Brett Lawrie and 9 Reasons for Toronto Blue Jays to Be Optimistic in 2012

The Toronto Blue Jays finished the 2011 season with an 81-81 record. Though a praiseworthy effort in a considerably challenging division such as the AL East, it was only good enough for fourth behind the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox.

Putting together "decent" seasons is getting a little redundant in Toronto, as it is becoming clearer and clearer that the trend of free spending in the Big Apple and Beantown, as well as the improbable success in Tampa Bay, is here to stay.

General Manager Alex Anthopoulos took some flak this offseason for shying away from Prince Fielder's price tag, missing out on Yu Darvish and neglecting to firm up the team's rotation, as many fans have expressed the concern that such inactivity will develop organizational stagnation.

This, however, will not be the case moving from 2011 to 2012. 

The Blue Jays will put forth an effort in 2012 that will garner them an official record superior to last year's. 

A Full Season of Brett Lawrie

When Lawrie joined the Jays' Major League squad last season, he showed off some tremendous talent, and a boatload of future potential.

Having Lawrie from the outset of the 2012 campaign should help the Jays improve on last year's record. Though he is inexperienced and may suffer through some growing pains, the Canadian is a game- changer and may have 162 opportunities to change games this season.

Expect Lawrie to maintain a positive WAR this season, which will direct Toronto's win total up from 2011.

Improved Bullpen

Perhaps the most well-documented improvement to the Jays' roster during the offseason was the acquisition of several talented relief pitchers. The moves made during the winter mean that Toronto will enter the 2012 campaign with one of the MLB's best bullpens. 

Last year, the back end of the pen struggled to nail down leads, which led to an American League high 25 blown saves.

The reacquisition of Jason Frasor should help to remedy that, as he is a serviceable righty who can close if need be. The late-inning lefty-righty combo of Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero will provide tons of experience and stability, while the re-signing of Casey Janssen provides talent and depth.

Closer Sergio Santos is a promising pitcher, albeit inexperienced. All indications are that the former White Sox shutdown man should succeed in Toronto, but if he doesn't, both Cordero and Frasor provide suitable alternatives for the ninth inning.  

The Potential Emergence of a Young Star

The Jays have several young players that may make an impact this season.

For instance, left field will be manned by either Eric Thames or Travis Snider.

Thames played fairly well there last season after taking over for Snider, and with about a half a season experience under his cap, it is reasonable to think that he could put in an all-around superior performance in 2012.

Snider has consistently struggled and disappointed during his time as a professional ball player, but it is not inconceivable that he breaks through in 2012. That is not to say his prior difficulties should be ignored, but between he and Eric Thames, the possibility of a breakthrough season coming out of Toronto's left field is strong.

Kyle Drabek maybe realize his potential this year and become a success at the Major League level. The righty struggled with his command last season, but has the stuff to be a good pitcher.

Maybe he will be in 2012. 

David Cooper, who dominated Triple-A, but struggled in the bigs in 2011, may even make a splash this year. He lacks the type of power that teams look for in a first baseman, but could develop into a Casey Kotchman-type batter.

It would be optimistic to think that things will just click for all of these guys, but it is certainly within the realm of possibility that it does indeed happen for at least one of them in 2012.

Career Resurrection Candidates

Similarly, it would be optimistic to believe that every Blue Jays vet that struggled last season will rebound in 2012, but it would be equally pessimistic to believe that none of them will.

Adam Lind, Kelly Johnson and Colby Rasmus are all rebound candidates in 2012. 

Lind put up solid power numbers last year, but maintained an unacceptable sub-.300 OBP.

Johnson performed well after he was acquired from Arizona, hitting .270 as a Blue Jay and has a career track record that suggests he is better than his 2011 season indicates.

As for Rasmus, this will be his final chance to convince everyone that his 2010 season wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan.

Will all three of these guys make significant improvements on last year's campaigns? Probably not. But, you can be almost certain that at least one of them will.

Potential Breakout Seaons for Pitchers

Both Brandon Morrow and Brett Cecil have had tremendous successes in their careers. The problem is that those successes have come in brief and sporadic spurts.

Brandon Morrow has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball, but struggles with his control. 

Cecil is a durable hurler that won't blow batters away like Morrow will, but he is a solid pitcher. If he avoids the home run ball in 2012, he will see a sharp drop to his ERA.

Like the youngsters and comeback candidates, it is very possible that either Morrow or Cecil, or maybe even both, breakout in 2012.

If either pitcher turns in a career year, it would go a long way for stabilizing the Jays rotation.

A Full Season of Henderson Alvarez

Henderson Alvarez will enter the 2012 season as a 21-year-old, but will be counted on to perform for the duration of the 162-game schedule.

In 2011, Alvarez made a strong impression at the Major League level, posting a 1-3 record with a 3.53 ERA in 63.2 innings.

Last year Alvarez relied heavily on his fastball and changeup, going to his slider only sparingly. Though he is still young, Alvarez is an electric talent and could make use of his slider in 2012 as a full complement to his other pitches. If this is the case, the Venezuelan should perform well out of the back end of the rotation in 2012. This is a luxury the Jays did not have in 2011.

Potential Arrivals from the Minor Leagues

Last year J.P. Arencibia put in a solid rookie campaign, while late season call-ups Brett Lawrie, Henderson Alvarez and Joel Carreno energized the Jays in August and September.

In 2012, Lawrie and Alvarez will begin the season with established Major League roles, while Carreno will be back in Triple-A. 

Though the infusion of rookie talent was considerable in 2011, it may be replicated, or even exceeded in 2012.

Catcher Travis d'Arnaud will begin the season in Las Vegas, but could crack the Jays roster by the end of the season. This is especially likely if either big league catcher Arencibia, or Jeff Mathis make a trip to the DL.

Like d'Arnaud, Anthony Gose will begin 2012 in Triple-A, but may see time as a Blue Jay before the end of summer.

Shortstop, Adeiny Hechavarria, is another youngster that may crack the bigs this year. He struggled with his bat at Double-A last season, but mashed at Triple-A, posting a .385 AVG in 25 games. His defense is Major League ready, and he could be in Toronto before long.

Pitchers Deck McGuire and Drew Hutchison could also crack the 25-man roster at some point. McGuire is the safer bet to do so, but Hutchison has been making a bee-line for the majors and could see his ascendance conclude before the summer is out.

The impact that any of these prospects would have at the big league level in 2012 is difficult to gauge, but it is fathomable that at least one will positively affect the team this year.

There May Be 2 AL Wild-Card Spots in 2012

This factor is still up in the air, but it seems more than likely that each league will produce two wild-card teams in 2012.

If this is indeed the case, an eight-or nine-game improvement on last year's .500 record may be enough to secure a playoff birth. But then again, maybe not.

The Jays will compete with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays for the American League East title and will likely be in competition for the wild card with those same suspects.

Additionally, the AL West is likely to fill one of the wild-card spots, as both the Rangers and Angels are expected to be powerhouses in 2012.

In-Season Trade Potential

Alex Anthopoulos expressed a penchant for acquiring talent via trade rather than free agency this offseason. And though Toronto did little to blow away its fanbase by making a flashy acquisition, there is no doubt that the team has a plethora of young talent other organizations would love to get their hands on.

Anthopoulos is a notoriously active GM, and the July trade deadline is still nearly half a year away. If the team is competing for a playoff spot this summer, there is sprawling potential for improvement by way of trade.

New/Old Uniforms and Logo

And, of course, the Blue Jays will be sporting new uniforms that share many stylistic similarities to those worn during the heyday of Blue Jays baseball.

Yes, they are just uniforms. No, the logo doesn't actually play the game.

But! The Jays are moving in the right direction, and this allusion to past triumphs may prove extremely well-timed in 2012.

Besides, the logo change is a terrific insurance policy: Even if the team declines in 2012, at least they will look cool as they falter.