Blue Jays Need To Make The Right Moves

To be honest, the Blue Jays already made one of the right moves by getting rid of J.P. Ricciardi there is a lot more to be done if they hope to compete in the near future.

First, manager Cito Gaston has to go.  Yes, he had some success early in his tenure, but he definitely lost the locker room as time went by.  The team folded mid-season, and a lot of that has to do with the decisions Cito made.  He did bring wins.  He brought notoriety to the team from his success in the past.  But one thing he did not bring was a playoff birth, the one thing Jays fans really want.

While most will argue that the deck is stacked against the Jays by being in the A.L. East with teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays.  This is no excuse.  We all saw the Blue Jays start this year.  They were among the best teams in baseball, and clearly the potential is there for this team to be a playoff contender.

As it is with many teams, the Blue Jays have a lot of housework to do over the summer.  It all starts on the mound.  The Jays had a lot of good young starters take the hill this year, and it needs to continue.  As much as it pains me to say this, Roy Halladay is expendable.  They have good young starters in Ricky Romero, Brett Cecil and David Purcey.  They also are expecting to get back Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan.

So, what to do with Halladay.  The new management will have a tough decision in the early going.  As long as there is a lot of value in the return, I think they pull the trigger on a Halladay deal.  I think they should get a young pitcher, a few picks, but most importantly, an established hitter.  That was one of the areas that struggled this year down the stretch.

The bullpen was both a strength and a weakness for the Jays in 2009.  At times, guys like Brian Tallet, Brandon League and Shawn Camp were stars.  At others, the unit was very bad, costing Toronto several big leads over the course of the year.  They may need to add one more established reliever, but this is not a major need.

Another player who will likely be on the move is Vernon Wells.  After signing his monster contract a few years ago, Wells has been a huge disappointment.  While he is among the best fielding outfielders, his batting has left much to be desired.  Is there a market for him?  I doubt it.  But, given the right offer, this is another trade that should be made.

As far as the rest of the team goes, the Jays have great young talents in 2B Aaron Hill, OF Adam Lind and OF Travis Snider.  They just need to get some more pop in the lineup.  I think Overbay needs to be replaced as well, but he still brings some value against the right match ups

So, it is clear that the Jays have to make some moves, but from this fan's perspective, they are a team that is one or two players away from being a true contender.  Here's hoping anyway.