Jays Minors - Top 4 Short Stops

Short Stop has been a sore spot of the Blue Jays ever since Tony Fernandez left. Marco Scutaro finally changed that in 2009, but is bound to leave us for 2010 as soon as the market settles itself out. Well, now that we know this, and we also know that the next 2 years will have a combination of Alex Gonzalez and John MacDonald manning the position (barring a trade), is there anyone coming up in the minors to take over in 2012 or beyond? Not anything worth writing home about, yet, but there is some upside there. It still remains the shallowest of positions for the Jays in terms of talent. Hopefully the pending Doc trade can help remedy that a little.

The top spot on this list is a little surprising because he's so weak offensively, but I placed him there only because I believe he is more advanced defensively than any of the others, and he also has a higher ceiling. Having said that, his performance since drafted is one of the most disappointing of any Blue Jays Prospect.

1. Justin Jackson: will be 22 in Dec 2010
Watching Justin go through our minors is pretty frightening. It puts into perspective just how bad our minors system is at the SS position. First, the positive is that he lowered his errors in 2009 from 26 in 2008 to 18. He has excellent range which probably affects how many errors he inherits due to his reach. Defense is definitely Justin's strong point. (he may be in luck, since the Jays seem to really like defensive SS!) He is being pushed through the minors levels by Jays brass even though he has difficulty adapting to each level offensively. In 2008, he was able to manage a decent 26 doubles and .340 OBP, but most of his other stats were sub par. He had a .236 average, struck out 154 times, was caught stealing 8 times in 25 tries, and hit 7 HRs. He was much worse in 2009. He hit .213 on the season, with only 12 doubles (although he had only 294 ABs and was injured most of the season), no HR, and a .321 OBP. The big questions for 2010 are these: will he begin to hit for average and shorten his stroke, stay healthy, and will he start the year in AA? Chances are the answers to those questions are no, hopefully, and yes. It wouldn't surprise me to see him continuing to struggle at the plate as they'll probably start him in AA, and he doesn't really have much of a chance to make the Jays until at least 2011 unless he is a real surprise breakout story.

2. Tyler Pastornicky : will be 21 in 2010

Consistency and grit are two words that come to mind when looking at Tyler's performance in 2009. He has done very well at young age between Lansing and Dunedin, totaling 57 stolen bases between the two levels. He is patient at the plate and doesn't strike out often, exemplified by the fact that he had 42 walks and 57 strike outs in 2009 and had a decent .336 OBP. At 5'11" and 170 lbs, Tyler won't win any strength contests, but he should get a little stronger as he gets older and does drive the ball fairly well. Chances are he will begin 2009 in HiA, with a chance to be promoted to AA if Justin Jackson moves up to AAA at some point in the season. He may have a chance to make the Jays in a utility role sometime in 2012.

3. Mike McCoy: will be 29 in 2010
Although he is too old to be a true prospect, he is still a candidate to take the spot at some point if injuries force the Jays to start him, and may be a real asset to them in 2010. Besides, there was really no other prominent SS to slide in here, so it forced my hand! He hit extremely well in AAA Colorado Springs in 2009 with a .309 average, 34 extra base hits, and a .405 OBP. He also stole 40 bases and was only caught 6 times. With the Jays lacking so much speed at the MLB level, I wouldn't be surprised to see them fit Mike in throughout the infield. He is sound defensively and has a good arm that plays at well at SS and 3B. chances are he'll get a chance to prove himself as a major leaguer in 2010 and it will be interesting to see if he can provide the Jays some much needed energy off the bench.

4.Ryan Goins: will be 22 in 2010

Mr. Goins was the second highest pick signed by the Jays in 2009 after being drafted in the 4th round of last summer's draft. He jumped around a ton after signing quickly, going from the GCL, to Auburn, to Lansing. He did fairly well in Auburn, holding up a .297 average and .349 OBP, but really lacks any power or speed thus far. He had 10 extra base hits in 191 ABs (9 doubles, 1 triple), and was caught stealing 4 times in 7 steal attempts. He is identical in size to Tyler P. but lacks the speed aspect that he brings to his game. He committed 10 errors in 2009 for a .948 fielding percentage total and may end up playing at 2B as he moves up the ladder. Chances are he'll being 2009 in Lansing.

Next up will be 3B.

Winter League Update - Jays Hitters Edition

With the chill of the FA market frenzy, most likely until the winter meetings, I decided to take a peak at what our winter blue birds are doing around the equator. Since some of these players may get a chance to prove themselves with the Jays in 2010, these performances can go a long way to ensuring they actually get a good long look.

1. Brian Dopirak 1B
Mr. Dopirak is continuing what has been an amazing 2009, albeit at a less impressive pace. He is playing for Navegantes del Magallanes in Venezuela, and has the following line thus far:
137 AB, 37 hits, .270 average, 7 doubles, 7 HRs, 32 RBI, 19 BB, and 40 SO

joining Brian on the same team just recently is the highly touted Balbino!!

2. Balbino Fuenmayor 3B
"Little" Balbino got his start in Venezuela this week and has only played in 4 games thus far, his line is:
14 AB, 5 hits, .357 average, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 2 BB and 8 SO

3. Raul Chavez C
The only catcher the Jays have under contract has the following line:
76 AB, 17 hits, .224 average, 4 doubles, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 10 SO

4. Mike McCoy 2B/SS
The newly acquired infielder is in Mexico, playing for Tomateros de Culiacan and has the following line:
129 AB, 43 hits, .333 average, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HRs, 10 RBI, 26 BB and 20 SO

5. Moises Sierra OF
Playing in the Dominican Republic, for Gigantes del Cibao, Moises has the following line:
51 AB, 11 hits, .216 average, 1 double, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 9 SO

6. David Cooper 1B
David played in the AFL for the Mesa Solar Sox, and his season's line there was:
78 AB, 18 hits, .231 average, 5 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 BB, 18 SO

7. Brad Emaus 2B
Brad also played in the AFL this fall, with a line of:
60 AB, 19 hits, .317 average, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 7 BB, 3 SO

8. Darin Mastroianni OF
Played for the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the AFL, and had the following line:
44 AB, 11 hits, .250 average, 1 double, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 SB, 8 BB, 5 SO

9. Adam Loewen OF
Who knows why, but some still think he can hit, he had the following line in the AFL:
70 AB, 14 hits, .200 average, 1 double, 2 HRs, 9 RBI, 9 BB, 32 SO (almost struck out 50% of time!!!)

10. Johermyn Chavez OF
Didn't play much in a short stint in Venezuela's winter league, but had the following line:
23 AB, 5 hits, .217 average, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SO

When you look at all of these stats, you have to be seriously underwhelmed and have a clear understanding of why most people don't pay any attention to them. Out of all of the Jays hitters making the trip to winter leagues, only Brian Dopirak, Mike McCoy, and Brad Emaus made or continued their progress and performed well. Otherwise, if you're in Jays management you have to be scratching your head and wondering if it was worthwhile for the others to go. Balbino could still have a good performance in Venezuela and learn much from it. I wonder if Dopirak's performance helped him, or if it will tire him out instead. I can understand his wanting to keep the hot streak alive without sitting home waiting for spring training to come around, but with only a short time between the end of the season and spring training workouts, he could have used some time to rest. Mike McCoy could turn out to be a key role player for the Jays in 2010 and he looks like he can contribute offensively.

Like I said, not much really stands out form the hitting point of view, and some may actually sealed their next assignments based in poor performances (Cooper, Loewen). I feel that Cooper should be sent to HiA Dunedin in order to rebuild his confidence and to push him to get better, and Loewen should be released. Michael McDade can make the jump to AA from LoA since he deserves to be there more than Cooper does.

JP's Parting Gifts

I always knew JP had no vision as to what to do with the Jays. As a result, he barely ever made any deals, and when he did they were usually minor inconsequential trades that were barely noticed league wide. He had 3 big signings (BJ Ryan, AJ Burnett, Frank Thomas) and let those sit on the side and rot until they stuck to high heavens. However, just before leaving the landscape graced by Rogers Centre, JP gave us 2 parting gifts that may have a major impact on the Blue Jays going forward.

Parting Gift #1

When this deal was made, JP was still firmly planted as the team GM and the Jays still had high hopes of winning, even if those hopes were misplaced. He dealt Graham Godfrey and Kristian Bell in return for Marco Scutaro. Both Godfrey and Bell are now fringe at best prospects in AA, and Marco will net the Jays 2 very high picks in next year's draft. Picks that can turn out to be Cecil and Snider type players who can change a team for the long term. Alex and his new scouting army will have a field day with these pick and should they pan out, the picks will impact the Jays for 6-8 years at a minimum once they make the bigs.

Parting Gift #2

Who knows what the Reds thought when they made that deal with JP before the deadline. Maybe they felt bad for him because they knew he was going to get fired, or maybe they had too much to drink and signed the wrong offer. Whatever the case, the fact that the Jays were able to net Edwin Encarnacion, Zach Stewart, and Josh Roenicke for Scott Rolen (who was really supposed to be an injured Troy Glaus) is beyond belief. Edwin could easily go back to hitting 20+ HRs, is younger and cheaper than Rolen, and, should he rediscover his form, could net the Jays more players in the future. Zach Stewart is such a high profile prospect that he could actually be the best Jays prospect in the system now. Rumours are that he'll be used as a starter in AAA, and he could impact the Jays performance in 2010. Josh Roenicke is a very capable, young, and cheap option for the pen that is ready to produce in 2010. All that for a 35 year old injury prone, mind you gold glove and clutch hitting, third baseman. Both Stewart and Roenicke are under control long term and give the Jays some much needed pitching depth, while also allowing the Jays to deal the likes of Jeremy Accardo and rest some rehabbing SP due to their presence.

So, to review:

JP gave up: Graham Godfrey, Kristian Bell, and Scott Rolen (Troy Glaus)

JP got the Jays: 2 years of Marco Scutaro, Zach Stewart, Josh Roenicke, Edwin Encarnacion, 2 top 100 picks in the 2010 draft.

Two very nice gift scenarios that I hope Alex enjoys thoroughly and thank JP for as he takes the road to his next MLB team. Whichever team it is, they may also have to wait 6-8 years for him to make such deals and overspend on FAs in order to sustain "JP's visionless vision."

Jays Minors - Top 4 First Basemen

If we rewind the clock to 2007, before Brian Dopirak was obtained, the Jays minor league depth at 1B was non-existant. There was absolutely no light at the end of the dark tunnel to cover 1B. JP must of been thanking his lucky stars that Lyle Overbay never got injured, because there was nobody behind him to take the spot with any gusto.

Fast-forward to today and it's a completely different picture. Although half of the top four have yet to "prove" themselves in the minors, their ceilings are extremely high and the Jays may actually have an issue at some point when young players start knocking on MLB's door.

The top spot on this list is automatic, but the others are ranked in terms of ceilings.

1. Brian Dopirak : will be 27 in 2010

Brian deserved the same shot Randy Ruiz got last season based on his performance in AA and AAA. The Jays were very lucky that the Cubs were silly enough to release him outright in 2008, even though he was named their minor league player of the year just 4 years earlier. How much would they like to have him now that Derek Lee is getting a bit too expensive for their budget? Between AA and AAA, Brian his 27 HR in 546 AB all the while hitting .315. He is also playing winter ball this year in Venezuela and has 7 HRs in only 137 AB. His glove works very well at 1B and he is a lot more agile than his big body would indicate. He should get a fair shot at 1B if Overbay is dealt. If not, and this would be unfortunate, he will need to wait for a break and continue to waste time in the minors.

2. Santiago Nesi : will be 24 in 2010

Although the Jays signed Santiago while he was listed as a Catcher, there is little talk of keeping him at the position now that the Jays paid him a $750,000 bonus. Not only do they have better options at the position, but his arm is well below average and his defence isn't strong enough to keep him there. However, his bat would definitely play well at 1B, and he is a big guy at 6'2" 220 lbs. He is the best power hitting threat the Jays have in the system after JP Arencibia, and his stroke is more compact than JP's, meaning that he should be able to make more consistent contact without subtracting too much power. I'm very curious to see where the Jays start him in 2010 and can't wait to read about the results.

3. David Cooper : will be 23 in 2010

David was drafted 17th overall in the 2008 draft, and like many of the 2007-2008 draft picks he has struggled to get going ever since. Maybe it's the pressure, but between him, Justin Jackson, Kevin Ahrens, and others, there are many Jays prospects that are under performing thus far since being drafted in a high position. David spent 2009 in AA New Hampshire and hit 10 HR in 473 ABs while keeping a .253 average. The Jays are still hoping his learning curb starts to take off, so they sent him to the AFL this year, and the results were very similar. He hit 1 HR over 78 ABs and kept a lowly .231 average. He doesn't run well at all, doesn't hit as many extra base hits as other 1B in the system, and isn't very big at 6'0" and 200 lbs. I'm still holding onto his high ceiling for one more year, but if he doesn't add muscle and start driving the ball with authority in 2010, I'll be giving up on this once high on our list prospect.

4. Michael McDade : will be 21 in 2010

Michael is a sixth rounder from the 2007 draft and hails from Las Vegas. He is one big boy at 6'1" and 260 lbs, and drives the ball accordingly. He had 16 HRs in 406 ABs in his first full season at LoA Lansing, and more importantly had 46 extra base hits overall. He drives the ball with authority and swings a little too freely, but that should be addressed as he matures and gains more experience - instruction. He still has issues hitting LHP (.234) in comparison to RHP (.293), but did learn to hit it a bit more consistently in the second half of the season. He hit .277 on the season and really came on after the all-star break with a .296 average to go along with 8 of his 16 HRs. So he was able to maintain his power while hiking his average quite a bit. Out of all the Jays prospects, he ranks in my top 3 to watch in 2010 in terms of prospects that can make some serious breakthroughs and jump up the rankings. It all depends on how he does in HiA and whether he learns to hit LHP.

As I've said, the Jays finally have some real potential at 1B, something they haven't had since Carlos Delgado strolled through the system. I can't wait to see how they perform in 2010 and look forward to their progression through the minors, or in MLB in Dopirak's case.

Next up will be 2B.

Jays Minors - Top 4 Catchers

For anyone who has watched the Yankees, Angels, Cardinals, White Sox, and Angels win their championships in recent years, it was obvious that the teams had talent throughout the organization that pushed them to the championship level. However, each of these teams also had something else in common: very strong catching. Whether we're talking Jorge Posada in NY, Jason Varitek in Boston, Mike Napoli in Los Angeles, AJ Pierzynski in Chicago, or Yadier Molina in St-Louis, they all had a major impact on their respective clubs. With guys like Matt Wieters, Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, and Jesus Montero getting all the press in terms of catchers coming through the minors, the Jasy actually have a formidable foursome that can challenge the depth of any squad on terms of talent at the Catcher position. Here they are, in order of talent:

1. Carlos Perez: will be 20 yrs old in 2010
Carlos signed with the Jays in 2007 as an international FA ($700,000 bonus) and showed some maturity last season with the GCL Jays. He hit 11 doubles, 3 triples, and a homer in 141 ABs, while walking 16 times and only striking out 23 times. His OBP and AVG were respectable at .364 and .291 respectively. BA ranked Perez as the 6th best prospect in the GCL this past season and see him as the catcher of the future for the Jays if all things fall into place. They point out that his defense really shines (something that the other catchers in the system seem to lag behind on) as he threw out 49% of base stealers this season and has a 1.9 second pop-time. His height and weight (6'0" 195 lbs) would also lead me to believe that he is more likely to stay at the position than the other catching prospects the Jays have, even if he does add to that a little.

2. Sean Ochinko: will be 23 yrs old in 2010
Selected in the 11th round in the 2009 draft, Sean played well enough to be named a NYP All-Star at the mid-season point. Getting 188 AB in Auburn, Sean showed that he can handle the bat very well, smacking 6 homers, 20 doubles, and sporting a .324 average overall. His OBP was outstanding at .382 and he only struck out 26 times. He has many College highlights that point to his leadership skills and ability to perform under pressure. Sean does have some experience at 1B, which leads me to believe that if Carlos really does take over the catcher position for the Jays for a long time period, Sean could become the 1B of the future (although Brian Dopirak may have something to say about that for the next couple of years.) Still, Sean is more likely to be ready to compete very soon and may begin the2010 season in HiA Dunedin or AA New Hampshire.

3. JP Arencibia: will be 24 yrs old during 2010 season
JP was selected 21st overall in 2007 by the Jays and climbed the ladder at an extremely quick pace, starting in HiA his first season in the minors. He followed up a great 2007 start with an even better 2008, splitting time between HiA and AA, accumulating 27 HRs and 105 RBI in the process with a decent .298 average. However, in 2009, JP took a step back and showed some holes in his swing. He hit .236 on the season and managed 21 homers. Some scouts doubt that he'll ever be able to hit for average, but his power is off the charts. This is the guy who beat Alex Rodriguez's home run record in High School. He did go through some injuries that slowed him down in 2009, so his "off-year" could be explainable, and he did finish the last 10 games with a .349 average and 6 dingers, so he could suprise many with a big league gig next year. Really, what do the Jays have to lose by letting him catch most of their games in 2010? It's not like Barajas will determine whether or not the Jays get into the playoffs, and they really need a power threat in the lineup. I love JP's bat and think it'll play well in the Dome, however, I also doubt JP will stay at catcher long term, which is why I ranked him 3rd on this list. Although he is 3rd, he is by far the #1 offensive catcher in the system and deserves more recognition than he's getting from minor league evaluators. He'll need to minimize his strike outs to do well against MLB pitching, but should hit for better average overall than Adam Dunn.

4. Yan Gomes: will be 23 yrs old in 2010
The Jays drafted Yan Gomes one round ahead of Ochinko in the 10th round of the 2009 draft. He's much bigger than the other catchers at 6'2" and 215 lbs, and unlike Ochinko who started his 2009 season in Auburn due to his signing date, Gomes was first sent to the GCL in order to get him some time behind the plate before the Auburn season started. Gomes is probably second defensively out of the Jays catching prospects, behind only Perez, and does have a good contact hitting approach. He hit .300 in 237 ABs in 2009, but only hit 2 homers and 23 doubles, less than Perez and Ochinko did in fewer ABs. He's a natural leader, hard worker, and should develop well as a result. Like Perez and Ochinko, how he handles the jump to AA and beyond will determine which one gets the prize of backing up or taking over from JP Arencibia. Regardless, I see a bright future for the Jays at the C position, and only hope that it would lead to some well deserved glory years for us Jays fans.

Top 50 Jays Prospects - by position

The following is the my take on the best 50 Jays prospects by position, not in order of talent.

1- Yan Gomes C
2- Carlos Perez C
3- Sean Ochinko C
4- JP Arencibia C
5- David Cooper 1B
6 - Santiago Nesi 1B
7- Michael McDade 1B
8 - Brian Dopirak 1B
9- John Tolisano 2B
10- Ryan Schimpf 2B
11- Justin Jackson SS
12- Tyler Pastornicky SS
13- Ryan Goins SS
14- Gustavo Pierre 3B
15- Balbino Fuenmayor 3B
16- Kevin Ahrens 3B
17- Brad Emaus 3B
18- Moises Sierra OF
19- Johermyn Chavez OF
20- Darin Mastroianni OF
21- Eric Thames F
22- Kenneth Wilson OF
23- Jacob Marisnick OF
24- Brian Slover RP
25- Luis Perez SP
26- Trystan Magnuson RP
27- Andrew Liebel SP
28- Joel Carreno SP
29- Dave Sever SP
30- Charles Huggins SP
31- Kenny Rodriguez SP
32- Henderson Alvarez SP
33- Chad Jenkins SP
34- Egan Smith SP
35- Matt Fields SP
36- Carlos Pina SP
37- Cesar Sanchez SP
38- Matthew Wright SP
39- Brad Mills SP
40- Reidier Gonzalez SP
41- Fabio Castro SP
42- Bobby Bell SP
43- Zach Stewart SP/RP
44- Josh Roenicke RP
45- Shawn Griffith RP
46- Aaron Loup RP
47- Daniel Farquhar RP
48- Tim Collins RP
49- Matthew Daly RP
50- Robert Ray SP/RP

C Carlos Perez smacks first dinger in GCL

18 year old Venezuelan catcher Carlos Perez was signed in 2007 as an international FA and has been highly touted by BA. He is currently catching for the GCL Jays and is doing very well thus far. He has 21 hits over his first 69 ABs for a .309 avg, and 10 of those hits have been for extra bases (6 doubles, 3 triples, and his first dinger yesterday). More impressively, he has only struck out 9 times (13%) and has walked 11 times, indicating that he is very patient and selective at the plate, a very good trait for such a young player.

Perez did play for the DSL2 Jays last season, and ended up with a .309 avg over 196 ABs, but didn't hit any HRs and only 12 of his 60 hits were for extra bases. It is possible that the Jays will let him progress slowly and keep him in the GCL all season as a result. But between Arencibia, Jeroloman, and now Perez, the Jays shouldn't have too many shortcomings at the C position for quite a while.

RP Daniel Farquhar dealing in AA

Over his last 10 appearances, 22 year old reliever Daniel Farquhar has a minute .077 ERA, only 6 hits and 5 walks allowed over 11.2 innings pitched, and 14 strike outs. He also saved 7 games during the same appearances, and now has 15 saves to his credit between HiA and AA this season, with a .082 ERA over 43.2 IP with 57 Ks. With talks of Scott Downs being or Jason Frasor being moved before the deadline, Daniel could be well on his way to a trial period with the Jays by the end of the month.

Daniel was quite a find in the 2008 draft for the Jays since he was drafted 308th overall in the 10th round. Since the Jays are in fact looking to move some older players, Daniel should get a chance to at the very least move up to AAA this season.

1B Brian Dopirak doing well in AAA

Lyle Overbay could be traded by the July 31st deadline, and Brian Dopirak could be the benefactor. The 25 year old has had a tremendous season in AA with one ingredient that the Jays could really use: power. He had 19 dingers in his 328 ABs while in AA, and drove in 68 RBIs in the process. His OBP .374, slg .576, and OPS .951, were all very impressive. So, he has since been promoted to AAA when they let Mr.Harper go and although he hasn't hit a HR yet, he is doing well with a .333 average over 33 ABs.

Dopirak hit 29 HRs last season between HiA Dunedin and AA New Hampshire. He was originally drafted by the Cubs in 2002 (56th overall) and was their minor league player of the year in 2004. They let him go in 2008 when the Jays pounced on him and decided to give him a shot. He's already been the player of the week twice this season in AA and was an All-Star last season in HiA. If Lyle is moved, I'm sure Brian will get a very good opportunity to prove himself with the Jays.

Jays Draft 2009 Picks Progression (top 20)

Stephen C Jenkins RHP R / R 6'04" 235 1987-12-22 1 20
*Unsigned
James A Paxton LHP L / L 6'03" 210 1988-11-06 Comp A 37
*Unsigned
Jake T Eliopoulos LHP L / L 6'03" 185 1991-05-25 2 68
*Unsigned
Jake D Barrett RHP R / R 6'04" 230 1991-07-22 3 99
*Unsigned
Jacob S Marisnick CF R / R 6'04" 200 1991-03-30 3 104
*Unsigned
Ryan M Goins SS L / R 5'10" 180 1988-02-13 4 130
*Signed July 17th
Ryan M Schimpf 2B L / R 5'09" 181 1988-04-11 5 160
*Unsigned
Kristopher C Hobson RF L / L 6'02" 205 1990-08-22 6 190
*Unsigned
Egan Smith LHP L / L 6'05" 200 1989-03-16 7 220 2009-06-14
*Signed, playing for Auburn, 4.11 ERA, 15.1 IP, 18 Ks, 4 BBs
Brian C Slover RHP R / R 6'03" 230 1988-06-10 8 250
*Unsigned
Aaron C Loup LHP L / L 5'11" 180 1987-12-19 9 280 2009-06-29
*Signed, not yet assigned to a particular team
Yan Gomes C R / R 6'02" 215 1987-07-19 10 310 2009-06-19
*Signed, playing for Auburn: .226 avg, 5 doubles, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 CS
Sean P Ochinko C R / R 5'11" 205 1987-10-21 11 340 2009-07-08
*Signed, playing for Auburn: .286 avg
Bryson J Namba 3B R / R 6'02" 210 1991-01-31 12 370 2009-06-14
*Signed, playing for GLC Jays: .077 avg
Matthew A Morgal RHP R / R 6'05" 210 1986-09-18 13 400 2009-06-14
*Signed, playing for Auburn: 3 IP, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 Ks
Lance A Durham 1B L / R 5'10" 220 1988-02-20 14 430 2009-06-14
*Signed, playing for Auburn, .237 avg, 1 double, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 2 SBs
Andrew S Hutchison RHP L / R 6'02" 165 1990-08-22 15 460
*Unsigned
David M Sever RHP R / R 6'04" 195 1986-09-17 16 490 2009-06-14
*Signed, playing for Auburn, 2.84 ERA, 19 IP, 21 Ks, 3 BBs.
Steven Turnbull RHP R / R 6'03" 220 1986-11-25 17 520
*Signed, playing for Auburn, 3.29 ERA, 13.2 IP, 10 Ks, 4 BBs
Robert M Webb RHP R / R 6'03" 210 1989-08-18 18 550
*Unsigned
Dennis R Tepera RHP R / R 6'01" 180 1987-11-03 19 580 2009-06-29
*Signed, pitching as a reliever for GCL Jays, 2.2 IP, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER
Kevin Nolan SS R / R 6'02" 200 1987-12-13 20 610 2009-06-14
*Signed, playing for Auburn, .133 avg, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 SB

Jeroloman goes deep, Fishercats Pen Impressive

The catcher of the future for the Jays has recently been thought to be JP Arencibia, who shows power that may have never existed on a Jays squad. However, with JP's slow start to 2009, Brian Jeroloman has been able to open some eyes and to assert himself as a strong backup plan in 2010 or 2011 if JP's progression stalls. Jeroloman is better known for his stellar defense than his bat, but he has been able to turn on a couple of pitches this season and more so of late. An interesting note for Brian is that he hits for higher average with runners on (.268) than he does without(.221), indicating that there may be a clutch performance capability within his repertoire.

The pen's performance in AA has been excellent all year, but has really come on of late with the additions of RHP Cesar Polanco (34 Ks in 32 IP), LHP Edgar Estanga (40 Ks in 41 IP), and future Jays closer RHP Daniel Farquhar (29 Ks in 22 IP). All three have been promoted from Dunedin's staff and have really closed the door on tight games with small margins of error. Farquhar in particular has been lights out, with a minute 1.19 ERA and hitters getting only a .150 average against him in AA. Look for him to get pushed up once again sometime soon and make his presence felt in AAA Las Vegas. With BJ Ryan's release and Accardo's promotion from AAA, he could be next in line to get the call from the Jays this season.

Dunedin Blue Jays - Pitching Update

Player	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP
Andrew Liebel	1	7	4.16	12	12	0	0	67.0	68	35	31	5	18	56	1.28
Ryan Page	2	6	4.86	11	11	1	0	53.2	67	44	29	6	16	30	1.55
Kenny Rodriguez	3	2	2.11	8	7	0	0	38.1	27	15	9	4	14	31	1.07
Tim Collins	3	2	2.64	18	0	0	1	30.2	19	10	9	1	13	50	1.04
Trystan Magnuson	1	0	3.64	18	0	0	0	29.2	31	15	12	2	13	19	1.48
Vincent Bongiovanni	1	3	4.00	9	5	1	0	27.0	27	15	12	1	11	19	1.41
Robert Bell	0	0	2.88	21	0	0	0	25.0	20	9	8	3	5	38	1.00
Brandon Magee	2	2	4.26	4	3	0	0	19.0	20	12	9	1	7	10	1.42
Cody Crowell	3	0	6.11	13	0	0	0	17.2	26	12	12	2	7	16	1.87
Marcus Walden	2	1	8.64	4	4	0	0	16.2	30	20	16	1	10	8	2.40
Dumas Garcia	1	0	1.80	14	0	0	1	15.0	11	4	3	0	5	11	1.07
Chad Beck	0	0	4.35	9	0	0	0	10.1	12	9	5	1	6	14	1.74
Charles Huggins	1	1	10.80	2	2	0	0	10.0	17	12	12	3	4	9	2.10
Alan Farina	0	1	11.17	4	2	0	0	9.2	10	13	12	3	9	8	1.97

The Dunedin Jays sit last in the standings, but their relief pitching is not to blame. The starters have had a tough time setting them up the right way, with Andrew Liebel leading the way at 1-7 despite a 1.28 WHIP and decent 4.16 ERA. Page, Bongiovanni, and the recently promoted Huggins are also inconsistent, but all have had some decent starts sprinkled with the bad ones. The best pitcher on the squad, in my opinion, is Kenny Rodriguez, who has a 1.08 WHIP and 2.11 ERA, but the 24 year old from Cuba is already 24 and may need to be trialed at AA sometime soon to push his progress like they have done with Brandon Magee. The RP crew for Dunedin is excellent, led by Tim Collins, Trystan Magnuson, and Robert Bell, who are all very dependable and dominant. Alan Farina was expected to be a key RP as well after an impressive start in Lansing in 2008, but has been on the DL since the end of April.

Dunedin Blue Jays - Hitters Update

Player	POS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Eric Thames	LF	28	106	19	36	6	2	1	24	13	19	1	0.340	0.418	0.462	0.880
Darin Mastroianni	CF	51	186	39	56	10	1	0	20	33	33	29	0.301	0.417	0.366	0.783
Jonathan Jaspe	C	32	111	12	33	4	0	3	16	6	17	0	0.297	0.331	0.414	0.745
Raul Barron	2B	31	93	10	27	7	0	1	7	9	23	5	0.290	0.359	0.398	0.757
Moises Sierra	RF	44	163	24	47	11	1	2	21	13	28	5	0.288	0.374	0.405	0.779
Manuel Rodriguez	1B	44	158	11	43	12	0	1	26	8	43	0	0.272	0.295	0.367	0.662
John Tolisano	2B	41	151	23	38	6	2	5	21	20	29	5	0.252	0.339	0.417	0.756
Justin Jackson	SS	42	141	26	34	6	1	0	10	23	53	10	0.241	0.347	0.298	0.645
Jesus Gonzalez	1B	40	148	17	35	9	0	5	22	7	39	4	0.236	0.288	0.399	0.686
C.J. Ebarb	C	13	42	4	9	3	0	0	6	6	6	0	0.214	0.313	0.286	0.598
Matthew Liuzza	C	10	33	8	7	0	0	3	5	3	11	0	0.212	0.297	0.485	0.782
Kevin Ahrens	3B	42	150	15	31	8	0	2	14	14	35	1	0.207	0.279	0.300	0.579
Adam Loewen	LF	36	116	17	23	8	1	0	9	16	45	0	0.198	0.304	0.284	0.588
Chris Emanuele	RF	22	77	12	15	4	1	4	12	7	15	2	0.195	0.271	0.429	0.699

Looking at this lineup, you can tell right away what issues will ail the Jays for a very long time: an absolute lack of power throughout the organization. I'm almost at the point of taking bets on the next time the Jays have a 35 HR hitter being in 2025 or beyond (if it wasn't for Travis Snider that is). The Dunedin crew do have speed in Mastroianni who also has an excellent OBP. JJ is also starting to get better, but the fact remains that John Tolisano is tied for the team lead in HRs with 5. Both Tolisano and Jackson also have 12 errors already to their credit, which doesn't scream "Promote me now!!!". Ahrens is depressing, very depressing actually. On the good side Jonathan Jaspe has shown good patience at the plate and could become a Jason Kendall type of catcher with a little more pop. Moises Sierra came out this season all guns-a-blazing but has slowed a little since then, and Eric Thames was the best hitter on the team until he got injured. Adam Loewen's conversion to becoming a hitter has been slow and it seems that it could be a pipe dream to ever see him make it past AA as a hitter.

Meet your DSL Blue Jays

Pos	Player	Age	Country	Height	Weight
2B	Leonardo Ferrini	20	Venezuela	6'0"	147 lbs
SS	Daniel Arcila	18	Venezuela	6'1"	152 lbs
SS	Gustavo Pierre	17	Dom. Rep.	6'2"	182 lbs
SS/3B	Fausto Natera	19	Dom. Rep.	6'1"	168 lbs
DH	Simon Vasquez	19	Venezuela	5'11"	201 lbs
RF	Sony Javier	18	Dom. Rep.	6'0"	180 lbs
C	Carlos Perez	18	Dom. Rep.	6'0"	181 lbs
C	Alexys Rodriguez	20	Venezuela	5'10"	175 lbs
1B	John Delgado	18	Venezuela	6'3"	210 lbs
OF	Carlos Ortega	20	Venezuela	6'1"	155 lbs
CF	Carlos Ramirez	18	Dom. Rep.	6'3"	172 lbs
OF	Miguel Monges	19	Venezuela	6'1"	184 lbs
SP	Deivy Estrada	16	Venezuela	5'11"	178 lbs
RP	Jose Vargas	18	Panama	6'0"	166 lbs
RP	Alex Ramirez	19	Dom. Rep.	6'2"	188 lbs
SP	Denny Valdez	18	Dom. Rep.	6'3"	188 lbs
SP	Misual Diaz	19	Dom. Rep.	6'2"	180 lbs
RP	Jose Avila	18	Venezuela	6'3"	190 lbs
SP	Milciades Santana	20	Dom. Rep.	?	?
SP	Steven Romero	18	Dom. Rep.	6'2"	180 lbs
RP	Kenllie Santana	19	Dom. Rep.	6'0"	181 lbs

I'll be updating their stats as the summer goes along, but these are the main players thus far. Deivy Estrada, the 16 year old pitcher, is the one huge piece to look at in terms of impact talent on this team. He has started the season extremely strong with 9 Ks in 9 IP and only 2 runs allowed, which is very good for his confidence going forward. Baseball America did a piece on Catcher Carlos Perez, who made their list of top DSL prospects to watch. Gustavo Pierre was paid a $700,000 signing bonus last year and his start is highly anticipated. Catcher Simon Vasquez is another player who's had a good start, starting out with a double, triple, and home run and 6 hits in 18 ABs. We'll see how they pan out, but hopefully there are a couple of gems in here.