The Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays started this season with zero expectations. People were still baffled by last year's hugely disappointing performance. But i for one expect better & bigger things from the Jays this season. Last season, the team had zero team chemistry because half the core of the team had never played together. They had no chance go gel since the World Cup of Baseball tournament killed the last half of the pre-season. And as soon as the season started, Jose Reyes & soon after Brett Lawrie were lost for half a season due to freak leg injuries. And then they last half of their starting pitchers within a weak to either Tommy John or oblique muscle injuries. Melky Cabrera became ineffective by June/July due what we later learned was a large tumor in his spine which required surgery. No wonder he couldn't run. Adam Lind battled a back problem all season long and both Jose Bautista & Colby Rasmus missed the last month or so of the season due to various injuries.
Another big reason why the team was a failuire last season: J.P. Arencibia. Relied on to be a big part of the team's future, he struggled from the start both at the plate and as a catcher. He then got involved into some childish battles with some of the media following the team. He even went directly to team president Paul Beeston to plead his case & to try to get Sportsnet personality & former Jays catcher Greg Zaun fired. When people find out that someone has went behind their backs to cry to the principal, their days are usually counted. And it turns out they were. Instead of whining like a little bitch, Arencibia should have concentrated on improving his game. Word is that roving catching coach Sal Fasano tried to get Arencibia to improve his catching skills & was met with resentment. Same thing when Chad Motola (then hitting coach) tried to make some changes in his swing. Instead of always going for the long ball, he suggested that Arencibia cut down on his swing in order to make better contact. The homerun swing continued & the strikeouts continued to climb. Arencibia wound up having the worst statistical season of any catcher in the history of MLB!!!
Another pitcher they heavily relied upon who wound up being terrible was Josh Johnson, who also spent some time on the DL. He was awful! RA Dickey started the season injured but still found a way to pitch through his injuries. RA Dickey of the second half was a much better pitcher than the one we saw in the first half. Same thing with Mark Buehrle, who struggled at the start but got better as the second half came around. The Jays tried to dump his salary at the trade deadline but there were no takers. Brandon Morrow, whom many considered the ace of the staff, was lost for the most part of the season due to various injuries not related to his arm or shoulder. Ricky Romero, who also had been picked to battle Morrow for the #1 job, spent most of the season in the minors. For whatever reason, he's totally lost his confidence & ability to throw strikes ever since he fell madly in love with a former Miss America from Michigan. She's the one who created a lot of controversy for the simple fact that she's an arab.
The bullpen was great!! Three relievers made it to the all-star team: Delabar, Cecil and Janssen. So unless they ran into the same type of terrible bad luck, i doubt that the Jays' 2014 season could be any worse. Here is my assessment of the current team:
Dickey: R.A. Dickey has been very consistent this season & looking like he did during the second half of last season. He pitches better when the roof is closed at the Rogers Centre. He's looked the part of any team's #1 or #2 starter this season & always gives his team a chance to win when he pitches.
Buehrle: Mark Buehrle has been very consistent all season long and has been a reliable #2 pitcher. While expensive, rarely does he have a bad outing and games just breeze by when he's pitching. I for one hopes that the team doesn't wind up trading him just because of his big contract, but it could happen and his value won't be any higher than it is now.
Hutchison: Hutch has been the team's best pitcher all season long. There were question marks since he hadn't pitched in over a year due to Tommy John, but so far he's been very good. He reminds me of a young Roy Halliday. The Jays will contend if Drew Hutchison remains healthy and consistent.
Morrow: Brandon Morrow had a tough start to his season & he's hurt once again. He may require surgery to a freak index finger injury and if he does, he'll miss the rest of the season. This guy has all the tools to be a great pitcher, but he simply can't remain healthy. Many are now blaming this on his diabetes.
McGohan: Dustin McGohan hasn't pitched much over the past 5 years due to various arm and foot problems & Tommy John. His durability has been questionned & he seemed to tire early earlier into the season. However, also a diabetic, he's recently began to pitch using an insulin pump and he seems to have more energy when he's on the hill. He's got great stuff and a very good fastball and was once the Jays top pitching prospect at one time. If McGohan continues to pitch like he has & if he stays injury-free, that'll be a bonus to the Jays. This kid has had so much bad luck throughout his once-promising career that it's impossible not to pull for this kid.
Happ: JA Happ started the season on the DL and was then inserted into a long-relief spot when he returned. He didn't look very good as a reliever. However, he started his first game yesterday and pitched extremely well. Being a lefty gives him an advantage at holding on to the 5th spot while Morrow is out.
Cecil: Brett Cecil has been great this season and he's currently the team's closer until the return of Casey Janssen. Cecil was an all-star last season.
Delabar: Steve Delabar has struggled at times & has yet to regain the all-star form he had last season.
Santos: He's been terrible at times in the closer's role and has once again been demoted to the setup role in the bullpen. He's struggled with his control.
Loup: Has been inconsistent as a setup man. Last season he was terrific, this season so-so.
Redmond: Todd Redmond is the team's long relief man. He grabbed onto the 5th starter's spot last season and was very consistent. However, he lost the 5th starters' spot (along with JA Happ) to the better-performing Dustin McGohan this season. Should any of the current starting pitchers falter, Redmond will be picked to step in and i'm sure he'll do quite well.
Bautista: The heart and soul of the team. The leader. He also leads by example and has currently been having a very good season both on offense & defensively. If he can remain healthy throughout the season, the Jays will contend.
Encarnacion: Bautista's best friend and sidekick. He's become one of the league's best first basemen. He's clutch & hits for power. He had a rough start to his season power-wise, but has recently begun to pick up his power numbers. He's now finally seeing the ball well.
Lawrie: Had his usual slow start at the plate, striking out way too much. However, he's recently been one of the team's best hitters & has hit clutch homeruns. Hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has spent a lot of time with Lawrie at batting practice & it seems to have finally paid off. In the field, i doubt there is a better fielding third baseman than Brett Lawrie. He's made several highlight plays and is the team's sparkplug. Recently, he's been playing 2nd base during their intra-league trip in order to boost the attack.
Reyes: He must have a good year for the team to have a chance at contending. He spent the most part of spring training on the DL battling his usual hamstring problems, but he's been back for a few weeks & slowly showing progress after a tough start. Reyes is one of the most exciting players in the game & he's extremely well-liked among the team.
Goins: Ryan Goins was given a shot at the 2nd base spot after playing so well for the last couple of months last season. However, even though he's been very good defensively, he simply hasn't been able to hit. He was sent back to the minors two weeks ago.
Izturis: Maicer Izturis had been playing very well, relieving Goins and playing some short while Reyes was injured. However, a freak ankle injury as he stepped down the stairs leading to the dugout has put an end to his season. Chris Goetz was called up in order to provide some offense to the second base position when they're not playing National League opponents.
Francisco: Juan Francisco has been a pleasant surprise for the Jays. I'd never heard of this guy when they called him up once Adam Lind went down. He's played DH, first & now plays third base during their intra-league swing and has played very well. He's shown decent power numbers and a good eye at the plate. They might wind up keeping him on the roster once Lind comes back.
Lind: Had a very good start to his season, but he's once again battling back problems. He's been out for a few weeks. I think this is his last season with the Jays.
Cabrera: The Melkyman is having a great year so far. He's regained his mobility after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor in his spine. He's currently the team's best hitter and has hit for power. The Jays are finally getting their money's worth. He's very well-liked on the team & fitting quite well with this group. Here's hoping he plays for the Jays for another few years.
Rasmus: Colby Rasmus has all the tools to be a superstar in this league. He plays great defensively, hits for power and runs the bases well. However, he has a knack to strike out way too often and continues being a very streaky player. When he's on, he's on. But when he's not, he's definitely not. Recently, he's been getting his share of hits, has a better eye at the plate & he's getting on base. But for how long? However, the Jays don't really have anybody in the system who'd be a better replacement. So they're stuck with him & he's in the final year of his contract. He'd love to stay in Toronto since he's very happy there. But can the Jays live with his high strikeout ratio?
Navarro: Catcher Dioner Navarro doesn't look like an athlete. If i'd have to pick a nickname for him, i'd call him "Pudge" due to his very rotound figure. However, he can play ball. He hits very well and calls a good game behind the plate. He's already very well liked among his teammates and has been getting key hits when needed. What a relief to have him after the disaster of J.P. Arencibia last season!
Thole: Josh Thole wasn't expected to make the team after the Jays had acquired Eric Kratz during the off-season. But R.A. Dickey lobbyied the Jays to retain Thole since he's been his personal catcher for several years. The Jays made the unpopular decision and chose Thole over the better hitting Kratz. So far, the move has been brilliant since Thole came into the season with a brand new approach to the plate & has been one of the team's better hitters. He catches a very good game & has now began to share some of the catching duties with Navarro. He's also well liked on the team and seems to have the firepower that every team seeks in a player.
John Gibbons: Gibbons ran into a lot of bad luck last season. There is no manager in the history of baseball who could have had a better year with the group he had & especially all the bad luck. Gibby is a players' manager and very well liked by his players. All he can do is insert the lineup and make the necessary pitching changes and hope for the best. This season, he's been deserted by the bullpen, which was the team's strenght last season. Gibby must not despair and has to stick to his guns. Things will improve because there is quite a bit of room for improvement.
Final assessment:
This team will contend all season long and will likely finish in 2nd or 3rd position. But don't rule them out for the top spot if they can remain healthy. With no Josh Johnson & no J.P. Arencibia this season, the team will no doubt improve for those reasons alone. Johnson had an absolutely miserable season & Arencibia a historically poor season for a catcher. His constant whining about what he perceived to be unfair treatment from the media was a distraction around the team, especially when he publicly stated that most of his teammates were behind him on this issue. I mean, you're hitting under .200, striking out 3 times every night and lead the league in passed balls....AND YOU DON'T WANT THE MEDIA TO SAY ANYTHING JUST BECAUSE THEY ALSO HAPPEN TO BE EMPLOYED BY THE TEAM'S OWNERS???? Take your ball & go home, J.P!!!!
This team is poised to play well all season & not repeat the disaster of last season. Now that the spotlight is no longer on them & they aren't picked to win anything, the pressure is off and it wouldn't surprise me if they made it to the postseason.
Next up:
The Boston Red Sox
But of course Joe won't cite that little detail. Now one of two members who got into an insult fight wants to cry about it, and he with no honor lies about it. 
