Jays trim roster by three
The Blue Jays whittled down their roster on Tuesday morning, bringing the Opening Day roster picture a little more into focus. Toronto reassigned outfielder Jeremy Reed to Minor League camp and optioned left-handers Jesse Carlson and David Purcey to Triple-A Las Vegas.
The departure of Reed likely means the only decision left facing the Jays in terms of position players is picking between Jose Molina and Raul Chavez for the backup catching duties. Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston was quick to note, though, that there is still a chance that Toronto’s roster situation changes due to players being passed through waivers or a potential trade.
Barring any late-spring additions, though, the Blue Jays’ bench would consist of infielder John McDonald, first baseman/designated hitter Randy Ruiz, utility man Mike McCoy and Molina or Chavez. The only other issue that could change the makeup is if third baseman Edwin Encarnacion (left wrist) needs to open the year on the disabled list.
Carlson had battled a left knee injury throughout the spring and his one-inning showing on Monday marked his first Grapefruit League appearance since March 5. Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Carlson simply had not pitched enough to win a job over the other relieving candidates in camp.
Carlson, who has options, will join Purcey in the Triple-A bullpen. Purcey entered camp as a starter, but the Jays limited him to throwing fastballs and sliders this spring and were thrilled with the results. Purcey hoped to fight for a starting role, but showed improved confidence and command as a reliever.
With Carlson and Purcey out of the mix, that leaves Kevin Gregg, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, Casey Janssen, Shawn Camp, Jeremy Accardo, Merkin Valdez, Josh Roenicke, Dana Eveland and possibly Brian Tallet in the bullpen picture. Only Gregg, Frasor and Downs are locks, while Camp, Valdez, Eveland and Tallet are out of options.
Tallet has been a favorite to win a rotation job all spring, but Gaston said on Monday that the veteran lefty might still be considered as a reliever. Eveland has had a fantastic spring and will likely be on the staff in some capacity. The Jays have liked what they’ve seen from Valdez, meaning either Accardo or Roenicke may wind up in the Minors (if Tallet and Eveland are both in the rotation).
As far as the rotation goes, the only locks are Shaun Marcum and Ricky Romero. Brandon Morrow, Marc Rzepczynski, Brett Cecil, Eveland and Tallet are in the running for the Nos. 3-5 slots. Rzepczynski and Cecil will start on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, so Anthopoulos said the starting five will likely be announced Thursday.
~JB
Major League Bastian 
JB-Any feedback on how Morrow feels today after his outing yesterday?
So “relieved” to see Carlson out of the mix. I spent most of last season trying to fiuger out why Cito kept using him. I am hoping that, now that he is healthy and back in form, that Janssen will stay up.
I was sad to see Reed go down, especially with how well he played, but I am sure we will see him soon. No choice on that one with McCoy in the mix.
Yea, the Jays have no need for a solid glove man who is hiting above .300 and offers more stabilty than free swinging Snyder whom Gaston will put in the doghouse again. Snyder will be lucky to make it ouf Texas without drawing Gastons ire. Its not Like Bell , Barfield and Moseby are patrolling the OF, this is a horrid move.
Carlson was a good move though, he is one trick pony and his funky delivery worked for a year and a half but the gig is up. Youc an only pithc against the a’s and royals so many times, the AL east will eat him his 3rd year around.
tony-Surely you jest if you put Reed into the same class as Snider (not Snyder). True, Reed had a good spring, but check out his career numbers, he’s not that great. Sending Reed down means McCoy makes the team, it doesn’t have a lot to do with Snider. Reed had options-McCoy didn’t. McCoy is more flexible, has more speed and had a better spring than Reed.
give reed some slack…..few guys come back from a broken bone in the hand a couple years ago, he had a great spring
and he will be up soon enough. i wish mccoy well, he did great also. but reality is he is untested over the long haul.time will answer all the predicting…..
Good to see carlson going down IMO. He could come back later to fill in if needed ( Downs/Frasor futures?). But I’d rather see Purcey be the first call-up.
No Jest there. Snider had 78 k;s in 241 AB’s last eyar, Reed had only 74 in his 400 Ab’s with Seattle during his FT gig. Reed has had a better spring and is by far a better glove. Snider has options and is destined for Gaston’s doghouse sometime after the first 10 games. McCoy had a great spring as well but with Gonzo and Mac there, its not like he will get meaningful Ab’s. Reed deserves to be there over Snider and McCoy will be useless come April.
Not a very good move in my opnion and Syder or Snider he might as well be Schnider because once he gets on the shcnide he will be buried on the bench.
Reed is a career .255/.312/.357 hitter over roughly 6 years and your initial post was to state he’d be better here than Snider, which is misguided to say the least. As I said, Reed had a good spring, but I just don’t see him hitting 40-50 points higher than his career numbers-won’t happen.
Frankly, we have better than Reed in the minors coming soon, so if he does make it back here, it will have to be very soon because others will be knocking at the door.
McCoy plays 6 different positions, and could play 7 if pressed. He has great plate discipline as shown by his high OBP numbers and has great speed. He also offers an option at short, allowing management to trade Gonzalez at the trade deadline and have someone play the position.
Right decision, imo.
McCoy missed some time this spring but he is Nick Leyva’s “discovery” so he gets a chance. Reed had a good spring and deserves a chance but Snider’s development has been rushed and if given time he still has a chance to get a whole lot better. I think at age 22 time is on his side.
Pitching decisions will be interesting. The guy who pitched well but hardly got a look was Accardo. He will likely be sent down but shouldn’t be.
So glad to see Carlson down in the minors, he lost us so many games last year and I found it insane how Cito kept putting him in. Good riddens!
The career stats on Reed are misleading. They have been skewed by injury. When healthly, Reed has always been a top rate outfielder. He is in his prime right now and, so long as he is healthy, is a much better option than Snider – as has been suggested.
Stats skewed, huh-I guess that’s why in 462 games, 1,222 at bats, he’s only hit 11 home runs and driven in 107 over 6 years while playing a known “power position.”.
To say he’s a better option than Snider is ridiculous, he’s not even as good as some minor leaguers we have in AAA or AA.
well….. gsjays is a true scholar of the game to suggest a 5 yr. vet with 1222 at bats and a .431 spring is not as good as some AA boys at this moment in time. alot of what you do say is quite valid and good. but you lose alot of credibility with statements like that. say hi to mccoy and snider while your cleaning their jockstraps….
Gs Jays…obviously you take this alot more serious than many. Its just a simple personal opnion that Reed would of served the team better. Thats the beauty fo baseball you can disagree. No one is here saying Marcum was better than Stieb. There wa sno obvious mistake. Snider didnt last in the majors and Reed could be a solid contributor based on the spring.
But to stary launching “deal with it” as if we are Reeds agent or start belittling posters because they have an opinion just means your looking at this comment section to start some Jim Rome type fight…its just baseball dude. Relax, no of us are getting paid by the Jays..let fans have thier own opnion. Yoru taking this way too serious.
Gs Jays…obviously you take this alot more serious than many. Its just a simple personal opnion that Reed would of served the team better. Thats the beauty fo baseball you can disagree. No one is here saying Marcum was better than Stieb. There wa sno obvious mistake. Snider didnt last in the majors and Reed could be a solid contributor based on the spring.
But to stary launching “deal with it” as if we are Reeds agent or start belittling posters because they have an opinion just means your looking at this comment section to start some Jim Rome type fight…its just baseball dude. Relax, no of us are getting paid by the Jays..let fans have thier own opnion. Yoru taking this way too serious.
I agree with gs that Snider is more of the future than Reed, I also know for a fact that GS gets more excited about prospects than anyone, so for someone to be upset that Reed is sent down, I think gs should be able to relate. GS, you may say, “but reed is 28 already”, well, how old is Ruiz? How old is Mccoy now? Truth is reed used to be a solid prospect and has had many injury problems so far in his career. I see his season stats, and agree they are unimpressive, but so are Alex Rios and yet people rave (some do) about him. Also, Tony posted strikeout totals for Reed and Snider last year; I don’t care if snider struck out twice as much, an out is an out. Sniders average was still higher. Ryan Howard leads the league in k’s every year, would you want Reed over him too?
A 5 year yet playing a power position that doesn’t have power, has never driven in many runs, has never hit for high average nor high obp. Lol, not sure why you’d hang your hat on that. Reed would never be part of the future this team is trying to build-he isn’t good enough. Frankly, I doubt if he even starts in AAA and if he does not for long.
Please, do you really think this guy Reed is capable of hitting 200 points over his career average.-and you say I lose credibility. lol
You can push Reed as hard as you want, but fact is he’s gone and probably will never be back. Deal with it. By the way posting insults simply shows you can’t defend your position, it makes you look immature, now maybe that’s what you like to look like-who knows.
I got to agree with GSJays here. Keeping Reed over Snider would have been a huge mistake. Snider’s talent is undeniable, its a matter of good pitch selection and productive at bats for him. He has tinkered with his stance and will a definite force this season. Reed has zero upside at this point in his illustrious career. Yes, it has been hampered by injuries but the results speak for themselves. If he plays well at AAA and the Jays have injuries, he may get his shot. But even that is uncertain. I think Cito made the right move here. I also have a feeling we have not seen the last of Jeremy Reed…
take a deep breath gs… it is hard to take positions against
so many predictions.but i will stand behind my position about AA players. it is fun being immature after a long day of surgery! reed will take care of himself. i am proud of his doing so well this spring coming back last 2 yrs from his hand injury.time will tell and i will be back to remind you when he comes backup. you have not heard the end of jeremy reed.
Man! Do I have to toss my hat in the door first?
I think I would have designated Gonzales and kept Reed. There isn’t much to choose between Gonzales and MacDonald, and you have McCoy on the depth chart, who may be able to play himself into a starting job.
Hey Tony-I didn’t start the belittling nor insults, but I certainly do respond to someone who does. Posters that have been here a while can attest to that. I only ratchet up my comments when others start, never before.
Everyone who posts here has an opinion and that’s what makes the forum great, there never is any need for personal insults or attacks. I respect others positions and expect others to respect mine. But when someone suggests “say hi to mccoy and snider while your cleaning their jockstraps..”, that’s an insult I respond to.
jbunk-I couldn’t care less if you had a long day of surgery. Take your immaturity and frustrations out on someone else.
Why are you so proud of Reed doing so well in st, what is he to you? His career numbers suggest he little more than a good defense, fringe offense outfielder with limited upside. That certainly, isn’t the profile of high ceiling type of prospects the team is aiming for in order to improve.
Hey I hope he does perform well in AAA, I really do because if he does he becomes a trade able asset, but don’t hold your breath, we have some bangers down there and more on the way.
okgojays-I’m not sure Reed has ever been a high ceiling prospect. High ceiling corner outfielder prospects have to either hit for power, or high OBP combined with speed. Reed has never done either.
yerottaheah-I wonder if AA knew how McCoy was going to perform if he’d have signed Gonzalez?
The point people seem to be missing is that the jays are trying to work towards a future that they envision involving Snider (not Reed). Snider has a huge upside. He was the top hitting prospect in the system a couple of years ago and is projected to (at some point) have a big break out both in power and hopefully OBP. It is amazing how fast people seem to forget the two seasons of poor average, high Ks, and back n’ forths from AAA that Lind went through. The jays, particularly in a development year such as this, want to work towards the same progression with Snider. For that reason, all others aside, it makes more sense to keep Travis.
Well said, ilovethenumbers. If we have anything to be upset at as Blue Jays’ fans it may be the fact that the organization is not maximimizing the opportunity that this year presents to prepare for the future. This should be a year where both Lind and Snider learn to play the outfield. It should be a year where Arencebia gets half the starts behind the plate. It should be a year when Purcey learns to be an effective reliever if not closer. It should be a year where we find out what we have in Dopriak/Ruiz platooning between first and DH. From a development perspective, I just crigne when I see the make-up of this team. I will never understand why other teams can play their kids, develop at the major-league level, and finish close to the top and get great draft picks, but the Jays’ feel that if they do not win 73 games (or some other hypothetical number) the fans will not turn out. That reasoning seems flawed to me. Mediocrity never attracts. Call it what it really is — a rebuilding year; a development year. I am afraid that Antho/Beeston’s commitment to Blue Jays will cost the Jays more than just cash when this year is complete.
2 mistakes: 1) near the bottom, not top
2) commitment to Cito — not the Jays
Burt-As you can tell from the above exchange not all Jays fans are into the re-build plan, some still want us to win as many games this year as possible or simply have player favorites they’d like to see make the team.
I think we have to remember a lot of Jays fans are not real baseball fans and do not understand we win by building from the bottom up, not top down.
My take on Dopirak/Ruiz is there’s been no takers for Overbay as yet, that might change but no one has bit yet, when it does I think we’ll see Dopirak back up here. That being said, neither Ruiz nor Dopirak are long term Jays, the situation for both of them changed after we got Wallace.
Further I suspect a number of veterans are being showcased and we’ll see a very busy trade deadline and pick up more prospects.
I originally wanted to see Arencibia start here this year ( as you well know), but after seeing his spring performance, I think a few more months in AAA will help him more than being here, so when he is called back up he sticks. Frankly, the rest of the high ceiling prospects we have are not ready yet, albeit it Wallace, Drabek, D’Arnaud, etc., so it might be, we need to be more patient than originally thought.
On the other hand, I think AA has done a remarkable job so far in turning the minors around. It still has a long way to go, but I’d expect if anyone rated the minor league teams now, we wouldn’t be in last place like we were in December.
I don’t pretend to know everything about baseball nor will I ever know everything about baseball . I do think we are lucky to have a forum where we can express our opinions and debate such opinions . However I do think to say somebody is not a real baseball fan because they don’t agree with an opinion is wrong . The Jays are obviously rebuilding ( even to this lay person ) but what I have found amusing is that other teams get criticized for bringing up players too soon yet Jays get chastized for not bringing up players soon enough . For me, I will leave those decisions to those who hopefully know the players best, certainly better than I do and in the end I will enjoy the Jays whether they win or lose because I am a real baseball fan . This was not written to upset anybody but to make all of us aware that we are all fans or we would not be here
Well said Indigo.
Indigo-I have no problem with you criticizing my posts although I must say I wonder why that’s the only type of posts you make here now. However, when you do please get your facts straight.
I did not say “somebody is not a real baseball fan because they don’t agree with an opinion.”. What I said was “a lot of Jays fans are not real baseball fans and do not understand we win by building from the bottom up, not top down.” Point is that statement is a fact and if you read a number of blogs you’d realize that.
In terms of the poster in question, I state again, I didn’t start the mud throwing, but I sure as hell do not sit back and let others throw it without responding. To be frank, he got off lightly, I could have called him a babbling idiot or moron, like a number of other posters would call anyone who thinks Reed is a better option than Snider. But I didn’t.
Come back often and post, your thoughts on baseball are missed here, but we don’t need a board moderator.
No poster said that the Jays were not building but you took the liberty of saying a lot of Jays fans are not real baseball fans . How can you make that assumption when you don’t know those people . I work in an industry that builds from the ground up , I understand the concept but to say some Jays fans are ignorant of that fact therefore not real fans is unfair. I was not attacking you merely stating my opinion as you stated yours . I still read this blog and many others . There are numerous blogs that welcome new posters until the said new poster writes something a core poster disagrees with, then you often read derogatory comments . I admit to having learned a lot from what I have read here and will continue to read but I was not bashing you just stating my opinion.
Indigo, did someone pee in your wheaties, please, get real and make up your mind what you’re criticizing me for. First it was “somebody is not a real baseball fan because they don’t agree with an opinion is wrong.”. Now it’s “you took the liberty of saying a lot of Jays fans are not real baseball fans.”
The point in all this, which for whatever reason you haven’t recognized is, I didn’t start this. I was attacked, not he other way around-read the blog above. I welcome all new posters here and always have. I’ve never attacked anyone or posted derogatory posts to someone, UNLESS they started it-and you know that.
I consistently try on this blog and game blogs to keep everyone civil, so our blog doesn’t end up like the Yank ones with everyone calling everyone else moron, idiot or some other derogatory name.
IMO, it is true that a lot of Jays fans do not understand the concept of building from the bottom up. All one has to do is read posts here, other blogs, listen to radio and tv and most fans want instant gratification.
A lot are still ********** Halladay was traded, and thought all they Jays had to do is add 2-3 free agents in order to compete without understanding all that would have done is keep us in 4th place again. Most wanted Doc to stay, including yourself, if I remember right, whereas I am not only pleased he was traded but also very pleased with the return we got.
For the record, I really like the new management and the direction and think it’s going to be fun to be a Blue Jay fan and watch all these kids grow and ultimately compete and win.
I am not accusing you of anything other than the fact I took exception to your comment …”I think we have to remember a lot of Jays fans are not real baseball fans and do not understand we win by building from the bottom up, not top down.” Nowhere did I say you attacked anyone . I believe I said that comment was unfair as we are all fans . You give the impression that some Jays fans are what… false? Not capable of understanding ? Nobody peed in my corn flakes …..lol…. This is the problem with the net , you don’t get the inflection of a voice . I also never accused you of not welcoming new people . I was referring to the fact several sites welcome new posters then chastize them or ask them to leave when the new poster doesn’t agree with an older poster ( Redsox and Yankees are a good example ) .
Like I said , I have learned a great deal here and yes I was upset Doc was traded but I also understand why he was traded . As for the players they received in return , I also said I will reserve judgement on them until they hit the majors , they are prospects at this time and we all know a lot never do well in the big leagues .
Everyone is entitled to their opinion . I was not attacking you or anyone but this stuff is exactly why I choose to read and rarely post . As you said the site doesn’t need a monitor , that is JB’s job . I wouldn’t want it ..take care
pee in your wheaties….naw, that does not sound immature
at all compared to cleaning a jockstap.where’s the credibility….