Manny Ramirez and Other Players the Toronto Blue Jays Should Target
Ever since Alex Anthopolous has taken over as General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, nothing but excitement has surrounded the team.
He has said that he is committed to building a strong franchise that will have the ability to compete for many many years. He has managed to build a strong farm system that continues to grow, while still managing to field a team that can compete in the toughest division in baseball.
The odds are that AA won't sign many (if any) Type A or B free agents this off season, but I still think that if the price is right that AA won't hesitate to pull the trigger.
Alex Anthopolous is a very crafty individual and has a habit of keeping his cards very close to his chest. The fans are excited and they have reason to be.
This franchise is going in the right direction.
Because Alex is sneaky and leaves no stone unturned, I believe there are many signings and trades on the way.
Now let us get down to business, here are the players I believe the Jays should target.
Justin Upton
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Justin Upton is a phenomenal player and lord knows why Arizona Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers is so willing to trade the guy.
There is no question that the Jays have a lot of outfielders, but for a player like Upton, space can be cleared. Justin Upton is the brother of Rays outfielder B.J Upton and the two are very similar, except for the fact that Justin has realized his potential.
Upton is without a doubt a five tool player and these days, they are very hard to find. He is a very good defender and is only 23 years of age.
It is no secret that almost every team in the Major Leagues would love to have Justin Upton, but only so many have the resources to acquire a player of Upton's talents. That certainly limits the field.
It is obvious by their team ERA that last year, the Arizona Diamondbacks had one of the worst pitching rotations and bullpens in major league history.
The asking price for Upton is extremely high, as one would expect. As previously stated, Arizona has terrible pitching and the Blue Jays are ripe with extraordinarily talented arms. A perfect fit it would seem.
If a deal were to be made between the two teams, it would be very likely that Travis Snider would be the centerpiece of the deal. It would also require the Jays giving up pitchers like Josh Roenicke, Marc Rzepczynski and maybe someone like a Zach Stewart.
Manny Ramirez
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Manny Ramirez is one of the most controversial and frustrating players in MLB history. At the same time, he is also one of the greatest hitters in MLB history.
Manny Ramirez has 555 career home runs and is probably thinking about 600. He has slowed down a little due to injuries, but most believe he still has a lot left in the tank.
Manny has never been a good outfielder, in fact he has been one of the worst defensive players in major league history. All this means, is that the odds of him signing with a National League team are slim to none.
Manny created a lot of buzz when he told ESPN Deportes that the Blue Jays are a team that he has wanted to play for. This makes sense seeing as Manny has put up monster numbers at the Rogers Center and has destroyed the Blue Jays his entire career.
Toronto's Latin presence is also a big attraction to Manny as well as the addition of new manager and former Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell.
There is no doubt that Manny needs Toronto, more than Toronto needs Manny. It would be a risky move, paying a lot of money for someone who has a bad reputation, bad health, and is not always mentally there.
The Type A status is a bit of a turn off, but for someone like Manny, it may not really matter. The price is steep but Manny could certainly pay dividends.
Orlando Hudson
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Orlando Hudson played for the Toronto Blue Jays for four years starting in 2002. He became a fan favorite and was fondly nicknamed the "O-Dog". He was solid for the Jays during his time with them he was solid and has won several gold gloves during his career.
Orlando Hudson is coming off a solid season with the Minnesota Twins in which they went to the post-season again. He is a career .280 hitter and is relatively quick.
The Toronto Blue Jays have room for the O-dog. Because of their flexible players, the Jays can shift Hill to third to address the hole and place Hudson at second. Of course, Jose Bautista would stay in right field where is cannon for an arm would serve the Jays beautifully.
Hudson is 32 years of age and has had problems in the past with injuries. He shouldn't cost to much and could be shipped at the trade deadline for younger players if the Jays fall out of contention.
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J.J Putz
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The Toronto Blue Jays have always had a consistently good bullpen. Now, the possibility of Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, and Kevin Gregg leaving has left a hole in the bullpen that needs to be patched up.
J.J Putz has had a bit of a spotty track record when it comes to injuries as he has never been the healthiest cow in the barn. But, when he is healthy, he is one of the most dominant relievers in the league. Last year, Putz played 60 games and posted a 2.83 ERA with a 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
J.J Putz has closed before in Seattle and had a few save opportunities last year because of the inconsistent Bobby Jenks. There is no doubt that J.J Putz will be heavily sought after and is a Type B free agent. Putz won't come cheap either so it unlikely that the Jays will sign him.
Magglio Ordonez
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Magglio Ordonez has spent his entire baseball with the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. His time with the Tigers seems to have come to an end as the Tigers have declined offering arbitration to Ordonez.
Magglio has always hit for average, home runs, and has been a consistent run producer throughout his career. He is getting a lot older now and has had some serious health issues. He is no longer a real option to play the outfield as he is pretty bad defensively.
Like Manny, Ordonez is out to prove that he can still play and stay healthy throughout the course of what is a grueling 162 game schedule. So, odds are that he will not be playing in the National League next season.
The Blue Jays are looking for a DH (obviously) and Maggs is the perfect guy to make an investment in. He can pay big dividends if he stays healthy. Maggs would be a nice fit for the Jays at the right price with his ability to drive in runs without sacrificing average.
Adam LaRoche
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Adam LaRoche has been a very consistent offensive player over the course of his 9 year career in the major leagues. He is well traveled as he has played his last four seasons with Pittsburgh, Boston, Atlanta, and Arizona. Needless to say, he doesn't stay in the same place very often.
And this year is no different. Last season LaRoche had 25 Home Runs and finished with an eye opening 100 RBI's. The Diamondbacks had a 7.5 million dollar mutual option on Adam for this upcoming season. Oddly enough, new GM Kevin Towers seems to be cleaning house and has declined the teams side of the mutual option.
So now, LaRoche is a free agent, one that may go under the radar because of the abundance of first basemen on the open market at the present time. LaRoche is still relatively young and has a lot of power in that bat. He is primarily a first baseman and fields his position quite well.
It is no secret that the Blue Jays are in the market for a first baseman with the departure of Lyle Overbay. It is also no secret that the Jays could easily move Adam Lind to first, but he is not the most attractive option defensively.
Last night, Towers offered LaRoche arbitration and it is unlikely that Adam will accept. Adam is an attractive option for the Jays considering that he is only a Type B free agent, meaning he won\t cost a draft pick.
With the number of first basemen on the open market, LaRoche could very well be left over until the end. The Blue Jays seem to be the only team in my mind who are a perfect fit for LaRoche. He will be relatively cheap at probably something along the lines of 3 years and maybe 25-27 million dollars. Which the Jays can easily afford.
Chad Qualls
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Chad Qualls had an absolutely awful year with both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Rays. In the past he has closed games and hasn't done too bad a job. He is only in his early thirties and neither his age nor his health have been a major concern over the years.
Chad's career ERA is a very respectable 3.82 and has a career 7.9 strikeouts per innings pitched. Qualls can throw the ball and there is no doubt, but like most relievers the key is consistently throwing strikes.
It was assumed that Qualls would not be offered arbitration by the Tampa Bay Rays, but in a surprising move the Rays have indeed offered arbitration to their Type B free agent. It is very possible that Qualls could accept arbitration if he doesn't feel confidant the market would work in his favor. Because his agent isn't named Scott Boras this seems likely.
If Qualls feels though that he can make more money on the open market, then by all means he will do it. Unfortunately, there is an abundance of right handed relievers on the market making the possibility of Qualls flying under the radar extremely likely. The fact that Qualls is a Type B free agent is also attractive to the Jays.
Quall will probably take a gamble if he goes on the open market and will try and find a one year deal somewhere. With the large amount of arms in the Jays farm systems still developing, a one year deal works for both sides. Chad will probably come cheap and could very well be traded at the deadline to a playoff contending team. I see this as a very likely possibility that he will sign with the Jays.
Yorvit Torrealba
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I was hesitant to put Torrealba on this list because of the emergence of J.P Arencibia and the solid backup Jose Molina. It has been rumored that the Jays have been actively pursuing catchers on the market relatively aggressively. In my opinion, I believe the Jays should let J.P have the starting catchers job, but of course it is not up to me. If the Jays can find an affordable and good catcher on the market it is very possible that they will sign him.
It was rumored last year that the Blue Jays were in on the Torrealba sweepstakes after his last season in Colorado. It worked out fine though as Torrealba played for a surprising San Diego Padres team who almost made the post-season and the Jays picked up Buck who worked out beautifully.
Torrealba has never hit for a whole lot of power, but he has always hit for a relatively high average as far as catchers are concerned. He is good defensively and has proven to be big in clutch situations.
Yorvit has never cost much and this may be very appealing for the Jays. Torrealba would get ample playing time until the Jays feel that Arencibia is truly ready to play everyday. If the Jays were to sign him it would probably be a one year deal for 750k-1 million dollars. Very cheap for a very consistent major league catcher.
Jorge Cantu
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It has confused me to no end as to why Cantu's name hasn't been thrown around very often this off season. Throughout his career Cantu has been a very good hitter, but has consistently fallen off near the end of each season. At the trade deadline last season he was traded to Texas where he fell of the map completely as he wasn't given the opportunity to play everyday.
Jorge is still young at the age of 29 and has a lot of pop in the bat. He is quite appealing to the Jays considering that is a good defensive first and third baseman with the ability to be a viable designated hitter. Cantu is not a ranked free agent so no draft pick will be given up to sign him. He may not come cheap, but versatile, young, and powerful players like Cantu don't come along very often.
His versatility makes him a good fit for the Jays and the money and age is right about where the Jays like them. The Blue Jays aren't opening the bank vaults wide, but if Cantu is available the Jays could very well pounce. Seeing as the Jays don't have any real top prospect first basemen in the minors, Cantu is an even more attractive option.
Justin Duchscherer
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Justin Duchscherer has been injured for a lot of his career. But, when healthy has been one of the most effective (not best) pitchers in major league baseball. The Oakland A's have been patient with Justin even though he continues to get injured. The case is similar with Dustin Mcgowan who was good when he played but hasn't been able to make it back since his elbow injury.
Duchscherer is about 33 years of age now and with his spotty health record, signing him would be very risky. Because the Jays are ripe with young arms and have a lot of options for their rotation this year. But, it is obvious that you can never have too many pitchers. Especially if you feel that Star Prospect Kyle Drabek isn't ready to start the season in the rotation.
Because of his health problems, Justin will be relatively cheap and I cannot imagine that the A's are going to re-sign him. Duchscherer's ERA is 3.13 which is one of the best in the majors from a career standpoint. For the right years and the right dollars, signing a talent like Duchscherer who if healthy could pay massive dividends would be a fantastic move.
Conclusion
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It is highly unlikely that the Blue Jays will sign many if any of these players. Alex Anthopolous has created a lot of excitement around this team and even the American media has noticed. Alex has kept his cards close and has been mysterious. He has a habit of making sneaky and clever moves. Nobody really knows what he is thinking or what he is doing.
Personally, I believe he hasn't ruled signing or trading for anybody out. If there is a good option for the Blue Jays, Alex Anthopolous will explore it for sure. The people on this list are affordable and are good fits for the Jays.
This was my first time writing for Bleacher Report and I hope you enjoyed my article, thanks for reading.
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