team the defensive boost that they badly needed last year, not to mention that they are both coming off the best offensive season of their respective careers. If Jose Reyes can stay in the lineup and consistently get on base, the 1-5 spots in this lineup will be one of heaviest in baseball. Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are big time power bats and run producers in the 3-4 spots. It will be tough to find a better back-to-back punch.
When looking at the rest of the lineup it can be a little concerning how much they can get out of the group. Macier Izturus will start at second base, but he is a glove more than a bat. Bautista's fellow outfielders will consist of a defensive rookie in Dalton Pompey, and free agent signee in Michael Saunders. Saunders will now miss part of the first half of the season with knee surgery, so the team will rely on defensive specialist Kevin Pillar along with a long shot in Dayan Viciedo. They will certainly be leaning on the big names in this lineup to produce, as the majority of the others seem to be defensive pieces to surround those big bats with. I think the defensive strategy is a smart one, but with little depth they should be still looking to wheel and deal throughout the season.
With a solid defense and power in the lineup the team's biggest concern is certainly it's pitching. RA Dickey and Mark Buerhle anchor the staff and neither are top tier pitchers to me. They are more pitch-to-contact pitchers and don’t miss enough bats to be elite. Buerhle's sabermetrics suggest a slow decline that had actually started a few years ago. Dickey is 40 years old, and hasn’t been the same since his outstanding 2012 season. Marcus Stroman was the bright spot in the rotation and was my pick for a player to watch, but an ACL injury in March sidelines him for the 2015 season. In my opinion that is a big blow to the rotation as they go to some unproven names to round it out.
What to watch for:
The bottom of the Blue Jays' rotation is what to watch for. Drew Hutchinson is only 24 and has potential to step up and make something of his chance, after getting 32 starts out of his rookie season. He wasn’t dominant but with youth and upside he will probably be needed.
Stroman puts a dent in the depth and shows promise to this rotation, as they look for more names to fill it out. I would assume that they are hoping Daniel Norris to eventually earn a spot in the rotation. Norris had elbow surgery this offseason, but is still expected to compete for a spot this spring. He is also only 21 years old and although he made a major league appearance last year, there is a good chance he starts the year in AAA until he is fully ready. With little depth it will need to be monitored if he is rushed to make his 2015 MLB debut though. Another option is another former first round pick Aaron Sanchez, but it has been reported that the team would rather save him for a closer role than a starter role. This may have to wait until they are confident in Norris, but I am guessing that it is still in the plans. Lastly, they could turn to Marco Estrada who they had recently signed. I don’t think Estrada is very good at all and he is more of a last option fifth pitcher than the upside that the two above bring. Johan Santana, 39, joins the list of a few young, unproven names and the Jays will need to find some reliable starts on a night-to-night basis. Watch to see how this all shapes up as the Jays average bullpen could use a high upside pitcher like Sanchez in it. But, he may need to make starts until Norris can be a fifth starter, and even then Estrada should be on a short leash.
Where do they rank:
Overall it appears to me they will look to play strong defense and get big hitting from their top 5. I cannot trust the pitching on this team and until I see them become one of the best defensive units on the field (instead of on paper) I will be skeptical as to whether they can win the division. With these questions I currently have this team ranked 3rd in the division.
