Blue Jays Need To Refurnish The Nest - The Players (Part 2 of 2)

In Part 1 of this series, we began to look at what the Toronto Blue Jays need to do to get back on top in Major League Baseball. In Part 2, we will look at the players -- who should stay and who should go.

After Senior Management makes the decision to remove Gord Ash as Toronto Blue Jays General Manager, his replacement will have some important decisions to make regarding the roster. Which players to keep and which to let go as the re-building begins. Fortunately, Gord Ash himself has already made some decisions with the releasing of Tony Batista and Joey Hamilton. Ash signed Batista to a contract for more than he was worth and Joey Hamilton should have been gone two years ago. Hamilton was actually acquired by the Jays at the recommendation of Assistant General Manager Dave Stewart who also appears to have worn out his welcome in Toronto. In Stewart's case, it maybe that he is guilty by association with Gord Ash.

So what can be done about the roster? Well with about a month and a half left in the season, there is still time to see what you have in your own cupboard.

Let's start with catcher. Darrin Fletcher is an adequate defensive catcher. When he is not hitting, there is no need to have him in the line up. Fletcher has seemed to come to life since the All-Star break. A resurgence should increase his market value for an off-season trade. Fletcher's left handed bat and the fact he is under contract for 2002 with an option for 2003 makes him very attractive. The Blue Jays do have Alberto Castillo who is a better defensive catcher than Fletcher but don't expect any offense from him. In a re-building mode, Castillo is fine and he should be able to hold the job for a year or two until Josh Phelps is ready.

First baseman Carlos Delgado is one of the cornerstones that this team will be built on. The Blue Jays have him signed long term not only for his left handed power but also for his leadership and personality.

What do you make of second baseman Homer Bush? In 1999, his first year with the Jays he was solid. Both 2000 and 2001 have been injury-plagued seasons. The key difference between the two is that in 2000 he struggled at the plate and in 2001 he is having a great year. I think that really sums him up, injury-plagued and inconsistent. If someone else wants him, let him go. If not, keep him around but don't expect more than 300-400 at bats. The Jays might be better off with Homer in a utility role. Homer might be playing everyday now auditioning for other teams. There is no reason why Cesar Izturis has not taken over on a full time basis.

The Blue Jays keep waiting and hoping this is going to be Alex Gonzalez's break out year. Gord Ash is so convinced that this will happen, he signed Gonzalez for three more years with his salary going to $5.5 million in the final year. Paying that much for an average shortstop should be enough to keep him around the length of his contract. That is too bad for the Blue Jays.

Oh the void that is third base! After Tony Batista was let go, along came Luis Lopez who was obviously playing out of position. His bat was decent but his glove reminded me of Pedro Guerrero at third. Now it is Felipe Lopez's turn. Felipe had played all of two games at third this year in the minors is being asked to switch from shortstop at the big league level. Felipe is an intriguing player that I think has a huge upside. I just don't see it at third base. This is a position that the Jays must address in the off-season.

The outfield is in a lot better shape. There is actually a surplus here where the Blue Jays can trade from a strength to fill a hole. Raul Mondesi is not going anywhere. You can get more for a proven everyday player than an unproven one therefore; Vernon Wells will be a Jay in the immediate future. That leaves us with Jose Cruz Jr. and Shannon Stewart. Both are very good ball players that bring quite a bit to the table. They have attributes that offset each other; Cruz has the power and decent speed, Stewart has the average and blazing speed. Who stays? My guess is Jose Cruz Jr. Shannon Stewart has voiced his displeasure about Buck Martinez hitting him third in the lineup which says to me that Shannon is a me guy not a team guy. He is not willing to do whatever the Manager asks in order to get the win. It is all about Shannon and I think that will get him out of Toronto.

The Blue Jays have a lot of similar players that can hit for power but cannot do the small things like take a walk or advance a runner. Designated Hitter Brad Fullmer is one of those players. Fullmer also posses limited defensive skills and really cannot help anywhere but as DH. Fullmer is signed through 2002 that will likely be his last year in Toronto. Options here are Luis Lopez or acquiring a veteran who has shown patience at the plate and would be good to have around working with a young team.

Finally the pitching staff. The Blue Jays are doing the right thing in seeing if the can count on Chris Carpenter, Roy Halladay and Kelvim Escobar to be three fifths of the starting rotation. Carpenter has been running hot and cold all year but seems to have improved since last year. Halladay was sent all the way down to A ball to start the season to learn how to pitch again. He has worked his way up through the ranks again and so far has been successful on his big league return. Though his ERA did not show it, Kelvim Escobar was pitching well in relief this season. Escobar has been a career starter and has now returned to the rotation.

Rookie Brandon Lyon is also getting a taste of the big leagues to see if he can be counted on for 2002.

Mike Sirotka will be ready to pitch in 2002 but how effective will he be early on? Sirotka should return to form but June of next year.

Are there any takers for the inconsistent Esteban Loaiza and the over-hyped Steve Parris? Maybe you want to keep one around in the event of an injury to a starter.

The bullpen maybe the strength of the team. All-Star set up man Paul Quantrill, closer Billy Koch and rookie Bob File make up the right side of a deep bullpen while on the left side there is Pedro Borbon, Dan Plesac and 32 year old rookie Chris Michalak. Michalak is in the pen because he fell on hard times as a starter but he could be a mop up man and spot starter as the team re-tools. Plesac is a free agent at the end of the season and probably won't be back given his age and salary. The question remains why didn't Gord Ash unload him at the trading deadline?

To sum it up, the Jays have definite holes at catcher and third base. Need to improve at designated hitter and really don't know where they stand in terms of starting pitching. To improve, they can offer a solid everyday outfielder, an aging catcher, an injury prone second baseman and a pair of inconsistent starters.