Movin' on up
ST. PETERSBURG — Am I alone in thinking it’s time to slide Adam Lind up the batting order? Blue Jays skip Cito Gaston moved Lind up to the seventh hole again on Sunday, but I think it’d make sense to promot the youngster to the second spot.
Since being called up upon Gaston’s arrival, all Lind has done is hit .338 (22-for-65) with four homers and 17 RBIs in 19 games. Shoot, he’s hit as many long balls as Alex Rios in about a fifth of the at-bats. The way things are going, Lind may lead the whole stinkin’ team in homers when it’s all said and done.
“I want to see how he handles that sort of thing,” Gaston said about moving Lind higher in the order. “I think he can handle it. It’s not the first time. Who knows? This kid might end up being a four-place hitter. Let’s just take it a little bit at a time.”
On another note, Gaston wouldn’t go as far as saying Gregg Zaun was now the “backup” behind the plate, but the manager said he believes Rod Barajas has earned the right to have more playing time. Funny enough, they each had an 0-for-13 slump entering Sunday’s game against the Rays.
Today’s lineups:
TORONTO (47-50) at TAMPA BAY (57-39)
at 1:40 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field
JAYS
Joe Inglett, RF
Marco Scutaro, SS
Alex Rios, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Adam Lind, LF
Gregg Zaun, C
John McDonald, SS
PITCHING: LHP John Parrish (1-0, 2.77)
RAYS
Akinori Iwamura, 2B
B.J. Upton, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoria, DH
Carlos Pena, 1B
Willy Aybar, 3B
Shawn Riggans, C
Jonny Gomes, RF
Ben Zobrist, SS
PITCHING: RHP Edwin Jackson (5-6, 3.93)
Major League Bastian 
I can’t believe how bad Stairs is right now….wait (actually I can). I would have released Stairs and picked up Sexson to use for the rest of the season.
freedom, although I agree with your analysis of Stairs, going from Stairs to Sexton is going from the frying pan to the fire. Stairs is loosing it-Sexton lost it a year or two ago.
gsumner, I also agree with you on your analysys of sexson, but since we are not contending anyway and sexson would be our DH, maybe a change in scenery might be a good thing for sexson. Anyway the Yankees must of saw potential in him, after all they are still in contention.
Adam Loewens pitchen career is over he is going to reinvent himself as an outfielder and first baseman rather than opt for surgery and be out for a year and a half.
Find story in trade rumors.
freedom, I’d rather see us bring up a kid from the minor leagues, we’d have more than our share of old has beens over the last 2 years, none of them have worked out.
Sexton probably won’t work out for the Yanks any more than he did for Seattle, although sometimes the yank uniform is magic.
Nice game by Rios, 1 hr and 2 doubles, 3 rbi’s-maybe the real Alex Rios has returned. Great game by the pen.
gsumner, I wish I could agree with you about Rios, but thats what we said about every player every time we scored a few more runs than we normaly do.
true
freedom if you have stairs or sexson in a normal 12 team mixed league then I suggest you drop them BOTH…i am 100% sure that you will have better players available than any of them. Cody Ross perhaps, or some people still haven’t picked up Milton Bradley, check for aaron rowand or james looney, matt kemp, troy glaus, and even evan longoria, jermey hermidia there are tons of players probably out there that are much better than them and will probably give you some speed too.
oops i thought you were talking about a fantasy team…man i just guess i didn’t read…i feel stupid now
OH btw rios was performing well after Cito came in, before he left for his baby too so I think he is regaining it bit by bit…but it still might be too early to tell
I turned the game back on in the 6th inn. and if this team hits in the future like they did today they might still save JPs job,To bad.
Frank Thomas was no easy replacement at DH. Maybe he wouldn’t have got injured if he stayed with the Jays? Probably not.
At least we don’t have to be looking at a guy that is 15+ homers this year and think about what could have been. Stairs is a fine player, but everyone who said he would be a easy replacement for Thomas, wasn’t thinking straight.
I agree on frank Thomas now it’s like paying Stairs an extra 8 mill to be the Jays DH.
The way Stairs was playing when we dropped Thomas, he would’ve been a great replacement for him. But nothing goes our way so now Stairs is really bad. I would’ve still made the move though because I wouldn’t have wanted to deal with Thomas for a whole nother year.
If Stairs picks it up soon he can sure help this team but I think he has lost some bat speed this year,He is getting to old.
Well stairs is getting older and its about time he came back to Earth and hit like he was supposed to…I still think the seasons over no matter wat the jays do (because i know they aren’t going to play .750 ball).
GSUMNER:
What draft position should the jays get for next draft and who do you think are the top key markee guys in the next draft? is it deep, shallow, fine line between good and mediocre players?
I heard the draft was thin this year.
Harry-the first pick we get is determined by our finishing position in reverse, meaning the lower we finish the earlier we draft.
We could end up with multiple first round or sandwich picks, since it’s likely we will loose a number of free agents such as:
AJ Burnett
Brad Wilkerson
Shannon Stewart
Greg Zaun
Rod Barajas
David Eckstein
Kevin Mench
For some of these guys we get two draft picks ( AJ for sure), so we could get a minimum of 8 sandwich picks ( I believe). This is similar to the number we had in 2007 which is the best draft we’ve had for a long time.
What I would hope is we draft potenial high ceiling high school kids, who take longer to get up here but might give us a stronger player.
Well AJ gives us 2 first round picks
do all of them give us first round sandwich picks too? because i doubt wilkerson, mench, stewart should bring first rounders. Another thing what if the player fails to sign with another team do we still get a pick? Like onceagain stewart, wilkerson and mench prolly won’t sign with a team next year….no one wants them.?
Harry, if I’m not mistaking we get a first rounder and sandwich pick for AJ and all the others are sandwich picks-but I’m not sure. If they don’t sign with another team, we won’t get a pick. I think they’ll all sign with someone, they just won’t make the dough they made with us.
Jordan-do you know how the draft rules work on free agents and sandwich picks/first round picks?
Gsumner.
Read trade rumors the yankees might be looking at Burnett,They had scouts at the Tampa game he pitched in and they never stayed for the rest of the series just his game.
even if it isnt true, its a good rumor to get others interested
SI-
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants traded second baseman Ray Durham to the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor leaguers after the teams played Sunday.
San Francisco received left-hander Steve Hammond and outfielder Darren Ford for the second baseman.
Brewers manager Ned Yost wouldn’t go into specifics but said: “We’re focused on which direction were going. We do know what we’re trying to do. We just play baseball. We’re excited. We’re excited about the prospects.”
***As I have posted before, the Brewers are going for it and are very prepared to trade prospects. They’re still looking for bullpen help-a closer and a Lh reliever. We could do a superb deal with them right now for Escobar and Gamel, as long as JP actually tries and makes a call.
Gsumner.
Go back to trade rumors where it says Yankees eyeing Burnett and click on had a guy watchin him it might intrest you.
the thing of interest is if they had multiple scouts in the stadium. If it’s handled right, we might have a bidding contest for AJ.
The Cubs and New York not bad I hope it’s the Cubs because everytime we trade in our divison they allways come back and kill us.
I’m just not sure what either the Cubs or Yanks could offer. Their cupboard is pretty bare in AAA and AA.
they might go for quantity if they dono’t offer much and I was suprised Milaukee is still trading away their prospects…I am sure they expcent ben sheets and CC Sabathia to walk away then…so they get 4 more 1st rounders
Your right about their cupboards being bare so that means if JP makes a trade and I said if we will get nothing in return,and he can’t afford to make any more mistakes,I think I would keep him and get the two draft choices,and hope it’s not JP doing the pickin.
Harry, I’m not surprised at Milwaukee. It’s the first time for a long time, they have a chance to go all the way. If they didn’t make these moves, they’d be silly.
That’s also why I think they’d move Escobar and Gamel for the right kind of offer-like Ryan and Tallet.
Garry-Maybe the Dodgers will offer more-or maybe NY would consider Robinson Cano. With that many scouts in the stands, we should ge a good offer-if we don’t we do get two draft choices.
All i am afraid of is JP trading for something lower than 2 first round draft choice ppl…knowing him he might go for 4 prospects choosen in the 2nd round and thats is worse than 2 1st round prospects.
Harry.
Mike Willmar is with you rather than get 4 or 5 B prospects It’s better to let him opt out, but if we can get 2 or 3 quality players or prospects by all means trade him.
harry-I wouldn’t be so set on where they were picked, but instead how they’re performing. Not many of the guys we have drafted in the first round are on the Jays team.
Garry-we wont get two or three quality players for Burnett-Wilner-as always, is full of himself with that suggestion. However, we could get two quality prospects, which to me are more vaulable than two draft choices.
Let’s hope its the Dodgers, they have some nice pitching talent in their AA team. I’d be REALLY happy getting James McDonanld and either Kershaw or Castillo for Burnett and throw in Eckstein as a bonus.
I can’t think of any team that will give up two quality prospects for Burnett.
I’m predicting a sweep against Baltimore…just a feeling.
I was looking at potential free agents this offseason and their are alot of intriquing names available. I think if I could add one guy though it would be Manny Ramirez to be our DH. Anybody know how much money the Jays will have to spend this offseason ? Bosox, do you think there is any chance Boston will not excercise his option ? They can always replace him with Vlad Guerrero or Bobby Abreau.
Imagine the lineup:
Overbay
Hill
Wells
Ramirez
Rios
Lind
Rolen
Barajas or one of the catchers of the future.
Insert acquired shortstop here.
They’d still need a more typical leadoff guy but suddenly that line-up’s not so bad. Really if they add any of the big fish (Guerrero, Bobby, Thome, Teixera etc.) things look more rosey. They’re not all DH’s but if they were to sign Guerrero they can always move Lind to DH.
Don’t forget too that historically Wells has had his best seasons with protection so this can make him better too. Before anyone calls it a dream, i have to say that I did think about as I was falling asleep lol.
Enigma.
A few of Torontos players will be getting a raise because of contracts that are heavily loaded on the back end so even with the 8 mil. you save on Thomas and The 1.8 mil. you save on Glaus it is not enough to cover the raises.
And yes I would love to see Ramirez come here we just have to put a door in the fence in left in case he wants to have a leak.lol